INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF THE WORD

Through the Bible with Dr. T.L. Lowery: Wisdom Literature

 Psalms 
INTRODUCTORY FACTS
Someone, in speaking of the whole Bible and the “Temple of Truth,” and different books as
different rooms in that temple, has called the Book of Psalms the “music room.” Truly, it is filled
with heavenly music suited to man’s every experience. Here the Holy Spirit sweeps every chord
of human nature; from the high, exultant note of Psalm 24 to the low, wailing note of Psalm 51.
We know of eight different men who wrote the Psalms, though David was its principal author. In
2 Samuel 23:1, David is called the sweet psalmist of Israel. By the titles, we know that he wrote
seventy-seven of the Psalms and it is possible that he wrote many psalms that have no titles. The
leading ideas in the Book of Psalms are trust, praise, celebration, and mercy.
The New Testament writers often referred to the Psalms. In the New Testament, we find two
hundred and thirty-eight direct quotations from the Old Testament and one hundred and sixteen
of them are from the Psalms. Consider the value of the Psalms.
John Phillips said it so eloquently, “Many of the Psalms were composed for private and public
worship; others were born out of deep experience of the soul. They include meditations,
historical recitals, formal instructions, and passionate entreaties. They are a treasury of thought
from which to draw when approaching God in prayer, whether congregationally or privately, for
in Psalms man’s soul is bared. Sin, sorrow, shame, repentance, hope, faith, and love are all
expressed, and these things are universal in scope, timeless in nature, and the very stuff of which
prayer is made.”
Not only are the Psalms valuable to us in supplying assistance in our prayers and devotions to
God, but they give us deeper insight into the history of Israel. If we derive our understanding of
Israel’s history solely from the historical books of the Bible, we miss a whole dimension of truth.
The Psalms reveal to us how the Hebrew people felt about the experiences through which they
passed. This is why it is important to consult a Bible commentary in reading the Psalms to
understand the historical circumstances that gave them birth. For example, the historical
background for Psalm 3 is 2 Samuel 15–18. When we understand that David was running from
Absalom’s armies, then the reading of Psalm 3 becomes so much more meaningful. “Lord, how
are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which
say of my soul, ‘There is no help from him in God. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory
and the lifter up of mine head” (vv. 2-3).
The historical background for Psalm 51 is 2 Samuel 11–12. David had sinned against God in
committing adultery with Bathsheba and then murdering her husband. For an entire year, he
tried to conceal the sin. This cover-up continued until the prophet of God marched into the royal
chamber and boldly identified him as the man who had sinned against God and man. David was
broken and penitent and out of the anguish we have the prayer recorded in Psalm 51. “Have
mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy
tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse
me from my sin . . . Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow . . . 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. Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (vv. 1, 2, 7, 10-12).
Psalm 142 was written when David was in a cave hiding from King Saul. Does not this background
information make us appreciate this prayer more? “I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my
voice unto the Lord did I make supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed
before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path.
In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and
beheld, there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I
cried unto the Lord, ‘O Lord’: I said, ‘Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are
stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall
compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me” (vv. 1-7).
All of the Psalms are inspired of the Holy Spirit and profitable for our lives. Let me mention some
more favorite and famous psalms.
1. Psalm 1 is the Psalm of the Godly Man.
2. Psalm 22 is the Crucifixion Psalm.
3. Psalm 23 is the Shepherd Psalm.
4. Psalm 71 is the Psalm of Old Ag
5. Psalm 84 is the House of God Psalm.
6. Psalm 89 is the Psalm of the Davidic Covenant.
7. Psalm 90 is the Psalm of David.
8. Psalm 91 is the Psalm of Life.
9. Psalm 119 is the Word of God Psalm.
10. Psalm 121 is the Travelers Psalm.
11. Psalm 133 is the Unity Psalm.
12. Psalm 136 is the Mercy of God Psalm.
13. Psalm 150 is the Psalm of the Supreme Praise.
 I. The National Hymn Book

The title Psalms is taken from a Greek word which means “songs to the accompaniment of
stringed instrument.” These Psalms were to be set to music and sung with orchestration.
