Video Transcript: The Theological Assumptions Undergirding the Psalms

We've taken a look at each kind of Psalm in the 150 Psalms among the 150. And now it's time to sort of back off a little bit and look at the collection as a whole, to gain a richer  understanding of what these many psalms with their many voices together, say,  theologically, and there are a number of common themes that emerge out of the Psalms  as a whole. One of the key themes is that YAHWAH is always acknowledged as the true  King of Israel. This comes through in the royal Psalms, it comes through in the psalms  of Zion, but it also comes through in other psalms as well, that when we praise God,  we're speaking about the one who is the true King of Israel. But more than that, we're  speaking about the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has chosen Israel as the  vehicle by which to rule over the nations of the earth. Not that Israel should go out and  conquer all nations. But certainly that all nations ought to come through Israel, to  YAHWAH and know the best that can be had in their lives and their situations in their  own contemporary political and national and cultural affairs. Secondly, Zion, is  Yahweh's capital city, we've looked at the psalms of Zion, and the psalms of Zion are  themselves reflections of the fact that Yahweh has come down to make a residence in in  Jerusalem, a place on earth. Why would that be? Well, the story of the Bible goes like  this, and this is part of the early chapters, and it goes all the way through the  consummation through the book of Revelation, that the world the universe was created  by God, but that the Earth, planet Earth was the location of God's most favored part of  creation, the human race. And the human race among all of the other dimensions of  creation alone possesses what we call the image of God. And the image of God is the  ability of humankind to reflect the creative, the cultural, the moral vision of God, the  ability to echo back in loving relationships, the deepening of a sense of self and purpose. Now, if that's true, then what's also true is that humankind generally has lost touch with  its creator. Because God made us in God's own image in order to have the ability to love, love cannot be forced. Therefore, humankind has freedom to choose, and in its choices,  has generally affirmed its own existence, and denied its relationship with God. For that  reason, God had to break into human consciousness, human history, human endeavors,  human experiences, and express God's own self to us once again, how would God do  this? For this reason, God chooses Israel as a small, but significant player in the world of ancient times, and plants, this nation, in the one spot of real estate among all of the  nations where it could not be overlooked. You see, Canaan, Palestine, is this small sliver  of land that forms the bridge between Africa, Asia, and Europe, and the trade routes and  the caravans and the conquest routes and the communication lines of the ancient world.  All had to pass ultimately through Canaan. So God teaches God's people, the Israelites,  God's ways the covenant, and plants them there in order that they might be a witness to  the nations. It's not the New Testament that becomes missional. It's the Old Testament  already, the actions of God with Israel, that are very missional. God is seeking to reclaim a relationship with all nations of the earth, and does so through the nation of Israel.  Therefore, Zion is Yahweh as capital city. If God is to reappear among God's people on  earth, there must be a locus of that encounter, there must be a place of connection. And  Zion becomes that place where God chooses to step out of heaven and participate in the 

