WITH the Lord’s help we shall attempt to give a brief review of the contents of the five books showing the different positions the Messiah takes with His people, and their position in regard to the unbelieving nation on account of His rejection by them. We shall observe how the faithful cleave to Him but not always with intelligence in so doing.
BOOK 1 (Psalm 1-41)—The Messiah is rejected. He is rejected by the leaders but becomes the object of faith to some. These latter are looked at as not yet driven out of Jerusalem and Judea. We find them using the name of Jehovah and referring to covenant mercies.
BOOK 2 (Psalms 42-72)—The faithful here are seen as outside Jerusalem and the city is in possession of those who would persecute them for their growing exercises of faith. They are outside as having had to flee from the idolatry which has been set up in Jerusalem. (See Matt. 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15).) They do not use the covenant name of Jehovah, but simply God, except as viewed in those psalms concerning the future as connected with the Messiah. They are not ready yet to see that the covenant privileges belong to the faithful remnant and not to the unbelieving nation.
BOOK 3 (Psalms 73-89)—There is more in this book concerning the whole nation, that is the whole of the twelve tribes. The general interests of Israel are in view, and thus Israel’s history is entered into. They are looked at as restored to their land, but not yet in the full blessing of Jehovah.
BOOK 4 (Psalms 90-106)—This book is in connection with the bringing into the world of the Messiah, and Israel’s owning that the One who reigns is Jehovah, which fact they would not admit when the Messiah first came in lowliness into the world.
BOOK 5 (Psalms 107-150)—The people here are looked at as brought back and a general survey of God’s ways with them. We have a divine commentary on it all, ending, as all His ways surely will, in His people being led forth in praising Him in His sanctuary.
The Psalms are they in which the virtues and glories of that perfect humble Man are continually unfolding. It is not our purpose to go into them in detail. The writer feels his inability to undertake such a task and even if it were possible it would be beyond the scope of this paper. We would, however, desire to set forth, if possible, something of their scope so that our readers might be encouraged to read them in the light in which they are written, showing forth the Lord’s path of suffering before entering into His glory, that glory for which His earthly people were waiting. The present day of grace is therefore passed over without any direct prophecy concerning it.
Psalm 1 describes the perfect man. And whoever fulfilled this description but the Man Christ Jesus? He is set forth as bringing back to man the tree of life which was forfeited at the Fall. He is shown as marking out the pathway for the righteous, of the faithful, but He also shows that the pathway of the ungodly leads to destruction. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” v. 6.
ML-10/23/1960