Israel had three major types of instruments. There were stringed instruments, such as the harp
and psaltery. Wind instruments were the next group, including the flute, pipe, horn and trumpet.
Finally, there were percussion instruments, such as the tambourine, drums, and cymbals.
Israel loved to sing and play music unto God. The Psalms were their national prayer and
songbook. When Hezekiah led the nation in revival, he organized a great temple orchestra and
choir. The Bible says that this Levitical choir praised the Lord with the words of David and Asaph.
In other words, they were using the Psalms as their hymn book. Certain psalms were to be sung
on designated days and occasions.
The Daily Psalms
First, there were The Daily Psalms. Certain psalms were to be sung at the morning service in the
temple each day of the week. Every Monday morning the choir sang Psalm 48. That is a good
song to sing on Monday mornings. Someone said, “Rainy days and Mondays always get me
down.” But if you can get up Monday morning and sang, “Great is the Lord and greatly to be
praised . . .” (v. 1), then you are doing pretty well.
Tuesday, the choir sang Psalm 82. On Wednesday, the choir sang Psalm 94, Thursday, the choir
sang Psalm 81. Friday, the choir sang Psalm 93. On Saturday, they sang Psalm 92, which was
appropriate for the Jewish Sabbath day. Verses 13 and 14 of that chapter say: “Those that be
planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth
fruit in old age . . .”
Sunday, the choir sang Psalm 24. This psalm pictures the triumphal entry of King Jesus back into
heaven. As New Testament Christians, we assemble Sunday to commemorate that Jesus Christ is
raised from the dead. He ascended into heaven and today is seated at the right hand of the
Father. What a fitting song for the church to sing on Sunday morning.
I love the way the Israelites would sing this song. They would perform it with two choirs. The first
six verses were sung at the foot of the hill on which Jerusalem stood. Choir A would sing, “The
earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness there of; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath
founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the
Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?” (24:1-3).
Then Choir B would respond to those questions with these words, “He that hath clean hands, and
a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul into vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive
the blessing of the Lord, and the righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the
generation of them that seek him, and that seek thy face, O Jacob” (24:4-6).
Then, there would be a pause as the choirs moved in front of the gates of the Holy City. Here they
would sing Psalm 24:7–10. Choir A would sing “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted
up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” Choir B would sing, “Who is this
King of glory?” Choir A would come back with the answer: “The Lords strong and mighty, the Lord
mighty in battle.” Choir A would continue, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye
everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” Choir B would sing back the questions,
“Who is this King of glory? Choir A would answer, “The Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory.”
The Pilgrim Psalms
Psalms 120—130 are The Pilgrim Psalms. Many scholars believe that these Psalms were sung by
those who traveled to Jerusalem. The Jews were required to take three trips a year to Jerusalem
for worship. They would usually travel in groups.
This is how Mary and Joseph could have overlooked the twelve-year-old boy, Jesus, from their
company when they were returning home from the Feast of the Passover. They assumed that He
was somewhere in the back of the caravan enjoying the fellowship of other boys.
These traveling groups would sing these pilgrim songs at various stages in their journey. I like
that. They didn’t fuss and fight on their way to church. They didn’t argue and complain on their
way to church. They sang on their way to church and prepared their hearts for temple worship.
They had church on their way to church. As they journeyed along, they would think of their
friends who invited them to keep this holy feast. They would burst out in song, “I was glad when
they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’” (Psalm 122:1).
When they became tired and weary of the trip they would sing, “The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord
is thy shade upon thy right hand. ‘The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night
(121:5-6).
During the journey they could look around at their families and realize the importance of the
entire family worshipping together. It would cause them to sing, “Except the Lord build the house,
they labour in vain that build it . . .” (127:1).
When they got close enough to see the Holy City elevated on Mount Zion, they could sing, “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). Their travelling in large groups made them think of the
beauty and the importance of unity and they would sing, “Behold, how good and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (133:1).
