My normal practice has been to read the Psalms throughout the year at the same time as I read other books. This time I am reading through them in a block so I can blog about them as a whole. This is a new experience so it will be interesting to see if any new insights into their overall makeup jump out at me.
Psalm one starts us off by focusing on righteousness verses wickedness. The righteous read and obey the law: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (1:2). Psalm two serves as a warning against those who would oppose God: “Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling” (2:11-12).
The third Psalm is the first to have an introductory statement: “A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.” These are helpful in understanding the context, although not all are agreed on their authenticity. It is interesting that David called out, “Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked” but mourned greatly when he learned that Absalom was killed (2 Sam 19:4ff).
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