Key word: Praise
As we travel across America in our automobile, especially on the older highway systems such as Route 66, there often is only short distances between towns and cities. But if you are driving across states like Kansas, Nebraska, Montana or the Dakotas, you can travel great distances with no towns, or even gas stations, Psalms is kind of like that. It is by far, the largest book in the Bible with 150 chapters varying from two verses to 176. It is a collection of songs and prayers, gathered from the time of Moses to Solomon and beyond – covering several centuries. David wrote approximately half the Psalms but there are numerous other contributors. Unlike driving across desolate places in America, the Psalms, while extremely long, is a virtual oasis of heart-felt prayers, cries to God for help, thanksgiving and songs of praise. The Psalms, somewhere, touches on every circumstance and emotion we experience, so, no wonder it is so loved by God’s people. In the end, it is a book about praising and worshipping God, thus our key word is praise.
Because of its length, Psalms is divided into five books, each ending in a doxology of praise. And so, unlike our previous stops along the biblical Route 66, we will spend five days observing these five books within the book.
Book 3 – Psalms 73-89 constitutes book three of the Psalms and emphasizes God’s dealings with Israel from the beginning of the nation to the final blessing. Two Psalms are good representations of this collection:
• Psalm 73 – verse one immediately shows that the subject of book three is God and Israel. But Asaph, the author of this Psalm, is not so certain of God’s goodness (v. 2) and is near stumbling because his observations reveal that the wicked often do better in life than the godly (v. 3). It was not until the Psalmist entered the presence of God that he received insight and his attitude changed (v. 17). The wicked just appeared to be living a charmed life; in the end they will face justice (v. 18). The Psalm ends with the author focusing clearly on God who has now become his greatest desire and delight (vv. 25-26).
• Psalm 78 reminds the reader that each generation is responsible to pass to the next generations the wonders of God (vv. 4-7). It was because Israel failed to do this that their nation fell apart. May the same not be true of us.
Key verse: Psalm 1:1-2 – Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.