They reminded themselves of the purpose of being in the temple by singing, “Praise ye the Lord.
Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord. Ye that stand in the house
of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing
praises unto his name; for it is pleasant” (135:1-3)
It would be a good idea for us to learn how to sing and praise the Lord on the way to church. This
way the worship leader wouldn’t have to pump or prime, and the pastor wouldn’t have to spend
all of this time counting the saints they dragged in. Rather, the fire of God would fall from the
very opening prayer and every minute of the service would be significant and seasoned with the
anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The Hallel Psalms
The Hallel Psalms (songs of praise) were enjoyed on the night of the Passover. Psalms 113–114
were sung at the beginning of the meal and Psalms 115–118 were sung at the close of the meal.
Matthew 16:30 tells us that Jesus sang a farewell hymn with His disciples before He left the Upper
Room to make His way to Gethsemane. This hymn was probably Psalm 118. Think of how the
words of this song must have encouraged and comforted the Son of God as He stood in the
shadow of the cross, realizing that this was the eve of the crucifixion.
What a scene this must have been. Do you think that Jesus Christ was thinking of the abuse that
the Roman soldiers would inflict upon Him when He sang, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear:
what can man do unto me?” (118:6).
Do you think Christ envisioned the throng that would gather around the cross to revile Him when
He sang, “They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fires of thorns: for in
the name of the Lord I will destroy them”? (v. 12). Do you think Christ thought about His
resurrection when He sang, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord”? (v. 17).
Do you think He thought of His exaltation to the Father’s right hand when He sang, “The right
hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly”? (v. 16).
Do you think that He anticipated the prayers that He would offer to God in the Garden of
Gethsemane when He sang, “I call upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me
in a large place”? (v. 5). Do you think that He looked ahead to the preeminence that He would
enjoy in His church when He sang, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head
stone of the corner”? (v. 22).
Do you think that He pictured in His mind the nailing to the cross as He sang, “God is the Lord,
which hath shewed us light; bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar”? (v.
27). Was it difficult for Him to sing, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and
be glad in it”? (v. 24). The Book of Psalms provided Israel with rich and spiritual imagery, theology,
and poetry for their singing and worship.

II. The Pentateuch of David

From ancient times the one hundred and fifty psalms have been divided into five divisions or
books. A striking comparison can be seen between the five books of the Psalms and the five books
of Moses. The old rabbis called the Psalms the “Pentateuch of David.” The five books are easily
identifiable because each one ends with a doxology.
Book One
Book One covers chapters 1–41. This corresponds to the Book of Genesis. The key word in this
book is Man. In Genesis, God created man, entered a covenant relationship with man, and dealt
extensively with individuals such as Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. Let us note some examples of
how man is the key word in this first section of the Psalms; “Blessed is the man that walketh not
in the counsel of the ungodly . . .” (1:1).
“What is man, that thou are mindful of him?” (8:4). “. . . Blessed is the man that trusteth him”
(34:8). “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (37:23). “Mark the perfect man and
behold the upright! for the end of that man is peace” (37:37). The theme of this book is Adoring
Worship. Man’s chief end is to worship God in adoration and love. The doxology is found in Psalm
41:13, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”
Book Two
Book Two covers chapters 42–72. This corresponds to the Book of Exodus. The key word is
deliverance, and we remember how the Book of Exodus is all about the deliverance of Israel from
bondage. The theme of deliverance is found throughout these chapters. “And call upon me in the
day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (50:15). “For he hath delivered me
out of all trouble . . .” (54:7). “For thou hast delivered my soul from death, wilt not thou deliver
my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of living” (56:13). “Deliver me out of
the mire, and let me not sink . . .” (69:14)
“Deliver me in thy righteousness and cause me to escape . . .” (71:2). “For he shall deliver the
needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper” (72:12). The theme of this
book is Wondrous Worship. We worship God in wonder because of his delivering power and
grace. The doxology is found in Psalm 72:18-19, “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who
only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth
be filled with his glory; Amen and Amen.”
