Thirty Days Through the Psalms

Thirty Days Through the Psalms

By Steve Caulley

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Thirty Days Through the Psalms

Published by Steven Vail Caulley

Copyright © 2013 Steven Vail Caulley

Smashword Edition

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

The Psalms Text in Thirty Days Through the Psalms

Author’s Foreword: The Aim and Arrangement of This Book

Psalms, an Introduction

Day 1: Nature of the Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 1

Day 2: Types, Forms and Functions of the Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 2

Day 3: Compilation of the Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 3

Day 4: Superscriptions

Psalms Readings for Day 4

Day 5: Laments

Psalms Readings for Day 5

Day 6: Individual Laments

Psalms Readings for Day 6

Day 7: Corporate Laments

Psalms Readings for Day 7

Day 8: Imprecatory Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 8

Day 9: Psalms of Trust

Psalms Readings for Day 9

Day 10: Individual Thanksgiving

Psalms Readings for Day 10

Day 11: Community Thanksgiving

Psalms Readings for Day 11

Day 12: Creation Hymns

Psalms Readings for Day 12

Day 13: Hallelujah Hymns

Psalms Readings for Day 13

Day 14: Our God Reigns!

Psalms Readings for Day 14

Day 15: Songs of Zion

Psalms Readings for Day 15

Day 16: Songs of Ascents

Psalms Readings for Day 16

Day 17: Praising the Covenant God

Psalms Readings for Day 17

Day 18: Recommitment to God’s Covenant

Psalms Readings for Day 18

Day 19: Songs of Salvation History

Psalms Readings for Day 19

Day 20: More Salvation History Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 20

Day 21: Royal Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 21

Day 22: More Songs Honoring the King

Psalms Readings for Day 22

Day 23: Messianic Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 23

Day 24: Secondary Meanings in the Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 24

Day 25: Acrostic Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 25

Day 26: Wisdom Psalms and Godly Wisdom

Psalms Readings for Day 26

Day 27: Wisdom Psalms and Wise Living

Psalms Readings for Day 27

Day 28: Wisdom Psalms and Honoring Torah

Psalms Readings for Day 28

Day 29: Penitential Psalms

Psalms Readings for Day 29

Day 30: Using Psalms in Our Prayers

Psalms Readings for Day 30

Appendix A: Technical Terms in the Superscriptions

Appendix B: Psalms Quoted as Fulfilled in Jesus

References

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The Psalms Text in Thirty Days Through the Psalms

The Psalms texts use in Thirty Days Through the Psalms are taken from the New Heart English Bible, found at http://www.publicdomainbibles.com.

An explanation of the New Heart English Bible (found at http://studybible.info/version/NHEB) says:

The goal of this work is to provide a modern and accurate English translation Bible based on the latest standard texts for the public domain.

The main text chosen for the Old Testament is Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. A modern public domain Old Testament was used and minor improvements were made. The main text chosen for the New Testament is the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament, Fourth Edition (UBS4). A public domain modern English New Testament version which used the Byzantine Majority Greek text was used as a base text and was conformed to the United Bible Societies Greek text, except where noted.

The New Testament footnotes contain many comparisons of the United Bible Societies Greek text with the Majority and TR Greek, Latin Vulgate and Aramaic Peshitta.

It is hoped that this work will reach many, and the Good News of Jesus Christ will expand even further the kingdom of God.

You may publish, copy, memorize, translate, quote, and use the New Heart English Bible freely without additional permission.

Wayne A. Mitchell

Mark D. Harness

September 1, 2010

The paragraphs or stanzas of the psalm poems (indicated by line spaces between verses) generally follows the suggestions in the NIV Bible.

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Author’s Foreword: The Aim and Arrangement of This Book

When my wife and I moved our three small children to Ndola, Zambia in 1987 to help local churches with leadership training, we soon concluded that the only spiritual nurture available to our family would be whatever we arranged ourselves. We tried several approaches to evening family devotions and eventually settled on reading the Bible together through the year. During the next ten to fifteen years we continued to follow this plan, as our children moved into secondary school and then returned to the States for college. When it was just my wife and I reading Scripture together, she asked me to create two monthly schedules for reading the gospels and then reading Acts through Revelation. We have found it a great blessing to read through the Scripture over and over. Rarely does an evening reading go by where the Lord’s Spirit does not reveal new insights into these passages we have come to know so well. We also appreciated other monthly devotional guides like 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Meyers.

