Psalms

Scripture Texts: Psalm 19

We have brought together in one psalm the two books of God, the two ways God communicates Himself and reveals Himself to His creatures, through His workmanship and His Word.  The skies and Scripture.  General revelation and special revelation.

It moves from the glorious heights of creation, the heavens down to the humility of the human soul before God.

This psalm combines some of the most beautiful poetry with some of the most profound theology.  It is filled with rich, beautiful imagery and metaphors.

“I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world” (C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms).

God is always talking, always speaking to us, always revealing His glory in creation, and His grace in His Word.

Scripture Texts: Psalm 1

As I was pondering where to turn next in Scripture after finishing the Ten Commandments last Sunday, I knew I had two open Sundays before a month of Sundays that are already planned.  My mind turned to two Psalms that focus on the law of the Lord, Psalm 1 and Psalm 19.  They seemed like a fitting follow up to the Law of the Lord in the Ten Commandments.

They are both well known and well loved psalms and good for fruitful application to what we have studied these past six months.

Psalm 1.

Why is Psalm 1 Psalm 1?  What makes it first?  Is there a reason?  Why isn’t Psalm 150 first or Psalm 100?  Those are big worship Psalms full of praise to God.  Why not start there?

Let’s take a closer look.  In some ways this Psalm is the preface to the whole book of Psalms, sometimes called the Psalm of Psalms.

Psalm 1 starts out with a matter of supreme importance.  It is called the two ways concerning the two destinations of the two kinds of humanity.  There are two and only two ways to life in this world.

Jesus said something similar in Matthew 7