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Tuesday, September 19, 2023

The Book of Psalms & A Study of Psalm - 63, Senior - I, Lesson - 17

SENIOR

AGE GROUP: 14 - 15 YEARS

STANDARD (GRADE): IX & X

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LESSON – 17

THE BOOK OF PSALMS & A STUDY OF PSALM-63

What are psalms?

The Book of Psalms also known as the Psalter is one of the books of the Old Testament. It is the first book of the third section of the Hebrew Bible called Ketuvim ("Writings"). It is a collection of hebrew religious hymns or sacred songs. There are 150 psalms including hymns or songs of praise, communal and individual laments, royal psalms and individual thanksgivings. The Book of Psalms is not a name given in the original Hebrew text. In Hebrew, the Book of Psalms is called “Tehillim” and the individual psalms are referred to as “mizmorim”, which means a poem set to music and sung to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. The Greek translation of this term, psalmos, is the basis for the title of the book “Psalmoi”, from which the English name Psalms is derived. Another Septuagint translation from the 5th-century gives the term PsaltÄ“rion, from where the English name Psalter is derived which is often used as an alternative name for the Book of Psalms. 

The Great Psalms Scroll, one of the oldest and wellpreserved copy of Psalms among the Dead sea scrolls, Photo credit: Israel Antiquities Authority, 1993

Who wrote the “Book of Psalms”?

The Psalms were not written by a single author but by different men over the course of many centuries. One hundred Psalms identify their author with an introduction. Fifty of the Psalms do not mention their author, but many scholars of the Bible believe that King David may have written some of these psalms as well. Some of the Jewish scholars assigned the Psalm to the last-named writer when the author's name was not mentioned in the psalms. The authors of psalms mentioned in the Bible are given in the chart below

When was the Book of Psalms written?

The Book of psalms was composed over many centuries. Moses composed one of the Psalms, and two were written by King Solomon about 450 years later. Psalms 90 written by Moses, the man of God during Israel’s wanderings in the desert around 1440 BC is considered to be the oldest psalm.

The five books of Psalms

The Book of Psalms is actually a collection of five books of psalms. The 150 Psalms are divided into five books, with each book ending with a brief doxology which means a “word of glory” or an expression of praise. Books 1-3 tend to have more songs of lament while Books 4-5 contain more songs of praise.

Book 1 (Psalms 1-41) Book 1 is the earliest collection. God is mostly identified as Yahweh. Most of the psalms in Book 1 are written by David.

Book 2 (Psalms 42-72) Book 2 is called the “Elohistic Psalter” because of the rarity of the use of the divine name Yahweh (YHWH). God is mostly identified as Elohim. It begins with psalms by the sons of Korah (42-49); the remainder of the book are largely psalms “of David”.  

Book 3 (Psalms 73-89) Most of the psalms in Book 3 were written by Asaph (except four psalms by the sons of Korah, two by David, and Psalm 89 written by Ethan). In this book also God is mostly identified as Elohim.

Book 4 (Psalms 90-106) & Book 5 (Psalms 107-150) Books 4 & 5 are usually grouped together. It contains a great number of “orphan” psalms, (i.e. psalms with no titles). Many of these psalms were intended for regular Temple worship or in the seasonal festivals (Songs of Ascents [120-134] and the Hallels [113-118, 135-136]). Psalms in these last two books often begin or end with the shout of praise, “Hallelujah!” (Praise YHWH). 

Classification of Psalms

Hermann Gunkel, a German biblical scholar, applied what is called as “form criticism” to study the Book of psalms. Form criticism is the English name for the study of the literature of the Bible and classifying them into types or categories according to form and content. (1) Gunkel's categories are the following:

1) Hymns - These are psalms of praise consisting of an invitation to praise God, the reasons for praise (e.g., God’s work of creation, his steadfast love etc.), and a conclusion which most often repeats the invitation. These hymns are mostly sung during common worship. 

Pictorial representation of Levite choir in the ancient Israelite worship (I Chronicles 25)

2) Laments of the People (Communal Lament) – These psalms were mostly sung during a national calamity when a period of prayer and fasting would be declared and penitence (feeling of remorse for sin) observed. In these psalms God’s name is invoked, the crisis is described, God’s help is sought, and confidence that the prayer has been heard is expressed. 

3) Individual Laments – These psalms make up the major part of the Book of Psalms. In individual Lament an individual worshipper cries out to God in time of need. These psalms include: an invocation of God, the complaint, the request for help, an expression of certainty that God will hear and answer the prayer, and in many cases a vow to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice. 