direct actions of humankind. So YAHWAH comes to Zion, Zion becomes that symbol of a fortress that symbol of things done right that symbol of righteousness embodied  incarnate in on planet Earth and all of the nations then are able to see it. Another key  theme in the book of Psalms is that the covenant with David authenticates the right of  this family, the Davidic family to rule. Remember that when David was anointed as  king, he was still a boy. And Saul was still the king. You can see this in First Samuel.  David was called into the house and service of of Saul. But Saul increasingly saw that  David would be a better King than either him or his son, Jonathan. So David was  outlawed from the palaces and sent as a scoundrel in the wilderness being chased down  by Saul's men. Eventually, Saul and Jonathan will die in battle with the Philistines. And  then the anointing of David as king becomes true. And David is raised to the Office of  Royal Ambassador to the Office of King first in his own community, that of the tribe of  Judah, but then later through the whole nation, the nation of Israel, as David rules, and  his rule is very different from similar in some respects, but very different from that of  Saul. It's a long rule and a righteous rule. He's called a man after God's own heart. He  acknowledges that he is not the true King of Israel, that Yahweh is the true King of  Israel, and therefore Yahweh ought to be seen in this forum by those who constantly  participate in the daily activities of Jerusalem in the life of the nation. So David brings  the Ark of the Covenant, the portable throne of God from the times of Israel's  wanderings in the wilderness, and its stop at Mount Sinai, the creation of the tabernacle,  the place of God, the Tent of Meeting, the throne of God is the center of God's presence  in that place where God comes down and visibly sits on the mercy seat and gives rule or  direction to the nation, through Of course, the high priests through Of course, Moses and Joshua and others. David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem as the symbol of  Yahweh's a direct rule. And David wants to build a permanent palace or home for this  true king of Israel. And David is told that it's not for him to do that, but his descendant,  his hands, are hands of war, his descendants, hands will be hands of peace. If that's the  case, then David is thankful but YAHWAH is also thankful. And through the prophet, the prophet Nathan, the word comes in second Samuel seven, that because David has  desired to build a house for God, God has chosen to build a house for David, from this  time forth, even forever, David will always have an heir on the throne, ruling God's  people. That becomes the theme of the psalms that David's family is the rightful rulers  and no other family ought to usurp that authority. And this family as it rules and  righteousness expresses the best of what the relationship between the nation and its God, its true king is all about. But in that context, a third idea of the theology in the Psalms as  well, that while YAHWAH is understood to be the great king of Israel, Yahweh is also  understood to be the ruler over all the nations if in fact, the purpose for Israel's existence is to be the witness of the Creator to the nations around that it's important for the other  nations around to understand that they are under the rule of Yahweh. Now, that doesn't  always happen in a visible way. Through the reign of Solomon, it came awfully close  because Solomon had an influence on all of the nations of the ancient Near East, in a  way that no other ruler has had before or since. But this was symbolic of what ultimately

would be the case that one would be born from the family of David who would rule over all the nations and that would be Jesus. So already in the Old Testament, while the other  nations are larger and more powerful and seemingly more dominant in many ways  throughout the politics and, and economics of the ancient Near East. It is really Israel,  who gives evidence of the one true ruler. We can see this in other places in the prophets  and throughout the writings. There are many references to this but the Psalms also echo  that same theme Yahweh is understood to be ruler over all the nations. Israel's purpose  fourthly is to be a witness to those nations and that's why psalms like Psalm 67 Bless us,  then the nations will be blessed. must come upon us, then others will see how it happens  to Israel in God's divine favor will be an evidence of God's divine favor to all the  nations. So Israel is not to remain closed off to itself is not intended to be a separated  nation, isolated from others is to remain uniquely tied to God through the covenant laws  and shaping ceremonies and cultural expressions of its relationship with God, in order to be a witness to the nations who come by through these trade routes and conquest routes  and communication lines. They're supposed to come through us and say, Wow, what is  going on here? something unique, something wonderful. We'd like whatever you have.  And the Psalms express that idea that whatever Israel has is God's goodness intended for all the nations. Another concept theological concept is that the divine blessing is linked  to covenant faithfulness, and punishment for Israel is linked to covenant curses. This  goes back to the covenant documents themselves at Mount Sinai, where God enters into  a unique relationship with a nation of Israel that involves many blessings. But that also  stipulates a certain kind of curse that happens to the nation. During those times when the nation turns away from Yahweh or forgets its relationship, its unique relationship with  Yahweh, then we'll come to curses, like running in front of your enemies being chased  by other nations, even the possibility of exile, deportation, losing your riches and your  wealth. No longer having a sense of self and your nation are your cities being toppled.  Those are all part of the curses. And so you see a number of the Psalms which reflect  bad times happening either to the psalmist, individually or to the nation as a whole. And  then connecting that to the covenant so that the covenant curses are in fact being played  out. Now, remember, God, the covenant blessings, in order that you can provide  deliverance from this, a very interesting connection throughout all of the psalms in that  regard. also connected to that. Another theme is the idea of laments being based on the  right to plead for God's covenant faithfulness, even when the people have sinned. And  this is quite striking. Why does David Why do others of the psalmist think they have a  right to state their case before God? Why can they be so confident that even when  they're being punished, or it seems as if they're being forgotten by God, that God's going to show up and do something good. And here's this marvelous thing of covenant  covenant, we have to think about Covenant when the Israelites were parked at Mount  Sinai, and God was giving the covenant, not just the 10 commandments, but look at  Exodus 20, through 24, the Covenant as a larger framework of cultural life and national  existence to Moses, so that he could take it down. Remember what was happening at the  base of the mountain, that the Israelites were saying to Aaron, Moses, brother, the head 

