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Home , Psalm 61, Psalm 7

School of Bible Study – Book of

Book of PSALMS Weekly, Tuesdays, 30 March to 6 July 2021, 15 sessions by Revd. Dr. Joshua YJ Su

Course Structure Session Topic 1 Overview of the Book of Psalms 2 Ps 1 & 2 – each introduces a Key Theme of the Psalms 3 Book 1 – Ps 8 & 14 4 Book 1 – Ps 19 & 23 5 Book 1 – Ps 34 & 37 6 Book 1 – Ps 38 & 41 7 Book 2 – Ps 45, 47, 49 8 Book 2 – Ps 57, 61, 65 9 Book 2 – Ps 69 & 71 10 Book 3 – Ps 73, 81, 87 11 Book 4 – Ps 90, 100, 105 12 Book 5 – Ps 113, 119 13 Book 5 – Ps 120, 133, 134, 136, 137 14 Book 5 – Ps 138, 139, 145 15 Book 5 – Ps 146-15 Introduction to the Psalms Authorship & Dates The Book of Psalms is a Collection of poems which are songs or prayers from Israel's OT history. Therefore different psalms may be from different periods which may be centuries apart and written for different purposes. It is the longest book of the Bible with the most complex structure and great range and depth in expression of thoughts and feelings, reflecting the whole of human experience. Generally attributed to but there are also the • Sons of Korah (Psalms 42-49; 84-85; 87-88) • Songs of Asaph (Psalms 50; 73-83) • Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134) • Orphan Psalms – those with no superscription – Ps 1 & 2, 10, 33, 43, 71, 91, 93-97, 99, 104-107, 111-119, 135-137,146-150 Book Organisation This is very complex as all the 150 psalms are set into an overall structure, although there may be some variation in view as to the exact pattern of this overall structure. The Book of Psalms is itself divided into 5 books. Each psalm has a structure, each book has a structure, and the whole Book has a structure.

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Types of Psalms Historical In historical & Hebrew structure we can identify the following types: 1. mizmor (psalm) 2. shiggaion – meaning unknown – only used of 3. miktam – meaning unknown – used for 4. shir (song) 5. maskil – meaning unknown – used for 6. tephillah (prayer) 7. tehillah (praise) 8. lehazkir (to be remembered – a petition before God) 9. letodah (to praise or give thanks) 10. lelammed (for teaching) 11. shir yedidoth (songs of love, wedding songs) Some of these, especially mizmor & shir, are used together, suggesting that these terms have overlapping meaning. Through Analysis There are many ways by which the psalms are grouped. All of these use a criterion, like content, pattern, purpose or who is speaking, as a way of classification. Some examples are By who is speaking - prayers of the individual, prayers of the community By type of prayer - praise, petition, confession of sin, confession of faith By content or occasion for use - royal psalms, celebration psalms, lamentation By purpose - teaching psalms, liturgical psalms, pilgrim songs You can see that these classifications overlap each other so that a psalm may belong to more than one group or a psalm may be a combination of these features. Hebrew Poetry A Few Key Features Parallelisms – Two or three or more lines express similar thought in different ways - they may be synonymous (same) expressing similar thoughts - they may be antithetical (opposite) expressing thoughts from the other point of view - they may be emblematic – subsequent verses expands or adds to main verse This is a very notable and widespread feature that is easy to see once identified. A common phrase – e.g. a blessing, a statement, a declaration – is used to mark the beginning and the end of a section. 1st verse of and last verse of forms such a bracket. Other features are more subtle and may require knowledge of ancient Hebrew in order to be able to identify. ______

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Structure of the Book of PSALMS (from NIV Study Bible, by Zondervan) BOOK I Psalms 1 to 2 – Introduction to the entire Book of Psalms Psalm 1 points to the teachings of the Law and the Wisdom Literature Psalm 2 points to all the prophets and is messianic in thrust These two themes run through all of the psalms. The phrase “Blessed are all (or those)” which starts the 1st verse of Psalm 1 and the last verse of Psalm 2 sets these two psalms as one introductory section. Psalms 3 to 14 – Psalms of Plea before God 64 lines 64 lines Ps 3 – Plea for deliverance from foes Ps 9 – Plea for deliverance from hostile nations Ps 4 – Plea for relief in drought Ps 10 – Plea for deliverance from the wicked Ps 5 - Plea for deliverance from foes Ps 11 – Trust in Yahweh's righteous rule Ps 6 – Plea for healing Ps 12 – Plea for help in ungodly time Ps 7 – Plea for deliverance from foes Ps 13 – Plea for deliverance from illness & enemies Ps 8 – Praise of God the Creator Ps 14 – The folly of humankind Psalms 15 to 24 – Steps to Worship Ps 15 – Who has access to the temple? Ps 24 – Who may ascend the holy hills? Ps 16 – Confession of trust in Yahweh Ps 23 – Confession of trust in Yahweh Ps 17 – Plea for deliverance from foes Ps 22 – Plea for deliverance from foes Ps 18 – Royal praise for obedience Ps 20-21 – Prayer for king's victory Ps 19 – Yahweh's glory in Creation & Torah Psalms 25 to 33 – Acrostic Psalms Ps 25 – Alphabetical Acrostic Ps 33 – Alphabetical Acrostic Prayer for Covenant Mercies Praise for God's Good Rule Ps 26 – Prayer for a “blameless” one Ps 32 – Blessedness of a penitent Ps 27 – Appeal against false accusers Ps 31 - Appeal against false accusers “be strong and take heart, and wait for the LORD” “be strong and take heart, all who hope in the LORD” Ps 28 – prayer of one going down to the pit Ps 30 – prayer of one spared from the pit Ps 29 – Praise to the King of Creation (the winter thunderstorm moving across the face of the sky from east to west) Psalms 34 to 37 – Prayer for Godly Wisdom – Acrostic Psalms Ps 34 – Alphabetical Acrostic Ps 37 – Alphabetical Acrostic Instruction in Godly Wisdom Instruction in Godly Wisdom Ps 35 – Appeal against malicious slanders Ps 36 – Appeal against threats of godless wicked to 41 – Prayers for Relief Ps 38 – Prayer for relief from illness and enemies; a confession of sin Ps 39 – Prayer for relief from illness and enemies; a confession of sin Ps 40 – Prayer for relief from troubles and enemies; a confession of sin Ps 41 - Prayer for relief from illness and enemies; a confession of sin

