The Book of Psalms, Book by Book

We want to take you through the book of Psalms. If you have read our study on Job you know we have started the books of poetry and wisdom. Psalms is the biggest book in the Bible. It has 150 psalms. So we will not go through it one chapter at a time like the other books. We will go through it the way it was put together. In five books. We will cover every psalm. Some we will look at closely. Others we will put in groups. We will tell you what the psalms are about and how they fit together. And how they point us to the one God that is revealed in Jesus Christ.

Psalms is the songbook and the prayer book of Israel. It has every feeling a person can have. Joy and sorrow. Fear and faith. Anger and peace. Guilt and forgiveness. Some psalms praise God. Some cry out to him. Some ask him why. Some ask him to judge the wicked. Some just remember what he has done. The people who wrote them were honest with God. And God put their prayers in his word so we could pray them too.

There are three things we want you to take away from this study. Psalms is about worship. It teaches us how to praise and how to pray. Psalms is about the one God. “Thou art God alone” (86:10). And Psalms points to Jesus Christ more than almost any book in the Old Testament. Jesus said “all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Luke 24:44). The New Testament quotes the Psalms more than any other Old Testament book. We will explain these points as we go through the book. But we want you to keep them in mind as we begin.

In Hebrew the book is called Tehillim. Which means praises. The name Psalms comes from the Greek word for songs sung with a stringed instrument. Many of the psalms have a title at the top. The titles tell us who wrote them or what they were for.¹ David wrote about 73 of them. Asaph wrote 12. The sons of Korah wrote 11. Solomon wrote 2. Moses wrote 1. Psalm 90. Heman wrote Psalm 88 and Ethan wrote Psalm 89. About 50 have no name at all. Some titles tell us when David wrote them. Like Psalm 51 after Nathan came to him. Or Psalm 3 when he ran from Absalom.

The book is divided into five books.² Book One (1–41). Book Two (42–72). Book Three (73–89). Book Four (90–106). And Book Five (107–150). Each book ends with a blessing to God. A doxology. Book One ends “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen” (41:13). And Psalm 150 is one big doxology for the whole book. The Jews said the five books of Psalms matched the five books of Moses.

Hebrew poetry does not rhyme. It uses parallelism.³ One line says something. And the next line says it again in different words. Or says the opposite. Or adds to it. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (19:1). That is important. When the psalm says something twice in different words we learn that both lines mean the same thing. We will see why that matters when we get to Psalm 139. You will also see the word selah 71 times. We are not sure exactly what it means. It was probably a musical mark. Many think it meant pause and think about this.

There are different kinds of psalms. Praise. Thanksgiving. Lament. Royal psalms about the king. Wisdom psalms. Psalms of repentance. And some that ask God to judge the enemy. Many of them point to the Messiah. Just like in our other studies we will be using the KJV for our scripture quotations. And we will let you know where you can find the work of the scholars we reference.

Almost every psalm in Book One has David’s name on it. Most of them are personal prayers. David in trouble. David running. David sinning. David trusting. The name LORD is used most in this book.

Psalm 1: Two Ways

The whole book starts with a choice. Two ways. Notice the steps down. Walk. Stand. Sit. That is how sin works. You walk by it. Then you stand there. Then you sit down and stay. But the blessed man delights in the word of God. He is like a tree by the water. “The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away” (v.4). “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish” (v.6). Psalm 1 is the door into the whole book.

Psalm 2: Thou Art My Son

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” (v.1). The kings of the earth set themselves “against the LORD, and against his anointed” (v.2). The word anointed is mashiach. Messiah. The apostles quoted this when they were threatened for preaching Jesus (Acts 4:25–27). God laughs at the nations. “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (v.6). Then the king speaks.

Trinitarians will say this verse teaches that the Son is eternally begotten by the Father. A second person who always existed. But notice the words “this day.” A day is a point in time. Not eternity. Paul tells us which day. He quotes this verse about the resurrection. “He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” (Acts 13:33).⁴ The Son was begotten in time. Born of Mary. Raised from the dead. The Son is the one God manifest in the flesh. The psalm ends “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry … Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (v.12).

