Psalm 21: The Song of the King’s Strength
The Psalms often assume the reality of war. In a fallen world filled with evil and injustice, the psalms frequently describe the presence of war and even rejoice when, through military victories, the God of love and power delivers his people by punishing the wicked. There’s never a glorification of war in these songs; the […]
Psalm 20: The Song of the King’s Salvation
The Psalms are about kings and nations as much as they are about prayer and worship. That much is inescapable, especially because Psalm 2 is an introduction that sets up the book of Psalms as a drama between God’s promised Anointed King, his enemies, and those who find refuge in him.
Psalm 19: The Song of Revelation
The Psalms speak about God speaking to us, so they invite us into a conversation. The Creator and Redeemer God communicates with his people, and then we respond both by speaking to him and by teaching one another the true and perfect words of our Lord.
Psalm 18: The Song of the Servant’s Love
The Psalms are usually short meditations and conversations between the psalmist and God, but sometimes we find a psalm that is long and descriptive, with lots of different images and emotions. There are hills and valleys, rising tension and decisive conclusions. These kinds of psalms invite us to step inside a story, experience it, and […]
Psalm 17: The Song of the Innocent
The Psalms show us how to relate with God both as our friend and as our judge. The psalmists will often move fluidly from a conversational intimacy to a formal plea for vindication and back again, because in their minds, God is both near to his people and high above humanity as the transcendent, sovereign […]
Psalm 16: The Song of Secure Delight
The Psalms offer us a comfort and peace that we may not feel right at this moment. When we are having a difficult time but we read the psalmists proclaiming their joy in the Lord, it’s not hypocritical to pray these prayers. Rather, we’re asking God, “Even in these circumstances, give me this kind of […]
Psalm 15: The Song of the Blameless
The Psalms are as practical and relevant as any other part of the Bible. They are poetry, yes, but they are songs that are meant to teach us, shape us, and form us. They give us the wisdom and instruction that we need to live a life with God according to his ways.
Psalm 14: The Song of the Fool (Version 1)
The Psalms don’t assume that we share their worldview; they acknowledge that there are people who think differently about God and the meaning of life. Yet they also attempt to persuade us to align with the biblical worldview so that we would avoid what is evil and false and find what is good and true […]
Psalm 13: The Song of Questions
The Psalms ask God questions – hard questions, big questions, questions that we might think God would be offended to hear. The psalmists are unafraid to be utterly, brutally honest with God because he welcomes us and hears us. Ironically, expressing this kind of raw emotion to God leads us to greater trust and safety […]
Psalm 12: The Song of Speech
The Psalms are words. They are the words of the psalmists, and they are the words of God, inspired and inerrant. And sometimes these psalms speak about words themselves, teaching us how to respond to and rely on God’s Word in our daily lives.