Category: Psalms

The first part of Psalm 22 spoke of the suffering which Christ experienced on the Cross for our sins, from his perspective (as expressed by King David one thousand years prior). In the second part of Psalm 22 (verses 22 to 31), all are encouraged to offer praise to God. This praise should be offered…

Psalm 22 clearly divides into two parts. In the first twenty-one verses, King David cries for help and laments his present suffering, fulfilled most perfectly in Christ’s own suffering on the Cross. We see in this psalm a trusting cry for help, lament at his state, and lament at his suffering. In these verses, we…

Psalm 21 expresses the praise of God’s people for their victory in God’s strength. God provides the requested help to their king (Psalm 20), and provides the victory. So God’s people praise God for his victories of old, the victories they trust will come, and for God’s power.

Psalm 20 appears to be a psalm written for singing (in prayer) before battle by God’s people. The psalm splits into prayer before battle, praise for God’s anticipated victory, and petition for God’s king. In this psalm, we see a reminder that as we do battle with sin it is God we must ask for…

Though the distance between God and us, the creature, is so great that we could never know of the blessings found in him unless he revealed himself to us, we are not left to wonder of God’s existence. God has revealed himself to all men as Creator, and to his people as their Covenant Lord.…

In the second half of Psalm 18, King David heaps more praise on God. He offers praise for what God has done for him, the King, on behalf of his people. He praises God for his grace, his victory, and his conquering. He completes the Psalm with a concluding praise to God always, for his…

Psalm 18, a Royal Psalm of David, celebrates the deliverance of God’s people from their enemies, inspired by David’s deliverance from his enemies (1 Samuel 22). The psalm is structured around God as a rock, a refuge for his people. In the first part of Psalm 18 (vv.1-30), God is praised for his deliverance, his…

Psalm 17 encourages us to find refuge in God. King David wrote this psalm to express his own need for refuge, and his trust in God to provide it. This is expressed through a prayer from a trusting heart, an appeal in the face of danger, and a prayer for deliverance and blessing.

Read Psalm 16 Summary Many of David’s psalms were written in response to events in his life. Psalm 16 is one of the exceptions, where it simply reflects David’s confidence in God alone to save him and hope in God’s promises. Psalm 16 expresses the confidence that God’s people should express towards God in life,…

Psalm 15, a hymn sung as worshipers entered the temple grounds, also addresses this question, demonstrating that it is personal character which allows us to enter God’s presence. As we examine this list, we should all see that we fail to meet the ethical requirements listed; thankfully, Jesus has met these requirements for us so…