ENCOUNTERING ANGELS IN THE PSALMS
When we read the Bible without preconceived ideas and with a willingness to receive what God has for us, Angels stand beside us to impress and illuminate our minds.
We are venturing on a new journey, a journey through the Psalms.
Take this journey with us and with God and his heavenly angels as we study the Book of Psalms.
The Psalms are prayers, and hymns snugged within the heart of the Bible.
Bursting forth in praise, exultation, sorrow, and sometimes hearts of desperation, these sacred verses have been echoed in private prayer closets and in public spaces alike.
The Psalms have been expressed on the lips of people from every walk of life, from the person standing on the street corner to top leading officials.
Psalms are a chorus that transcends time and space.
As we journey through the Psalms, may they be a guiding light to lead you into a deeper relationship with God.
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Sabbath School Daily by Dr. Brenda Ware Davis
Inviting God’s Presence:
Father, with an open mind, we invite your presence. We ask for the presence of your holy angels to stand by our side and the presence of the Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds. Change our hearts as we journey through the Book of Psalms. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Psalms
(Lesson 1)
How to Read the Psalms
Day 4: A Song for Every Season
The Book of Psalms is filled with songs of different human experiences.
For instance, Psalm 3, Psalm 33:1–3, and Psalm 109:6–15 illuminate some of the different aspects of life we go through.
Thus, the Psalms help us to see that we can worship God in every season of our lives.
In the Psalms, we will find.
- Hymns of Praise: Songs giving glory to God because of his majesty and power in creation, His kingly rule, judgment, and faithfulness.
- Hymns of Thanksgiving: Songs expressing gratitude and thanks to God for His many blessings.
- Hymns of Laments: Songs about sorrow or sadness that are heartfelt cries to God to be delivered from trouble.
- Hymns of Wisdom: Songs that are filled with practical guidelines and instructions on how to live righteous lives.
- Hymns of Royalty: Songs that proclaim God’s Chosen One, Christ our Redeemer, as King and Deliver of God’s people.
- Hymns of History: Songs recalling Israel’s past. They demonstrate how God keeps His promises even when we break our promises to Him. The Hymns of History also teach each new coming generation not to repeat the same mistakes of their ancestors. They are a reminder of how important it is to remain faithful to God under every circumstance.
These poems were not just casually written; in fact, they were written to grab the reader’s attention.
What writing techniques did they use to capture the attention of their readers?
It is important to mention that some of the skills displayed in grabbing the attention of the reader have been lost in translation.
However, the following are some of the writing techniques they used.
- Parallelism: they used combinations of words, phrases, or thoughts that had the same meaning as in Psalms 102:1: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” (Psalm 103:1). Do you see how the words “My soul” and “all that is within me” are alike? The poet combines these same words together in the same verse to help us understand the idea, conveying namely one’s whole being.
- Imagery: they use word pictures or figurative speech designed to appeal to our physical senses. They help us see, touch, smell, hear, or taste what the writer is conveying. These word pictures help us better understand what the poet was trying to convey. For instance, in Psalm 17:8, the poet compares God and the protection He gives us to a mother bird who “hides her young under her wings”; thus, God as our refuge is depicted as “the shadow of [His] wings”.
- Merism: at times, the poets combined opposite words to convey the same thing, like in Psalms 88:1: “I have cried day and night before thee” (Psalm 88:1). The words “day” and “night” show us the poet cries to God all the time. He is saying I cry out to God continuously.
- Wordplay: sometimes, the poet uses words that look almost the same but have different meanings. As in Psalm 96:4, 5, the poet uses two Hebrew words that look alike: “ ’elohim,” which means “gods,” and “ ’elilim,” which means “idols,” “false gods,” or “statues.” The poet uses these words to help us understand his message: The gods of the other nations may look as if they are “ ’elohim,” or gods. But they are only “ ’elilim,” idols or statues.
Finally,
- Selah: often, the poets used the word “selah.” This word tells the reader to stop and think about the psalmist’s message. Or it alerted the musician that there was a change in the song, as in Psalms 61:4
4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah (Psalms 61:4)
Those who conversed with the psalmist and writers of the Bible, souls are stirred by the wonderful works of the heroes of faith. They will come away from the rich fields of thought far more pure in heart and elevated in mind than if they had been occupied in studying the most renowned secular authors…
What subjects are presented in the Sacred Scriptures for the mind to dwell upon? Where can there be a higher theme for contemplation? Where can you find themes so intensely interesting? How do all the studies in human science measure up in terms of greatness and mystery when compared to the knowledge found in the Bible?…
Thus, the command of Christ resounds to us with the same force today as when addressed to the first disciples eighteen hundred years ago:
“Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.”—Messages to Young People, pp. 255, 257 adapted
What is the best approach to studying the Psalms? To find out, view Day 5: How to Read the Psalms in the next segment of this video.
Psalms
(Lesson 1)
How to Read the Psalms
Day 5: Inspired Prayers
The Book of Psalms is a compilation of prayers and praise of the Hebrews inspired by God. They are prayers and praise written to God. Yet, they come from God.