Psalms 3–7: Morning and Evening Prayers

Psalm 3 was written “when he fled from Absalom his son.” We saw that story in our 2 Samuel study. David said many were rising up against him. “But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head” (3:3). “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me” (3:5). “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD” (3:8). Psalm 4 is an evening prayer. “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety” (4:8). Psalm 5 is a morning prayer. “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD” (5:3). Psalm 6 is a prayer of a man sick and sorry for his sin. “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears” (6:6). Psalm 7 asks God to judge the wicked. The man who digs a pit falls in it (7:15). We saw that with Haman in our Esther study.

Psalm 8: How Excellent Is Thy Name

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (8:1). David looked at the night sky. “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” (8:3–4). God made man “a little lower than the angels” and crowned him with glory and honour (8:5). He gave him rule over the works of his hands. Hebrews 2:6–9 tells us this psalm is fulfilled in Jesus. “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” Jesus became a man. And as a man he took back what Adam lost. Jesus also quoted verse 2 when the children praised him in the temple (Matthew 21:16).

Psalms 9–15: The Fool and the Faithful

Psalms 9 and 10 go together. They praise God for judging the wicked. But they also ask “Why standest thou afar off, O LORD?” (10:1). Psalm 11 says “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (11:3). The answer is “The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven” (11:4). Psalm 12 says the words of men are flattery but “The words of the LORD are pure words” (12:6). Psalm 13 asks “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever?” (13:1). Four times David says how long. But he ends “I have trusted in thy mercy” (13:5).

Psalm 14 says “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (14:1). “There is none that doeth good, no, not one” (14:3). Paul quotes this in Romans 3:10–12 to show that everyone is a sinner. Psalm 15 asks who can dwell with God. “He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart” (15:2).

Psalm 16: Thou Wilt Not Leave My Soul in Hell

“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (16:8). “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (16:10). On the day of Pentecost Peter quoted this verse. He said David died and was buried and his tomb was still there. So David was not talking about himself. “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption” (Acts 2:31). The psalm ends “in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (16:11).

Psalms 17–18: Who Is God Save the LORD

Psalm 17 is a prayer for protection. “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (17:8). Psalm 18 is almost the same as David’s song in 2 Samuel 22. We covered it in our 2 Samuel study. “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer” (18:2). “For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?” (18:31). One God.

Psalm 19: The Heavens and the Word

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (19:1). God speaks through what he made. Every day and every night the sky tells about him (19:2). Paul says the same thing in Romans 1:20. Then the psalm turns to the word. “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (19:7). The word of God is “more to be desired are they than gold … sweeter also than honey” (19:10). God speaks in creation. But he speaks more clearly in his word. The psalm ends with a prayer. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (19:14).

Psalms 20–21: Some Trust in Chariots

These are prayers for the king before and after battle. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (20:7). “The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD” (21:1).

Psalm 22: My God, My God

Jesus cried these exact words on the cross (Matthew 27:46). The whole psalm reads like it was written at the foot of the cross. “All they that see me laugh me to scorn … He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him” (22:7–8). The chief priests said almost the same words (Matthew 27:43). “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint” (22:14). “My tongue cleaveth to my jaws” (22:15). Jesus said “I thirst” (John 19:28). “They pierced my hands and my feet” (22:16). David wrote this hundreds of years before crucifixion was even invented. “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture” (22:18). The soldiers did exactly that (John 19:23–24).

Trinitarians will say that verse 1 shows one person of the Godhead forsaking another person. But notice who wrote it and who prayed it. It is a man crying to his God. Jesus prayed it as a man. He was fully human. He felt the full weight of our sin. But the Bible never says God was divided against himself. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Not God was apart from Christ.⁵ And notice how the psalm ends. Not in defeat. “I will declare thy name unto my brethren” (22:22). Hebrews 2:12 tells us that is Jesus speaking. And the last line is “he hath done this” (22:31). It is finished.

Psalm 23: The LORD Is My Shepherd

This is the most loved psalm in the Bible. Notice who the shepherd is. The LORD. YHWH. Now listen to Jesus. “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus did not say I am sent by the shepherd. He said I am the shepherd. The LORD who is my shepherd is Jesus Christ. Ezekiel said God himself would come and search for his sheep. “I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out” (Ezekiel 34:11). He did. Psalm 22 is the shepherd dying. Psalm 23 is the shepherd caring. And Psalm 24 is the shepherd reigning as King.

Psalm 24: The King of Glory

“The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof” (24:1). “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? … He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart” (24:3–4). Then the gates are told to open. “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” (24:7–8). “The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory” (24:10). Paul says the princes of this world “crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8). The King of glory is the LORD of hosts. And the LORD of hosts was crucified in the flesh.

