Below is a very brief introduction to concepts that have helped me embrace the full range of Psalms in prayer and worship. You may find them useful for your own Psalms journey, or as you introduce a particular Psalm to others.
The Balance of All of the Psalms
In my day and culture there is pressure to be “positive,” and a tendency to avoid and deny difficult realities. Unchecked, this results in a narrow focus on only Psalms of thanksgiving and joyful praise. Engaging with all of the Psalms, however, shows us how to relate to God across the full range of human experience and emotion, for ourselves and for others. When a Psalm does not reflect my immediate experience, I can sing and pray it on behalf of others, known and unknown.
The Righteous and the Wicked
The Psalms often contrast the righteous and the wicked. This is easy to misread if one incorrectly assumes that Old Testament righteousness is based on performance rather than faith.
The righteous are those who love God, and trust him for all aspects of life; they seek to know him, and to follow his ways; they have the humility to repent and turn from their sins.
The wicked are the opposite. They proudly trust in themselves and live for themselves, often at the expense of others; they scoff at the possibility that God may oppose them in this life, and ignore their inevitable death and judgment.
Hating the Wicked
It is important to explore the meaning of “hate” in the Psalms, just as it is important to explore what Jesus meant when he said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.”[1]
Hating the wicked in the Psalms does not describe a personal grudge or intention to harm. It means not seeking the approval of the wicked, not seeking inclusion with them, despite the apparent benefits, and not participating in their schemes or way of life.
Relief from Enemies
Some of the enemies described in the Psalms were personal, seeking the individual harm and destruction of the psalmist. Others were enemies of God’s people. In both cases, it is legitimate to desperately plead for both relief and judgment.
The imprecatory Psalms graphically ask that God discredit these enemies, judge them, and remove them from the scene, possibly by their destruction. Vengeance, however, is left to God. Paul reminds us to continue in this way when he writes, “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, ‘Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”[2]
The King and the Kingdom
In Christ we sing Psalms about the king and God’s kingdom with a new layer of understanding. Christ himself is our perfect king, and the faithful are part of his kingdom, which is “not of this world.”[3] We trust him in our current struggle, which “is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”[4] We rejoice in his mighty acts, past, present and future. We look forward to the ultimate defeat of evil upon his triumphant return.
The Perfect Singer
In the end, Jesus Christ is the one perfect singer of the Psalms. Where we are inadequate or unqualified to sing the words, we sing them in Christ, as members of his body, rejoicing that our lives are “hidden with Christ in God.”[5]
[1] Luke 14:26, CSB [back]
[2] Romans 12:19, CSB [back]
[3] John 18:36, CSB [back]
[4] Ephesians 6:12, CSB [back]
[5] Colossians 3:3, CSB [back]