Themes from the Psalms

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Themes from the Psalms
Class 14
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Quote

• The kingdom of heaven is not come
• even when Gods will is our law
• it is fully come
• when Gods will is our will.
• George MacDonald

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Outline of the Class

• Introduction
• Types of Literature
• Translation of Poetry
• Parallelism
• Expressing Ourselves
• Religious Background (Mindset of the hearers)
• About the Psalms
• Themes
• Worship
• Inner Struggle
• Worthiness
• Shared Strength
• Protection
• Prophecy
• Conclusions

Let me know if you have a favorite psalm that you
want us to study
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The Psalms and Honest Worship
From Psalms I have learned that I can
rightfully bring to God whatever I feel about
Him. Philip Yancey

• The psalms are not doctrinal statements, creeds,
  or history.
• The Psalms were not thundered from Sinai or
  received in a vision.

It is useful to have someones thoughts to guide
us, but True worship is worship from our heart,
not just repetition by rote of someone elses
words. We should keep writing stories and
songs, keep exploring, probing, and thinking.
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Expression!
Dont be afraid to express your feelings! (and
dont deny them)
The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees
of Mamre "Where is your wife Sarah?" they
asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. Then
the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about
this time next year, and Sarah your wife will
have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the
entrance to the tent Abraham and Sarah were
already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah
was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah
laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am
worn out and my master is old, will I now have
this pleasure?" Then the LORD said to Abraham,
"Why did Sarah laugh?' Is anything too hard for
the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed
time next year and Sarah will have a son." Sarah
was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not
laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."
Story Mrs. Ollis Davis in trashcan
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The Beauty of the Psalms

• Like a multifaceted jewel (facet faces)
• Fascination with the word
• Turning it in your hand
• Gazing at it as it sparkles
• Not having all of the right answers, but enjoying
  the trip
• Is it better to be right about insignificant
  matters, or to keep thinking?

With the Psalms you can worship with feeling
without getting ensnared by legalism and
arguments.
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Themes from the Psalms (hsl)
Ps 1

• Worship
• Worship (creation) Ps 8, 19
• Worship (awesome deeds) Ps 78, 105-106 (119)
• Love of the Law (and His Goodness) Ps 119
• Inner Struggle
• Despair Ps 13, 42-43, 69
• Betrayal / false accusation / enemies Ps 41, 55
• Worthiness
• Penitence / Cleansing Ps 51
• Qualifications Ps 15, 24
• Unfailing (Steadfast) Love Ps 130, 136
• Shared Strength
• Courage Ps 27-28
• Healing Ps 34, 147
• Protection
• Deliverance, Refuge, Strength Ps 18, 46, 52, 118
• Shepherd, Guardian Ps 23, 121

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Protection Deliverance, Refuge, Strength (1)
Psalm 18 (David)
Introduction He sang to the LORD the words of
this song when the LORD delivered him from the
hand of all his enemies and from the hand of
Saul. He said

• I love you, O LORD, my strength.
• The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my
  deliverer my God is my rock, in whom I take
  refuge.
• He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my
  stronghold.
• I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and
  I am saved from my enemies. (1-3)

This is the same passage as is found in 2 Samuel
22
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Protection Deliverance, Refuge, Strength (2)
Psalm 18 (David)
Problem The cords of death entangled me
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me the
snares of death confronted me. In my distress I
called to the LORD I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice my cry
came before him, into his ears. (4-6)
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Protection Deliverance, Refuge, Strength (3)
Psalm 18 (David)

• Gods Response
• The earth trembled and quaked,
• and the foundations of the mountains shook
• they trembled because he was angry.
• Smoke rose from his nostrils
• consuming fire came from his mouth,
• burning coals blazed out of it.
• He parted the heavens and came down
• dark clouds were under his feet.
• He mounted the cherubim and flew
• he soared on the wings of the wind. (7-10)

Note the intensity of the reaction!
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Protection Deliverance, Refuge, Strength (4)
Psalm 18 (David)

• Gods Response
• He made darkness his covering,
• his canopy around him
• the dark rain clouds of the sky.
• Out of the brightness of his presence clouds
  advanced,
• with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
• The LORD thundered from heaven
• the voice of the Most High resounded.
• He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies,
• great bolts of lightning and routed them.
• The valleys of the sea were exposed
• and the foundations of the earth laid bare at
  your rebuke, O LORD,
• at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
  (11-15)

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Protection Deliverance, Refuge, Strength (4)
Psalm 18 (David)

• Gods Response
• He reached down from on high and took hold of me
  
• he drew me out of deep waters.
• He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
• from my foes, who were too strong for me.
• They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
• but the LORD was my support.
• He brought me out into a spacious place
• he rescued me because he delighted in me.
  (16-19)

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Protection Deliverance, Refuge, Strength (5)
Psalm 18 (David)

• Gods Strength
• You save the humble but bring low those whose
  eyes are haughty.
• You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning my God turns
  my darkness into light.
• With your help I can advance against a troop
  with my God I can scale a wall.
• As for God, his way is perfect the word of the
  LORD is flawless.
• He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
• For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the
  Rock except our God?
• It is God who arms me with strength and makes my
  way perfect.
• He makes my feet like the feet of a deer he
  enables me to stand on the heights.
• He trains my hands for battle my arms can bend a
  bow of bronze.
• You give me your shield of victory, and your
  right hand sustains me you stoop down to make me
  great.
• You broaden the path beneath me, so that my
  ankles do not turn. (26-36)

Jesus is the light John 812
Psalm 119
stability
Phil 413
What Christ did for us
stability
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Protection Deliverance, Refuge, Strength (6)
Psalm 18 (David)

• Overcoming Enemies
• I pursued my enemies and overtook them
• I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
• I crushed them so that they could not rise
• they fell beneath my feet.
• You armed me with strength for battle
• you made my adversaries bow at my feet.
• You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
• and I destroyed my foes.
• They cried for help, but there was no one to save
  them
• to the LORD, but he did not answer.
• I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind
• I poured them out like mud in the streets.
  (37-42)