Rightly Dividing the Psalms
by Don Treadway, February 2000
INTRODUCTION:
1. The book of Psalms is one of the best-known and
least understood books in the Bible. Most do not understand what Psalms are. They are not words from God to man, but are
words spoken to God and about God.
2. They are songs and prayers addressed to God. They do
not function primarily to teach or correct.
3. They help us express ourselves to God and to
consider his ways.
4. We need to understand their nature - including
types, as well as their forms and functions.
BODY:
I. THE PSALMS AS POETRY
1. Synonymous parallelism Isaiah
44:22, Psalm 19:1 the
second line repeats
2. Antithetical parallelism Hosea 7:14 the second
contrasts
3. Synthetic parallelism Obadiah 21 the second line
adds to
4. It is addressed to the mind through the heart.
5. They are musical poems and as such they appeal to
the emotion to stimulate a response.
6. The vocabulary of poetry is purposefully metaphorical. Psalms
114:4, 59:7
II. THE PSALMS AS LITERATURE
1. There are seven types of Psalms: Laments, Thanksgiving, Praise, Salvation
History, Celebration, Wisdom, Trust.
2. Each of the Psalms is characterized by its form.
3. Each of the types has its own function.
4. We must learn to recognize various patterns within the Psalm.
5. Each Psalm must be read as a literary unit.
III. THE TYPES OF PSALMS
1. Laments - there are 60 of laments.
Some are
individual (e.g. 3,
22, 31,
39, 42,
57,).
Some are corporate (e.g. 12,
44, 80,
94, 137).
The laments express with honest fervor
the distress that people felt.
2. Thanksgiving Psalms.
There are 10 individual (e.g. 18,
30, 32,
34, 40,
66, 92,
116, 118,
138)
Psalms.
There are 6 corporate (e.g. 65,
67, 75,
107, 124,
136) Psalms.
They were used to
express thoughts and feelings of gratefulness.
3. Psalms of praise - center on the praise of God for who He is, and what He
does for all mankind.
Psalms 8,
19, 104, and
148 praise God as
creator.
Psalms
66, 100,
111, 114, and
149
praise God as protector of Israel.
Psalms 33,
103, 113,
117, 145-147 praise God
as Lord of history.
4. Salvation history is the subject of five Psalms(78,
105, 106,
135, 136).
5. Psalms of celebration and affirmation - there are several kinds of Psalms
in this category:
Covenant renewal (50 and
81);
Royal Psalms - (2,
18, 20,
21, 45,
72, 101,
110, 144);
Enthronement Psalms - (24,
49, 47,
93, 95-99);
Songs of the city of Jerusalem - (46,
108, 76,
84, 87,
122).
6. There are eight Wisdom Psalms - (36,
37, 49,
73, 112,
127, 128,
133).
7. There are 10 Psalms of trust - (11,
16, 23,
27, 62,
63, 91,
121, 125,
131).
These Psalms help us
to express our trust in God, whether we are doing well or not.
IV. TWO EXAMPLES
Psalms
3: a personal lament
1. Address
2. Complaint
3. Trust
4. Deliverance
5. Assurance
6. Praise
This psalm was not designed to instruct but to act as a guide. When we are
feeling defeated, or
discouraged it helps us to express our thoughts and feelings and to rely on
God's faithfulness. It
also helps us to see the importance of balance and honesty in our prayers.
Psalm
138: a Thanksgiving Psalm
1. Introduction
2. Distress
3. Appeal
4. Deliverance
5. Testimony
This Psalm is useful in gathering our own thoughts and feelings when we are
reflecting on the
faithfulness God is shown us over the years.
CONCLUSION:
There are three basic benefits of the Psalms.
1. The Psalms are a guide as to how to express all our praise, appeals, and
gratitude to God.
2. The Psalms, by example show us how to relate honestly to God.
3. The Psalms demonstrate the importance of reflection and meditation upon
what God has done for us.