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BOOK II to 45 Ps 42 – Prayer of the Individual (why have You forgotten me?) Ps 43 – continuation of Ps 42 Ps 44 – Prayer of the Community (why do You hide Your face from our oppression?) Ps 45 – Song of Praise to the king for wedding a (foreign) princess (Royal Psalm) to 48 Ps 46 – Zion's Security Ps 48 – Zion's Security Ps 47 – Zion's King triumph over all nations to 53 Ps 49 – Folly of those who trust in wealth and riches Ps 50 – God calls His People to account Ps 51 – Humble prayer for forgiveness Ps 52 – Folly of those who trust in wealth and evil Ps 53 – Folly of those who live as if there is no God (repeat of Ps 14) to 60 Set of 7 Psalms at Centre of Book II Ps 54 – Individual cry for help against enemies (cf Ps 44) Ps 60 Community cry for help after defeat Ps 55 – Prayer for help against enemies Ps 59 – Prayer for help against enemies “words … are drawn swords” “spew out swords from their lips” Ps 56 – Prayer for help against enemies Ps 58 Prayer for heavenly Judge to set right Ps 57 – Prayer for God's deliverance from enemies “tongues are sharp swords” to 64 Four Royal Prayers Ps 61 – Appeal for restoration to God's presence (rock, refuge, strong tower, shelter of your wings) Ps 62 – Appeal for deliverance from arrogant foes (rock, fortress, mighty rock, refuge) Ps 63 – Appeal for God's refreshing presence when threatened by enemies (shelter of your wings) Ps 64 – Appeal for God's protection against conspirators (shoot suddenly) to 68 God's awesome deeds brings praise from all the earth Ps 65 – God's blessings on the earth Ps 66 – God's acts of saving Israel Ps 67 – God's blessing the earth to be fruitful Ps 68 – God's acts of saving Israel to 72 Ps 69 – Prayer for Deliverance Ps 70 – repeat of Ps 40 Ps 71 – Prayer for God's help in old age Ps 72 – Prayer for the king to rule justly (Royal Psalm) Layout of Book II

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Ps 42 to 45 (3 ps) Ps 69 to 72 (3 ps) Ps 46 to 48 (3 ps) Ps 65 to 68 (4 ps) Ps 49 to 53 (5 ps but 50-51 joined) Ps 61 to 64 (4 ps) Ps 54 to 60 Ps 54 Ps 60 Ps 55 Ps 59 Ps 56 Ps 58 Ps 57 BOOK III to 78 1st Group of 6 Psalms Ps 73 – Instruction from Individual Experience Ps 78 – Instruction from Communal Experience Ps 74 – Communal Prayer – Ps 77 – Individual Prayer – God rejected His People God rejected him Ps 75 – Thanks to God – Ps 76 – Celebrate God – His Name is great in Israel His Name is near breaks the spirit of rulers cuts off the wick, lifts up the righteous to 83 2nd Group of 5 Psalms Ps 79 – Communal Prayer – facing fierce enemies Ps 83 – Communal Prayer – facing fierce enemies Ps 80 – Prayer for God to restore the people Ps 82 – Prayer for God to judge the wicked Ps 81- Exhortation to Israel to follow God He will subdue their enemies to 89 3rd Group of 6 Psalms Ps 84 – Yearning for the Courts of the LORD Ps 85 – Prayer for God to restore His people Ps 89 – Prayer for God to rescue His people Ps 86 – Individual Prayer for God Ps 88 – Individual Prayer for God to help against enemies to remove His wrath Ps 87 – Song Celebrating God's Special Love for Zion

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BOOK IV (Ps 90 to 106) & BOOK V (Ps 107 to 150) to 100 11 psalms framed by “Adonai … our dwelling place throughout all generations (90:1) and “Yahweh … His love … faithfulness continues through all generations” (100:5) Ps 90 – Prayer for the LORD's favour in the face of our finite mortality Ps 91 – Assurance for those who make the Most High their dwelling place Ps 92 – Celebration of Yahweh's righteous rule, blessing the righteous and judging the wicked Ps 93 – Celebrating the invincible reign of Yahweh Ps 94 – Appeal to Yahweh against evil doers Ps 95 – Call for the delivered community to worship Yahweh with joy Ps 96 – Call to all nations to worshipfully celebrate Yahweh's reign and coming Ps 97 – Celebration of Yahweh's universal reign Ps 98 – Call for all nations to worshipfully praise Yahweh of His salvation and coming Ps 99 – Celebration of what Yahweh has done for Israel Ps 100 – Concluding exhortation to worship Yahweh as the Maker of Israel and the Good Shepherd to 110 Framed by 2 Royal Psalms Ps 101 – A Royal Pledge to reign righteously Ps 110 – Prophecy of the Royal Messianic King-Priest Ps 102 – Individual Lament Ps 109 – Individual Lament Ps 103 – Praise Yahweh for His great love Ps 108 – Praise Yahweh for His great love Ps 104 – Praise Yahweh the creator Ps 107 – Praise Yahweh who hears the cries of the distressed Ps 105 – Recital of God Ps 106 – Recital of Israel's rebellious history saving Israel in history to 119 The “Egyptian ” framed by 111/112 and 119, which are acrostics Ps 111/112 – each an acrostic, each verse is a part of two halves; calling for fear of the LORD to thereby receive His wisdom Ps 113 Ps 114 Ps 115 Psalms 113 to 118 are the Egyptian Hallel Ps 116 These are used in Israel's annual festivals Ps 117 Ps 118 Ps 119 – An acrostic psalm on delighting in God's commands to 137 Songs of Ascents with 2 complementary psalms Ps 120 to 134 – the Songs of Ascents Ps 135-136 – traditional Jewish hymns associated with the Songs of Ascents Ps 137 – Song of Love for Zion after return from Babylonian exile to 145 8 prayer psalms of David beginning and ending with a praise psalm Ps 138 – Praise of Yahweh Ps 139 – We are naked before all-knowing omnipresent God Ps 140 – Ps 144 – Prayers for Deliverance from 140 – evil violent men, 141 – evildoers, 142 – pursuers, 143 – enemies, 144 – foreigners Ps 145 – An acrostic Praise Psalm of Yahweh to 150 Five Psalms to conclude the ------

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Examples of Psalm Structures Psalm 1 vv 1-2 – 1st section; vv 3-4 – mid-section; vv 5-6 – last section v 1a – single verse introduction; 1bcd – triple emblematic v 2ab – a emblematic pair v 3a – single phrase introduction; v 3bcde – 4 verses of emblematic parallelism v 4ab – an emblematic pair but antithetical to v 3 v 5ab – a synonymous pair v 6ab – an antithetical pair Psalm 2 vv 1-3 – section 1; vv 4-6 – section 2; vv 7-9 – section 3; vv 10-12 – section 4, last section v 1ab – an emblematic pair v 2abcd – 2 pairs of synonymous parallelism; but 2ab 2cd are emblematic v 3ab – a synonymous pair vv 4ab-5ab – 2 synonymous pairs v 6a – a single phrase introduction; v 6bc – a pair of synonymous parallelism v 7ab – a pair of synonymous parallelism; v 7cd - an emblematic pair v 8a – a single phrase introduction; v 8 bc – a synonymous pair v 9ab – a synonymous pair v 10ab – an emblematic pair v 11ab – an emblematic pair v 12a – a single phrase introduction; v 12bc – a synonymous pair; 12d – a single verse but antithetical to 12bc An Acrostic but with irregularity – waw, the 6th letter is missing, last letter is a repeat of pe, the 17th letter, after taw, the actual last letter; otherwise each verse starts with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in sequence. vv 1-3 – section 1; vv 4-7 – section 2; vv 8-10 – section 3; vv 11-14 – section 4; vv 15-18 – section 5; vv 19-22 – section 6 v 1ab – a synonymous pair; v 2ab – an emblematic pair; v 3ab – a synonymous pair v 4ab, 5ab, 6ab, 7ab – 4 emblematic pairs v 8ab, 9ab – 2 emblematic pairs; v 10 ab – an antithetical pair v 11ab,12ab – 2 emblematic pairs; v 13ab – a synonymous pair; v 14ab – an emblematic pair v 15ab, 16ab – 2 emblematic pairs; v 17ab, 18ab – 2 synonymous pairs v 19ab – an antithetical pair; v 20ab, 21ab, 22ab – 3 synonymous pairs Psalm 69 vv 1-3 – section 1; vv 4-5 – section 2; vv 6-8 – section 3; vv 9-13 – section 4; vv 14-15 – section 5; vv 16-18 – section 6; vv 19-21 – section 7; vv 22-28 – section 8: v 29 – section 9; vv 30-33 – section 10; vv 34-36 – section 11. v 1 – a single verse; v 2ab – an emblematic pair, 2cd – a synonymous pair; v 3ab, 3cd – 2 emblematic pairs v 4abcd – 4 emblematic verses, 4ef – an antithetical pair; v 5ab – a synonymous pair v 6ab, 7ab, 8ab – 3 synonymous pairs v 9ab, 10ab, 11ab – 3 emblematic pairs; v 12ab – a synonymous pair; v 13ab – an emblematic pair