In my studies of church history (one of a broad range of course I have taught in African Bible schools), I found that the Psalms have always played a prominent role in the worship of the church. I was particularly intrigued to learn that many monastic groups sang through the Psalms weekly or monthly during their seven daily worship times (following Ps 119:164—Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.). I began to tinker with a plan for evenly dividing the 150 psalms for reading through in a month. Since the Psalms are extremely varied in length (Ps 117 is only two verses long while Ps 119 is 176 verses), I decided to find out how many verses in the Psalms (2461 verses) and the average number of verses a person would need to read each day to read through the Psalms in a month (about 82 verse per day for 30 days). Then I came up with several different ways to divide the Psalms into thirty groups of about 82 verses per group.

During this tinkering phase I was teaching a course in Biblical Interpretation each year and I began to develop a course curriculum for the book of Psalms. These studies introduced me to the types, structures and functions of the various kinds of Psalms as well as some of the long-established groupings of Psalms important in Jewish and Christian traditions. I began to incorporate brief explanations of these types and groupings of Psalms into my plan for reading through the Psalms in a month with a deeper understanding. So this book has been through many changes over the last ten years.

It is my hope that this approach to the Psalms will enhance your interest in this wonderful collection of Hebrew songs, hymns and prayers. I am convinced that this inspired hymnal will continually provide guidance to those who meditate on its words. So my aim is for this study to encourage you to read through the Psalms again and again and again.

Steve Caulley

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Psalms, an Introduction

Title of the book of Psalms

The book we call Psalms is called Tehillah, Praises in Hebrew; but in the superscriptions (titles) of the psalms the word praise, is actually applied only to one psalm (Ps 145) which is indeed a praise hymn. The Septuagint (LXX) entitled them psalmoi or psalms—a lyrical poems to be sung to the accompaniment of musical instruments (especially the psaltery, a kind of harp). The Hebrew word for psalm, mizmowr (from zamar to to pluck a stringed instrument), is used in 59 superscriptions.

NOTE: Around 250 B.C. the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew into Greek for the use of Greek speaking Jews, first in Alexandria, Egypt and then across the ancient world. This translation is called the Septuagint (from the Greek word for seventy), because, according to tradition, seventy translators worked on it for seventy days; it is also why it is abbreviated LXX. This is the version of the Old Testament that came into standard use in the early, Greek-speaking church.

Revelation, Reflection and Response

There are three concepts which help us classify the Old Testament Scriptures: revelation, reflection, and response (Allen, pp 92-98). The Law of Moses in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the historical books and the prophets are best characterized by the word revelation. All of the Bible is revelation, and the primary function of most Old Testament books is for God to reveal his person and will to his people in words and actions. At the same time, the wisdom books, and especially Proverbs, would best be characterized as reflection, for the contribution of these books has to do with the reflection of the writers on what has been revealed. The Book of Psalms is best described as response—God’s people speaking to or about God. Because the Bible contains mainly words from God, we often fail to appreciate that the Psalms are prayers or songs addressed to God or testifying about God.

Interpreting the Psalms

Interpreting Scripture is ALWAYS a two-step process, where we first seek to understand the meaning the inspired writer wanted to convey to his original audience and then apply that meaning to our present situation. Different kinds of literature in the Bible (historical narrative, letters, laws, prophetic sermons, etc) need to be read differently, since the inspired author intentionally used these distinctive kinds of literature to convey meaning in special ways.

The most important thing to remember about the nature of Psalms is that they are musical poems.

Like all poetry the Psalms address the mind via the emotions. The issues dealt with poetically and emotively should not be analyzed as if they were a logical argument (these poems aim for you to feel the truth).

The language of the psalmist is deliberately metaphorical (symbolic or figurative). We must look for the intent of the metaphor (what meaning did the psalmist intend that it convey), otherwise we will continually misunderstand and misapply the psalms.

