Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

Keys To The Psalms

The ‘Psalm Titles’ Key “ For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Doeg the Edomite told Saul that Ahimelech had given refuge to David. ” (Ps. 52) The titles of the psalms offer us historical backgrounds as to the time or occasion of which the psalm was composed as well as the authorship. It also gives us hints as to the musical instructions as well as who was to arrange and when the psalm was to be performed. They also describe the character of the composition hinting at the style of performance. I have offered some suggestions in a few circumstances as to what the title might mean. Many of the words used in these brief preludes are ancient and not trans- latable.

The ‘Five Books of Psalms’ Key “ This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse. ” (Ps. 72:20)

There is a well-established tradition that the psalms were divided into 5 books known as the Pentateuch of Psalms corresponding to the 5 Books of Moses (The Pentateuch.) Each book centers upon a differ- ent name for God and focus of events or place. There is a doxology (or ending praise) as the last verse in each book. Psalm 150 is itself the doxology for the entire book of Psalms.

I Psalms 1-41 II Psalms 42-72 III Psalms 73-89 IV Psalms 90-106 V Psalms 107-150

The Book of Genesis The Book of Exodus

David’s Psalms

Descendants of Korah

The Book of Leviticus Asaph’s Psalms The Book of Numbers Anonymous Psalms

The Book of Deut.

Anonymous Psalms

The Key of Context and Continuity- “ A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day. It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name… ” (Ps. 92: Intro and vs. 1) One of the principle foundations of correctly understanding the Bible is the subject of context; ‘what did the scripture mean to the people to whom it was written?’ Continuity is ‘what does this scripture contribute to the subject in the entire Bible?’ In writing on the psalms, I first try to address the ‘context’ and then proceed to the ‘continuity’. To properly understand the ‘context’ of Psalm 92, we must see how the He- brews celebrated their Sabbath centuries ago. To understand this Psalms ‘continuity’ to the whole Bible, we must see how it fits into God’s entire revelation of what the Sabbath truly means for mankind. Psalm 92 teaches us how ‘praising God’ is a way of refreshing ourselves in the spiritual rest Christ has provided for us. We would be lost in the psalms without an understanding of the moral and religious requirements of the law as given to Moses. The law provided the psalmists with a foundation of justice to evaluate both human and national behavior. The righteous will eventually flourish while evil will inevitably fail. The cross of Christ fulfills all the passages of scripture referring to the ceremonial sacrifices and the Festi- vals of Israel while the moral requirements of the Law are met by his sinless and perfect life. David and the additional writers of the psalms followed the schoolmaster of the law as it led them to the grace of Christ. The Key of Israel’s History “ All the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in The Record of Samuel the Seer. ’ (2 Chron. 29:29) The ‘Law of Moses’ Key “ The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. ” (Ps. 19:7)

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