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v 14 ab – a synonymous pair; v 15abc – triple synonymous v 16ab – a synonymous pair; v 17ab, 18ab – 2 emblematic pairs v 19abc – triple emblematic; v 20ab, 20cd – 2 synonymous pairs; v 21ab – an emblematic pair v 22ab – a synonymous pair; v 23ab – an emblematic pair; v 24ab, 25ab, 26ab – 3 synonymous pairs; v 27ab – an emblematic pair; v 28ab – a synonymous pair v 29ab – an antithetical pair v 30ab, 31ab – 2 synonymous pairs; v 32ab, 33ab – 2 emblematic pairs v 34ab – an emblematic pair; v 35abc – a triple emblematic; v 36ab – a synonymous pair

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Book of PSALMS Session by Session Notes Session 1 Examples of 3 Types of Parallelism in Hebrew Psalms The Definition of each Type of Parallelism is given below. Two examples are given for each type. Synonymous Parallelism – when the same key word or thought is expressed in two or more lines of parallel verses Ps 3 – v 1a – O LORD, how many are my foes! v 1b – Many are rising against me. Ps 5 – v 4a – For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; v 4b – evil may not dwell with you. Antithetical Parallelism – when opposite ideas are expressed in two or more parallel verses Ps 7 – v 9a – Oh, let the wicked come to an end, v 9b – and may you establish the righteous Ps 10 – v 2a – In arrogance, the wicked hotly pursue the poor, v 2b – let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised Emblematic Parallelism – when a theme or thought is expressed in ways where each verse explains or adds to the meaning of the other Ps 14 – v 1a – The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” - v 1b – They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds Ps 17 – v 8a – Keep me as the apple of your eye; - v 8b – hide me in the shadow of your wings. [There is also Synthetic Parallelism – when different ideas are brought together in parallel verses for comparison, contrast, or connecting them. For our purpose, we can treat Synthetic Parallelism as a type of Emblematic Parallelism] Session 2 Study of Psalm I and Psalm 2 Psalm 1 – Wisdom Psalm that introduces the Theme of Wisdom in all the psalms Content vv 1-3 – How to Be Blessed by GOD v 1 – 3 things NOT to do to receive God's Blessing walk/live, stand/value, sit/when at ease v 2 – 2 things to DO to receive God's Blessing delight, meditate v 3 – the Outcome of Obeying vv 1-2 the righteous like the evergreen tree vv 4-6 – The Wicked are Not So v 4 – Wicked like chaff which the wind blows away (instead of the Righteous who is like an evergreen tree) v 5 – Sinners do NOT belong in the congregation of the Righteous v 6 – GOD knows the righteous but the wicked will perish Psalm 2 – Messianic Psalm that introduces the Prophetic in all the psalms Content vv 1-3 – the Rebellion of the kings of the earth against the LORD

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vv 4-6 – the LORD laughs at their futile rebellion vv 7-9 – the LORD chose His Son as His appointed King (Messianic, points to Christ) v 10-12 – Counsel to the kings of the earth to surrender to the LORD and His King Session 3 Study of Psalms 8 & 14 1st half and 2nd half ending psalms of the set of 12 psalms – Psalms 3 to 14 - Alternate Chiastic Structure to the Parallel Structure of the 12 Psalm (cf Handout) “chiastic” from “chi” in Greek, like the letter X in English Psalms 3 to 14 – Psalms of Plea before God 64 lines 64 lines Ps 3 Ps 14 Ps 4 Ps 13 Ps 5 Ps 12 Ps 6 Ps 11 Ps 7 Ps 10 Ps 8 Ps 9 “pleas” may be petition or intercession – asking God's help for self or for others or for a group or for all Ps 8 – a Psalm of Praise, especially for God's marvellous creation of a human being and the exalted position He gives humankind Content The majesty of God & the place He has given to humankind in creation on earth Messianic Psalm quoted & expounded in Hebrews 2 Christ came to enable those who are saved in Him to be exalted with Him Ps 14 – a Wisdom Psalm on the foolishness of human unbelief and rebellion Content The foolishness of humankind in rebellion against GOD He will judge and destroy them He will save Israel and save all humankind who seek Him In the group structure of the 12 Psalms – Ps 3 to 14 The declaration and celebration of God's majesty is antithetically counter-balanced by the foolishness of humankind in rebellion against Him Session 4 Study of Psalms 19 & 23 From group of 10 psalms – Ps 15 to 24; Ps 20-21 counted as One Ps 19 – A Psalm of Praise & Wisdom; the Peak of this group of psalms; no parallel in group Suggests that the whole group bring us to Praise GOD and Live by His Law Content A Psalm of Praise of GOD's glory in His creation and the perfection of His Law vv 1-6 – the Glory of GOD in His creation v 1 – the glory of GOD in His creation vv 2–4b – creation declares GOD's glory vv 4c-6 – the sun testifies of GOD's rule over all vv 7-13 – the Perfection of GOD's Law vv 7-9 – the Power of GOD's Law

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vv 10-11 – the Desirability of GOD's Law vv 12-13 – GOD's Law defeats sin v 14 – Response to GOD v 14 a,b,c – Prayer for Righteousness v 14 d,e,f – Calling Out to GOD Ps 23 – The Shepherd's Psalm – A Psalm of Confession of Faith & Wisdom Content v 1a – how our GOD relates with us vv 1b-6 – how our GOD cares for us and how we are to trust in Him v 1b – meet our needs v 2 – feeds us with food and water v 3a – restores our soul (sustains our being) v 3b – leads us in righteousness (how to live righteously) v 4 – He protects us from death and dangers v 5 – He exalts us before our enemies v 6a – His goodness and mercy covers me wherever I go v 6b – we are blessed to live in His house (palace, temple, heaven, eternity) cf – Ps 16 – the parallel psalm in the group also a psalm calling for faith in GOD and His protection Session 5 Study of Ps 34 & 37 From group of psalms from Ps 34 to 37 – see handout; Prayer for Godly Wisdom Ps 34 – A Psalm of Thanksgiving and Call for Faith in the LORD for His wise guidance A Psalm of David - background – 1 Samuel 21:10-15 – given in superscription Content vv 1-3 – Call to bless & magnify the LORD always vv 4- 7 – The LORD graciously saves those who call out to Him for salvation vv 8-10 – The LORD protects and provides vv 11-14 – Turn away from evil and seek righteousness with fear of the LORD vv 15-18 – The LORD destroys the wicked but bless the righteous & broken-hearted who call upon Him vv 19-22 – The LORD saves the righteous out of their many afflictions but judges the wicked and those who hate the righteous Note: v 20 – messianic; a sign of the righteousness of the Messiah Ps 37 – A Wisdom Psalm Not to Fret Against the Seeming Prosperity of the Wicked A Psalm of David Content Teaches the Wisdom of Not to be Angered or Enticed by the Seeming Success of Evil Doers to join them in evil The LORD will Surely Judge the Evil and Surely Bless, Save, and Uphold the Righteous Commit our ways to the LORD and He will vindicate us in our righteousness Uphold godly righteousness from our hearts and by our mouths Session 6 Study of Ps 38 & 41

