Day 154. Psalms1-7

The Hebrew name for the Psalms is "Tehillim," which means '"praises." And that is precisely what they are—outbursts of praise. They are intended for liturgical use in the temple to be sung to the accompaniment of various musical instruments---with stringed instruments, with flutes, etc. Although they are all "praises," they are praises sung in different keys, high and low, major and minor. Some are joyous, others somber, some peaceful, others vengeful. They reflect the whole range of human experience—joy, sorrow, anger, fear—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and they speak to us in every situation of our lives. As we read them together it might be interesting to mark the ones you like best, with the end of finding your favorite psalm—the 23rd excepted. Everyone likes that one.
Psalm 1
This is a little "wisdom psalm." Wisdom literature in the Bible is guidance on how to lead a good life. The word "happy" with which the psalm begins is close in meaning to the words "blessed," "fortunate," and even "lucky." Those who don't keep company with the wicked—with those who are indifferent or even hostile to the law of the LORD—are the ones who live a good life. They are serene in the midst of changes. They prosper "in all that they do" (1:3). The wicked are not like that—they "are like chaff that the wind drives away" (1:4). Their lives are impermanent; they are not happy. They are not welcome to take a full part in the "congregation of the righteous"—in temple worship, where these psalms are sung. And to worship God in his temple is the foundation of a good life.
Psalm 2
This psalm was probably composed for the coronation of an Israelite king and sung during the ceremonies surrounding his anointing. The word we translate as "messiah," means "anointed one." Every Israelite king was "an anointed one"--anointing with oil is symbolic of imparting the spirit of God, the charisma necessary to rule his people and the strength to deliver them from their enemies. Once Israel no longer has an anointed king, the people continue to look for a Messiah, one whom God would send to deliver them and reestablish the kingdom of David. The LORD says to the king—"You are my son, today I have begotten you" (2:7). Early Christians saw a connection between this verse and the baptism of Jesus, at which the "voice from above" speaks similar words. But unlike the kings of other nations—Egypt is perhaps the best example—the Israelite kings never claimed to be God's actual offspring. But God rules through them, and they
govern in his name. Those who obey God, "serve him with fear," and trust in his protection and the protection of his anointed are "happy"—blessed, fortunate, and living the "good life" within the worshipping community in the temple.
Psalm 3
This psalm is ascribed to David and occasioned, we are told, by his flight from his son Absalom's rebellion. There is no reference to that event in the psalm, however. The psalmist prays for deliverance from the enemies that surround him. They are powerful, but he is serene and unafraid—he sleeps and awakes again--because of the abiding presence of the LORD. That sense of fearlessness in the face of whatever may happen is the essential gospel experience—do not be afraid is the good news God brings into our lives. There is a lot of violent revenge language in the psalms—you, O LORD, "break the teeth of the wicked" (3:7), the psalmist exults. The psalms do not whitewash negative emotions—fear and anger-- that come naturally to us, but they seldom end negatively. They are, after all, praises. This one concludes with a benediction—May the LORD's blessing be upon his people! (The meaning of the word "selah" at the end of some stanzas of
the psalm is uncertain, but it was probably a direction to musicians or to those who were leading the singing of the psalm.)
Psalm 4
This psalm, also ascribed to David and intended for singing accompanied by stringed instruments, is a call to God to establish right order in society and in worship. The psalmist, who sees himself an upholder of right order in the tradition of the prophets of Israel, is under stress and experiences God's deliverance as a respite-- "breathing room"—"You gave me room when I was in distress," he sings (4:1). The psalmist has been opposed and persecuted for his efforts—persecution is a recurrent theme in the Book of Psalms—but his faithfulness and silent endurance are rewarded (4:4). "Offer right sacrifices"—the psalmist says, calling upon the people to worship the LORD, not idols, and to call upon his name in his sanctuary and among the "congregation of the righteous." In the midst of discouragement, he experiences the gift of gladness and serenity—"I will lie down and sleep in peace," he says, for the LORD alone gives
safety to those who rightly worship him. His integrity is rewarded with peace.
Psalm 5
Again the psalmist, who is identified as David, is the victim of some sort of persecution, and is watching and praying for God's help to confound the wicked "who speak lies," (5:4-6). God abhors such people, and so the psalmist determines to ignore them and enter the holy temple and bow down in awe of the LORD, taking part in liturgical worship. Against evil people, slanderers and gossips, whose "throats are open graves" (5:9), God is a "refuge," and worship in the temple is a solace to those who trust is him and "sing for joy" (5:11). This psalm, which was intended to be sung with the accompaniment of flutes, ends with a joyous statement of self-assurance in the face of hostility and ill-will—"You bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as a shield" (5:12).
Psalm 6
The psalms speak to all the emergent occasions of life. This psalm is the prayer of a person who is gravely ill. And because illness in the Bible is so often causally related to sin, it is also a penitential psalm, expressing both sorrow for sin and terror of death. It is clear the psalmist is frightened by his deteriorating condition—"I am languishing," he says (6:2). But he knows that his one hope is the "steadfast love" of the LORD (6:4). And he makes his plea based upon the self-interest of the God of the living, who delights in the praises of the faithful. "In death there is no remembrance of you," he says—in the Old Testament death is seen as the end of life in the community of praise and sacrifice. The God of the living has nothing to do with the dead, who dwell in the shadowy underworld of Sheol, where the spirits of the departed linger in dusty forgetfulness. So the psalmist asks God—"In Sheol who can give you praise?"
(6:5) In other words, if I die what good will it do anyone, but if you let me live I promise to give you praise. The psalm speaks of repentance and the rejection of the bad company that has led him into sin and deadly sickness. And he ends on a note of hope—"The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD accepts my prayer" (6:9). Those "enemies" who had anticipated his death with expectation are about to be disappointed (6:10).
Psalm 7
Many of the psalms, as we have already noted, center around the cry for help against enemies. Against those who are determined to do him harm, the LORD is his "refuge"-- if it were not for God, "the righteous judge" (7:11), the psalmist would be completely defenseless. So he puts himself at the LORD's mercy, and challenges his adversary on the basis of his integrity—if I have done what he says I have "let my enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life to the ground, and lay my soul in the dust" (7:5). Judge me, the psalmist begs, pleading his own uprightness. He is comforted in knowledge that the wicked who "make a pit" will "fall into the holes that they have made" (7:15). But the innocent who are vindicated will give "the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High" (5:17). The psalm that began with a desperate plea for justice against a vicious persecutor ends with
joyful singing.