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The Psalms are undeniably beautiful. They are also difficult, and readers often come away convinced that tremendous riches remain just beyond their grasp. In this book, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey invites us to journey with him towards a greater understanding and love for these sacred verses. The timeless elegance of the Psalms, their depth of expression, and testimony to the greatness of God have enchanted and edified God‘s people for centuries. Learning to Love the Psalms is intended to help today‘s Christians share in that delight.
Learning to Love the Psalms
W. Robert Godfrey
Dr. W. Robert Godfrey is a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow and chairman of Ligonier Ministries. He is president emeritus and professor emeritus of church history at Westminster Seminary California. He is the featured teacher for many Ligonier teaching series, including the six-part series A Survey of Church History. He is author of many books, including God’s Pattern for Creation, Reformation Sketches, and An Unexpected Journey.
Publisher
Ligonier Ministries
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9781567697438
Publication Date
03/14/2017
Language
English
Topic
Theology
Product Code
LEA10BH
Weight
2 PoundsLEARNING TO LOVE THE PSALMS
The Attraction of the Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
A Well-Loved Psalm: Psalm 114 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
The Difficulty with the Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Recurring Themes in the Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Speakers in the Psalms? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Poetic Forms of the Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Broader Structures in the Psalter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
BOOK ONE THE KING’S CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S CARE:
Psalms 1–41
The Character and Structure of Book One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Psalm 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Psalm 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Psalm 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Psalm 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Psalm 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Psalm 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
BOOK TWO THE KING’S COMMITMENT TO GOD’S KINGDOM:
Psalms 42–72
The Character and Structure of Book Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Psalm 46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Psalm 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Psalm 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Psalm 68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Psalm 69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Psalm 72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
BOOK THREE THE KING’S CRISIS OVER GOD’S PROMISES:
Psalms 73–89
The Character and Structure of Book Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Psalm 73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Psalm 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Psalm 78 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Psalm 81 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Psalms 86 and 87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Psalms 88 and 89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
BOOK FOUR THE KING’S COMFORT IN GOD’S FAITHFULNESS:
Psalms 90–106
The Character and Structure of Book Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Psalm 90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Psalm 92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Psalm 95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Psalm 103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Psalm 104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Psalm 106 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
BOOK FIVE THE KING’S CELEBRATION OF GOD’S SALVATION:
Psalms 107–150
The Character and Structure of Book Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
Psalm 109 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200
Psalm 110 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
Psalm 118 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210
Psalm 121 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
Psalm 135 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
Psalm 138 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224
THE CONCLUSION OF THE PSALTER: Psalms 146–150
The Last Five Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
Psalm 146 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234
Psalm 147 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
Psalm 148 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Psalm 149 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
Psalm 150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
Afterword: Continuing with the Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Index of Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275“Almost without our noticing it, a single generation of Christian leaders has managed to eliminate the constant use of the prayer and hymn book of the Savior and the first eighteen centuries of the church. Here, Bob Godfrey prescribes medicine to reverse our sickness and provide a tonic for our spiritual weakness. And this medicine tastes good! By sharing his own love for the Psalms in a way that is both instructive and infectious, he makes us want to know them better—and to discover (and express in worship) the full emotional range of the Christian life. Learning to Love the Psalms is the ideal book for students in college or seminary, for musicians and pastors, and indeed for Christians of every shape and size. May it help to produce a new era of love for the Psalms!”
—Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson
“My appreciation for the Psalter has grown over the years, largely through the in uence of two teachers: John Calvin and Robert Godfrey.An acionado of great writing, Dr. Godfrey often discovers details the rest of us miss.When we’re talking about the Word of God, that is a singular gift. I can’t wait to read every page of this with my family.”
—Dr. Michael S. Horton