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From group of 4 psalms in Book 1, Ps 38 to 41 – Prayers for Relief The Lesson from this group of Psalms These are – acts of repentance of sin seeking GOD's grace & mercy Or psalms of lament – expressions of genuine sorrow & repentance for our sin seeking GOD's grace & mercy These are Lesson and Examples of the NEED for repentance for our sins; we need to • admit our sins – not deny them or pretend or hide them from God or ourselves • repent of them – recognise that they are wrong and evil and need to be rejected and expelled from our lives • seek GOD's forgiveness & grace to pardon, wash, & restore us to Him Without CHRIST and His death and resurrection, none of these are possible Ps 38 – A psalm said in relation to the memorial offering for the LORD to be merciful to the psalmist as a sinner Content Memorial Offering The memorial offering is what is offered by the priest from the grain offerings to be burned on the altar before the LORD (Lev 2:2) It is asking the LORD to remember us with His grace & favour; not that He needs reminder, but that we Seek His grace & favour It should be a Reminder to Ourselves that we NEED to Seek GOD's grace & favour; for we cannot take for granted that He needs to have anything to do with us, especially because we have sinned This type of offering is not specifically a sin offering, which is another type of offering for the purpose of seeking God's forgiveness for sin we have committed (Lev 4:1- 5:13) The Cry of the psalmist in this psalm (David) God is already punishing the psalmist for his sins He admits his sinfulness and that he deserves his punishment But he is also pursued by enemies who would kill him, so he asks for God to save him from them He waits in faith for the LORD to extent to him His mercy and grace, persisting in his request in hope of His salvation vv 1-2 – he cries out for God's mercy vv 3-4, 5-8 – he admits his guilt vv 9-11 – he openly & urgently sought God's mercy; his friends already abandoned him v 12 – his enemies pursue him to destroy him vv 13-14 – his spiritual and emotional state vv 15-20, 21-22 – he waits for God's mercy and salvation, who alone can save him Ps 41 – A psalm said in relation to remembering the poor for the LORD to be merciful to the psalmist as a sinner (last psalm of Book 1; ends with a praise) Content God expects His people to care for the poor among them (Lev 19:9-11; 25:35-55; Deut 26:12) In this psalm David affirms that the LORD blesses those who obey this law from their heart, including when they may be sick David admits his own sinfulness as a reason why he is pursued by enemies that seek his destruction

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Yet he sees God's grace on him when he is saved from destruction by them; he attributes this to his true intent to honour the LORD So David is sharing from his life experience, what is taught in the NT; GOD will punish us for our sins, yet He will give grace to those who truly seek Him to do His will Point: We are NOT perfect or sinless, but God's grace looks at the intent of our hearts whether we truly seek Him and His way or not vv 1-3 – the LORD will have mercy on those who care for the poor vv 4-7 – he is pursued by enemies who seek his destruction due to his sin vv 8-10 – both enemies and friends turn against him, but he looks to God to save him against their evil intent vv 11-12 – David finds assurance in God's salvation because He has not allowed his enemies to succeed against him v 13 – a declaration of praise to the LORD – it closes Book 1 (every book closes with a praise) Session 7 Study of Ps 45, 47, 49 (Sons of Korah) Ps 45 – A Royal Psalm praising the King in marrying a princess; set against Ps 42 to 44 which are psalms of lament Content Praise to the king during his wedding Praise for his meekness & righteousness, and everlasting rule Call to the bride to change allegiance from her family to that of the king's Praise to the bride for her glory A picture of the LORD & Israel, or of Christ & the Church v 1 – the praise from the psalmist and the people vv 2-3 – the handsomeness and glory of the king vv 4-5 – his victory against his enemies vv 6-9 – the LORD exalts the king to eternal rulership vv 10-15 – the bride called to leave her people and be joined to the king's and praised for her glory and celebrates the joy of the occasion vv 16-17 – she will be remembered and praised by all nations for her children born to the king Ps 47 – a psalm of praise to the LORD Content Clap to Him, He ascends, He reigns vv 1-4 - we are to praise Him for His power over all nations and Jacob is His chosen vv 5-7 – praise the LORD as King vv 8-9 – the God of Abraham rules over all nations, all nations are to gather to Him Ps 49 – fear God not man; the LORD is our safety; a wisdom psalm Content Why should I fear in times of troubles? The implication is there is NO need to vv 1-4 – this lesson for all vv 5-9 – no amount of riches can pay for our sins before God vv 10-12 – humankind, rich or poor, all die like animals do vv 13-15 – those who trust in wealth will end is Sheol; but God redeems the faithful vv 16-20 – never fear those with worldly wealth & pride, they see no light in death

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Trusting God is better than any worldly riches or pride; death is not the end Session 8 Study of Book 2 – Ps 57, 61, 65 Note: Ps 51 to 72, all psalms of David; except 66, 67, 71, unnamed writer; 72, Solomon Ps 57 – A Cry for Help, a Confession of Faith, a Psalm of Praise Exalting God Background – when David fled from Saul and hid in a cave – may be 1 Samuel 22:1 in the cave of Adullum or 1 Samuel 24:1-7 in the wilderness of Engedi when David spared Saul's life Ps 57 – high point of group of psalms from Ps 54 to 60 which are psalms of cry for help (petition), also considered laments; all related to when David was fleeing from Saul's attempts to kill him Content vv 1-3 – crying out to God for mercy v 4 – a description of his situation in the midst of dangerous enemies who are after his life v 5 – exalting the Lord vv 6-10 – praise & thanksgiving to God for giving him victory in face of defeat v 11 – exalting the Lord, repeat of v 5 Lessons on Petition, Faith, Praise & Thanksgiving in the face of enemies who seek one's life; see the spiritual, not just the historical & situational Ps 61 – Confession of Faith in God, call to Him to hear his prayers 1st of set of 4 psalms – Ps 61 to 64 – all petitionary psalms of lament Content vv 1-3 – cry out to God to hear his prayer vv 4-5 – seeking to take refuge in God's tent vv 6-7 – prayer for long life for the king v 8 – praise and declaration of commitment to God Lessons as for Ps 61, except v 6-7 - Intercessory Ps 65 – A Psalm of Praise Demonstrates to us what to praise God for Content vv 1-4 – praise to God for His dwelling place vv 5-8 – God's awesome power over the earth as Saviour vv 9-13 – God makes the earth abundantly fruitful Session 9 Study of Book 2 – Ps 69 & 71 Both are relatively long prayers for God's help in the face of life's circumstances and challenges in the last group of psalms in Book 2 on the same theme. They are examples of petitionary prayers. Ps 69 – A Prayer for God's Help to Save him from Very Deep Dangers from Enemies There is a superscript that says it is a psalm of David Principles of Petitionary Prayer from this Psalm; reflected in the same type of psalms • declare to the LORD truthfully one's situation, as one honestly perceive it for oneself; how it feels like, what it looks like

