Themes from the Psalms

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Themes from the Psalms
Class 4
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Research Scripture (for Kristen)

• Trust in the LORD with all your heart
• and lean not on your own understanding
• in all your ways acknowledge him,
• and he will make your paths straight.
• (Proverbs 35-6)

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Quote

• True art is characterized by an irresistible urge
  in the creative artist.
• Albert Einstein

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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!
It is almost impossible to constrain real
feelings!
Image of hammer hitting thumb
Whats your favorite word when you hit your
finger with a hammer? (Dont answer
This is a rhetorical question)
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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, 118
• Shepherd, Guardian Ps 23, 121

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Worship Awesome Deeds (9)
Psalm 105 and 106 (Highlights)
1051-5 Gods Wonderful Activity

• Give thanks to the LORD, call on 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
• Descriptions follow of historical acts of Gods
  interaction
• Praise the Lord (end verse)

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Worship Awesome Deeds (10)
Psalm 105 and 106 (Highlights)
106 Ebb and Flow of Gods Peoples Obedience

• Bookend Praise the LORD.
• Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good his love
  endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts
  of the LORD or fully declare his praise? Blessed
  are they who maintain justice, who constantly do
  what is right. (1-3)
• We have sinned, even as our fathers did we have
  done wrong and acted wickedly. (6)
• Description of the rebellion by the Red Sea, and
  deliverance from Egypt
• Then they believed his promises and sang his
  praise. (12)
• But they soon forgot what he had done and did not
  wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in
  to their craving in the wasteland they put God
  to the test. So he gave them what they asked
  for, but sent a wasting disease upon them. (13-15)

We must keep trying to do right!
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Worship Awesome Deeds (11)
Psalm 105 and 106 (Highlights)
106 Ebb and Flow of Gods Peoples Obedience

• In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of
  Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
• The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan it
  buried the company of Abiram. Fire blazed among
  their followers a flame consumed the wicked.
  (16-18)
• They make the idol calf
• So he said he would destroy them-- had not Moses,
  his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to
  keep his wrath from destroying them. (23)
• Then they despised the pleasant land they did
  not believe his promise. They grumbled in their
  tents and did not obey the LORD.
• So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he
  would make them fall in the desert, make their
  descendants fall among the nations and scatter
  them throughout the lands. (24-27)

Moses interceded for them many times
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Worship Awesome Deeds (12)
Psalm 105 and 106 (Highlights)
106 Ebb and Flow of Gods Peoples Obedience

• They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had
  commanded them, but they mingled with the nations
  and adopted their customs. (35)
• They worshiped their idols, which became a snare
  to them. (36)
• They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to
  demons. (37)
• They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons
  and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols
  of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their
  blood. (38)
• They defiled themselves by what they did by
  their deeds they prostituted themselves. (39)
• Therefore the LORD was angry with his people and
  abhorred his inheritance. He handed them over to
  the nations, and their foes ruled over them.
  Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them
  to their power. Many times he delivered them,
  but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted
  away in their sin. (40-43)

A list of more things they did wrong
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Worship Awesome Deeds (13)
Psalm 105 and 106 (Highlights)
106 Ebb and Flow of Gods Peoples Obedience

• Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the
  nations, that we may give thanks to your holy
  name and glory in your praise. (47)
• Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from
  everlasting to everlasting.
• Let all the people say, "Amen!" (48)
• Bookend Praise the LORD.

Summation Worship!
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Worship Awesome Deeds (14)
Handels Messiah

• Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Another example of mans expressionin worship
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Worship Awesome Deeds (15)
Handels Messiah

• The kingdom of this world is become
• the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and
  of His Christ
• and He shall reign for ever and ever
• and He shall reign for ever and ever
• and He shall reign for ever and ever
• and He shall reign for ever and ever

This looks pretty dull and repetitive, sort of
like you get with some rock songs
But wait until you hear the music!
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Worship Awesome Deeds (16)
Handels Messiah

• King of Kings,
• for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• and Lord of Lords,
• for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• King of Kings,
• for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• and Lord of Lords,
• for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• King of Kings,
• for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• and Lord of Lords,
• for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,
• and He shall reign for ever and ever
• and He shall reign for ever and ever

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Worship Awesome Deeds (17)
Handels Messiah

• King of Kings
• for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
• and He shall reign for ever and ever,
• for ever and ever,
• King of Kings,
• and Lord of Lords,
• King of Kings,
• and Lord of Lords,
• and He shall reign for ever and ever,
• King of Kings,
• and Lord of Lords.
• Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
  Hallelujah!

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Worship Love of Gods Law (and His Goodness) (1)
Psalm 119 (176 total verses)

• Almost every verse shows some characteristic of
  the concept of the law
• 1) testimonies
• 2) commandments
• 3) precepts
• 4) word
• 5) law
• 6) ways
• 7) truth
• 8) judgments
• 9) righteousness
• 10) Statutes
• It is almost universally asserted that in every
  verse of this psalm one or other of those ten
  words is used, except in v 122.
• On closer inspection we shall find that none of
  them is used in the above sense in the 84th,
  90th, 121st, 122nd, and 132nd verses.

Acrostic Each idea in a group of eight starts
with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
C.S. Lewis Literary Embroidery
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Worship Love of Gods Law (and His Goodness) (2)
Psalm 119 an elaboration on the ideas of Psalm
197-11

• (Psalms 197-11)
• The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the
  soul.
• The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making
  wise the simple.
• The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy
  to the heart.
• The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving
  light to the eyes.
• The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring
  forever.
• The ordinances of the LORD are sure and
  altogether righteous.
• They are more precious than gold, than much pure
  gold
• they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the
  comb.
• By them is your servant warned
• in keeping them there is great reward.

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Worship Love of Gods Law (and His Goodness) (3)
Psalm 119 (seek with all our heart)
2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and
seek him with all their heart. 10 I seek you
with all my heart do not let me stray from your
commands. 58 I have sought your face with all
my heart be gracious to me according to your
promise. 145 I call with all my heart answer
me, O LORD, and I will obey your decrees.
Psalm 119 (longing)

• 20 My soul is consumed with longing for your
  laws at all times.
• 131 I open my mouth and pant, longing for your
  commands.
• 76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
  according to your promise to your servant.