Book of Psalms Summary

The title of the Book of Psalms in the Hebrew is sepher tehillim, meaning
"book of praises", and indeed it is a fitting title. Every chapter is devoted to
praise and thanksgiving from the author to Yahweh. This book clearly provides
hope and confidence in the Lord as the maker of all things, the ultimate ruler
of everything including the universe. He sees everything, knows everything, he
has no limits, his presence is everywhere even in darkness there is no hiding
and he is to be praised.
The Psalms are full of religious poetry and this was not uncommon in the
ancient Near Eastern nations and peoples, and it was not surprising for the
Hebrews to have produced such a powerful work. David was the recognized
writer of the Psalms and they are many times referred to as the Psalms of
David, although some of the chapters are not attributed to him in the notes.
The Psalms of David included Psalms 2-41 (except Psalms 33), Psalms
51-72, Psalms 108-110, and Psalms 138-145. David was no doubt a very
skillful musician, the Bible mentions that he played the lyre for King Saul (1
Samuel 16:23), and the prophet Amos mentions that David invented
instruments of music for worship of the Lord (Amos 6:5). There is also mention
in the book of Samuel about David lamenting over Saul and Jonathan in a
poetic fashion revealing his natural ability.
David went to many experiences in his life that he wrote about, especially
when he was hunted down by King Saul from place to place like a "Partridge" in
the wilderness. David was a young shepherd, he knew what it was like to tend
his flock and to guard them from predators, this gave him a beautiful imagery
for the Lord the great Shepherd. David was also a musician, a man of war, a
king, a father, a husband, a friend, and many more. He repented over his sin in
Psalm 51, acknowledging himself to be a sinner before God and God alone. God
called David "a man after my own heart" and these experiences allowed him to
share with the reader, a man who knew the heart of God. David was a master
at finding different ways to praise God in life experiences and the book of
Psalms is a wonder book for those who want to know how to please God. He
was filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 16:13). There is no doubt the David
wrote most of the Psalms, and the ones that he did not write are in his style as
well.
Among the Psalms are two collections of Levitical Psalms, one is ascribed
to the "sons of Korah" (Psalms 42-49), the other is ascribed to Asaph (Psalms
73-83 and Psalms 50). These exalt the tribes of Joseph. There are Psalms
mentioning Moses, Haman, Ethan, and Solomon, some are anonymous (Psalm
33, 84-89). Some of the Psalms reveal a strong liturgical emphasis which
might've been used in worship services, or on special days and do not mention
the author (Psalms 91-100).
It is impossible to determine exactly how the Psalms were compiled and
collected, and dating them is also difficult for most of the Psalms. Some of the
Psalms are commemorating victories, while others are historical, remembering
the Lord and God's people in past events. Other Psalms are prophetic and look
to the future and the coming of the Messiah, as well as the heavenly kingdom.
There are Psalms of affliction, lamentation and remorse over sin, as well as
songs of Thanksgiving and trusting the Lord.
Some of the songs were chosen to be good for reciting on certain Jewish
holy days, like the Sabbath, or Passover, the feast of Tabernacles, etc. There
are titles on about 100 of the Psalms, the titles are so old that they cannot be
understood even in the second century BC. Some of the titles point to the
source of the Psalm, while others point to a certain purpose, or a certain
melody, or something related to music.
Reflection on the book of Psalms

The book of Psalms showed us how prayer can take a wide variety of
forms. This book give us the means to come to prayer in a fresh state of mind.
They enable us to see that we're not the first to feel God is silent when we pray,
nor are we the first to feel immense anguish and bewilderment while praying.
This book offer us ways to rejoice in prayer, to bow in worship, to exalt God for
all he does and for all his blessings to us.
The Book of Psalms is a valuable source of material to enrich our prayer.
It is a prophetic book (Acts 2:30); it is a book of songs and a book of prayer. It
is raw and emotional. It contains the deepest expression of pain, hopelessness
and despair and the highest expressions of praise. No matter where a Psalm
begins the Psalms end with a profound sense of hope and confidence in God’s
faithfulness. The challenge when using the words written by others in prayer is
to be able to make the words apply to yourself personally.
Virtually every Psalm can be made personal and applied to the reader. If
this was not so the Psalms would not have lasted until our day. We don’t use
something in prayer that is irrelevant. The Psalms were always intended to be
used by people as tools to express their heart to God. If you are in a joyful
mood, use a Psalm of praise or thanksgiving. If you are sad turn to one that is
praying out of a sense of despair or lament. You should be aided in your
selection by glancing at the title of the Psalm. In my Bible, Psalm 85 is prayer
for peace. Psalm 88 a lament. Psalm 89 a hymn and a prayer to God’s
faithfulness. Your present experience and mood should fit the message of the
Psalm you are praying.
In writing this, it is my hope that the Psalms will come to life in us in
their varied and wondrous ways. And that we realize the great richness that the
Psalms contain in our desire to relate with God. The relationship between God
and the one praying, is the stuff out of which prayer is made.