In the Hebrew Bible, the book of
Psalms is called "Tehillim,"
meaning "praises." Not every psalm
is one of praise, but the main
theme of the book is praise to God.
In the Greek of the New Testament,
the book was called "Psalms"
meaning "a poem sung to musical
accompaniment." God enjoys praises
not only spoken but also sung in
songs.
Since the psalms were written
with passion and emotion, try to
revive the emotional style as you
read them. The superscription, or
description, that is written above
the text of the psalm itself and
the circumstances prompting the
psalm will help you figure this out.
There are five major styles or kinds
of psalms:
focus on exalting the Lord's
character and His work. You will
see many times the word,"Hallelujah,"
meaning "praise the Lord" in Hebrew.
Examples: 48, 92, 96, 103, and 113
LAMENT PSALMS
sad songs of despair or sorrow.
The psalmist is asking God to deliver
or rescue him. He may even be
frustrated with God. Groan along with
the writer as you read these. Examples:
17, 32, 42, 55, 83, 102, and 120.
WISDOM PSALMS
speaks about how God wants us to
live our lives. They point out the
wisdom of following God's truth and
the foolishness of relying on a
purely human perspective. Examples:
1, 9, 19, 50, 119, and 128.
KINGSHIP PSALMS
focus on the earthly king, but
also look beyond him to the true
King of Israel, the Lord God.
Examples: 20, 21, 47, and 98.
TEMPLE PSALMS
used in the formal worship by
the House of Israel. Psalms 120
through 134 were called "songs of
ascents." They were sung as God's
people gathered for the sacred
festivals and as they "ascended"
from the lower elevations to the
city of Jerusalem.
Quite a variety of songs Israel
sang to God!
When you open the book of Psalms,
you open the song and prayer book
of the Old Testament, one of the
most read and loved books of the
Bible. The Psalms have dried more
tears, comforted more hearts,
covered more hurts, and soothed
more sorrows than any other
chapters of the Bible. They have
been turned to, quoted, and
memorized more than any other
passages. Every human emotion,
from great joy to bitter despair,
is expressed somewhere in these
chapters.
The following is a list of "where
to turn in the psalms:"
Comfort 23; 73:25-28; 91;
102:1-12,19-20; 130
Disappointment 55; 62:1-28
Discouragement/Depression
16; 34; 42; 43:5; 55:22-23; 103:1-6
Divorce 15
Doubt 8; 146
Fear 23; 27; 46; 91
Finances 37:16,25-29; 49:10-13,20
Growing old 37:23-19
Guidance from God 15; 23; 73:23-26
Guilt 19:12-14; 103:8-19
Help 5; 46; 57; 86; 121; 142
Hope 25:21; 31:23-24
Joy 30:4-5,11-12
Loneliness 23; 25:16-18; 40:17;
42; 68:4-6
Parenting 127; 128
Patience 13; 37:1-10; 40:1-5
Praise 47; 100; 145; 147; 150
Prayer 34:4-8; 145:18-19
Pride 131
Rejection 38
Repentance 19:12-14; 32; 40; 51
Rest 91
Retirement 90; 145
Sickness/Suffering 31:9-10;
109:21-31; 119:153-160; 121
Strength 46; 138
Temptation 19:12-14; 141
Trust in God 3:5-6; 25;
31:1-5; 37:3-6; 46:1-3; 112, 143
Worry 25; 112:1-8