Have you noticed that many copies of the New Testament also have the book of Psalms added to them? This fact imme­diately suggests that Christians find the Psalms particularly helpful in their walk of faith. They are encouraged as they read (or sing) the songs from the Old Testament believing community, for they know that these songs both speak to us, and they also speak for us to God.

The New Testament repeatedly quotes from these songs, and we are encouraged to use them as we counsel one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19-21; Col. 3:16).

The Psalms are intended to be a bless­ing to God’s people, and therefore they should be enjoyable — yes, even in our times of trouble and despair, for they point us to God as our rock and refuge. When we are tempted to think that no one else has walked the paths we have been called to tread, then the Psalms remind us of others who have walked these paths before us and who have been able to entrust themselves to a faithful God.

Songs of praise to God have always been a feature of worship. Many songs are mentioned in the Bible apart from those in the book of Psalms. These include the Song of the Sea (Ex. 15:1-18), Hannah’s song (1 Sam. 2:1-10), and Habakkuk’s prayer (Hab. 3:1-19). Similarly in the New Testament, we can re-use Mary’s song concerning the impending birth of Jesus (the Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55), or join with Zechariah in extolling the mercy of God in Jesus that fulfils Old Testament promises (the Benedictus, Luke 1:68-79).

These songs have many similarities with the Book of Psalms. Their lan­guage is the same, and they are composed in a similar style. The prayer of Habakuk (3:1-19) has a similar title to many psalms, and also incorporates the same kind of musical notations including the use of Selah (see verses 1, 3, 9, 13, 19).

Praise is addressed to God, because it is a special way of extolling who He is and what He does. We can do this in our prayers, our preaching, or in our singing. Often we use what we call doxologies at the beginning or end of a ser­vice of worship. However, every psalm or hymn addressed to God is really a doxology, for in using it we are pro­claiming what we know about God and His work.

Singing in this way in front of others, or joining them in communal songs of praise, also involves an element of confession. In addressing God in words or song we are telling others what we know about Him, and also confessing that He is the God whom we have come to know and trust. In using the Psalms in this way we are simply taking over what has been used for centuries past and making it our own as we praise our Saviour.

Even though many of the psalms are very personal — the subject being “I” or “we” — yet they focus attention on what God has done. Some of them are very long recitals of the great deeds of God. This is particularly so of the historical psalms such as Psalms 78, 105, 106, and 136, while in many other psalms there are references to historical incidents. Some psalms deal with creation (Pss. 8, 33, and 104), while others describe the way in which God redeemed His people from their slavery in Egypt, and brought them to the land of promise (see Pss. 78, 80:8-19; 135).

Others tell about the destruction of Jerusalem through the Babylonian inva­sion (Ps. 74), or even point ahead to the final coming of the Lord (Ps. 96; you might like to look at Isaac Watts’s paraphrase of this psalm, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come”).

On many occasions the psalmists sing of the “wonders” that God has done. The Hebrew word used is stronger than our current English word because it is a word describing what God alone can do. Hence it is often used in reference to the great events (such as the Exodus from Egypt, or the return from Exile) by which God showed His saving power. Telling out “the wonders of the Lord” means to proclaim the great things God has done for the sal­vation of His people. Our focus has to be not just turned inward to look at our­selves and our needs, but rather to fix our eyes on what God has done as our redeemer and Lord.

The praise of God in the Psalms has to be seen in the wider context of commit­ment to Him. A bond existed between God and His people that He had estab­lished. He had called them into a covenant with Himself, in which He pledged to be their God and He took them as His peo­ple.

Remember God’s words in Exodus 19:5-6 regarding Israel. His people were His “treasured possession” and “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. Now compare what Psalm 135:3-4 says about what God did. “Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to His name, for it is pleasant! For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His own pos­session.” This whole idea is taken over in the New Testament, for Peter speaks about the church as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession” (1 Pet. 2:9).

God made special promises to King David (see especially 2 Sam. 7:4-16) and these became something that could be turned into song. Psalm 89:1-37 is a long poem that rejoices in God’s gracious promises, His covenant with David. Notice the number of times that the word “covenant” actually occurs in Psalm 89. The opening of this psalm has been turned into several different moderns ver­sions (see how many of these you can locate).

One of the great lessons of the Psalms is that confident trust in the Lord brings peace and assurance to us. As we sing we indicate that we are resting on His grace. When He puts our feet on a solid rock, He also puts a new song in our mouths (Ps. 40:3). Trust in God is expressed in many different ways in the Psalms. God is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1), and He is “the rock that is higher than I” (Ps. 61:2). These metaphors stress how wonderful God is as a place of safety and defence for those who put their faith in Him.

The promise that God gives His children is that He will guide us through life, and afterward He will take us into glory (Ps. 73:24). Then we will know what it is to sing with the great company in heaven who will praise the Lamb who was slain for us (Rev. 5:12-13; 7:9-12).

Let me come back to my opening question. I find it wonderful that in many printings of the New Testament the book of Revelation and the book of Psalms are brought together. It is not just the book of Revelation that points to a glorious future for the people of God, but the Psalms do that as well. They contain the vision of all nations joining in praise to God (Ps. 67:5), and of a day when “the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord, for He comes, He comes to judge the earth” (Ps. 96:12-13).

As you listen to the words from Zechariah 9 again this Christmas, with its message of a king coming into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey, notice also the promise that Messiah’s rule is going to be “from sea to sea, and from the River (Euphrates) to the ends of the earth” (Zech. 9:10). The same promise comes in Psalm 72:8, with the added assurance that finally the blessing promised to Abraham is going to be enjoyed by all nations (Ps. 72:17, and look also at Gal. 3:14).

Why not try reading the Psalms aloud? They are poetry, and often the ear picks up the message quicker than does the eye. Why not sing them? Many good editions of the Psalms set to music exist. Try The Book of Psalms for Singing (R P Church of North America), or The Trinity Psalter (PC of America), or look up the 100 or more Psalter passages that we have in Rejoice! Enjoy the refresh­ment that the Psalms will bring to your heart and mind.

My final word is a reminder of a com­mand from the apostle Paul:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach­ing and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.Col. 3:16-17