Psalms 25–31: Into Thine Hand

Psalm 25 is a prayer for guidance and forgiveness. “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths” (25:4). Psalm 26 asks God to judge David’s heart. Psalm 27 says “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (27:1). “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD” (27:4). “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage” (27:14). Psalm 28 and 29 praise the voice of the LORD in the storm. “The voice of the LORD is powerful” (29:4). Psalm 30 says “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (30:5). Psalm 31 says “Into thine hand I commit my spirit” (31:5). Jesus said these words as he died (Luke 23:46).

Psalm 32: Blessed Is He Whose Transgression Is Forgiven

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity” (32:1–2). Paul quotes this in Romans 4:7–8 to show that God makes people righteous by faith. David said when he kept silent about his sin his bones wasted away. “I acknowledged my sin unto thee … and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin” (32:5).

Psalms 33–39: Taste and See

Psalm 33 says “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made” (33:6). Psalm 34 was written when David pretended to be crazy before Achish. We saw that in our 1 Samuel study. “O taste and see that the LORD is good” (34:8). “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken” (34:20). John tells us this was fulfilled when the soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs (John 19:36). Psalm 35 asks God to fight against those who fight against him. Psalm 36 says “with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light” (36:9).

Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm. “Fret not thyself because of evildoers” (37:1). “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (37:4). “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (37:25). Psalm 38 is another prayer of repentance. Psalm 39 says “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days” (39:4).

Psalms 40–41: Lo, I Come

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock” (40:1–2). Then David said something that goes far past David. “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire … Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God” (40:6–8). Hebrews 10:5–9 tells us these are the words of Christ when he came into the world. “A body hast thou prepared me.” God prepared a body. And in that body he came to do what the sacrifices could not do.

Psalm 41 says “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me” (41:9). Jesus quoted this about Judas (John 13:18). Book One ends “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen” (41:13).

Book Two starts with the sons of Korah. Then Asaph. Then David. And it ends with Solomon. In this book the word God is used more than the name LORD.

Psalms 42–43: As the Hart Panteth

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God” (42:1–2). The writer was far from the house of God. He remembered going there with the crowd (42:4). Three times he talks to himself. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him” (42:5, 11; 43:5). Sometimes you have to preach to yourself.

Psalms 44–45: Thy Throne, O God

Psalm 44 is a nation crying out after a defeat. “Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter” (44:22). Paul quotes it in Romans 8:36. Then Psalm 45 is a song for the king’s wedding. “Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips” (45:2). Then it says this.

Hebrews 1:8–9 says this is spoken to the Son. “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” The Son is called God. Trinitarians will say verse 7 shows two persons. God and his God. But notice what the verse says about the Son. He is called God. And he is anointed. As God he has the eternal throne. As a man he was anointed with the Spirit (Acts 10:38). Jesus is both. God and man in one person.⁶ Not two Gods. One God manifest in the flesh.

Psalms 46–49: Be Still, and Know

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed” (46:1–2). “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen” (46:10). Psalm 47 says “God is the King of all the earth” (47:7). Psalm 48 praises mount Zion “the city of the great King” (48:2). Jesus called Jerusalem by that name (Matthew 5:35). Psalm 49 warns that riches cannot save. “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (49:7). “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave” (49:15).

Psalms 50–51: Create in Me a Clean Heart

Psalm 50 is by Asaph. God does not need our sacrifices. “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills” (50:10). He wants thanksgiving and obedience. Then Psalm 51. David wrote it after Nathan came to him about Bathsheba. We covered that in our 2 Samuel study. “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness” (51:1). “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned” (51:4). “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (51:7). “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me” (51:10–11). Notice the parallel. Thy presence. Thy holy spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s own presence. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (51:17).

Psalms 52–59: Cast Thy Burden

Many of these were written while David was running from Saul. Psalm 52 is about Doeg the Edomite who told Saul about the priests. Psalm 53 is almost the same as Psalm 14. Psalm 54 was written when the Ziphites told Saul where David was. Psalm 55 is about a friend who betrayed him. “It was not an enemy that reproached me … But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance” (55:12–13). “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee” (55:22). Psalm 56 says “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (56:3). Psalm 57 was written in the cave. “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens” (57:5). Psalms 58 and 59 ask God to judge the wicked.

