The title (Acts 1:2020For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. (Acts 1:20)) and numbering (Acts 13:3333God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. (Acts 13:33)) of this divine collection of heart utterances are fully owned of God. The headings, many of which are untranslated, are of very ancient date, being found in the Septuagint or Greek version of the Old Testament, nearly 300 years B.C. There are 116 Psalms titled or headed, the remaining 34 being strangely enough styled "Orphan Psalms." The name of David occurs in the headings in more than the half of those titled Psalms. Those dedicated to "the Sons of Korah" are evidence that God remembered mercy in that awful scene of judgment recorded in Num. 1633They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. (Numbers 16:33), for to them were committed the choral services of worshipping Israel. The Psalms historically cover the whole period from Moses (Psa. 9016With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. (Psalm 91:16)) till the Judean captivity in Babylon (Psa. 13716Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:16)), about a 1000 years.
The meaning of the word selah, which occurs about 70 times, and three times in the Prophet Habakkuk, Hab. 3, has been the subject of much dispute amongst scholars; but let any sober-minded Christian look up a few of the Psalms where the word is found, and will he not naturally pause and consider as he reads it? Whatever the word may signify critically, we are convinced that the force and value of the word "selah" are to be gathered from moral considerations.
The two main subjects of the book of Psalms are, first, a godly remnant as distinguished from the mass of the nation of Israel (Psa. 1); and second, the Messiah the object of counsel and prophecy (Psa. 2). Thus the two first Psalms form the ground work of the whole inspired collection.
The Hebrews, ancient and modern, divided the 150 Psalms into five books, disregarding historical sequence or chronological order. The spiritual and soundly instructed have owned that the Hebrew arrangement of the book must have been of divine ordering.
The First Book contains Psalms 1-41 We have here a good deal of the personal history of the Messiah, also the covenant name "Jehovah," or LORD, which is written about 270 times, whereas "God," the creation title, does not occur more than 50 times. As a suffering remnant of Israel, or rather Judah, is here recognized in their land, and the Messiah's identification with them, as in Matt. 3—this identification being historically past, and prophetically future—we easily account for so much of the life-history of Christ being given, and for the frequent occurrence of the covenant title Jehovah.
The Second Book contains Psalms 42-72. The Judah-remnant, which occupies such a large place in the prophetic Scriptures, is here prophetically viewed as driven out from Judea and Jerusalem, and undergoing a baptism of blood, but are cheered and sustained by the presence and promises of their Messiah. God does not publicly own this remnant, whom governmentally He has driven out of the land, and hence Jehovah, the relationship title, not being enjoyed, only occurs about 30 times; whereas God, the creation title, really characterizing the people then, occurs about 200 times.
The Third Book contains Psalms 73-89 The whole history of the nation is here divinely sketched from her rise in Egypt till her settlement in millennial glory and blessing. The names Jehovah and God occur in nearly equal numbers.
The Fourth Book contains Psalms 90-106 The successive announcements of Jehovah's (Christ's) coming, and the blessing attending His reign and personal presence, are the grand subject of these joyous Psalms, the Jews being regarded as the center, and Jerusalem the metropolis of all earthly glory. The relationship of Israel to God being restored, Jehovah occurs about 100 times, and God about 20 times.
The Fifth Book contains Psalms 107-150 This division is not so prophetic in character as the others, but is more distinctly moral. Jehovah's character and doings are grandly celebrated in songs unrivaled for sublimity and poetic sweetness and fervor. The songs of degrees, 15 in number, (Psa. 120-134), while historically applying to the return from Babylon to Jerusalem, look forward to the various stages of Israel's moral return to Jehovah, the name of whom occurs 230 times and more, while God is only written about 30 times.
The direct application of the Psalms is to the Messiah and Israel, not to Christ and the Church—to a people under the moral government and disciplinary dealings of God. Judah will be restored to her land by Gentile intervention on her behalf, undertaken for political motives merely (Isa. 18), and will then be disciplined and scourged under the governmental anger of Jehovah; for have they not as a nation persistently rejected the Holy Ghost, persecuted the prophets, betrayed and murdered the Just One, and broken the Law which they faithfully promised to keep (Acts 7:51-5351Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. (Acts 7:51‑53))? These solemn counts in Israel's indictment will be pressed upon the conscience of the guilty nation, and will be fully owned by the God-fearing part of Judah, whose experience, prayers, trials, and confessions, are the subject-matter of many of these Psalms.
The dispensational character of the book, as a whole, has been greatly overlooked; and Christian standing, experience, and hopes have been imported into the book, when they are really not to be found. There is, of course, much truth common to the saints of all ages, and a certain experience of God's goodness, which all may enjoy. But it is a fatal mistake in the apprehension of this book to read it as recording true, full Christian experience. The following blessings characteristic of Christianity, will not be found in the book of Psalms:
2.-Sins forgiven and the conscience purged (Heb. 10.).
3.-Union to Christ in the heavens (Eph. 1).
4.-Immediate access to God, because the veil is rent (Heb. 10).
5.-The consciousness of relationship-"Father" (Rom. 8).
The book of Psalms primarily regards a people under law and as the immediate objects of the earthly government of God.
GENERAL DIVISIONS.
I.-Christ associating Himself with the Jewish remnant of the latter clays. Psalms 1-41
2.-Messiah identifying Himself with the godly out of the land in the last days. Psalms 42-72.
3.-History of all Israel from her rise in Egypt till her blessing under the rule of the Messiah. Psalms 73-98.
4.-The coming of Jehovah (Messiah) for the blessing of Israel and creation. Psalms 90-106
5.-Moral truths; songs and universal praise. Psalms 107-150
[The three first divisions end with the words "Amen, and amen;" while the two last divisions close with "Praise ye the Lord" or Hallelujah.]