Jesus and the apostles loved the book of Psalms—they quoted from it and lived out of it. These ancient prayers and praises of Israel provide a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament; the themes introduced in the psalms find further development in the New Testament. Where David’s dynasty failed, Jesus gives hope. Yet, certain expectations that emerge in the book of Psalms still remain for the future, namely that God’s people will completely fulfill his purposes and that all nations will submit to the Messiah. Summary The psalms, like all Scripture, are inspired and given by God (see 2 Tim 3:16). Yet each psalm originated with a human author as a prayer or praise to the Lord. The psalms are diverse: The Psalter includes laments, praise psalms, wisdom, thanksgiving, reflections on God’s actions, celebrations of God’s revelation, and worship. The first two psalms serve as an introduction to the entire Psalter (the book of Psalms). Psalm 1 describes a godly person who delights in God, lives by divine instruction, and is not influenced by evildoers. Psalm 1 points to three questions: (1) Is there forgiveness for sins? (2) Why do the godly suffer? and (3) Why do t...

The Book of Psalms Purpose To offer praise and prayer to God, to supply God’s people with texts for worship, and to provide reflection on the sovereignty of God and some of life’s toughest questions Author Various; nearly half are linked with David Date Written over the course of many centuries; the process of collecting and editing was likely completed after the Babylonian exile Setting Varied, but a postexilic setting accounts for much of the editorial activity and grouping of the psalms