Psalms 60–67: Early Will I Seek Thee

Psalm 60 is about a defeat. “Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man” (60:11). Psalm 61 says “lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (61:2). Psalm 62 says “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation” (62:1–2). He only. Psalm 63 was written in the wilderness of Judah. “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land” (63:1). “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life” (63:3). Psalm 64 asks protection. Psalm 65 praises God for the harvest. Psalm 66 says “Come and see the works of God” (66:5). Psalm 67 prays “That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations” (67:2). God always wanted the nations.

Psalm 68: Thou Hast Ascended on High

“Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered” (68:1). These are the words Moses said when the ark moved (Numbers 10:35). God is “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows” (68:5). “God setteth the solitary in families” (68:6). Then the psalm says this. “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them” (68:18). Paul quotes this about Jesus (Ephesians 4:8). “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10). Notice who ascends in the psalm. God. The LORD God. And Paul says it was Jesus.

Psalms 69–71: The Zeal of Thine House

Psalm 69 is quoted in the New Testament many times. “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (69:9). The disciples remembered this when Jesus cleansed the temple (John 2:17). “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (69:21). That happened at the cross (Matthew 27:34, 48). Peter quoted verse 25 about Judas (Acts 1:20). Psalm 70 is a short cry for help. Psalm 71 is a prayer of an old man. “Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation” (71:18).

Psalm 72: All Nations Shall Serve Him

Psalm 72 is “for Solomon.” It is a prayer for the king. But it goes past Solomon. “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” (72:8). “Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him” (72:11). “His name shall endure for ever … and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed” (72:17). That is the promise to Abraham. In thy seed shall all nations be blessed. Book Two ends with a doxology. “And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen” (72:19). Then one more line. “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” (72:20).

Book Three is darker. Most of it was written by Asaph and the sons of Korah. Many of these psalms deal with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. And the book ends asking where God’s promise to David went.

Psalm 73: Until I Went Into the Sanctuary

Asaph almost lost his faith. “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (73:2–3). They are healthy and rich and proud. And he kept his heart clean for nothing (73:13). Job asked the same thing. “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end” (73:16–17). In God’s presence he saw where the wicked were going. Then he said this. “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (73:25–26).

Psalms 74–77: Will the Lord Cast Off Forever

Psalm 74 cries over the burned sanctuary. “They have cast fire into thy sanctuary” (74:7). “O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?” (74:10). Psalm 75 says God is the judge. “He putteth down one, and setteth up another” (75:7). Psalm 76 says “In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel” (76:1). Psalm 77 asks hard questions. “Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?” (77:7). Then the writer turned. “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old” (77:11). He remembered the Red Sea (77:19). Remembering what God did gave him hope for what God would do.

Psalm 78: That the Generation to Come Might Know

Psalm 78 is a history lesson. “I will open my mouth in a parable” (78:2). Matthew tells us Jesus fulfilled this when he taught in parables (Matthew 13:35). Asaph tells the story so “That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born” (78:6). This is what the generation in Judges 2:10 did not have. He goes through Egypt and the wilderness and the land. Over and over Israel sinned. Over and over God was merciful. “But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not” (78:38). It ends with God choosing David “to feed Jacob his people” (78:71).

Psalms 79–83: Whose Name Alone Is JEHOVAH

Psalm 79 cries over Jerusalem in ruins. Psalm 80 prays three times “Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved” (80:3, 7, 19). Psalm 81 says “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it” (81:10). Psalm 82 is God judging the judges. “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men” (82:6–7). Jesus quoted this when the Jews said he made himself God (John 10:34). The judges were called gods because they spoke for God. Then Psalm 83 ends with this.

Whose name alone is JEHOVAH. That is YHWH. The LORD. One name. One God most high over all the earth.⁷ In the New Testament that name is revealed. “Thou shalt call his name JESUS” (Matthew 1:21). Which means YHWH is salvation.

Psalms 84–88: Thou Art God Alone

Psalm 84 is a song of the sons of Korah. “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD” (84:1–2). “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (84:10). Psalm 85 says “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (85:10). They meet at the cross.

Psalm 86 is a prayer of David. “Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord” (86:8). “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord” (86:9). “For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone” (86:10). God alone. Psalm 87 says people from Egypt and Babylon and Philistia will be counted as born in Zion (87:4). The nations will be born again into God’s city. Psalm 88 is the darkest psalm in the Bible. It ends “lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness” (88:18). It has no happy ending. God lets us see that some prayers come from the bottom.