Reading 2 Samuel 23:1, 2 and Romans 8:26, 27 helps us understand that the prayers and praises found in the Psalms are the voice of God intermingled with that of his people.
II Samuel 23:1-2
1 Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. (II Samuel 23:1-2)
Romans 8:26-27
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)
In other words, the psalmist talked to God personally. In their poems, they addressed God as “my God, “my King,” and “my Lord.” Examples of this are found in Psalm 5:2 and Psalm 84:3.
The psalmist or poet often addressed God, asking Him
- to “listen to my words” as in Psalm 5:1),
- “hear my prayer!” as in Psalm 39:12,
- “look!” as in Psalm 25:18
- “answer me” as in Psalm 102:2,
- “deliver me,” as in Psalm 6:4,
Such words show us that the palmist is personally talking to God.
Hence, the Psalms are incredible and beautiful prayers that we can use. What makes them so incredible and beautiful is they are also God’s Word, in the form of prayers and praise coming from the hearts of His people.
The Psalms help us to see that prayer gives God’s people moments of intimacy with Him, such as Paul describes in Romans 8:26, 27
The prayers in the Book of Psalms help us to have this same experience with God that Paul describes.
As expressed in our previous lesson, Jesus quoted directly from the Book of Psalms when He taught and preached.
We see this In Luke 20:42, 43, where Jesus quotes from Psalm 110:1 saying:
1 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” (Psalms 110:1)
And, as we discussed in the previous video, some poems in the Book of Psalms depict Israel’s history.
Also, many of the psalmists wrote about their own personal life experiences and the experiences of Israel as a nation.
As we journey through the Book of Psalms, we will see that the writers talk about many of their experiences.
Nevertheless, their experiences are not confined to a specific group; they cross all cultural, religious, ethnic, and gender boundaries.
For, as we journey through the Book of Psalms, you will observe them talking about their feelings of hope, praise, fear, anger, sadness, and sorrow.
These are things we all feel and face at every age, no matter who we are.
The poems in the Book of Psalms are for every one of us because they are about our own experiences.
Why is understanding the Book of Psalms so important to our own faith experience? To learn more, continue to the next segment of this video, Day 6, The World of the Psalms
(Lesson 1)
How to Read the Psalms
Day 6: The World of the Psalms
How did the writers of the Book of Psalms feel about God? What place did God occupy in the psalmist’s life? The following scriptures offer some indication: Psalm 16:8; Psalm 44:8; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 47:1, 7; Psalm 57:2; Psalm 62:8; Psalm 82:8; and Psalm 121:7
From these scriptures, we can see that God is the most important part of the psalmists’ lives.
The poets lived fully for God. Notice that the psalms are completely
The psalmist acknowledged that God made everything in heaven and on earth.
They proclaimed God as the King and Judge of the whole earth.
They confirmed that God supplies all the needs of his children.
Thus, they concluded that God can be trusted at all times, in the good times and in the bad times.
Recognizing and acknowledging the blessing that God provides for his people, when they suffer or seem to be failing, even their enemies wondered what was happening, asking them: ‘Where is your God?’ ” as in Psalm 42:10.
God’s people know the answer. God is always with them. God declares the sons of Korah and Alamoth in Psalms 46:1 is our refuge and strength. He is very present to help in trouble.
God cannot and will not fail His people.
He can always be trusted even in what appear to be the worst circumstances.
Just as the Lord is the ever-present and never-failing, He is always before us.
Because He is never-failing, ever-loving, and ever-present, the writers of the Book of Psalms envision the time when all people and the entire creation will worship God, as expressed in Psalm 47:1 and Psalm 64:9.
Psalms 47:1
1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! (Psalms 47:1)
Psalms 64:9
9 All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. (Psalms 64:9) (Split)
So, if God is the most important in our lives, should not the central focus of our worship be God?
Worship in the times in which the psalmist lived was different from worship as we know it today.
For worship in the time of the psalmist was the natural and undeniable center of the entire life of the community.
Thus, these poets wrote about everything that happened, both good and bad, in their songs of worship and praise.
They wrote the Book of Psalms knowing that:
God hears them wherever He may be.
He answers them in His perfect time according to Psalm 3:4; Psalm 18:6; Psalm 20:6.
God can do things that no human can do.
God can live in heavenly Zion, and at the same time, He can dwell in an earthly sanctuary among His people as expressed in Psalm 11:4.
God can be hidden according to Psalm 10:1 and, at the same time, be revealed as expressed in Psalm 41:12. (Split)
Though these things are impossible for us humans, they are possible for God, as shown in Psalm 24:7–10.
The poets understood this. They understood that God is good. God is with us in every life experience.
Their understanding of God’s ever presence gave them hope to wait for God to intervene in His own timing, however, and whenever He chose to do so.
This brings up another point: we cannot compartmentalize God. We cannot limit God to only some parts of our lives and leave him out of other aspects of our lives. Are you trying to keep God out of some aspects of your life?
If you honestly answered yes, what parts and why not invite him to become a part of your whole life?
Father, we invite you to be a part of our entire life in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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