Psalms Part 1, Written When I Was A Captain

Last year, I did an Acts series. I know Matt Huisjen did a series this year on the 10 Commandments in Exodus and the book of John, so I wanted to go back to the Old Testament and do a Psalms series. I’ll be using the New International Version, which is in the pews.

The Psalms are songs in the Old Testament, showing the full range of emotions: anger, fear, sadness, and joy. I remind people that God can handle us fully expressing our emotions, as the Psalms show. I pray this series inspires us to “Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling.” Psalm 2:11 (NASB)

I. AUTHORS AND SETTINGS

The Psalms were written in different time periods by Moses, to David and his son Solomon, the family of Asaph, the Sons of Korah, as well as anonymous authors.

II. FIVE SECTIONS (One way to divide them based on the Pentateuch — the first 5 books of the Bible)

A. Genesis / Sovereignty of God (1–41)

B. Exodus / Redemption of God (42–72)

C. Leviticus / Sanctuary of God (73–89)

D. Numbers / History of God (90–106)

E. Deuteronomy / Word of God (107–150)

III. STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION

A. Synonymous Parallelism (similarity), Ps. 24:1, 2

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

2 for he founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the waters.

B. Antithetic Parallelism (contrast), BOOK I: Psalms 1–41; Ps 1:6

1 Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water

which yields its fruit in season