Psalm 89: Where Are Thy Former Lovingkindnesses

Psalm 89 is about God’s covenant with David. “I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations” (89:3–4). “He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth” (89:26–27). Then the psalm turns. The crown is in the dust. The walls are broken down (89:39–40). “Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?” (89:49). Book Three ends with the king gone and the covenant looking broken. But even so the last line is “Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen” (89:52).

Book Four answers Book Three. The king of David’s line was gone. So Book Four starts with Moses. Before there were any kings. And it keeps saying the same thing. The LORD reigneth. The throne of David fell. But God is still King.

Psalm 90: From Everlasting to Everlasting

This is the oldest psalm. “A Prayer of Moses the man of God.” “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (90:1–2). Man is like grass (90:5). “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past” (90:4). Peter quotes this (2 Peter 3:8). “The days of our years are threescore years and ten” (90:10). “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (90:12).

Psalm 91: The Secret Place

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (91:1). “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust” (91:4). Like Ruth under the wings of the LORD. “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (91:11). Satan quoted this verse to Jesus in the wilderness. He left out “in all thy ways” (Matthew 4:6). Jesus answered “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:7). Scripture must be read with scripture.

Psalms 92–100: The LORD Reigneth

Psalm 92 is a song for the sabbath. “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD” (92:1). Then over and over these psalms say the same thing. “The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty” (93:1). “Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth” (96:10). “The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice” (97:1). “The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble” (99:1). The king was gone. But the LORD still reigned.

Psalm 95 says “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker” (95:6). Then it warns “To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation” (95:7–8). Hebrews 3 and 4 use this psalm to warn the church. We saw that in our Numbers study. Psalm 96 says “O sing unto the LORD a new song” (96:1). “For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens” (96:5). Psalm 97 says “worship him, all ye gods” (97:7). Hebrews 1:6 uses this verse from the Greek Old Testament to say “let all the angels of God worship him.” About Jesus.⁸ The one the angels worship in Psalm 97 is the LORD. And Hebrews says it is Jesus. Psalm 98 says “The LORD hath made known his salvation” (98:2). Psalm 100 says “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands” (100:1). “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves” (100:3). “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise” (100:4).

Psalms 101–102: Thou Art the Same

Psalm 101 is David’s promise to rule his house with integrity. “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes” (101:3). Psalm 102 is “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed.” The man feels like his days are like smoke (102:3). Then he turns to God who lasts forever.

This psalm is talking to the LORD (102:1, 12). The Creator. The one who never changes. Now read Hebrews 1:10–12. “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth.” Hebrews says this is spoken “unto the Son” (Hebrews 1:8). The LORD who laid the foundation of the earth is the Son.⁹ Not a second Creator. The one Creator who came in the flesh. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Psalms 103–104: Bless the LORD, O My Soul

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (103:1). “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction” (103:3–4). “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (103:12). “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him” (103:13).

Psalm 104 praises God as Creator. He covers himself with light like a garment (104:2). He makes the clouds his chariot (104:3). He feeds every animal. Then this. “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth” (104:30). We used this verse in our Genesis study. The Spirit of God in Genesis 1:2 is not a second person working with God. It is God himself working in his creation.

Psalms 105–106: Remember

Psalm 105 tells the history of Israel from Abraham to the land. It shows God keeping his promises. “He hath remembered his covenant for ever” (105:8). Psalm 106 tells the same history. But it focuses on Israel’s sin. The calf in Horeb. “Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass” (106:20). Baalpeor. Sacrificing their children to idols. “Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry” (106:44). Book Four ends with a prayer and a doxology. “Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen … Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD” (106:47–48).

Book Four ended with “gather us from among the heathen.” Book Five starts with God gathering them. It is the biggest book. It has the longest psalm. The songs the pilgrims sang going up to Jerusalem. And it ends with nothing but praise.

Psalm 107: Let the Redeemed of the LORD Say So

“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands” (107:1–3). Then it tells four stories. People lost in the desert. People in prison. People sick because of their sin. People on a ship in a storm. Every time “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them” (107:6, 13, 19, 28). “He sent his word, and healed them” (107:20). Jesus calmed the storm and the disciples said “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” (Matthew 8:27). In Psalm 107 it is the LORD who “maketh the storm a calm” (107:29).