4) Songs of Thanksgiving – These psalms are songs of thanksgiving sung by an individual after being delivered from a problem, while offering thanksgiving sacrifice. These psalms begin and conclude with an exclamation of praise to God. These psalms mainly contain two elements: the story of the one who has been saved and the recognition that God was the rescuer.

5) Royal Psalms / Spiritual poems - The royal psalms deal with the spiritual role of kings in the worship of God as the anointed or chosen ones. Many are prayers for the wisdom of the king, his long life or success in battle. The setting of these psalms are usually some event in the life of the Israelite kings e.g., ascension to the throne, marriage, departure for battle etc. 

Gunkel also distinguished several minor types of psalms, including Wisdom Poems, Liturgies, Songs of Pilgrimage, and Communal Songs of Thanksgiving.

The impact of Psalms in Christian worship

The psalms had a heavy influence on the development of Christian liturgical praise and worship. The early Church chanted or sang psalms as part of the worship. There are several passages in the Holy Bible which indicate that psalms were part of the worship in the early house churches (1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:18b-19a; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13). Early Church fathers mention singing songs from the scripture as part of the Lord's Supper celebration. Psalms set to traditional melodies have been used in congregational singing for many centuries. Throughout history the Psalms have played an important role in both Church worship and personal devotion.

How to study Psalms?

The Book of Psalms is written in poetic form and has a lot of symbols and figurative language. Figurative language is the use of descriptive words, phrases and sentences to convey a message that means something without directly saying it.  There are many types of figurative languages like Personification, onomatopoeia, Hyperbole, Alliteration, Simile, Idiom, Metaphor. The following are some of the examples of figurative language in Psalms

Metaphor – The Lord is my shepherd (Psalms 23:1)

Simile – He is like a tree planted by streams of water (Psalms 1:3)

The deep and rich meaning of Psalms cannot be understood with one single quick reading. Hence the best way to read and understand Psalms is to meditate on the Psalms as instructed in Psalms 1:2. Before trying to explain Psalms in terms of “what it means to me” we have to understand what it meant to the original authors and readers. Some people have difficulty in interpreting psalms because of the vindictiveness and prayers for judgment contained in psalms. But we have to understand the time period in which these psalms were written. Most of these psalms come from a time period when battles and wars were constant and intense. These psalms were authored by people under the law of Moses who were looking for righteous judgement.

When we read Psalms, it is important to read it as a whole unit. If we pluck few of our favorite and inspirational verses from these psalms and try to interpret them based on our own understanding and interests, we will end up with faulty understanding of their meaning. We should always let the Scriptures interpret themselves. Every Bible verse has its complementary verse, so we have to search the word of God (Isaiah 34:16).

Informations & Applications while studying Psalms

  • Author of the psalms
  • Time Period - The individual psalms come from different periods of Israel’s history: from the time of Moses (15th or 13th century BC.), to that of David and Solomon (10th century), down to the Israel’s days of exile in Babylon (e.g., Psalm 137). Knowing the time period helps us to understand the context of the Psalms better.
  • Historical Background and the Old Testament context – Background information concerning the Psalms is obtained from three sources: contextual data within the particular psalm, the superscriptions (the information given at the beginning of the Psalm), and the references of these Psalms in the New Testament. The Book of Psalms has relevance in understanding the religious life of ancient Israel. The prophets and the leaders provided some insight about the day-to-day life of the Israelites, but the psalms clearly describe the emotions and feelings of the Israelites. The psalms were used in connection with worship services conducted in the Temple at Jerusalem. Some of the hymns would be sung when the pilgrims first came in sight of the city of Jerusalem and others as they stood before the entrance to the Temple. Hymns and Psalms were used on occasions such as the beginning of the new year, particular feast days and celebrations of important events in Hebrew history.
  • Type of Psalms (Hymn / Lament / Thanksgiving)
  • Whole Bible connections - The Psalms should be read in light of the entire Bible story and God’s eternal salvation plan. Every important theological truth is present in the psalms, even if it is only in seed form.
  • Glimpses of the Gospel - Though this is an Old Testament book that was written long before Christ was born, it nonetheless foreshadows Him throughout (Luke 24:27, 44). The great truths which burst into full bloom in the New Testament are found in seed and germ form in the Old Testament. The nature of God, creation, sin, redemption, justification, sanctification, adoption, nations, and many more are mentioned in Psalms. Christ is the subject of the Psalms and the object of praise in every one of them. Some of them are very specifically named as Messianic psalms. These record the birth, life, death, resurrection, glory, priesthood, kingship, and return of Christ. There are sixteen messianic psalms that speak specifically about Christ, 
  • Personal Implications – Psalms reveal the hopes, the joys, the sorrows, the doubts, rejections and dejections, and the aspirations of the human heart. They were also expressions of faith in the midst of difficulty or in response to sin. The Psalms record equally conflicting feelings like deep devotion, overflowing emotion, intense regrets and deep dejection. When we meditate on the truth of God revealed in psalms, it helps us to consider how we respond to a particular situation in our life. This book teaches us how to express our love for God, how to pray, and how to worship.  

