Of the Old Testament John Stevenson 2016 The

Of the Old Testament © John Stevenson, 2016

The Hymnbook of God

Title for the Book • Hebrew Titles: – Tehillim (“praises”). – Tephilloth (“prayers”). The prayers [tephilloth] of David son of Jesse are ended (Psalm 71: 20).

Title for the Book • Hebrew Titles: – Tehillim (“praises”). – Tephilloth (“prayers”). • Greek Title: Psalmoi (“songs”).

Characteristics of the Psalms • • • A thousand years of history Musical instruments Quoted in New Testament Relates our response to God A “sensory” book

Hebrew Masoretic Text Septuagint

Hebrew Masoretic Text Septuagint & English Translation Superscriptions numbered Superscriptions not numbered

What are the different types of Psalms? • • Praise Psalms Songs of Thanksgiving Royal Psalms Wisdom Psalms of Remembrance Psalms of Lament Imprecatory Psalms

What are some of your favorite Psalms?

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41: 13).

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen. 20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. (Psalm 72: 19 -20)

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen. (Psalm 89: 52).

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen. ” Praise the LORD! (Psalm 106: 48).

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 150: 6).

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Exodus Lev. Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Numbers Deut.

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Begins with man by a tree (1); the raging of the nations (2); near the end we see the Psalmist as a sojourner (39: 12).

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Exodus Begins with a thirst for God (42); and a prayer for God’s salvation against an ungodly nation (43)… Mostly Many by unknown David

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Exodus Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David …ends with God as a rock and a refuge (71).

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Exodus Lev. Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Begins with a promise of God’s blessing to those who are pure in heart (73).

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Exodus Lev. Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Ends with the Davidic Covenant

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Exodus Lev. Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Numbers Begins with prayer of Moses and a reminder of man’s frailty (90).

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Exodus Lev. Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Numbers Ends with a confession of Israel’s sins in the wilderness (106) as well as in the land.

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Exodus Lev. Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Numbers Deut. Begins with a reminder of God’s past faithfulness (107).

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Genesis Exodus Lev. Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Numbers Deut. Psalm 119 has a special emphasis upon the word of God.

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. (Psalm 72: 20)

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Uses Yahweh 278 times Elohim only 15 times Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Uses Yahweh Elohim 278 198 times Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Yahweh only 32 times

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Uses Yahweh Elohim 278 198 63 times Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Yahweh 44 times

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Uses Elohim Yahweh 24 times 278 198 63 times 105 times

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David Uses Yahweh Elohim Yahweh 235 / 278 198 63 times 105 Elohim times 31

1862 -1932 • German theologian. • Professor of Old Testament in Berlin University. • Classified the Psalms into a number of different categories. • Strongly influenced by Wellhausen’s Documentary Hypothesis. • Psalms were thought to date to the Maccabean Period

1884 -1965 • Taught at the University of Oslo. • Further developed the ideas introduced by Gunkel. • Saw the Psalms from a cultic perspective. • Theorized their use in the fall festivals of Israel in an annual ceremony he called “the enthronement of Yahweh. ”

• Found in 1928 • Ancient city of Ugarit • Dates to 1400 B. C.

• Found in 1928 • Ancient city of Ugarit • Dates to 1400 B. C.

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David

1 Chronicles 16: 4 He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

1 Chronicles 16: 5 -6 Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Chapt. 1 Chapt. -41 42 -72 Chapt. 73 -89 Written mostly by David Mostly by Asaph Chapt. 90 -106 Chapt. 107 -150 Mostly Many by unknown David

2 Chronicles 29: 30 Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped.

Psalm 137: 1 -4 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion. 2 Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps. 3 For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion. ” 4 How can we sing the LORD’S song In a foreign land?

Once upon a time… Therefore, be it resolved… Dear John…

• Laments – Individual Lament – Communal Lament

• Lament • Songs of Praise & Thanksgiving – Individual Thanksgiving – Communal Thanksgiving – Celebrating Yahweh’s kingship – Songs of Zion

• Lament • Songs of Praise & Thanksgiving • Royal Psalms • Wisdom Psalms • Torah Psalms

Psalms of Lament • This makes up the largest grouping of the Psalms (one third of all Psalms). • They are not the same as Lamentations – Lamentations is a funeral dirge for Jerusalem – Lament Psalms express faith in the midst of distressing times

Psalms of Lament • There are two categories of laments. – Community laments – Individual laments

Laments often contain the following elements • Invocation of God. • Complaint in the midst of distress. • Petition to God. • A call for vengeance on the evil-doer.

Laments often contain the following elements • Confession of sin or Protestation of innocence. • A vow to praise God after the expected deliverance. • Expression of Trust in God. • Praise & Thanksgiving.

