Glorifying God Through the Psalms: A Study Book
There must be hundreds of books about the Psalms, so why another one? Rather than a book that seeks to explain the Psalms in detail, this one is designed to engage us in the worship of God using the Psalms as a model.
Why Psalms? No book of the sacred writings devotes itself more fully to the appreciation of our Holy Father. Even though the Psalms were originally sung, and the melodies have been lost, the beauty and power of the words draw us near to God. The Psalms remind us over and over of His deep love for us, as in Psalm 36:7: “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!”
The Psalms also reveal the coming Messiah. In them we see King David foreshadowing King Jesus who mirrored many aspects of David's life, especially in his suffering. Words and events in Christ's life echo throughout the psalms. For instance, from the cross, Jesus claimed David's words as His own: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46). Like many other prophetic references, these Messianic prophecies had both a present and future application. Christ's life conforming to these Messianic texts supported belief in the first century that He was indeed the Messiah, and they serve that purpose for us as well. The Psalms serve no greater purpose than to tell us of the Savior coming as it did for those who sang of Him in olden times. Even though this is not a major focus of this book, it is important to keep in mind as we study.
Comprised of thirteen lessons, this study book is designed for either class or individual study. Almost surely, the lessons contain more material than can be “covered” in a typical class time period, but make this curriculum your slave and not your master, i.e., use as much or as little however it meets your needs.
The first nine lessons focus on knowing God, His attributes and character. The last four call upon us to respond to His character with worship and obedience.
Do we yearn to worship the Lord more in our daily lives? Notice the fervor of David. In Psalm 63:1, he says, “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
Do we long to delight in Him and in His word? Psalm 1:2 speaks of the blessed man: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.” Likewise, is our request of the Lord, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law” (Psalm 119:18)? This study book is designed to help us to open our eyes to see wonderful things from the Psalms.