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• admit one's sin before God with no hiding, denial, or camouflage – implies trusting in His forgiveness and mercy and honest admission of the sins one has committed and repent of • affirm one's faithfulness to God; of course this can only be affirmed if it is true • declare to the LORD what one's enemies are doing against oneself • call on God, trusting in His merciful faithfulness • call on God to judge those who have done wrong against oneself – this is some times called, Imprecatory (swearing or cursing) Prayers: but be VERY CAREFUL that it is ◦ not vulgarity or declaring our own self-righteous judgement to curse and destroy those who have done wrong against us; even less, to take, or intend or attempt to take such action ◦ Jesus teaches that if we do Not forgive the sin of others, God will Not forgive us (Mt 6:14-15, after the Lord's Prayer; 18:23-35 – Parable of the Unforgiving Servant) ◦ BUT this prayer, and this kind of prayers, if you look carefully in the OT, is NOT the person himself condemning and judging the other person; it is the person praying Putting A Case BEFORE GOD for HIS JUDGEMENT that that person should face such penalties; so that judgement is Up To GOD, if God chooses to forgive, there is no judgement! ◦ Declares one's praise and worship of God for His authority, power, and salvation Content vv 1-3 – declaring one's deep trouble and need for God vv 4-5 – the multitude of his enemies even though he had not offended them vv 6-8 – may God save so that others may not fall if he falls; he was suffering for upholding God such that even his family was against him vv 9-13 – it is because of zeal for the LORD that he had acted, but others are offended against him for so doing, his act of seeking God was seen as offensive to them Note: v 9 – is Messianic, quoted in John 2:17 vv 14-15 – asking the LORD not to allow him to be drowned or sunk by his enemies vv 16-18 – calling out to God to answer and save him vv 19-21 – his despair for what his enemies have done against him vv 22-28 – asking the LORD to turn the table against his enemies by judging them instead v 29 – seeking God's salvation vv 30-33 – praising God and declaring his faith that He will save the needy vv 34-36 – praising and trusting to receive God's promises as His People Ps 71 – A Prayer for God's Help throughout Life – from youth to old age No superscript. Another Petitionary Psalm but with some different subject matters; such as living life through youth and old age Higher proportion of praise than Ps 69; less imprecatory prayers Emphasis is on the lifelong presence and salvation of the LORD Content vv 1-3 – taking refuge in the LORD as his Rock and Fortress vv 4-6 – calling out to the LORD for His salvation, His rescue vv 7-11 – calling out to the LORD to hold on to him when others have rejected him

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vv 12-16 – calling out to the LORD to be near to save him even as he praises Him while his enemies draw near vv 17-21 – calling out to the LORD to uphold him through life, from youth to old age, while he praises His greatness, steadfastness, & righteousness, in the face of troubles & calamities vv 22-24 – all praise to the LORD for His faithfulness, holiness, and righteousness Session 10 Study of Book 3 – Ps 73, 81, 87 Book 3 is the shortest of the 5 books within the Book of the PSALMS. We will cover this Book in 1 session with a selection of 3 psalms, 1 each from the 3 groups within the book. Ps 73 – A psalm of Confession of Faith in the LORD's goodness and power for those who are faithful to Him as God; also a personal prayer and a wisdom psalm Superscript – a psalm of Asaph An Example to us of Confessing Faith in the LORD; • 1st, turn to look at the LORD and seek His presence • reflect on Him, His goodness, His power, His truth • affirm Him in faith for who He is – this is confessing faith in Him; ◦ IF Not, it can become a confession of fear, a confession of distrust & unbelief! ◦ We can also do it Wrong when we say the words of the Creeds as just words off our mouth, just reciting WITHOUT believing or affirming what they say as true of God; then it becomes mere babbling Content Reflects on the Goodness of the LORD to Israel, His People Like Ps 37, a psalm of David, • it Warns against becoming discouraged or angry and being tempted to be evil, or do evil, because the evil seems to prosper in power and wealth • it Sees the end of the Wicked WHEN he enters the LORD's sanctuary – a heavenly & eschatological perspective – looks into eternity and final outcome, not just current effects in the here & now vv 1-3 – affirms God's goodness to Israel, while he confesses of nearly falling because of his own envy of the arrogant and wicked vv 4-15 – the wicked seems to prosper greatly in wealth and power, even though they are proud and arrogant, and believe that God does not know or cannot do anything; so that the psalmist felt that walking in righteousness with the LORD is in vain vv 16-17 – all these was wearing him down until he entered the LORD's sanctuary and saw their sure downfall vv 18-22 – he saw God's judgement against them, and realise how nearly he was about to fall vv 23-26 – he affirms God's salvation for himself to keep him from falling; he admits his own weakness and the trustworthiness of the LORD; he affirm Him as his highest desire vv 27-28 – God judges all who are in rebellion against Him and His way, and faithfully saves all who steadfastly trust in Him; the psalmist will declare the works of the LORD to all Ps 81 – A Community Petition; a Confession of Sin, before the LORD and a call for Repentance from rebellion to faith

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Superscript – A psalm of Asaph An Example of COMMUNITY Prayer & Confession of Sin – in contrast to personal prayer; the community seeks God together as one; something like what we may do in our church service when we pray together to ask for God's forgiveness as we repent of our sins Community Praying involves some factors not needed for an individual praying. Harmony and unity among the members of the group praying is vital. The one who leads the prayer needs to say his prayer clearly enough so that the group can follow the prayer to pray as a group. This is also needed if individual members are to pray. Otherwise others cannot join or support what they pray. The CRITICAL Factor when we Confess Sin is whether we are Truly Repentant, not just saying the words! This psalm is Both a Confession of Sin and a Petition because they are asking for His salvation from their communal sin against Him; they seek His forgiveness & call to each other to obey Him instead of rebelling against Him; in a sense every Confession of Sin is a type of Petition, the type that seek His forgiveness for our sins, when we repent Content vv 1- 3 – call to sing in praise of God with songs & musical instruments during the feast days of the Law vv 4-10 – recalls God saving them from slavery in Egypt in the Exodus & giving them His Law vv 11-16 – recalls God's judgement for their disobedience and calls for obedience to receive His abundant blessings and provision Ps 87 – Praise to the LORD for His love for Zion and for establishing it as His nation; also a Confession of Faith in affirming that Zion is established by the LORD as His own Superscript – A psalm of Korah A psalm of Praise and Confession of Faith in God's love for His People It shares a prophetic vision of the LORD calling all nations to Himself, even those who were Israel's enemies – Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, Cush But Most Significant is the mention of Rahab, a person rather than a nation, at the head of the list – she was a Canaanite who became an Israelite! An OT picture of NT salvation. A Lesson on Praying Note from the psalms we have covered that many categorisation overlap Whenever we pray we may pray any combination of types It helps us to see the content and character of each psalm as a prayer So the types of prayers is NOT about praying strictly by types, but that PRAYER is our conversation with GOD, and it may take any of these forms. This helps us to Know HOW to Pray from our heart in all these ways, RELEVANTLY, when we speak with God Comparing this with how we Converse with a human person helps us; such a conversation can include any number of topics or express various feelings and thoughts PRAYER is Conversing with GOD – in form it is the same as conversing with a friend, the DIFFERENCE is that we NEED to approach and treat GOD as GOD. He is not just