Book Three
Book Three covers chapter 73–89. This corresponds with the Book of Leviticus. The theme of this
book is Sanctuary. The Book of Leviticus centers around the tabernacle in the wilderness. This
section of the Psalms focuses upon the dwelling place of God, as the following verses will show.
Psalm 73:17 says, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.”
“Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary” (77:13). “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out
for the living God. 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” (84:1-2, 10). The theme of this
book is Ceaseless Worship. God permanently dwells within us, and we are to continuously praise
Him. The doxology is recorded in Psalm 89:52: “Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen and
Amen.”
Book Four
Book four covers chapters 90–106. This fourth book corresponds with Numbers, the fourth book
of the Pentateuch. The key word is earth. It is used twenty-nine times in this section and it speaks
about our wandering and unrest in this present earthly situation. Isn’t this the theme of
Numbers? The theme of this section is Submissive Worship.
The Israelites were brought into the wilderness that they may be humbled through difficulty. His
goal was that they might learn to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. God
does not regenerate and then immediately rapture His people. We have to live on this earth to
face difficulties and fight devils. Our worship must take on this form of submission and surrender
to the will of God. The doxology is found in Psalm 106:48, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from
everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, ‘Amen. Praise ye the Lord.’”
Book Five
Book five covers chapters 107–150. This corresponds to the Book of Deuteronomy. The key
phrase is The Word of God. Psalm 119 is included in this section that exalts the Word of God in
171 of its 176 verses. This links well with Deuteronomy because that last book of the Pentateuch
is a repeating of the Law of God that encourages obedience to the Word of God. The theme of
this section is Perfected Worship.
It is the Word of God that perfects worship because it is the Word of God that reveals the object
of our worship matures the man of God, cleanses the mind of the believer, establishes the order
of the church and multiplies the worshippers by converting sinners. The doxology is found in
Psalm 150:6: “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”

III. The Subject of Psalms

The Psalms fall into six major categories of subject matter.

The Devotional Psalms
There is a list of the Devotional Psalms in your outline. They are called Devotional Psalms because
they contain many precious promises upon which the believer can feast. Also, they are full of
encouragement and instruction to help us live a righteous life. The fearful can feed on Psalm 4:8:
“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”
The despairing can feast on Psalm 42:5: “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 for the help of his countenance.”
The elderly can feast on Psalm 71:18: “Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake
me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is
to come.” The orphan can be buoyed by Psalm 27:10: “When my father and my mother forsake
me, then the Lord will take me up” The weak can be blessed by Psalm 94:18: “When I said, ‘My
foot slippeth’; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.”
The Penitential Psalms
Seven of the Psalms take on this characteristic of repentance before God and are called the
Penitential Psalms. These are helpful to us in expressing our repentance unto God. Often when
we are burdened down with sorrow, conviction, and sense of guild; it is difficult to find words to
adequately express ourselves to God.
What a help it is to go to these psalms and allow them to clothe our prayers in language that
gives voice and vent to our repentance. Have you ever prayed Psalm 51 on your knees with tears
streaming down your face? The individuals of the Bible who were considered great men and
women of God were not sinless people. They were people who knew how to weep over their sins
and turn from them to find the forgiveness and cleansing of God.
The Imprecatory Psalms
Next are the Imprecatory Psalms. Nine chapters are listed in your outline that belongs to this
category. The word imprecate means to “pray against.” In these Psalms, we hear the man of God
praying against his enemies and calling down judgment upon them.
He asks God to fight against them, bring them to confusion, scatter them as chaff, allow an angel
to chase them, and send them down to hell. He goes on to entreat God to break their teeth,
withhold mercy from them, and set a trap for them. He actually asks God to give them over to
Satan, cast them into a deep pit, and many more terrible things.
Now the question is asked, “How can we reconcile this to Matthew 5:44, where Jesus said, “. . .
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” These imprecatory Psalms don’t sound very
Christian. How can we understand this?