A STUDY OF PSALM - 63

Psalm – 63 (NKJV)

A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.

4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.

7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

Author of the Psalm – King David

Time Period & Historical Background

Many of the psalms contain superscripts, which reveal the context and the historical setting of the psalm (in the Hebrew Bible, the superscripts are considered part of the inspired text). Some of the superscripts may not give the exact context and we may have to compare information from the historical books in the Bible and correlate them with the particular psalm to get it. In psalm 63 there are two possible incidents in the life of David that could provide the context for this psalm.

The superscript of Psalm 63 mentions “A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah”. The first possible setting is when David fled King Saul (I Samuel 23). He spent much time in the Judean wilderness (I Samuel 23:15). But the difficulty with this narrative is that David refers to himself as “king” in this psalm (Psalm 63 - verse 11) but Saul was still the king of Israel during this incident. At the same time, David had already been anointed by Samuel to be King of Israel (1 Samuel 16), and though he had not yet assumed the role of King, the office was already assigned to him.

The second possible context is found in 2 Samuel 15-16, when David fled from Absalom, his son. At this point, David is the king of Israel and spent time in the wilderness of Benjamin and Judah as he fled for his life. King David being faint and thirsty are mentioned in 2 Samuel 16:2 and 17:29. This setting is often considered a better option to fit the context of the psalm, though both the settings are seen as possibilities by Biblical scholars. Whichever option is chosen, this psalm should be studied as a song of hope and trust sung by David, when he was threatened by his enemies and had to leave the city and flee into the wilderness. 

Ancient Church & Psalm 63

The ancient Church up to about 400 AD had the practice of beginning the singing of the Psalms at each Sunday service with Psalm 63, called "the morning hymn". During those days when the early Church was hunted and persecuted, the believers often sang Psalm 63 as a reminder of God’s love and protection amidst this world’s wilderness experiences and trials.

Pictorial representation of an ancient House Church

Exposition of Psalm – 63

To extract the true essence of Psalm 63, we need to take a journey back to the time when King David lived, walk along with him in the desert and experience the life he lived during those days. The deep spiritual connections David had with God to be called “the man after God’s own heart” and be given the privilege to be one of the ancestors of the Messiah could be gleaned from this psalm. 

Verse 1

1 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

The magnitude and depth of this verse can be truly understood by anyone who has lived or travelled in the middle eastern or any other desert during the intense summer days and has experienced the heat waves and sunbaked sands. The glorified deserts we see in the modern days are not the ones experienced by David thousands of years ago. A desert, thousands of years ago, was a forlorn and forgotten desolate place without any cover from natural calamities, wild animals, venomous vipers, and poisonous insects. Gathering food and water in the desert would have been an impossible task in those days, especially for someone who had chosen it as a hiding place from his enemy. No one would willfully choose to go and hide in the desert. A desert is chosen as a hiding place only when the choice is between desert and death. 

Parched Ground

Coming to the first verse in Psalm – 63, Forced out of the city of Jerusalem, away from God’s holy sanctuary because of his enemies, David found himself in the middle of a dry and parched land. David was thirsty but there was no water anywhere in sight. David was neither the first one to live in the desert nor the first one to experience thirst in the desert. There were several instances in the history of Israel connected with the desert. When the Israelites came out of Egypt and were travelling through the desert, they too experienced thirst (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:10-13). When the Israelites experienced physical thirst and could not find any water, it instigated anger and rebellion against Moses, their leader. They murmured, complained and even thought of stoning Moses! In Deuteronomy 8:2, Moses told the Israelites, “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” When God tested Israelites in the desert, it revealed the wicked condition of their heart! 

David’s life had turned upside down. He went from being a respected leader to an insulted individual, from comfort to discomfort, from safety to danger. But when David passed through the same desert test as that of his ancestors, even though he was thirsty in a dry and parched land, his response was contrary to that of his ancestors. When David was tested in the desert, his heart revealed his hunger and thirst for God. His spirit's thirst for God overpowered his physical thirst for water. Not only was his soul longing for God, even his flesh, his physical faculties and organs joined along with his soul in seeking God, His power and His glory! When David passed through the “desert test” it did not bring out bitterness, anger, range or disappointment from his heart but brought out the true intentions and proclivities of his heart, his one desire and intense longing for God. The very first statement “O God, You are my God” indicates the personal relationship David had with God. It is no wonder that God found David as a man after his own heart.

