52 Weeks in the Word - Week 23

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Last week we finished Job and began Psalms.  We will be reading in Psalms into Week 26.  I have to admit, I do not believe I've ever read Psalms straight through.  My other Bible Reading plans that I have used in the past have pulled various Psalms out and certain times.  So, at first glance, reading through all 150 chapters seems a bit overwhelming.  This is especially true if poetry isn't really your go-to genre.  Like some of you have mentioned this past week, reading through Psalms does seem to go quickly, but I needed to find a little more information to help me understand what I was reading.  

Here are a few quick facts about Psalms to aid in understanding while you read:

  • Psalms is made of 150 Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers from various times in Israel's history.
  • Authors of the Psalms include: David, Asaph, Sons of Korah, Heman & Ethan, Solomon and Moses.
  • The authors of nearly 1/3 of the Psalms are anonymous.
  • Many of these Psalms were used by the Choirs in the temple, but the Book of Psalms in not a hymnbook.
  • Unless you read Psalms from the beginning to the end, you will miss the unique design and layout!
  • There are 5 large books within Psalms: Book 1 (Chapters 3 - 41), Book 2 (Chapters 42 - 72), Book 3 (Chapters 73 - 89), Book 4 (Chapters 90 - 106), and Book 5 (Chapters 107 - 145).  It also has an introduction (Chapters 1-2) and a conclusion (Chapters 146 - 150).
    • Book 1 - Call to Covenant Faithfulness.  Key verse - Psalm 41:13
    • Book 2  - Hope for a future return to the temple in Zion; Future reign of the Messianic King.  Key Verse - Psalm 72: 18-19
    • Book 3 - Promise of a Messianic Kingdom & also the downfall of the line of David.  Key Verse - Psalm 89:51
    • Book 4 - Asking God to respond.  Then talks about the Lord's reign over all the world.  Key Verse - 106:48
    • Book 5 - The Messianic King defeats evil and brings God's Kingdom
  • Psalm 119 - Longest Psalm.  It is an Alphabet Poem. Each line begins with a new letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This book explores the gift and wonder of the Torah to God's people.
  • 2 types of poems: 
    • Lament - prayers of pain, confusion, and anger
    • Praise - joy and celebration
    • We will see that there will be a shift in the lament to praise poems as we read.  That shift will come in books 3 & 4.
  • In Summary - Psalms is about Torah & Messiah, Lament & Praise, and Faith & Hope
If you would like to watch a brief video from the Bible Project on this overview of Psalms, I'm linking it below.


Looking ahead to Week 23:

The reading for Week 23 includes: Psalm 9 - 40.

May the Lord continue to bless you and make His Word come alive in your hearts as you continue to read this week.

Blessings!

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