Summer Series Preview: Psalms

Bonus! You can listen/watch today's discussion on youtube by clicking here

Sunday in worship we wrapped up our topical series on "What is the Church"? Over the summer we will be diving into a series on the Psalms. 

If you have a Bible near you, and you open it to the middle, chances are the pages will open somewhere in the Psalms. The Psalms are different from most other books in the Bible and it's immediately noticeable upon reading whatever Psalm your Bible opened up to. The Psalms are not narrative history (Like Genesis, or the Gospels), yet many Psalms have extended references or recitations of narrative history (Psalms 78, 105, 106 and more). The Psalms are not a collection of short, wisdom sayings to instruct (like Proverbs), nor are they a story of wise living (like Job), nor are they an extended dialogue of philosophy (like Song of Songs or Ecclesiastes), and yet the Psalms have wise sayings which encourage wise living in the midst of life experiences which challenge life philosophies. 

There are a great many word pictures that could be used to describe the Psalms, since our church loves food and fellowship (And we just got to celebrate our first post-lockdown potluck) I'll use a buffet as a word picture for the Psalms. 

The Psalms are like a buffet. When I was growing up my grandparents on my mother's side lived about 90 minutes away. We would sometimes meet at a buffet restaurant between our two homes and share a meal. Experiencing the buffet was something altogether different. At the buffet, our options were vast and plenty for our appetite. Unlike going to a burger joint, or a breakfast diner, the menagerie of food available at the buffet put every other restaurant firmly on a lower tier in my stomach's estimation. 

Sure, the burgers at a burger joint might be better than the burgers at the buffet, but could you eat twelve of them for the same price as only one of them? Perhaps the friend chicken wasn't the world's best, but could you chase down friend chick with your choice of jello pudding, soft serve ice cream, or a taco? What the buffet missed on quality it more than made up for with quantity for my growing tastes. The Psalms are in some ways like this as well. 

What the the Psalms are missing is made up for with variety of experience and expression. While the book of Exodus recounts the great glorious redemptive acts of God for his Old Testament people as they were enslaved in Egypt, the book of Psalms gives language to express thanks to God for his redemption. While the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life give us the deeds of Christ, the Psalms give us a platform to praise God's blessed Messiah. While the New Testament epistles give us instructions on living out our faith as fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, children, employers, employees, citizens, and members of Christ, the Psalms teach how we can go to God in all the practical problems we find ourselves entangled. 

The Psalms are like a buffet of God's Word for feeding the soul. For the Christian that is tired, weary, lowly, and lonely, the Psalms give words, wisdom and means to find strength, courage, boldness, and companionship with the Lord Almighty. John Calvin, in his preface to his commentary on the Psalms (which you can access for free via PDF from the CCEL) had this to say regarding the glorious spiritual and practical application of the Psalms:

It is by perusing these inspired compositions, that men will be most effectually awakened to a sense of their maladies, and, at the same time, instructed in seeking remedies for their cure. In a word, whatever may serve to encourage us when we are about to pray to God, is taught us in this book.

- Calvin's Commentary on the Psalms volume 1 page 23 from the above accessible PDF. 

Following the Psalms gives to the believer a wide buffet of experiences and expressions to receive encouragement during present ongoing circumstances. It is into this buffet that we will dive into during the upcoming months of June and July. Each week will be something a bit different as we study the Psalms. I hope today your appetite for worshipping our God through study in the Psalms is growing and continues to grow. As the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 34:8

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.