of the Levites, and the priests? Where did God go? Where did my brother, where did  your brother go? Well, who's going to lead us now? And the outcome was the golden  calf and the worship of other gods. Remember, when Moses came down from the  mountain, Exodus 32, 33, and 34? That, of course, God was angry. And after a wild,  Moses went to talk with God, and God said, you know, I don't think this is working out.  Maybe we just forget these people. I like you, Moses, you and I, we should go together,  we should start a new thing. And what does Moses say to God? Moses says, You can't do that. He says, You can't do that. Because you formed a covenant with these people. And  no matter what happens to them, you are tied to their future. You are tied to their actions, you are tied to them from here to eternity, because you love them because you want to  be with them because they are your people. And so laments throughout the psalms are  based upon the right of people who belong to the covenant community, to plead for  God's covenant faithfulness, even when the people themselves have sinned and done bad things. Because you are our God. We can come and say, make it right, help us out, do the right thing. It's a very powerful thing, and that's where the laments throughout the  Psalms get their strength and their force. And praise finally, is an extension of the great  witness intended to be communicated through to Israel praise, what's going on God's in  charge, what's going on? We love God, what's going on? Look at the glory of God in the  heavens around us look at the glory of God and the earth. Praise is the song of worship,  the great song of worship between God's people and God Himself. And that's why it's  one of the most prevalent and profound expressions in all of the Psalms. A few ideas as  you read through the Psalms, and I certainly encourage you to read them again and again and again. How can we make the best use of the Psalms? We'll read them for the poetic  images, Psalm 19, The heavens declare the glory of God. And God speaks through the  law, Psalm 29, where the great storm arises. And out of the storm, we begin to sense the  power of God and in God's temple all cried glory, Psalm 104, where we go to the heights of the mountains and look out to the seas and say, wow, look around us at everything  that's praising God. Enjoy the poetic images, rest in the gracious comfort. Psalm 23,  Psalm 139, The Lord is my shepherd, I was formed and fashioned in my mother's womb  by God, God will never leave me God will never forsake me. Marvel in the compact  simplicity of some of the Psalms, Psalm one which expresses wisdom, about a godly  life, and Psalm 131, which simply talks about resting in the idea My heart is not haughty My eyes are not lifted up. I do not delight in things too big for me, but I, I rest  confidently, like a baby in its mother's arms before my god. The Psalms can be used to  vocalize sorrow for sinfulness when you or I do things wrong. We can go to Psalm 32, or Psalm 51, that great Psalm that David wrote after his sin with Bathsheba, and find words to express our sorrow for our sins before God. The Psalms can express spiritual longing,  42 and 43. Which together give that recurring refrain? Why are you cast down within me my soul, hoping God for He is my help and my confidence are Psalm 73, a Psalm of  Asaph, in which Asaph remembers that it's not appearances in life that truly matter, but  one's heart relationship with God beautiful psalms both ponder great evil and pain,  Psalm 20, through through Psalm 22. You can't get through the first two thirds of the 

psalm without thinking about Jesus, without thinking about great pain and great  difficulty. It starts out My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? And Psalm 88,  which is that deeply troubling Psalm in which one reflects on all who have forsaken me? Has God also forsaken me. There's almost the idea that maybe that's the case. And yet  the hope that that's not the case, ponder great evil and pain, or gain a moral compass  through those psalms, which are wisdom and priestly instruction, Psalm 15, Who shall  ascend to the Hill of God, who shall stand in His courts, and then a list of things he who  has clean hands and a pure heart, who doesn't delight in evil things, or Psalm 107, which has four specific scenes in which people are troubled, and God brings deliverance and  they find themselves returning to the center point of their lives to their relationship with  God. And probably most of all to learn the language of praise. Psalm 100, Psalm 145,  Psalm 150, many of the other psalms particularly near the end of the collection, in which the praise of God is expressed in so many delightful and powerful ways, the Psalms  exude great praise, use the Psalms in worship and personal devotional life read them  well, it's one of the reasons I wrote my book Hear Me Oh God, reflecting on every one  of the 150 Psalms thinking about the context and the meaning and the implications for  how these things resonate with my life before God. More on these things as well in  Covenant Documents the book that I wrote about how to understand and get into the  Bible as a whole.