Theology of the Psalter

 

Introduction

See A.M. Harman, Psalms, pp.14-68

The title in tehillim: Praises”, in the LXX Ψαλμοι. The term rwmzm (mizmor) in many of the titles comes from rmz (zamar): to sing (to the accompaniment of a musical instrument).

Here three aspects of the Psalms are explored:

1. A Book of Devotion

Throughout the ages the Psalms have been a manual of devotion. Jerome reports that it was common in his time to hear psalm snippets being sung in fields and gardens, and through the Middle Ages the Psalms were sung in the abbeys, even if their message was not well understood. The Reformation period saw a renewed use of the Psalms, one which has continued to this day. The great hymn writers (e.g. Watts, Wesley) based many of their compositions on the psalms, infusing specifically Christian content into the OT language and motifs.

As a manual of prayer and devotion it represents response to revelation; in the cries and pleas of the psalmists we see the whole gamut of experience; in the affirmations of faith and trust scattered through the psalms we can discern the creed of Israel. Its theology is popular theology at its best, not the distillation of abstract philosophical discussions. They speak both to us, and for us.

The material within the Psalter

  • Praise: Harman lays out the hymn-structure of psalms which extol the glory of God: Call to worship; The reason for praise; Recapitulation of the opening call. Psalm 8 is a classic example, just as Psa.117 is a short example revealing the same pattern. See also Psa.66; 100; 114; 149. Also outside the Psalter are Exod.15:1-8; Deut.32; Hab.3:12-19. Many other psalms have this as their keynote even if they do not exhibit the pattern. Praise exalts God, and calls on others to join. Even Psa.104 is not praise of the creation but the Creator.
     
  • Lament: A considerable number of psalms express lament, sorrow, perplexity, and plaintive plea. These belong with such passages as Job 3; Jer.15:10-21; 17:14-18; 20:7-18. The so-called penitential psalms also belong here (6, 32, 38; 51, 102, 130, 143). See Harman, p.48-9.
    However, some psalms do not fall neatly into one category or the other, but incorporate both praise and lament, but lament can give way to praise. Note this in the penitential psalms. Gunkel has therefore distinguished communal lament (Psa.44) and individual lament (Psa.3-7; 13; 17 etc).
     
  • Prayer: From the morning psalm (Psa.3) and the evening psalm (Psa.4) the note of earnest entreaty runs through the psalms as they pour out their agonies, doubts, fears, apprehensions, joys, delights, and favours. But experiences are always against the backdrop of Divine disposals and favour. The changes of mood in Psa.27 reflect how loss of Divine favour is for the psalmist the ultimate tragedy.
     
  • Trust: words such as “believe”, “trust”, “take refuge in”, “wait for”, rely on” occur frequently, while even apart from these specific word the language of trust is everywhere apparent, e.g. Psa.118:6 (Heb.13:6); Psa.91. Trust is always combined with, expressed by, obedience to God and His commands (Psa.119:1-8). Trust is often put in contrast to confidence in weapons, princes, idols, or man himself. See Psa.20:7; 146:3; 135:15-18; 52:7; 49:6-9.
     

In the remainder of the OT

  • From Psalms 43, 84, 116, 118, 150 we can see their use in public praise, and from 1 Chron.16:7ff and 25:1-3 we learn that David arranged and instituted the liturgical worship of the Temple. On the occasion of the arrival of the Ark a number of psalms were sung: 1 Chron.16 reproduces portions of Psalms 105, 96, and 106. Likewise 2 Chron.6:41-42 reproduces Psalm 132:8-9.
     
  • The psalms themselves mention this liturgical singing, e.g. Psa.92:1-3; Psalm 150; likewise sacrifice in Psa.50:7-15; 66:13-15. The connection with Temple worship is quite clear.
     
  • However, they are far more than that. We find them on the lips of prophets and saints as they pour out their soul before God, and as they contemplate the salvation to be revealed. Note the following samples:
  • Psalm 118:14 in Isaiah 12:2
  • Psalm 105:1 in Isaiah 12:4
  • Psalm 79:6-7 in Jeremiah 10:25
  • Psalm 72:8 in Zechariah 9:10

    • Moreover, Isaiah 38:9-20 contains many allusions to the Psalms.


In the New Testament

  • As the age of Messiah dawns, we see the Song of Mary and the Song of Zechariah replete with quotations and allusions from the Psalter:
  • Luke 1:46-55 quotes Psa.103:7; 107:9; and alludes to Psalms 34, 105, 118, and 132.
  • Luke 1:68-79 quotes Psa.106:10 and refers to Psalms 89:17; 132:17; 105:8f, and Psalm 132, as well as quoting Isaiah and Malachi.
  • Christ taught from the Psalms that His Person and work fulfilled what was written in them (Luke 24:27, 44). His post-resurrection ministry in particular would explain the apostolic use of such psalms as 2, 16, 45, and 110, as discernible from Acts, Hebrews, and Revelation in particular.
  • The praise aspect of the Psalms is evident in the Great Hallel, as indicated in Matt.26:30, where it formed a standard part of the Passover celebration.

Summary: a doctrine of experience

Every life situation appears in the Psalms, from the highs to the lows, and hence they minister to our every need, and how we may legitimately respond to God from those life situations. They also constitute the pre-eminent book of devotion to guide our prayers and adoration, as much under the Gospel as in the OT. Paul’s injunctions in Eph.5:19; Col.3:16 certainly comprehend the Psalms, whatever we are to make of the issue of Christian hymns.
“How my love for God is kindled by the Psalms!” Augustine

2. Doctrine of God

The Psalms are full of praise to God, sometimes simple ascriptions of praise; at others giving a rendition of reasons for that praise. So Psalm 103 begins and ends with a call to worship, but in between is an account of God: His Person and His works.

The Sovereign God: We see this in the so-called “Kingship Psalms” (on which more below), but it is not only ]lm (both verb and noun), but other terms and expressions which proclaim His rule over the world at large, and Israel in particular.

Thus Psalm 103 summons praise from earth and heaven, as His sovereignty (twklm) rules over all; in Psalm 115:2-3 the reply to the challenge “Where is your God?” is that he is in Heaven, and he does what He pleases. The proper response is to bow down and worship Him, Psalm 96:4-9.

The living God: this expression occurs in Psalm 42:2 and 84:2, echoing Josh.3:10; Deut.5:26; 1 Sam.17:26; Jer.10:10. It is a fundamental of Israel’s faith that God is real; that He is alive; that He is the Author of life.

God the Creator: God had only to speak and the world came into being, Psalm 33:6, 9. Yet man, although puny, is still the pinnacle of that creation (Psalm 8). In many psalms God as Creator is asserted: 96:5; 115:15; 121:2; 124:8; 146:6. This is part of Israel’s creed, and although other nations may have had creation stories, creation as the OT asserts it was never any kind of creed.

Providence is the counterpart to Creation: what God has created he maintains and cares for. Hence the great Psalm 104 (in partic.24-30); 136:25; 145:15-16. The psalmists even go so far as to assert God’s dsj (lovingkindness) for the creation at large, 33:5; 119:64; 136:25. However, this covenantal term reflects the covenant of Noah with all the earth, Gen.9:9-17.

God the Revealer: The Psalms present us with a God whom man cannot comprehend, who remains hidden and out of reach unless he reveals Himself. This is His transcendence (or an aspect of it), as we see in 104:3-4; but the counterpart is His immanence, that He is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27), but apart from the community of Israel as a whole, He attends to the welfare of the individual, under various similes and metaphors: see 23:1 (shepherd and sheep); 27:10 (father and mother); 42:1-2 (thirsty deer at the water brook); 63:1-2 (water for the thirsty); 91:1, 4 (a bird with her young under the wing); a fortress when enemies crowd in (Psa.27:1). Although God seems at times to be far away (Psa.35:22; 38:21; 71:12), yet he really near to all who call upon Him (Psa.34:18; 145:18).

In regard to revelation, while a general revelation is available to all (Psa.19:1ff), He has chosen Israel for His particular revelation (78:5; 147:19-20), which is enshrined in His law, statutes, judgments, promises, precepts, ordinances etc. (Psa.119).

3. The Kingdom of God

The “Kingship Psalms”, those which proclaim the LORD’s rule over the earth and nations, are well- known, viz. Psalms 47, 93, 95-100, 145. Even where the words, “king”, and “kingdom” appear the concept is clearly present. The Sinai covenant brought Israel into a “king-subject” relationship with YHWH, and the Song of Moses (Exod.15:1-18) proclaims that kingship over Pharaoh, the sea, and the nations at large, concluding on the triumphant note, duw \lul ]lmy hwhy: “The LORD shall reign forever and ever”. The kingship psalms are based squarely on that confession.

Even apart from the kingship psalms YHWH’s kingship is proclaimed in many other parts of the Psalter:

Psalm 10:16 has the same confession as Exod.15:18;

Psa.11:4 – the LORD’s throne is in heaven, therefore he beholds and tests the entire race of humanity;

Psa.29:10 – the great disaster of the Flood (hammabbul) was under God’s complete control (past tense), and as eternal king He rules the world.

Psa.74:12 – As Israel’s king the LORD is here hope and Saviour, “From of old” (\dqm) refers to the Exodus.

Therefore he is both Israel’s King by covenant, and the nations’ King by creation.

In particular He is the King of Israel, and as such he is linked with Zion (48:2; 99:2), the source of God’s salvation (132:13-18), which shall be universalised in the Messianic age (Psa.67, 87).

God’s Kingship also envisages the outcome of human history, when YHWH will be seen as King of the nations: He will come to judge the earth, and the peoples in truth (96:13), a reality which will be fulfilled in Christ’s Second Coming and the Consummation. Cf. Rev.15:3-4.

Response to God’s Kingship

1. Worship. In Psalms 95:6; 96:8-10; 99:5, 9 we have this worshipful response clearly stated. This applies in all eras, and especially in the climax of the ages when Christ appears in glory for salvation, Rev.19:6-10.

2. Missions. The nations are subject to God’s providential rule, but are to brought into His saving rule, so that they too come and worship. We see this in particular in Psalms 57:7-11 (= 108:1-6); 66:1-4; 67; 87; 96:3, 7-13; 99:2-3; 100:1-3; 117.
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