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anyone. He is GOD! We need to approach and relate with Him with the right motive, attitude, and goals, when we do speak with Him Content vv 1-3 – Zion as the chosen city of God, refers also to Israel as His chosen nation vv 4-6 – looks to when all nations belong to the LORD as a native born v 7 – praise for God as the source of life Session 11 Study of Book 4 – Ps 90, 100, 105 Book 4 is a short book within the Book of the PSALMS that structurally runs over into Book 5. So there is an overlap between Books 4 & 5 so that many bible scholars treat it as a whole. We will cover Book 4 in 1 session with a selection of 3 psalms; 2 from 1 section of the book, 1 from the next. Book 4 has only 2 sections – Ps 90 to 100, and Ps 101 to 106. Ps 90 – Praise, Confession of Faith, & Petition, in coming before the LORD, who is eternal & faithful, against our human finiteness & infidelity; a combination of at least 3 types of prayer Superscript – A Prayer of Moses, the Man of GOD This psalm is much older than David's, Korah's, or Asaph's. David is about 300 years after Moses. Korah and Asaph about 50 years after David. Some psalms are after the Exile, in the Restoration, such as Ps 125 and the Songs of Ascent, which is roughly 500 years after David. So you can see that the Book of PSALMS is a COLLECTION of psalms throughout the history of OT Israel, organised in a very particular way. Moses' walk with the LORD is a Most Notable background to better appreciate his psalms: Numbers 12:6-10 – God's commendation of Moses against Miriam's and Aaron's opposition; Numbers 14:11-12 – God's words to Moses when Israel refused to enter the Promised Land; Numbers 16:28-35; 41-50, what the LORD did to affirm Moses as His chosen leader against Korah's rebellion and those who supported them. This is a Demonstration of HOW GOD will Always Uphold those who are true to Him; of course, He does not always do it in such drastic and severe ways; He will always act in proportion to the issue involved, in whatever ways He chooses as appropriate. It is NOT for us to tell Him what to do, though we should Share & Lift Up to Him what concerns us for His counsel and response. But note that the Bible, both OT & NT, Never teach us to seek the death of our enemies but to turn them over to GOD. If they die, they die because GOD chooses to judge that way. This corresponds to the lesson in previous classes where I noted that all the psalms that seem to be cursing and seeking to destroy enemies, are NOT what the psalmists were doing on their own for revenge by their own justice. They were propositions put to the LORD as to what they think the enemy deserves. BUT the judgement and its execution, is for the LORD to decide. If He forgives, there is nothing more to pursue against the enemy. We NEED to forgive too! Content vv 1-2 – the eternal LORD, who exists before creation, is our dwelling place for all generations

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vv 3-4 – humankind die, a thousand years is but a fraction of time for God vv 5-6 – creation is but like grass that comes and goes each day vv 7-8 – we are judged for our sins vv 9-11 – we live our finite lives in fear of God's wrath against our sins; yet who truly fear the LORD? vv 12-17 – seeks the LORD's favour to bless as well as to judge, and to be with His People from generation to generation to teach them His way Ps 100 – Call to Praise & Thank the LORD An Orphan Psalm – i.e. no superscript Praise is to honour and glorify the LORD; Thanksgiving is to express our gratitude to Him Content vv 1-2 – call to rejoice, serve and sing to the LORD v 3 – know the LORD as our creator and our master & shepherd v 4 – enter His gates, go into His presence, with praise & thanksgiving v 5 – praise the LORD for His goodness, steadfast love, and faithful through all generations Ps 105 – A Psalm of Praise & Recollection, a Confession of Faith, in the LORD's faithfulness through all generations; a historical (history) psalm An Orphan Psalm – no superscript A Historical Psalm recollects the history of God's walk with Israel, or a history of Israel's walk with God; depending on which perspective you take. The 1 st is MORE Important, for it sets GOD as the centre around which we revolve, not the reverse. Content vv 1-6 – call to praise the LORD for all His wonderful deeds as the covenant Lord of Israel vv 7-11 – recalls and affirms Him as the covenant God of Israel who promised Canaan to them vv 12-15 – the LORD protected Israel while it was a small tribe and not yet a nation vv 16-22 – recalls the LORD anointing and using Joseph to save Israel from famine in Egypt and made him governor of that nation vv 23-25 – the LORD saved Israel by bringing them into Egypt and multiplied their numbers vv 26-36 – recalls how the LORD called Moses to saved Israel out of Egypt when they were enslaved; the LORD struck Egypt with the ten plagues vv 37-38 – the LORD brought Israel out with silver and gold from Egypt because the Egyptians had grown to fear them because of the LORD vv 39-42 – recalls Israel's wilderness journey after leaving Egypt with the LORD's protection and provision vv 43-45 – rejoices in the LORD giving land to Israel from the nations to prosper them Session 12 Study of Book 5 – Ps 113 & 119 The 1st section of psalms in Book 5 runs as part of a section that starts from the end section of Book 4. This section runs from Ps 101 to 110. But Book 4 ends with Ps 106. So Ps 107 is the 1st psalm in Book 5, and runs until Ps 110, in Book 5.

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The 1st full section of psalms that is entirely part of Book 5 is from Ps 111 to Ps 119. All the psalms in this section are orphan psalms, in that they have no superscription. But the entire group are psalms of praise. Ps 111 & 112 are considered a joined pair as each is an acrostic. Ps 113 to 119 are called “Egyptian Hallel.” It is associated with Egypt with the celebration of the Passover because the first Passover was celebrated when Israel prepared to leave Egypt and slavery. “Hallel” is the Hebrew word for “praise.” It ends with Ps 119. These psalms are sung during the festivals given in the Law, especially after the Restoration. It has come to include Hanukkah, which is not in the Law, but celebrates the rededication of the 2nd Temple, the one built in the Restoration, and was gradually, through ups and downs, upgraded until Jesus' time as Herod's Temple. Ps 113 – A Psalm of Praise that celebrates the glorious LORD who is exalted above all and His care for the poor and needy. Content v 1 – call for all the servants of the LORD to praise Him vv 2-3 – call for continuous praise to the LORD forever, and every day, from the rising to the setting of the sun vv 4-9 – the LORD is superior and supreme over all the nations and the heavens; yet He looks down to the poor, the needy, the barren women, to lift them up to sit with princes; so let us praise Him indeed This character of the LORD becomes a spiritual and moral principle to guide human value and behaviour; especially for the rich and powerful, in how they are to regard and treat the poor, needy, and disadvantaged. These moral principles of the Bible are often criticised in this world as being only for the weak and powerless. But this reflects the sinful, cruel, and exploitative, values of this world that expect the rich and powerful to use their advantage to exploit and bully and tread down those weaker than them. Scripture teaches just the opposite. When you are rich and powerful and hold advantages over others, you are to look out for the well-being of those who have less than you to provide for them and care for them. This is God's way. It is precisely the rich and powerful who NEED MOST to receive and live by these truth. For if you are among the poor and needy, you are in no position to do this! You cannot bully or exploit others, although you may try. Instead, you are exposed to being bullied and exploited. So, in a sense, you do not need to be taught these principles because you cannot do what only the rich and powerful can! So this particularly critical for those who belong to Christ who are rich and powerful in this world. Do you follow Christ's way or the world's way with your wealth, power, and influence? So it is for those who do have so much that they can bully and exploit others, that Most Need to receive and apply this spiritual and moral principle! Ps 119 – A Wisdom Psalm that Praises the LORD and the immeasurable goodness, greatness, and vital importance, of His Law. This one psalm is the longest psalm and longest chapter (longer than many books) in the Bible, and the most structurally complex. So it is very notable that it focuses on the Wisdom of the LORD and His Law as the basis for life and well-being. Every letter with 8 verses celebrates an aspect of the LORD and His Law.