Finding deep meaning in a single word or phrase is usually inappropriate since it is the poem, as a whole, that carries the message. It is especially important that we not try to find different meanings in parallel phrases that are meant to be synonymous.

One must also recognize patterns within a psalm—certain phrases go together to form a verse in the song (sometimes with a repeating chorus), sounds or words are repeated, etc.

Some Psalms are acrostic—the initial letters of each phrase form the Hebrew alphabet, like Psalms 119 (only the Hebrew scholar can see these patterns).

In order to correctly interpret the Psalms we need to understand them as musical poems. If we take these poems and use them wrongly, then they will be unable to do what God intended them to do—to lead us in our interactions with the Lord (see Fee and Stuart, pp 190-192). Also, the psalms have been misinterpreted in the past to support many errors in the church—verses like Psalms 19:6, It [the sun] rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; were used by the Renaissance church to deny that the earth orbited the sun and to persecute scientists (like Galileo) who taught otherwise!

Hebrew Poetry

Understanding the structure of Hebrew poetry will help us to correctly interpret the many poetic sections of the Old Testament. Unlike traditional Western poetry, Hebrew poetry is not based on rhyme or meter, but on rhythm and parallelism. The rhythm is not achieved by balanced numbers of accented and unaccented syllables, but by tonal stress or accent on important words. Obviously, when reading an English translation, we will not notice the rhythm of Hebrew poetry. However, we can see parallelism in our English translations, since it is sort of a rhyming of ideas not words. By the use of various types of parallelism the psalmist expands upon the first line of poetry in the second line of the couplet, either by comparison, completion, or contrast (Deffinbaugh, What is a Psalm).

There are three types of parallelism:

Synonymous Parallelism: this is the parallelism of comparison and clarification, and the most common type of parallelism; the second line essentially repeats the idea of the first line:

A1 > B1

A2 > B2

As in Psalm 3:1:

O LORD, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!

And in Proverbs 22:1:

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches,

And loving favor rather than silver and gold.

Formal or Synthetic Parallelism: in this sort of parallelism the second and succeeding lines add to or complete the idea expressed in the first line.

A > B (>)

C > D

As in Psalm 19:3

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

And in Proverbs 15:3:

The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Antithetic Parallelism: this is the parallelism of contrast; in the second line the opposite of the first line is true because circumstances contrast.

A > B

not A > not B

As in Psalm 1:6:

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

And in Proverbs 14:29:

He that is slow to wrath has great understanding;

but he that is impulsive exalts folly.

In the process of translation this type of poetry loses less of its meaning and power than perhaps any other poetic form. The poetry of the Psalms also has a broad simplicity of rhythm and imagery which survives translation with very little loss of either force or beauty. It is well fitted by God’s providence to invite all the earth to sing the glory of his name—in a variety of languages (Kidner I, p 4). The parallelism that typifies the Psalms (and other Hebrew poetry) made it especially suitable for antiphonal chanting or singing (where one group sings one line and the other group responded by singing the parallel line).

[Parallelism] encourages us not to allow the prayer to be cut off prematurely, and invites us to pray together with one another. That which seems to be unnecessary repetition to us, who are inclined to pray too hurriedly, is actually proper immersion and concentration in [the subject of the prayer]. (Bonhoeffer, p 24)

Psalms: The Hymnal of Israel and the Church

The Psalms show that the individual finds his or her identity and vocation in the community God has created. (Anderson, p 37)

The songs that were collected and preserved in the Psalms represent only a small selection of the many songs that were composed and sung in Israel. Other Hebrew songs are found in the books of Moses (Ex 15:1-18; Dt 32:1-14), the historical books (Jud 5:1-31; 1Sam 2:1-10; 2Sam 22:2-51) and the prophets (Is 12:4-6; 38:9-20; 42:10-12; 52:9-10; Jer 15:15-18; 12:7-10, 13-25; Hab 3:2-19; Jon 2:2-9), as well as in non-canonical writings of the ancient Jews (Tobit 13; Sirach 39:14-35; 42:15-43:33; 51:1-12), also in the sectarian writings among the Qumran texts. It seems safe to say that many more of Israel’s songs have not come down to us. The songs in the Psalms were safeguarded because of their value in the worship of Israel. The Psalms truly was the hymnbook of the temple and the synagogue. Jesus and his followers loved and used the Psalms. Along with Isaiah, Psalms is the book most often sited in the New Testament (Anderson, p 37). The psalms were quickly taken into the worship of God’s new covenant people, as the first hymnal of the church (which is why the Psalms are often included with the New Testament scriptures in small Testaments).

