Introduction to the Book of Psalms
Session 001
A verse-by-verse study centered on seeing Christ in Scripture
The Psalms Concern Christ
We are beginning a new Bible study in which we will go through the book of Psalms verse by verse, session by session. This is the first session of that study.
As I studied the Psalms, one thing became extremely evident: this book is all about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Lord Himself shows us this in Luke 24. He had risen, but not all His disciples had believed the report brought by the women. Two disciples were on the road to Emmaus when the Lord met them. Later in that chapter, He said:
“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
— Luke 24:44
The Lord proclaims that the Psalms are written concerning Him. Yet the very next verse is equally important:
“And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”
— Luke 24:45
Only when the Lord opened their understanding were they able to comprehend the Scriptures and see Christ. That is our prayer for this Bible study. As we study the book, we pray that the Lord Himself will open the eyes of our understanding so that we may comprehend the Scriptures and see Him. We need the Spirit of God to give us an understanding of Christ in this book.
Beholding Christ and Being Transformed
What happens when, as we faithfully labor through the Word verse by verse, the Lord opens our eyes to see Christ? II Corinthians 3:18 gives us an incredible promise:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
We are able to see Christ because the Spirit of God removes the veil from our faces and the Lord gives us understanding. When we behold the Lord in His Word and in the Psalms, we are transformed into the same image from glory to glory. What an incredible promise: as we study this book verse by verse, we can be transformed into the people Christ wants us to be.
The Seed and the Work of God
How does this happen? In Mark 4:26–29, the Lord gives a parable about the kingdom of God. A man scatters seed on the ground. The seed is the Word of the Lord, and the ground—the soil—is the heart. The man sows the seed and then sleeps and rises, day after day. In the same way, as we study the Word verse by verse, we keep sowing His seed into the soil.
We plow the ground, scatter the seed, and continue faithfully. Yet, without the sower knowing how, the earth yields a crop by itself: first the blade, then the head, and afterward the full grain in the head. The seed takes root and grows until the grain is ready for harvest because the Lord makes it happen. Our part is to keep sowing the seed and plowing the land faithfully. The Lord has promised that we will see Him, and as we behold Him with unveiled faces, He will cause the seed to take root and produce fruit for the harvest. This is our faith as we begin this study.
The Purpose and Meaning of the Psalms
In this first session, we will not yet enter Psalm 1. We will step back and gain an understanding of the architecture of the Psalms. We have already seen why we study this book: we study it so that we may see Christ.
The word Psalm comes from a Greek word associated with singing songs using instruments. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew name is Tehillim, meaning praises, worship, or the giving of glory to God. When these meanings are brought together, the word conveys singing praises to God.
That is not the only way the Psalms are used. Psalm 92:1 says, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord,” so the Psalms are used to give thanks. Psalm 72:20 says, “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended,” showing that his psalms are also prayers to God. Psalm 34:11 presents the Psalms as teaching and instruction, while Psalm 96 calls us to sing to the Lord. Other Psalms are laments—expressions of weeping, mourning, and sorrow.
Whether we are praying through a psalm, singing through it, lamenting through it, meditating upon it, or receiving the Lord’s instruction through it, the result is ultimately praise to God. This is what the book of Psalms is.
The Five-Book Architecture
The Psalms contain 150 individual compositions, written over many years by many writers. They are not gathered as one undivided collection but are arranged into five books:
Book 1: Psalms 1–41
Book 2: Psalms 42–72
Book 3: Psalms 73–89
Book 4: Psalms 90–106
Book 5: Psalms 107–150
The Collection of the Psalms
Who gathered these Psalms and arranged them into five books? Jewish historical tradition says that Ezra the priest took leadership in collecting and consolidating them around 450 BC, after Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity. Scripture does not expressly state that Ezra did this, so that historical tradition may or may not be correct.
Scripture does, however, show us an earlier point at which this gathering began. I Chronicles 16 records David bringing the ark of God into Jerusalem, his new capital, after becoming king over all Israel. He appointed the priests to worship the Lord. Verse 7 says:
“On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord.”
David wrote and entrusted this psalm to Asaph, a Levitical priest, and his brethren so that they might thank the Lord. Here again we see the Psalms used for thanksgiving. According to this passage, the Levites had begun gathering and using the Psalms together.
An Intentional Sequence
The five books were not arranged chronologically. Moses, for example, wrote Psalm 90. If the collection followed a chronological timeline, the Psalm of Moses would appear first, but it does not. Still, the Psalms were not placed randomly. They were arranged in a deliberate sequence.
Doxology: The Movement Toward Praise
One indication of this order is that the first four books close with praise—a doxology. The meaning of the name Psalms is thus reflected in the architecture of the collection: each of these books ends in praise to God. In Book 5, Psalms 146 through 150 form a climactic movement of praise. Psalm 150 brings the instruments and worshippers together as praise is offered to the Lord. There is an order and sequence to this book, and the praise that runs through it reaches its climax at the end.
The Apostles Recognized the Sequence
The New Testament gives us an example of how this sequence was recognized. In Acts 13:33, as the apostle Paul proclaims the Word of God, he says:
“God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’”
Paul does not merely quote a psalm; he identifies it as the second Psalm. The apostles accepted the sequencing of the book. Its chapters were not placed randomly but in a specific order. As we study the Psalms verse by verse and chapter by chapter, I believe this arrangement will lead us into a greater understanding of what the Lord is teaching us.
The Human Writers
We have now seen that the collection is divided into five books, that David initiated the gathering of Psalms for worship, that the Psalms were placed in a deliberate sequence, and that they ultimately lead us to praise our God. But who wrote them?
We often have the habit of attributing all the Psalms to David. David wrote seventy-four Psalms. Other writers were involved as well: Asaph wrote twelve; the sons of Korah wrote eleven; Solomon wrote two; Ethan the Ezrahite wrote one; Heman the Ezrahite wrote one; and Moses wrote Psalm 90.
God, the True Author
Although many human writers contributed to the Psalms, the New Testament teaches us who truly authored them. In Acts 4:24–25, the disciples raise their voices to God with one accord and pray:
“Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said…”
They then quote Psalm 2. Notice how they frame it. They do not simply say that the words were written by David. They say that the Lord spoke through the mouth of His servant David. This is how the disciples read the Psalms: as the words of Almighty God spoken through various human servants. David wrote, but God Himself spoke through David.
Scripture Instructs and Equips Us
This truth applies not only to the Psalms but to every word of Scripture. II Timothy 3:16–17 says that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
Scripture is given by the breath of God. It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work. Therefore, as we study the Psalms, they should instruct us in righteousness. Through the Word, we are made complete and equipped for the good works God has given us.
This is how we are slowly transformed from glory to glory into the image of the One who called us. The Lord has given us His Spirit and His Word, and He has promised to open our eyes and hearts so that we may understand who He is. This is why we study Scripture, and this is why we study the Psalms.
The Volume of the Book Concerns Him
The book of Hebrews quotes Psalm 40:6–8, where the Lord says that the volume of the book is written concerning Him. That is our prayer as we begin this study: “Lord, may we see You, and as we see You, transform us into the people You want us to be.”
Closing Prayer
Father, we are thankful that You have given us this great opportunity to hold Your Word and listen to Your Spirit. We are thankful for the cross. Through the cross and through Your blood, You have given us Your Spirit, the Helper, whom You said would teach us all things concerning You.
Lord, we pray that as we labor through this book, You would fulfill Your promise to transform us into the people You want us to be. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
