Songs of the Heart Overview

General Overview of the Psalms

Instructions: Your group is responsible for becoming familiar with the material provided here. In the large group session, you will have approximately 3 to 5 minutes to teach this content to the entire group. Your presentation should include reading at least one of the psalms aloud to the entire class. Have fun!

General Information about the Psalms - Source: (From Biblestudy.org)

· The Book of Psalms is one of the greatest collections of songs, prayers, and poetry. These Psalms express the deepest passions of humanity.

· We don't know who wrote all the Psalms, as many of them are unnamed. But, the superscription that you have in your Bible (the introductory words found before the first verse, in most Psalms), often attribute the Psalms to King David.

· The historical books of the Bible, speak of David's considerable accomplishments as a musician, singer, and composer of poems. The connection between King David and the Psalms is well documented.

· However, David did not write all the Psalms. We don't know who wrote one of the "Wisdom Psalms," Psalm 119. This psalm is also known as a "Torah Psalm," because it goes into the law.

· There are many others, who are believed to have contributed to the writing of the Psalms, including the priestly family of Korah, Deborah, and Hannah. Psalms were still being composed, during the time of Ezra. It was in Ezra's time, that the Book of Psalms, as we know it, was compiled.

· Structure of the Psalms - The Book of Psalms, is arranged, or separated, into five books:

· BOOK ONE -- Psalms 1-41

· BOOK TWO -- Psalms 42-72

· BOOK THREE -- Psalms 73-89

· BOOK FOUR -- Psalms 90-106

· BOOK FIVE -- Psalms 107-150

Characteristics of the Psalms

· They were written for singing.

· They were intended for public worship in the temple, in Israel, and for us.

· They are not, merely, poems, but are lyrics.

· They contain musical conventions, peculiar to music and worship during ancient time.

· The poetry was written over a period of one thousand years, from the time of Moses, to the time of Ezra.

· They were collected, and arranged, over a long period of time.

· Written in the language of the human spirit, they reflect the feelings of a person at a certain time, or the utterances of the soul.

· They are deeply emotional works, which use wrenching language, dramatic exaggeration, and figurative speech.

· The Psalms were a part of the ordinary life, of the Israelites.

· Written in the language of response, the Psalms record, in powerful, poetic language, one individual's response to God.

· From a desperate cry, to an ecstatic shout of joy, each Psalm is a response to God, in the middle of a particular situation.

Categories of the Psalms: The Psalms are broken down into different categories. Many Psalms can be categorized by their themes.

· For example, the "Royal" Psalms emphasize "God, as King," through the use of the phrase, "the Lord reigns." These Psalms speak of His rule as Creator, Savior of Israel, and as "the coming One."

· The "Zion" Psalms focus on Jerusalem, using its endearing name, "Zion." These Psalms rhapsodize on the city, as God's choice for the site of the Holy Temple, the place for true worship of His name.

· The "Penitential" Psalms are those in which the psalmist confesses sin to the Lord, asks for forgiveness, and then praises the Lord for the renewed relationship, which God's forgiveness provides, e.g., Psalm 51.

· The "Wisdom" Psalms focus on some of the same issues, which we find in the Book of Proverbs. These Psalms present a sharp contrast, between the righteous and the wicked. They address God's blessings and curses and often focus on righteous living.

· A subcategory of the "Wisdom" Psalms, are the "Torah" Psalms, or poems, which focus on the beauty, truth, and sufficiency of the law of God.

· Some of the most troubling Psalms, are those that contain prayers asking God to curse the wicked. These are called the "Imprecatory" Psalms. These Psalms are sometimes thought to conflict with the sentiment of the Gospels, but they actually reflect God's abhorrence of evil.

· In contrast, are the joyful and prophetic "Passover" Psalms, Psalms 113-118.

· Psalms 113-115 were sung at the temple, during the slaying of the animals. Psalms 116-117, were sung during the meal, and at the end, Psalm 118. These Psalms are a remarkable celebration of the great acts of the Lord, in delivering His people from Egypt. They point forward to the deliverance that would come through the Savior, Jesus.

· A final group of Psalms, is clustered at the end of the book, and are called the "Hallel" Psalms. These Psalms focused on the exodus from Egypt. They praise God for His character, and for His saving work.

· The last category is the "Lament" Psalms.