Music and song are powerful. They speak to us in ways and with a depth that often mere facts cannot. And they also give expression to some of our deepest experiences of joy and sorrow, often in a manner we could not have produced ourselves. We all have songs that when we hear them immediately bring us to tears or start our toes tapping. God has given us such a wonderful gift for this life in music.
And so it should come as no surprise that music is part of how we relate to God. It is why the Apostle Paul tells us that one of the ways God’s word dwells in us is through singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16). Throughout the Bible and church history, singing has been one of the central elements of the worship of God, whether individually or corporately. Songs are scattered throughout the Scriptures. And, of course, there is an entire book of songs in the Bible, the book of Psalms.
This Sunday, we begin a multi-summer series in the hymnal of the Bible. Each year, we will cover around 10 Psalms. As we start, here are some things to remember about the Psalms.
The Psalms are poetry. We cannot read the Psalms like historical narrative or an epistle. We must enter a world of simile and metaphor, of images and word pictures. We must challenge ourselves to expand our imaginative horizons and tease out the import of words, their meanings, and their arrangement.
The Psalms are emotion-filled. So many of the Psalms are beloved because they express our joys and sorrows. Yet, they can also make us uncomfortable as they express darker emotions such as anger, fear, and despair. But that is what makes them so powerful. They give expression to the whole range of human emotions and we must not try to downplay them.
The Psalms are theological. Yet, the Psalms are no mere sentimental pieces of lyrical fluff. They contain deep reflections on the character of God. They cover the range of human experiences. The hard parts of life in this world are not shied away from. The Psalms give us words to deal with sin, suffering, and salvation.
The Psalms are corporate. While most of the Psalms were penned by an individual and written from a first-person perspective, they were put to use in the corporate worship of Israel. Singing in the gathered worship of God’s people is primarily directed towards God. However, we are also speaking to each other. If I sing Great Is Thy Faithfulness, I am not only praising God for His faithfulness, but also reminding you of that reality and encouraging you to believe it, especially if life circumstances are making that hard for you to believe at the moment.
So let me encourage you in two ways. First, come prepared to sing on Sundays. And when we are gathered, belt it out! Give yourself over to the worship of God. And, second, spend time reading and meditating on the psalm we will be covering each week. Do this individually, as families, and in other groups. Let us have our worship and our lives enlivened by the Psalms over the next ten weeks.
Resources I will be using for this series
John Goldingay, Psalms, Vol. 1: Psalms 1-41 (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms
Allen Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms 1-41 (Kregel Exegetical Library)
Gerald Wilson, Psalms Volume 1 (The NIV Application Commentary)
Dale Ralph Davis, The Way of the Righteous in the Muck of Life, Psalms 1-12
