The Psalms were written by various persons, though the chief writer was David. He tells us he was divinely inspired. He says, " The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, and His word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Hock of Israel spake to me." He is called " The anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel." (2 Sam. 23:1-31Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. (2 Samuel 23:1‑3).) Asaph also wrote several of the Psalms. The sons of Korah, who were mercifully saved from going down into the pit, and being swallowed up alive with their wicked father, are also thought to have written some of the Psalms. Their names are connected with eleven of them; but their authorship is by no means certain. To Ethan, the Ezrahite, is imputed the authorship of a few of the Psalms; and, as before observed, Psalm 90 is entitled, "A prayer of Moses."
The word " Selah" occurs frequently in this book: it means " pause," and calls special attention to the context. The word " Higgaion" means " meditation," and it seems to be put in to enjoin us to meditate on what we are reading. When, for instance, we read, " The wicked is snared in the work of his own hand," we are called to meditate thereon, and " Selah" being added, bids us to pause as well. (See Psalm 9:1616The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. (Psalm 9:16).) The word " Anointed" may be translated " Messiah." Messiah and Christ both mean Anointed. Messiah is Hebrew, and Anointed Greek.
The Psalms are a series of songs divinely inspired, written in Hebrew poetry, by various persons, and at different times. Nearly every Psalm has a title. It is generally admitted that the titles or headings, such as, " Mitcham of David" over Psalm 16, meaning " A Golden Psalm of David, "are in the original. " Shiggaion," the title of Psalm 7 means " Wandering ode."
The Psalms are not put together in a disorderly or promiscuous manner. The more they are prayerfully studied in the presence of God—the only way of rightly learning the truth of God—the more they will appear to have been arranged under divine direction. It is true they do not come before us as a continuous discourse, like some other books of the Bible, but the way in which they follow each other, is sometimes very striking and instructive.
Nor are the Psalms presented to us in a chronological fashion, for future events are sometimes recorded before what has already passed. For instance, we find a beautiful description of the millennial reign of Christ in Psalm 8, while the details of His atoning sufferings on the cross are not recorded till Psalm 22 Again, the resurrection and ascension of Christ are clearly brought out in Psalm 16, but the incarnation, as being of the fruit of David's body, is found well-nigh at the end of the book. (Psalm 132:1111The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. (Psalm 132:11).)
Perhaps no part of scripture is more read than the Psalms. One reason may be that from the brevity of many of them, a portion complete in itself can be quickly read. This may be the case with such as are pressed for time. Others are educated to read portions of them periodically, and do so as an accustomed duty. Others read them on account of the pious breathings, longings after God, making Him their refuge in trial, and hoping in His mercy. Many, however, we are persuaded, read this book of scripture because of its legal character: for, strange as ύ may appear, those who are in bondage, and do not know the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, like to associate with persons in a similar state, and read writings of the same stamp. We have heard of one, who, when he was passing through much soul-distress, derived comfort from reading Psalm 88., which had not one word of comfort in it; his comfort was that there had been a truly godly person who was just as miserable as himself. No doubt many in affliction and trial are in a similar way refreshed and cheered by reading certain portions of the Psalms, and helped, too, in being led to cast themselves upon God.
Like the other scriptures, the Psalms were written for our learning and blessing, and, when spiritually apprehended, give us most profitable and comforting instruction. When we have a right sense of the true meaning of these divine songs, and can approach them as those who enjoy our new creation-standing, blessings, and relationships, into which the grace of God has brought us, and ponder them in dependence on the Holy Ghost, we find the book of Psalms to be an exhaustless source of blessing.
The Psalms consist of five books. They are so divided by the Hebrews. The different lines of instruction which the various books present are very apparent.
The first book consists of forty-one Psalms, and ends with, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen." Psalm 41:1313Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. (Psalm 41:13).
The second book begins with Psalm 42, and ends with Psalm 72 The last words are, " Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen. The prayers of David, the son of Jesse are ended.יי This book consists of thirty-one Psalms.