Psalms 108–109: Let Another Take His Office

Psalm 108 is made from parts of Psalms 57 and 60. Psalm 109 asks God to judge a wicked man who repaid love with hate. “Let his days be few; and let another take his office” (109:8). Peter quoted this about Judas when they chose Matthias (Acts 1:20).

Psalm 110: The LORD Said Unto My Lord

This is the Old Testament verse quoted most in the New Testament.¹⁰ Jesus asked the Pharisees “What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David” (Matthew 22:42). Then he asked how David could call his own son Lord. “If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” (Matthew 22:45). They could not answer.

Trinitarians will say this verse shows two persons. One LORD speaking to another Lord. But notice the question Jesus asked. He did not ask how there could be two divine persons. He asked how the Messiah could be David’s son and David’s Lord at the same time. The answer is the incarnation. As a man Jesus is the son of David. As God he is David’s Lord. We saw this in our 2 Samuel study. And the right hand in the Bible means power and authority. Not a second throne next to God. Jesus said “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power” (Matthew 26:64). The man Christ Jesus has all power. Then verse 4. A priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Not from Levi. A king and priest. Hebrews 5–7 explains it. Jesus is our King and High Priest. Just like we saw with Joshua the high priest in our Ezra study.

Psalms 111–118: The Hallel

Psalm 111 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (111:10). Psalm 112 says “Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD” (112:1). Psalms 113 to 118 are called the Hallel.¹¹ The Jews sang them at Passover. When Jesus ate the last supper with his disciples “when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30). They probably sang these psalms. Psalm 113 says “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust” (113:7). Psalm 114 remembers the Red Sea and the Jordan. Psalm 115 says “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory” (115:1). And it mocks idols. “They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not” (115:5). Psalm 116 says “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (116:15).

Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible. Two verses. “O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people” (117:1). Paul quotes it to show that God always wanted the Gentiles (Romans 15:11). Psalm 118 ends the Hallel. “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes” (118:22–23). Jesus quoted this about himself (Matthew 21:42). So did Peter (Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7). “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (118:24). “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD” (118:26). The crowds shouted this when Jesus rode into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). Jesus sang this psalm the night before he died. He was the rejected stone.

Psalm 119: Thy Word

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. 176 verses. It is an acrostic.¹² There are 22 sections. One for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Every verse in each section starts with that letter. And almost every verse talks about the word of God. Law. Testimonies. Precepts. Statutes. Commandments. Judgments. Word. Ways.

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (119:9). “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (119:11). “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (119:18). “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes” (119:71). “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (119:89). “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (119:105). “The entrance of thy words giveth light” (119:130). The man who wrote this loved God’s word with everything he had. John tells us “In the beginning was the Word” and “the Word was made flesh” (John 1:1, 14). The word the psalmist loved came and dwelt among us.

Psalms 120–134: Songs of Degrees

These 15 psalms are called Songs of Degrees.¹³ Or songs of going up. The pilgrims sang them on the way up to Jerusalem for the feasts. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth” (121:1–2). “He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (121:4). “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD” (122:1). “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (122:6).

“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side” (124:1). “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (126:5). “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (127:1). “Children are an heritage of the LORD” (127:3). “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD” (130:1). “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee” (130:3–4). Psalm 132 remembers God’s oath to David. And Psalm 133 says “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard” (133:1–2). Unity is like the anointing oil running down. God commands the blessing there (133:3).

Psalms 135–137: His Mercy Endureth for Ever

Psalm 135 praises God over the idols. “For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods” (135:5). Psalm 136 says “for his mercy endureth for ever” 26 times. Once after every line. Creation. Egypt. The Red Sea. The wilderness. The land. Every part of the story ends the same way. His mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 137 was written in exile. “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion” (137:1). They hung their harps on the willows. “How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?” (137:4). It ends with a very hard verse asking God to repay Babylon for what they did to Jerusalem’s children (137:8–9). We need to talk about the psalms that ask God to judge the enemy.¹⁴ They are honest prayers from people who were hurt. Notice they did not take revenge themselves. They gave it to God. “To me belongeth vengeance” (Deuteronomy 32:35). Paul said “avenge not yourselves … for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). We can be honest with God about our pain. And then leave judgment with him.

Psalm 139: Whither Shall I Go From Thy Spirit

“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me” (139:1). God knows when David sits down and gets up. He knows his thoughts from far away (139:2). He knows every word before he says it (139:4). Then David says this.