Nine little statements will give us a good perspective on this issue. The Psalms are inspired of God
and the Holy Spirit has a right to denounce sin and sinners. Such a judgment against evil and evil
doers is in harmony with the law, teachings of Christ and the Epistles.
David in private forgave his enemies, but in the Psalms, he makes God’s cause his cause. Many
imprecations are uttered out of sympathy for the injured and oppressed. Some of these psalms
are prayers for success on the battlefield.
Many of these psalms are prophetic and look forward to the final judgment against the wicked.
These psalms give frank and repeated warnings to the wicked. These psalms testify to the
holiness and sovereignty of God for He will exalt righteousness and punish wickedness.
The Historical Psalms
The Historical Psalms are 78, 105, and 106. These psalms simply recite periods of Israel’s history.
Suppose you were adrift and cast upon the deserted island and the only book you had with you
was a copy of the Psalms. How much of the Old Testament history could you reconstruct from
that one book?
Well, you could reconstruct a detailed history of the Old Testament from creation to the time of
David. In these chapters, the Hebrews take a trip down memory lane and praise God for His
providence, compassion, and power that had been manifest in their history. They loved to
rehearse and remember the mighty acts of God.
The Praise Psalms
The Praise Psalms are perhaps the most delightful. The theme of praise is woven throughout the
entirety of the Psalms. However, the last five psalms are specifically called “Hallelujah Psalms,”
because each chapter begins and ends with the word Hallelujah.”
In our translation of the Bible, that word Hallelujah is translated as “Praise the Lord.” Check it
out! You walk through the front door of Psalm 146 and you find the words “Praise ye the Lord.”
Later, when you walk through the back door of Psalm 146, you find the words “Praise ye the
Lord.” And so it is for the remainder of the Psalms.
The Book of Psalms begins with the word Blessed and it ends with a grand outburst of
“Hallelujahs.” This glorious climactic close is carried to the end of the Bible itself and is echoed in
the heavenly choirs of the redeemed. “. . . I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying,
‘Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God’” (Revelation 19:1)
The Messianic Psalms
The Messianic Psalms speak of Jesus. Listen to what Jesus said in Luke 24:44: “These are the
words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which
were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me.” Jesus
made it clear that the Psalms spoke to Him.
There is so much in the Psalms that speaks of Jesus. In Psalm 40:7 we read about His obedience:
“Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me.”
Psalm 69:9 talks about His zeal: “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up . . .” Psalm 41:9 talks
about the betrayal of Jesus: “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of
my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
Psalm 69:21 talks about His sufferings: “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they
gave me vinegar to drink.” Psalm 16:10 talks about His resurrection: “For thou wilt not leave my
soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
Psalm 68:18 talks about His ascension: “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity
captive: thou hast received gifts for men . . .” Psalm 72:17 talks about His eternal reign, “His name
shall endure forever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and the men shall be blessed
in him: all nations shall call him blessed.”
Many more references could be given, but this suffices to show that Christ is the central theme
of the Psalms. Jesus Christ is the central theme of the entire Bible.
Illustration
A little boy was bored and miserable because he was stuck in his room due to a contagious cold.
He liked staying home from school, but after three days of sitting home, he ran out of things to
do. His mother observed his misery and so she went to the store and bought a puzzle for him to
put together. This puzzle was a complicated map of the world and she was convinced that it
would occupy him for several days.
To her surprise, he was finished putting the puzzle together in several hours. The mother said,
“Son, how could you do that? How could you get the oceans and continents together in such a
short period?” He said, “It was easy, Mom. This is a two-sided puzzle. On one side is the map of
the world and on the other side is the face of a man. I decided to put the man together and when
I put the man together then the whole world fell into place.”
Conclusion
My friends, if we see the face of Jesus in the Bible, then it will fit neatly together, and all its various
parts will fall into proper place. If we give proper place to Christ in our personal lives, then our
private world will fall into place.
For some, their world is full of confusion and chaos. Why? Christ is not given preeminence. Christ
is the theme of the Bible and should be the theme of our lives.