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Many Bible scholars and theologians see OT Wisdom as given by the Holy Spirit and embodied or personified in Christ. Isaiah 9:6-7 & 11:1-5 brings out this double association very clearly and powerfully. Proverbs 3 extols to us the virtue of cultivating and living by godly wisdom. It also say that the LORD used wisdom to create, pointing out to us that wisdom is a vital part of God's character and ability. John 16:12-15 tells us that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth that came from the Father through the Son. So it links for us the OT Wisdom of GOD with the NT Person and teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit who was poured out for us at Pentecost after Christ ascended. 2 Peter 1:20-21 tells us that no prophecy of Scripture is from any human being but from the Spirit of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that all Scripture is divinely inspired to teach, reproof, correct, and train, us in righteousness. So the Bible as Scripture is given to us to reveal to us God's truth. This becomes clearer when we remember that at the time of these NT writings, there was NO NT as we know it today. The full collection of NT books only came to be circulated as one collection after AD 300. This means that the references to Scripture in the NT books all refer to the OT! But the NT books, which are recognised as carrying the teachings of Christ through the apostles and those instructed by them, come to be included a parts of this One Scripture, when they came to be written, circulated, and collected together as one single Bible. Content Aleph – how to be blameless Beth – how a young man keep his way pure Gimel – how to receive bountifully from the LORD Daleth – clinging to God's Word gives life He – call to the LORD to teach one His ways Waw – call to be steadfast in keeping God's Word Zayin – keeping God's Word is comfort in afflictions Heth – keeping God's Word is keeping the LORD as one's portion to depart from the wicked Teth – keeping God's Word is the way to be righteous Yodh – meditating on God's Word is how one receives His moulding and righteousness Kaph – salvation from God comes by keeping His Word Lamedh – God is always true to His Word forever Mem – declaration in loving God's Word to meditate on it always Nun – God's Word is a lamp for our feet and a light to our path Samekh – depart from evil by keeping God's Word Ayin – keeping God's Word is how to receive His salvation and do what is just and right Pe – the wonderful goodness of God's Word brings God's redemption and His face shines on us Tsadhe – God's Word upholds one in righteousness & gives life Qoph – God will draw near to save the one who meditate on His promises & cries out to Him Resh – God's deliverance and mercy comes to those who love His Word Sin/Shin – loving God's Word & abhoring unrighteousness gives us strength & peace in the face of persecution Taw – call to God to save him according to His Word, to seek him if he goes astray These are the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet translated into English

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Structure 22 acrostic sections with 8 pairs of parallelism for each letter. So a total of 176 verses. But for each letter, the pairs may be synonymous, antithetical, or emblematic So letter by letter in pairs of different types – through all 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet This is a full & regular acrostic, unlike those of David that we have previously covered where some letters are doubled, and certain letters are missing. Key Words in Hebrew that is translated into English: law – torah; testimonies – 'edot; precepts – piqqudim; statutes – khuqqim, khuggot; commandments – mitwot; rules – mishpatim; word – 'imrah, dabar Session 13 Psalms 120 to 137 form a section within Book 5. Psalms 120 to 134 are the Songs of Ascents. These may be sung as reminders, or as a spiritual journey, to return to Jerusalem; or as the people walk up hill to the temple at Mt. Zion, or up the steps of the temple. Psalms 135 & 136 are two psalms that are written to complement the Songs of Ascents. is the climatic psalm for this section, suggesting reaching the summit. Psalm 120 – the first . A lament for living among those who love war when the psalmist longs for peace. Suggests that going to the temple is a search for God's peace in the midst of strive. Content vv 1-2 – call to the LORD for relief from lies and deceit vv 3-4 – a description of those who seek violence, asking for the LORD's judgement against them, and how the warmongers perpetrate violence vv 5-7 – the psalmist laments that he lives in a place of those who hate peace, even as he longs for peace He speaks on behalf of all who, like him, abhor war and violence in this world. He looks to the LORD for peace, even as he ascends towards the temple. War and violence need not only be physical or military. It can also be spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional, or relational. The same principle of seeking the LORD for peace applies. – the 14th Song of Ascents. A wisdom psalm on the preciousness of brotherly unity. Teaches and calls for unity of the nation to receive blessings from the LORD. A powerful but often ignored lesson of the importance of unity within the community of the faithful. Consider Jesus' Priestly Prayer in John 17:20-21, the unity of the Church empowers our witness for Christ in this world. It is the unity of interpersonal relationships through mutual trust and trustworthiness, harmonious interacting, common values and goals; not organisational, or regimented unity. The Church in this world is too often characterised by quarrel & strive, whether between different denominations, or different congregations, or different groups in a congregation, and between fellow believers. All of these weakens our witness for Christ! But our unity cannot be by sweeping every conflict under the carpet, pretending that they are not real, but in seeking the Spirit to resolve whatever divide us by Scripture

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and His moulding and transformation of ourselves. If we just sit and criticise each other more for not being united, we worsen the problem! Content v 1 – the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly unity; implying Israel as a nation v 2 – the oil running down on Aaron's beard points to the LORD's anointing of the high priest as a blessing for the whole nation by His sanctification; the high priest represents the whole nation before the LORD; the gemstones on his shoulders and breastplate represent the 12 tribes of Israel v 3ab – it is compared to the dew that always fall every morning on Mt Hermon, of Zion v 3cd – it is a picture of the LORD's faithful daily blessing for eternal life – the 15th Song of Ascents. A psalm of praise for all the LORD's people to bless Him. A plain and straightforward message for us to Always Praise the LORD from our hearts. The danger is that we can take for granted what seems so straightforward and simple. But whether we do so from our hearts is a fundamental to whether there is true worship, or not. Content v 1 – a straightforward call to all of God's People to bless Him; the reference to night suggests that it may be written for the evening sacrifice v 2 – lifting up of hands is an expression of praise and blessing to the LORD v 3 – a request to the LORD for His blessing to come upon His People from Zion as creator – the 2nd of two psalms that complements the Songs of Ascents; the other is Ps 135. Ps 135 focuses on Praise. Ps 136 focuses on Thanksgiving. The things to thank the LORD for are listed verse by verse, each with the response - “for His steadfast love endures forever.” This is the obvious focal point and emphasis. Likely to be used responsively between a leader or a leading group, saying the first part, with another group, or the congregation, responding with the next. This is certainly the pattern that has been adopted by churches for use in responsive readings. Content Be thankful and grateful to the LORD for vv 1-3 – His goodness & steadfastness – His character & dependability vv 4-9 – as Creator of heaven and earth vv 10-16 – for His salvation from slavery in Egypt vv 17-22 – for His leading them to the Promised Land and defeating enemies en route vv 23-25 – for His lifting up humble Israel, rescuing them from foes, and feeding them v 26 – a concluding and summary thanksgiving Psalm 137 – the climatic psalm of this group; a psalm of remembrance of Zion when they were in Exile. May be considered a meditative psalm on a lesson from the LORD in real life; their Exile and loss of nationhood because of their own sins. This is a very meaningful exercise to do this for our own life in our walk with GOD. But not necessarily only for punishment, also for when and how He blessed and uplifted us. Suggests that this section is related to worship AFTER the Exile, in the period of the Restoration. Content