More than any other book of the Old Testament, it [the Psalms] has been baptized into Christ—W T Davison, quoted by John Paterson in The Praise of Israel, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1930. (Anderson, p 37)

The Psalms Were Written Out of a Cultural Situation Different from Ours

Because the Israelites who say their prayers to God in the Psalms lived in a very different situation from us, a study of the Psalms will raise many questions like:

How should a modern Christian community lay claim to Psalm celebrating God’s mighty works on behalf of his nation Israel?

What is the proper application of a Psalm praising Israel’s king as God’s viceroy on earth?

How are we to use Psalms that praise the benefits of wisdom?

What do we do with those Psalms that ask God to destroy our enemies?

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Day 1: Nature of the Psalms

Psalms 19, 39, 52, 79, 126, 135

Psalms Are Words Spoken to God

The main question confronting us in the Psalms is how do these words spoken to God by the Israelites, function as a Word from God for us (see Introduction). Unlike the rest of Scripture they are not primarily for the teaching of doctrine or ethics. But they are profitable if we will use them for the purposes intended by God who inspired them—to help us: 1) express ourselves to God; and 2) to consider his ways (Fee and Stuart, p 187). For the Bible as a whole is not only the story of God’s dealings with his people but also the witness of his people’s response in thanksgiving and adoration, in lament and petition along the way of our pilgrimage through history.

Psalms Are Musical Poems

The most important thing to remember about the nature of Psalms is that they are musical poems.

Poetry is a special use of language--poetry might be defined as a kind of language that says more and says it more intensely than does ordinary language (from Laurence Perrine’s (1915–1995), textbook on poetry, Sound and Sense, first published in 1956, and quoted by Deffinbaugh, What is a Psalm). Poetry is not designed basically to communicate information as much as to powerfully communicate experience.

Like all poetry the Psalms address the mind via the emotions. The issues dealt with poetically and emotively should not be analyzed as if they were a logical argument.

Each psalm is single poem and needs to be read as a literary unit, rather than as a series of unconnected verses (as we would in the proverbs). Finding deep meaning in a single word or phrase is usually inappropriate since it is the poem, as a whole, that has meaning.

It is especially important that we not try and find different meanings in parallel phrases that are meant to be synonymous.

The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance. C. S. Lewis, Reflections of the Psalms (p 45)

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Psalms Readings for Day 1

The psalms we are reading today include several types of psalms that we will be looking at in greater detail during this study: individual laments (Psalms 39 and 52); a corporate lament (Psalm 79); a corporate thanksgiving (Psalm 126) a creation hymn (Psalm 19:1-6); a psalm extolling the wisdom of God’s law (Psalm 19:7-14); and a hallelujah hymn (Psalm 135:1-7, 13-14, 19-21) with salvation history (vss 8-12) and wisdom (vss15-18) sections.

Psalms 39

For the Chief Musician. For Jeduthun. A Psalm by David.

1 I said, I will watch my ways, so that I do not sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.

2 I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.

3 My heart was hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned: I spoke with my tongue:

4 "LORD, show me my end, what is the measure of my days. Let me know how frail I am.

5 Behold, you have made my days handbreadths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath."

Selah.

6 "Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn't know who shall gather.

7 Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.

9 I was mute. I did not open my mouth, because you did it.

10 Remove your scourge away from me. I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

11 When you rebuke and correct man for iniquity, You consume his wealth like a moth. Surely every man is but a breath."

Selah.

12 "Hear my prayer, LORD, and give ear to my cry. Do not be silent at my tears. For I am a stranger with you, a foreigner, as all my fathers were.

13 Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go away,