The Psalter or Book of Psalms is a collection of hymns used in the liturgical worship of the Temple; it is arranged in five 'books' or parts. The 150 psalms represent the work of several centuries. These are some which can be dated from the Exile and some after the return to Jerusalem and others which are clearly allied to the wisdom writings of later times; but there are also psalms which belong to the period of the kings and among these there may be some psalms as early as David himself, traditionally the writer and singer of songs. Although the inscriptions appear to ascribe many of the psalms to David, it should be noted that these inscriptions actually refer to different collections of the hymns made at different times or places; it is the existence of these separate collections which explains the duplication of a few Psalms in the Psalter.

The 150 psalms have for so long been used in Christian worship that their early origins are often overlooked; like all lyrical poetry, they express passion - and in their own time there was nothing improper about violent curses against enemies and oppressors or against the unfaithful nor about a frank longing for revenge and massacre. These are notes which can be found in the psalms and like the name Yahweh, must be accepted as a part of the world of the psalmists.

But the principal kinds of psalms which can be distinguished by their subjects include: hymns of praise often recalling the mighty works of God in the past history of the nation; prayers of entreaty or penitence either personal or collective; thanksgiving; wisdom psalms and praise of the Law; prophetic oracles; royal psalms. The royal psalms are addressed to kings the successors of David and often include prophecies of their future glory; after the of the monarchy, these oracles together with the prophecies of the renewal of Zion became a focus of the messianic hope and they are commonly accepted as such by the writers of the New Testament.

The spiritual riches of the Psalter need no commendation. The psalms were the prayers of the Old Testament in which God inspired the feeling that his children ought to have towards him and the words they ought to use when speaking to him. They were recited by Jesus himself, by Virgin Mary, the apostles and the early martyrs.

The Christian Church has adopted them unchanged for her official prayer. Unchanged as regards the words but with a great enrichment of the sense: in the New Covenant, the faithful person praises and thanks God for unveiling the secret of His inmost nature for redeeming him by the blood of his Son, for filling him with his Spirit, hence each psalm ends with the trinitarian doxology: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. The ancient entreaties have become more ardent since the last supper, the cross and the resurrection have taught mankind the infinite quality of the love of God, the universality and gravity of sin, the glory promised to the faithful. The hopes sung by the psalmists have been fulfilled, the Messiah has come, he reigns and all nations are summoned to praise him.
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -