Objective

In this study, we’ll see that the Psalms express what it means to worship God with our whole hearts.

Key Verse

Psalm 1:2: But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

Introduction

When you open your Bible to the book of Psalms, you are entering the prayer book and hymnal of ancient Israel. The Psalms have been called “the heart of the Bible” because they express every human emotion before God—joy and sorrow, praise and complaint, confidence and fear, thanksgiving and desperate pleading. For thousands of years, God’s people have found comfort, strength, and direction through these beautiful songs and prayers.

The book of Psalms is actually the longest book in the entire Bible, containing 150 individual psalms. (This is why when we refer to Bible verses in the Psalms, we don’t say “Chapter” but we say “Psalm” instead.) These psalms were not written all at once by a single author, but were collected over many centuries from different writers who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The book is organized into five smaller books, probably designed to mirror the five books of Moses that we studied earlier:

• Book 1: Psalms 1-41
• Book 2: Psalms 42-72
• Book 3: Psalms 73-89
• Book 4: Psalms 90-106
• Book 5: Psalms 107-150

Each of these five books ends with a special blessing or doxology, showing that they were carefully arranged as a unified collection for worship and instruction.

The Psalms are far more than beautiful poetry or inspiring literature. They are God’s Word given to teach us how to live in relationship with Him. They show us how to worship God in every season of life, whether we are walking through green pastures or dark valleys. They also contain many prophecies about Jesus Christ, helping us understand how the Old Testament points forward to our Savior. As we study the Psalms together, we will discover truths that can transform both our private devotions and our public worship.

In this lesson, we will explore three important questions about this remarkable book:

• Who are the authors of the Psalms?
• Why are the Psalms important for us today?
• How should we read and understand the Psalms?

Who Are the Authors of the Psalms?

The Psalms were written during a period spanning several hundred years by many different authors whom God chose to express His truth through song and prayer. While we do not know who wrote every psalm, the Bible clearly identifies several key contributors to this collection.

David wrote the largest number of psalms—seventy-three in total. Most of the psalms in Books 1 and 2 came from David’s pen, which makes sense when we remember that David was not only a king but also a skilled musician and poet. The Bible tells us about David’s musical abilities:

2 Samuel 23:1-2: Now these are the last words of David: “The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs: The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.”

Many of David’s psalms are connected to specific events in his life, making them deeply personal expressions of faith during times of both triumph and trouble. The headings at the beginning of some of these psalms are not part of Scripture itself, but represent traditional associations with periods in David’s life that help us understand the background. For example, Psalm 3 is traditionally connected to when David fled from his son Absalom during a terrible rebellion. Psalm 18 celebrates how David was delivered from King Saul’s attempts to kill him—this psalm is so important that it appears again in 2 Samuel 22. Psalm 34 recalls the time when David had to disguise himself before Abimelech to escape danger. Perhaps most famously, Psalm 51 expresses David’s deep repentance after his sin with Bathsheba, showing us how a person can return to God even after serious moral failure.

Two psalms (72 and 127) are attributed to Solomon, David’s son who was famous for his wisdom. These psalms reflect Solomon’s concern for justice and his understanding of God’s blessings.

Twelve psalms (50 and 73-83) were written by Asaph, who served as a priest and prophet during David’s reign. The Bible tells us about Asaph’s important role in worship:

2 Chronicles 29:30: King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.

Twelve psalms were written by the sons of Korah, a family of Levites who served in the temple worship. These include Psalms 42-49, 84-85, and 87-88. The sons of Korah had been given the special responsibility of serving as gatekeepers and musicians in God’s house.

Two other musicians contributed single psalms: Heman wrote Psalm 88, and Ethan wrote Psalm 89. Both men served as musicians at the king’s court and were known for their wisdom and musical skill.

Finally, Psalm 90 is attributed to Moses, making it possibly the oldest psalm in the collection. This psalm reflects on the eternal nature of God compared to the brief span of human life, themes that would have been especially meaningful to Moses as he led Israel through forty years in the wilderness.

(Notebook Moment: What do you think it means that God used so many different people—kings, priests, musicians, and prophets—to write the Psalms? How does this show us something about the way God speaks to all kinds of people?)

Why Are the Psalms Important?

The Psalms serve several crucial purposes in God’s plan for His people, and understanding these purposes will help us appreciate why this book remains so powerful and relevant today.

First, the Psalms teach us how to worship God properly. Jesus told us that true worshipers must worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), and the Psalms show us exactly how to do this. Listen to this invitation to worship:

Psalm 95:1-2: Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

The Psalms demonstrate authentic worship in two essential ways. First, they teach us to express God’s greatness through praise:

Psalm 145:1-3: I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

Second, they show us how to remember and celebrate God’s goodness to us:

Psalm 105:1-5: Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.

The importance of the Psalms in worship is seen throughout biblical history. Faithful Jews recited and sang Psalms 113-118 during their Passover meals, which means that Jesus Himself would have sung these psalms. In fact, Matthew tells us that Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn after the Last Supper—likely one of these Passover psalms:

Matthew 26:30: When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The early Christians also embraced the Psalms as central to their worship, and throughout church history, Christians have continued to find the Psalms essential for expressing their hearts to God:

Ephesians 5:19: Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.

Second, many of the Psalms contain prophecies about the Messiah. The New Testament writers frequently quoted from the Psalms to explain who Jesus is and what He accomplished. When Jesus hung on the cross, He quoted from Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, he quoted from Psalm 16 to prove that Jesus had risen from the dead:

Acts 2:25-28: David said about him: “I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.”

When Paul wrote about Christ’s victory over sin and death, he quoted from Psalm 68:

Ephesians 4:8: This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”

Third, the Psalms teach us profound truths about the character and nature of God. As we read through these songs and prayers, we discover that God is sovereign over all creation, holy in all His ways, all-powerful in His actions, all-knowing in His understanding, merciful toward sinners, patient with our weaknesses, just in His judgments, and faithful to His promises. The Psalms do not merely tell us these truths—they help us feel them and experience them in the depths of our hearts.

(Notebook Moment: Which of these three purposes of the Psalms speaks most powerfully to you right now? Are you most drawn to learning how to worship, discovering prophecies about Christ, or understanding God’s character better?)

How Should We Read the Psalms?

To truly appreciate and understand the Psalms, we must remember that they were written as poetry, not as prose. These were songs meant to be sung, chanted, and recited aloud. The Psalms use the literary techniques of Hebrew poetry, which are different from the poetry we might be familiar with in English. Understanding these techniques will help us read the Psalms with greater insight and appreciation.

The most important feature of Hebrew poetry is parallelism—the use of similar structure between lines. This means that most verses in the Psalms contain two statements that relate to each other in meaningful ways. Sometimes the two statements simply restate the same idea using different words:

Psalm 24:1-3: The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?

Other times, the two statements contrast with each other to highlight an important difference:

Psalm 1:6: For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Understanding parallelism helps us see the main point of each verse more clearly and prevents us from missing important truths that might be stated in slightly different ways.

The second important feature of Hebrew poetry is the use of vivid word pictures and metaphors. The psalmists used images from everyday life to help us understand spiritual truths. For example, the righteous person is compared to a flourishing tree:

Psalm 1:3: That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Throughout the Psalms, beautiful pictures are used to describe God and help us understand who He is and how He relates to us. He is described as our shield who protects us (Psalms 3:3, 28:7, 119:114), our rock who provides stability (Psalms 18:2, 42:9, 95:1), our king who rules over us (Psalms 5:2, 44:4, 74:12), our shepherd who guides and cares for us (Psalms 23:1, 80:1), and our fortress where we find safety (Psalms 31:3, 71:3).

These word pictures are not just decorative language—they communicate deep truths about God’s character and our relationship with Him. When we read that God is our shepherd, we understand that He knows us individually, provides for our needs, protects us from danger, and leads us in the right direction. When we read that God is our rock, we understand that He is unchanging, dependable, and strong enough to support us no matter what storms come our way.

(Notebook Moment: Think about the different word pictures used to describe God in the Psalms—shield, rock, king, shepherd, fortress. Which picture helps you understand God most clearly right now? Why does that particular image speak to your heart?)

Conclusion

As we conclude this introduction to the Psalms, I want you to see why this book has been treasured by God’s people for thousands of years. The Psalms feed our souls with spiritual truth and provide a wonderful source of encouragement for every believer. We can see this clearly when we look at Psalm 1, which serves as an introduction to the entire book.

Psalm 1 contrasts two completely different ways of living. The first three verses describe the way of the righteous person—someone who chooses to follow God. The last three verses describe the way of the ungodly person—someone who chooses to reject God and live according to their own desires.

What characterizes the righteous person? First, he avoids sin and even the appearance of sin. He does not walk in step with the wicked, stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers. He understands that the people we choose to spend time with and the places we choose to go will influence the direction of our lives.

Second, the righteous person loves the Word of God. His delight is in the law of the Lord, and he meditates on it day and night. This does not mean he thinks about nothing else, but rather that God’s Word has become so much a part of his thinking that it influences every decision he makes.

Third, the righteous person’s life becomes fruitful and productive. Like a tree planted by streams of water, he yields fruit in season, his leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers. This does not promise that life will always be easy, but it does promise that a life grounded in God’s Word will ultimately be meaningful and successful according to God’s standards.

In contrast, the ungodly person is unstable like chaff that the wind blows away. He will not be able to stand when judgment comes, and his way leads ultimately to destruction.

Psalm 1 ends with a wonderful promise that captures the heart of what the Psalms teach us: “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.” God knows us completely, sees every step we take, and promises to preserve and bless those who choose to follow Him. The key to living an abundant and productive life is to be obedient to God’s Word and to find our delight in Him.

This is exactly how the Psalms can encourage us in our faith today. They remind us that God is great and good, that His promises are trustworthy, that Jesus Christ is our perfect Savior, and that we can live with confidence because our lives are in His hands. Whether we are facing times of joy or sorrow, victory or defeat, the Psalms provide us with words to express our hearts to God and truths to anchor our souls in Him.

In our next study, we will look more closely at specific types of psalms and discover how different kinds of psalms serve different purposes in our relationship with God. We will also explore some of the most beloved psalms and see how they point us to Jesus Christ, our perfect Shepherd and King.

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