We’re into the heat of the summer now. Calls for some refreshing.
Join me?
Into one of the greatest books ever written.
The book of Psalms.
Because really, whether you’re having a great summer or one that’s been filled with some challenges, there’s something here for you. For all of us.
The book of Psalms contains some of the most quoted verses in the entire Bible. It flows easily with praise, prayers, and honest, real thoughts about life and God. Written as a book of poetry, you will read words from both sides of life, crying out to God from the depths of despair, to celebrating His goodness with joy and thankfulness.
And isn’t that real life? One day you could be down in the dumps, the next day could be the best in your life. I love the freshness and raw emotion so many of these chapters reveal. I relate. You probably do too.
So here’s a few facts about Psalms and the Bible that you may or may not know, some of them I’ve just recently learned.
Facts about Psalms:
– It contains 150 chapters, making it the longest book in the Bible.
– It’s written by more than 7 authors, some of them unknown, and David being the author of at least 73 of the chapters.
– Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the entire Bible.
– Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the entire Bible.
– Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the Bible and Psa. 118:8 is the exact middle verse. It says this, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”
– Follow me here on this one, it’s amazing. There are 594 chapters before Psa. 118, and 594 chapters after Psa. 118. 594 +594 = 1188. The exact middle verse of the Bible. Wow. Now isn’t that so amazing? God stuff there. Love.
– Most quoted Psalm is from Chapter 23.
The entire book is divided into 5 sections – each paralleling the first 5 books of the Bible:
1. Psa. 1 – 41 – written mainly by David, these first Psalms are similar to Genesis, written about the the creation of man, the fall into sin, and the promise of redemption by God.
2. Psa. 42 – 72 – written mainly by David and the sons of Korah (Who were they you ask? So did I. To make a long story short, they were the sons of a rebel, but God still had purpose for their family line, the prophet Samuel came from the line of Korah, and many of the descendants of Korah were mighty warriors with King David and worship leaders and doorkeepers of the tabernacle.), these Psalms reflect the book of Exodus, how God rescued the nation of Israel and so rescues us. Very thankful for these truths.
3. Psa. 73 – 89 – written mainly by a man named Asaph or his descendants, paralleling the book of Leviticus. Many of these Psalms talk about God’s holiness, the tabernacle, God’s power and that He is deserving of our worship.
4. Psa. 90 – 106 – written mainly by unknown authors, these books are similar to the book of Numbers, where we see the relationship Israel has with other nations. In these chapters of Psalms, the relationship of God’s kingdom with the troubles we face on earth are given a similar perspective, making us aware of His sovereignty and power.
5. Psa. 107 – 150 – The last of the Psalms were mainly written by David, and parallel the book of Deuteronomy, giving voice to songs of praise and thanksgiving about God and His Word. Many worship songs stem from the words found here in these chapters – Psa. 108, Psa. 113, Psa. 118, Psa. 121, Psa. 136, Psa. 140, Psa. 145, Psa. 149, among many others. Many of my fav verses from Psalms are found in these chapters. Can never read them enough.
Ways to read through the Psalms:
– One Psalm a day over 5 months.
– Two Psalms a day over 2 ½ months.
– 5 Psalms a day over 30 days.
Here’s a few ways you can do that. Read 5 per day consecutively. Or read a psalm, skip 30, read another, skip 30, read another, etc… until you’ve read 5. For example, Day 1, you would read Psa. 1, Psa. 31, Psa. 61, Psa. 91, Psa. 121.
So, over the course of the next weeks of summer, we’ll take a look through some of these chapters, some well-known, others not so familiar, and lean in to the heart of God for us, finding His encouragement, strength, and refreshment for the soul…
Hope you can join me over on the facebook page, much grace to you as you read.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 150:6
I love God