The third book contains only seventeen Psalms. It extends from Psalm 73 to Psalm 89., and concludes with, " Blessed be the Lord God for evermore. Amen and amen."
The fourth book commences with Psalm 90, and ends with Psalm 106 It consists of seventeen Psalms. It ends with, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting, and let all the earth say, Amen, praise ye the Lord.'
The remaining Psalms comprise the fifth book. It consists of forty-four Psalms, and its last words are, " Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord."
The Subject of the Psalms.
The great subject of which the Psalms treat has often been overlooked. By those who indulge in what is called spiritualizing the Old Testament scriptures, and imagine that every good thing there spoken of must belong to the church of God, have been bold enough to say that the Book of Psalms gives us an embodiment of all the great principles of Christianity; but if this statement be quietly and patiently tested, it will be found to be a serious mistake. That " all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable," is blessedly true; but that much of the scripture is neither addressed to, nor descriptive of, us, is also equally true. Though not written directly to us, nor about us, it is, however, all written for us, and reads us very precious lessons as to the patience, grace, and faithfulness of God, while it reveals over and over again man's thorough ruin, and in subjection to His will. For instance, the prophet Isaiah gives us "the word that he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem" (Isa. 1:1; 2:11The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (Isaiah 1:1)
1The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:1)); and though his prophecy is about Judah and Jerusalem, and addressed to those who lived in the days of Hezekiah and other kings of Judah, yet who among us has not gathered up sweet instruction concerning the person, path of humiliation, death, glory, and the reign of the true Messiah before His ancients gloriously; and also of Jehovah's patient grace and faithfulness to His ancient people?
With regard to the subject of which the Psalms treat, it is unmistakably clear that we find in them the doctrines of forgiveness of sins, and of righteousness reckoned without works, with many utterances of pious souls in trouble making God their refuge, and speaking of the blessedness of trusting in Him; but no one would say that these are peculiar and essential principles of Christianity, because they have been true, as to every believer, from Abel downwards, long before the precious doctrines of the church of God were revealed.
AW, however, we know that God has been revealed as Father, and that babes in Christ are spoken of as knowing the Father, and having the cry of Abba, Father: but in the Book of Psalms, though God is known as Jehovah, the Lord God,, the Almighty, the God of Israel, and the Most High, yet the Father, in the peculiar relationship of Christianity was not then revealed, nor is He once named in the Psalms.
We now are taught that believers are " blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ," of which there is no mention in the Psalms; instead of which God's earthly people are here contemplated, and are taught to look forward to an earthly inheritance—" Those that wait upon Jehovah, they shall inherit the earth. ·.. He shall exalt thee to inherit the land." (Psalm 37:9, 29, 349For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. (Psalm 37:9)
29The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. (Psalm 37:29)
34Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. (Psalm 37:34).)
It is since the glorification of Christ Jesus, and not before (see John 7:3939(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39)), that the Holy Ghost has come down to seal and indwell us until the redemption of the purchased possession, and also to unite to Christ in heaven, everyone who knows remission of sins through His blood; whereas, in the Psalms, David Himself is heard to cry out, " Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." By this we understand that instead of their being sealed by the Holy Spirit, and indwelt by that other Comforter abiding with them forever, as we are, holy men, like David and others, were now and then moved by the Holy Ghost to prophesy; and this was so blessed to them, that they wished He might thus continue with them. Though the Holy Ghost has always been the divine Teacher and power of blessing, we judge they had little sense of His operations, except when moved to prophesy. "Holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." It is no marvel, then, that any should say, " Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." How different is the writing of an apostle to us, " Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:3030And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30).) Again, believers are now addressed as a new creation in Christ Jesus, and members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones, a relationship which could not have existed before the death and resurrection of Christ, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. With what confidence the apostle writes to us, saying, "We are members of his body" and " He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit." A wondrous relationship, indeed! (See Eph. 2:15; 3:5, 9; 5:3015Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (Ephesians 2:15)
5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; (Ephesians 3:5)
9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Ephesians 3:9)
30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Ephesians 5:30); 1 Cor. 6:1717But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17).)