Remember the parallelism we talked about. The first line says thy spirit. The second line says thy presence. They mean the same thing.¹⁵ The Spirit of God is not a third person somewhere else. The Spirit of God is God’s own presence everywhere. And notice who is everywhere. “Thou art there.” Thou. Singular. The one God fills heaven and hell and the sea. Then David says “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (139:13–14). God knew us before we were born. The psalm ends “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (139:23–24).

Psalms 138 and 140–145: Great Is the LORD

Psalm 138 says “thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (138:2). Psalms 140 to 143 are prayers of David in danger. “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (141:2). “No man cared for my soul” (142:4). “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good” (143:10). Psalm 144 says “LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him!” (144:3). Psalm 145 is an acrostic of praise. “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable” (145:3). “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy” (145:8). That is Exodus 34:6 again. “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth” (145:18).

Psalms 146–150: Praise Ye the LORD

The last five psalms all start and end with “Praise ye the LORD.” In Hebrew that is Hallelujah. Praise Yah. Yah is the short form of the name YHWH. Psalm 146 says “Put not your trust in princes” (146:3). “The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind” (146:8). Psalm 147 says “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names” (147:3–4). Psalm 148 calls everything to praise. Angels. Sun and moon. Stars. Sea monsters. Fire and hail. Mountains. Animals. Kings. Young men and maidens. Old men and children. “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent” (148:13). His name alone. Psalm 149 says “Sing unto the LORD a new song” (149:1). And then Psalm 150.

The book that started with a blessed man and two ways ends with everything that has breath praising God. Trumpet. Psaltery. Harp. Timbrel. Dance. Stringed instruments. Organs. Loud cymbals. High sounding cymbals. Nothing held back. That is where all of it leads. Every lament and every question and every tear. In the end it all turns to praise.

Jesus said the psalms were written about him (Luke 24:44). We have seen that all through this study. Before we finish we want to put it all together. There are three things we want to point out.

First the psalms tell us about his life and death. He would be rejected by the builders (118:22). Betrayed by a friend who ate his bread (41:9). Mocked (22:7–8). Pierced in his hands and feet (22:16). Given vinegar to drink (69:21). His clothes divided by lot (22:18). Not one bone broken (34:20). He would cry “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (22:1). And “Into thine hand I commit my spirit” (31:5). His soul would not be left in hell. And his flesh would not see corruption (16:10). He would ascend on high and give gifts to men (68:18).

Second the psalms tell us who he is. The New Testament takes psalms about the LORD and says they are about Jesus. The LORD is my shepherd (23:1). And Jesus is the good shepherd. The LORD of hosts is the King of glory (24:10). And Jesus is the Lord of glory. The LORD laid the foundation of the earth (102:25). And Hebrews says that is the Son. The LORD is the one the angels worship (97:7). And Hebrews says that is Jesus. God ascended on high (68:18). And Paul says that is Jesus. The Son is called God and his throne is forever (45:6).

Third the psalms show us how he is both God and man. He is the Son begotten “this day” (2:7). He is David’s son and David’s Lord (110:1). He is called God and he is anointed (45:6–7). He came in a body prepared for him to do God’s will (40:6–8). He prayed as a man. And he is worshipped as God. This is not two Gods. It is not three persons. It is the one God “whose name alone is JEHOVAH” (83:18) manifest in the flesh. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

We have gone through the Psalms book by book. Here is what we can conclude. First Psalms is about worship. It shows us how to praise God and how to pray to him. It is honest. It has tears and anger and questions and doubt. But it always comes back to God. Psalm 1 starts with a man meditating on God’s word. Psalm 150 ends with everything that has breath praising the LORD. In between is every season of life. And God meets us in all of them.

Second Psalms is monotheistic. “For who is God save the LORD?” (18:31). “Thou art God alone” (86:10). “Thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth” (83:18). “For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens” (96:5). “His name alone is excellent” (148:13). And the Spirit of God is his own presence. “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” (139:7). One God. One name. Everywhere present.

Third Psalms points to Jesus Christ. The anointed King. The Son begotten. The shepherd. The King of glory. The rejected stone. The priest after the order of Melchizedek. The one who cried “My God, my God” as a man. And the one who “laid the foundation of the earth” as God. Jesus is the LORD of the psalms come in the flesh.

The Psalms teach us how to talk to God. Proverbs teaches us how to walk with God in everyday life. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (111:10). That is where Proverbs begins.