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vv 1-3 – lament for being asked to sing the songs of Zion while in captivity in Babylon; may be done as a way of humiliating them, and trivialising worship as entertainment; this is a danger today, albeit in a very different way, due to secularisation and loss of sense of holiness and seriousness with GOD vv 4-6 – the psalmist insist that he will never forget Jerusalem and the LORD even in foreign exile; applies to us today in that this world is NOT our home! vv 7-9 – call for the LORD's judgement against nations that ill-treat them; Edom and Babylon are named Session 14 Study of Book 5 – Ps 138, 139, 145 These are psalms of David starting and ending with a psalm of praise. But Ps 139 declares how fully the LORD knows each of us. The rest are all prayers for deliverance from various dangerous enemies – evil men, violent men, pursuing enemies, foreign enemies It gives us insights into David's prayer and worship life, which, in turn, instructs us and gives us examples for how or what to pray to the Lord. Ps 138 – a psalm of praise of Yahweh for His exaltedness and steadfastness; it is a confession of faith in the LORD Content vv 1-3 – declaration of praise to the LORD at His temple with his whole heart for His name, steadfastness, and exaltedness; for giving him assurance even as he met with the LORD vv 4-6 – looks forward to when all the kings and nations know God for His greatness and give Him thanks; in His greatness He cares for the lowly and know who are the haughty vv 7-8 – David testifies that the LORD protects and saves him from his enemies to fulfill His purpose, call for the LORD not to abandon the work of His hands (we as His creation) This is a very lesson and principle for us to apply to our own life and walk with Christ; provided that we live our lives and serve Him in faith and obedience. This is NOT confined to those who do church work. It is true for every Christian in all areas of life. Is who you are true to the Lord? Is what you do what the Lord wants you to do? Ps 139 – a wisdom psalm of praise for the all-knowing GOD; He knows us far better than ourselves, from our innermost thoughts to our outward actions; He knows what we would do before we do it For those who love and trust God, this is wonderful. For those who hate and reject Him this is insufferable anguish. There is no pretense, there is no hiding. Honesty & truthfulness before Him brings blessings. Content vv 1-6 – the perfection knowledge of God for who we are vv 7-12 – nothing can hide us from Him; heaven or hell, wherever on earth, life or death, day or night vv 13-16 – He formed us from within the womb, He knows us before birth, our future before it happens vv 17-18 – awake or asleep we are in His presence

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vv 19-22 – David hates those who hate the LORD, they count as his enemies This is a most noteworthy point – we often do the reverse, we ask God to count our enemies as His enemies for Him to destroy; this reflects our self-centred interest; but this position aligns us with the LORD, His truth, His justice, His righteousness, so we hate all who are in rebellion against Him; which would be sin, the world, and the devil! vv 23-24 – call for the LORD to search out oneself A wonderful thing to do; for if we search ourselves we may miss many things, we may excuse ourselves from many wrongs, but when God searches us, He misses nothing, especially no evil in us; if we repent, it is true cleansing for us Ps 145 – an acrostic psalm of praise of Yahweh for His greatness, graciousness, and faithfulness. Superscript: A Song of Praise. Of David. As is the case with David's acrostic psalms, there is a missing letter, Nun. A verse is added by some manuscript in brackets to supply this missing letter. Content vv 1-3 – praising the LORD for His everlasting greatness vv 4-7 – from generation to generation the glorious splendour of His majesty is to be praised and remembered vv 8-9 the LORD is merciful and patient vv 10-13 – all of God's creation and saints shall praise Him and declare His everlasting kingdom [bracketed verse is found in some manuscripts] vv 14-21 – praise to the LORD as He always lifts up the lowly and all who look to Him and call upon Him (Hebrews 11:6) Session 15 Study of Book 5 – Ps 146, 147, 148, 149, 150 These are 5 orphan “Hallelujah” psalms, all begins and ends with “Praise the LORD!” which brings the Book of the Psalms to its close with praising the LORD echoing in our hearts. Ps 146 Content vv 1-2 – affirmation to always praise the LORD vv 3-4 – do not put your trust in human princes who perish vv 5-7b – call to trust the LORD who is creator, faithful forever, who is just and able to provide vv 7c-9 – the LORD sets prisoners free, lifts the lowly, loves the righteous, cares for the disadvantaged v 10 – the LORD will reign forever from Zion Theme – Praise the LORD as creator, king, and saviour Ps 147 Content vv 1-6 – praise the LORD for He builds up Jerusalem, gathers the outcast, He heals, He creates, He is all powerful and wise vv 7- 11 – He supplies food to all on earth and bless all who fear Him

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vv 12-20 – He is the LORD of Jerusalem, Jacob, and Israel, who feeds them and controls the earth Theme – Praise the LORD the God of Israel, LORD of heaven and earth, who gives life to all Ps 148 Content vv 1-2 – call for the heavens and angels to praise the LORD vv 3-4 – call for the sun, moon, and stars to praise the LORD vv 5-6 – let all creation praise the LORD vv 7-8 – call for the earth, the seas & its creatures, all the elements – fire, wind, snow, hail - to praise the LORD vv 9-10 – call for mountains, trees, beasts, livestocks, birds, to praise the LORD vv 11-12 – call for kings, people, young & old, to praise the LORD vv 13-14 – call for all to praise the LORD who gives a king for His people Theme – let everything that exists, everything that lives, praise the LORD Ps 149 Content v 1 – call to sing to the LORD a new song in the assembly v 2 – call for Israel to rejoice in their King v 3 – praise the LORD with dancing, melody, tambourine, lyre v 4 – the LORD takes pleasure in His people and saves them through their humility v 5 – call for the godly to rejoice in the LORD vv 6-9 – for the godly to praise the LORD highly and take the two-edged sword in their hands; to execute His judgement against the kings and peoples of all nations Theme – Call for Israel to rejoice in the LORD and serve as His instrument of judgement against the nations. Best Fits the time after God made a national covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai and were on the way to destroy the Canaanite tribes to enter the Promised Land. Applies to us spiritually in spiritual warfare as we as the Church of Christ move towards His Return and the New Promised Land of the New Heaven and New Earth. Ps 150 Content v 1- praise the LORD in His home – the sanctuary and heaven v 2 – praise Him for His mighty deeds and greatness vv 3- 5 – praise Him with every musical instruments v 6 – let everything that is alive praise the LORD Theme – Praise the greatest and most exalted LORD with every instrument and every breath. As the last psalm of the Book of Psalms, it stands as a call for all to always praise the LORD. You can say that although the Book of Psalms exemplifies every type of prayer, praise is emphasised as the prayer most to be prayed in honour and worship of the LORD.

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