Superscription For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget Invocation me forever? of God How long will You hide Your face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the Complaint day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; Petition Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 2

And my enemy will say, “I have Petition overcome him, ” (Continued) And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. 4 Expression 5 But I have trusted in Your of Trust lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. Thanks to 6 I will sing to the LORD, the Lord Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Superscription For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is not David hiding himself among us? ” Invocation 1 Save me, O God, by Your name, of God And vindicate me by Your power. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; Petition Give ear to the words of my mouth. Lucas, Pg. 3

For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my Complaint life; They have not set God before them. Selah. 4 Behold, God is my helper; Expression The Lord is the sustainer of my soul. of Trust 3

He will recompense the evil to my Vengeance foes; Destroy them in Your faithfulness. 5 Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is good. 7 For He has delivered me from all trouble, And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies. 6 Vow Praise

Superscription A Psalm of David. O LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to Invocation You! of God 2 May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. 1

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. Petition & 4 Do not incline my heart to any evil Statement thing, To practice deeds of wickedness of Innocence With men who do iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies. 3

Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Petition Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds. 6 Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, Complaint And they hear my words, for they are pleasant. 5

As when one plows and breaks open the earth, Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol. 8 For my eyes are toward You, O GOD, the Lord; In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless. 7 Complaint (Continued) Expression of Trust

Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me, Petition And from the snares of those who do iniquity. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own Vengeance nets, While I pass by safely. 9

Psalm 56: 6 -7 O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth; Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD. 7 Let them flow away like water that runs off; When he aims his arrows, let them be as headless shafts.

Psalm 56: 8 Let them be as a snail which melts away as it goes along, Like the miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun.

Psalm 56: 9 -10 Before your pots can feel the fire of thorns He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike. 10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

Psalm 56: 11 And men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who judges on earth!”

How can we justify the imprecatory prayers of the Bible?

The Lord’s Prayer as an Imprecatory Prayer Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6: 10)

Psalm 51: 1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

Psalm 51: 2 -4 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

Psalm 51: 5 -6 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

Prayer for individual restoration (1 -2) Confession (3 -6) Prayer for Restoration • Cleansing from sin (7 -9) • Inward renewal (10 -12) Van Gemeren

Psalm 51: 7 -9 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.

Psalm 51: 10 -11 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

Prayer for individual restoration (1 -2) Confession (3 -6) Commitment (13 -17) Prayer for Restoration • Cleansing from sin (7 -9) • Inward renewal (10 -12) Van Gemeren

Psalm 51: 13 -14 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

Psalm 51: 15 -17 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise. 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Prayer for individual restoration (1 -2) Confession (3 -6) Prayer for national restoration (18 -19) Commitment (13 -17) Prayer for Restoration • Cleansing from sin (7 -9) • Inward renewal (10 -12) Van Gemeren

Prayer for individual restoration (1 -2) Confession (3 -6) Prayer for national restoration (18 -19) Commitment (13 -17) Prayer for Restoration • Cleansing from sin (7 -9) • Inward renewal (10 -12) Van Gemeren

Three Elements in Praise Psalms • They open with a call to praise the Lord. • They usually give the reason for praise. • They close with a call to praise (often echoing the introduction).

Superscription 1 A Psalm for Thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Call to Praise the 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful Lord singing.

Know that the LORD Himself is God; Reason for It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; Praise We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 3 Repeated 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Call to Praise the Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Lord

For the LORD is good; Reason for His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all Praise generations. 5

Describes an Acknowledgement Psalm in which the speaker acknowledges what God has done for him

Psalm 107: 1 -3 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary 3 And gathered from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.

Psalm 107: 4 -6 They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; They did not find a way to an inhabited city. 5 They were hungry and thirsty; Their soul fainted within them. 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses.

Psalm 107: 7 -8 He led them also by a straight way, To go to an inhabited city. 8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men!

Psalm of Lament Acknowledgement Psalm Asks God to save Testifies that God has saved

• They are not a distinct literary type. • They reflect a mood of trust in the Lord. • They speak of God in the third person.

Psalm 23: 1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Psalm 23: 2 -3 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Psalm 23: 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23: 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

Psalm 23: 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Read through Psalm 32 • • What type of Psalm? What is the structure used? What parallels are seen? What imagery is evident?

Super- 1 A Psalm of David, when he fled scription from Absalom his son. O LORD, how my adversaries have To God increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God. ” Selah. 2 From others

But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, To God My glory, and the One who lifts my head. 3 I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. 4 About God

About Myself 5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies To God on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the LORD; About Your blessing be upon Your people! God Selah. 7

• Pick a Psalm for your oral presentation • Pick a particular class session in which to make your presentation