Ein Gedi Desert in Israel where David spent many of his hiding days

Verses 2 – 6

2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. 6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.

David lived during the Old Testament days. The act of worship during those days involved going to the Holy place, God’s sanctuary setup at Jerusalem, performing various rituals and offering sacrifices. The religious life of the ancient Israelites revolved around Jerusalem. David was not an exception. His yearning and love for God’s sanctuary and Jerusalem can be seen in Psalms 122. But at this point in his life, David was physically away from God’s sanctuary, out of Jerusalem in a faraway desert. Contrary to Old Testament beliefs, David decided to look for God in the desert, making it his sanctuary and Tabernacle to experience the power and glory of God. We also have to remember that David did not willfully absent himself from the sanctuary because he was careless or too lazy to travel to the sanctuary. David enjoyed going to the house of God and worshipping God there; it was his one desire (Psalm27:4). But David often found himself in hills and deserts away from Jerusalem and God's Tabernacle because of his enemies and their wicked plans.

Pictorial representation of the Tabernacle of God

Verses 3 – 6 clearly reveals to us that David experienced the divine presence, loving kindness and goodness of God in the desert. This is the worship Jesus Christ taught the Samaritan woman near the well. Jesus Christ told the Samaritan woman, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father…. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:21-24). Even though David was faraway in the desert, unable to fulfill the ritualistic expectations dictated in the Old Testament worship, he offered to God something higher and better. David worshipped God in spirit and in truth. 

Pictorial representation of the ritualistic sacrifices offered in the Tabernacle as a part of worship according to the Old Testament Law

David understood the heart of God. God does not delight in sacrifices or burnt offerings more than doing his will or having a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 40:6,7; Psalm 51:16,17). His enemies might have thought because David was away from God’s holy sanctuary and could not offer the mandatory sacrifices required of him, he would be forsaken by God (Psalm 42:3 – 6). 

But David’s heart and soul were in close communion with God. David knew that the prayers he offered in the desert, far away from the Sanctuary would rise up before God as an incense; when he lifted up his hands in reverence, standing on the parched land, it would be like offering a fattened calf as an evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2). The loving kindness of God that David experienced in the forlorn desert was much better than all the temporal and carnal pleasures of his royal life in the luxurious palace.

David was overflowed with the fullness of joy found in the presence of God and the unending pleasures found at the right hand of God (Psalm 16:11). He could not stop meditating about God even through the dark and dreadful nights in the desert. David proved to be more of a New Testament worshipper than many who lived and live in the New Testament days. When the mystery of true worship was revealed to David, he could not contain his joy. David’s soul was satisfied as though fed with marrow and fatness.

Verses 7 –11

7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. 9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 10 They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

Mother hen hiding her chicks under her feathers

When David experienced the presence of God, he was assured of help from God. David’s assertion “You have been my help” indicates God had helped David from the hands of many evil people and brought him out of life-threatening situations. When David remembered those instances, it built up his faith that God can do it again. David felt safe in the shadow of God’s presence. It is the most secure place of refuge where no enemy can penetrate. The phrase, “the shadow of your wings” is the portrayal of baby chicks being protected by a mother bird under her wings when there is danger. David's soul was rejuvenated and his faith renewed. God’s right hand was upholding him. David proclaimed that he would rejoice in God in the desert because he was upheld by God’s right hand and his life was secure, but his enemies who were prowling to destroy him would be judged by God. We read in the Holy Bible that, David was in fact restored to power and his enemies were destroyed.

Book Reference:

Hermann Gunkel, Einleitung in die Psalmen or Introduction to the Psalms, translated by Thomas Horner (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1967). 

Bible Reference: The Book of Psalms

Memory Verse: Ephesians 5:17 – 20

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Fill in the blanks:

1. The Hebrew name for the Book of Psalms is “………………….”

2. ………………………. written by Moses, the man of God during Israel’s wanderings in the desert around 1440 BC is considered to be the oldest psalm.

3. Psalms 72 & 127 were written by ………………………...

4. As per the Law of Moses, Saul could not be ………………… monarchy. 

Give short answers:

1. What are “the Book of Psalms”? 

2. Who wrote the Book of Psalms? 

3. Write about the impact of Psalms in Christian worship? 

4. What was the time period of the “Book of Psalms”? 

Answer in brief:

1. What do we understand about David’s spiritual condition when he sang “My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water” in Psalm 63?




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