What is the most quoted book of the bible?
Where do you get wisdom?
Survey of Psalms
Book Type:
The third book of Wisdom; nineteenth book of the Old Testament; nineteenth book of the Bible.
Author:
Psalms is a book consisting of works by multiple authors. David’s name is connected with seventy-three of the 150 psalms. Solomon wrote Psalms 72 and 127; Moses wrote Psalm 90; the family of Asaph composed twelve psalms; the sons of Korah wrote eleven psalms; Heman wrote Psalm 88; Ethan the Ezrahite wrote Psalm 89. The remaining fifty psalms are anonymous.
Date:
Since the book of Psalms is a collection of songs by various authors, their dates vary greatly as well. Moses wrote the oldest psalm during his forty years in the wilderness, approximately 1440—1400 BC. Many of the psalms were written during the reigns of David and Solomon in approximately the tenth century BC. The latest psalms were completed shortly after the Jewish return from Babylon in about 537 BC.
Overview:
Psalms contains 150 chapters, out of 1,189 total in Scripture, making it the longest book in the Bible. Given the large amount of material, and the poetic nature, it has also become the most frequently quoted book in the Bible.
The first psalm offers important insight regarding the entire collection. Its first two verses note:
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
–Psalm 1:1–2 ESV
Psalm 23 might just be the most popular chapter in the whole bible. So we better know some insight on it.
-read psalm 23- it was thought to be written when David was king, but was thinking back to when he was a shepherd.
Millions of people have memorized it. It has been read to people suffering dying, or to others at funerals. It has been the very last words many people have ever said or heard.
What is so important or relevant about these words?
Verse 1a – The Lord is my shepherd
it is common to hear those words, but what do they mean? what is a shepherd?
Look up:
Genesis 49:24. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
Psalm 28:9. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Psalm 80:1. Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
Ecc 12:11. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.
Isaiah 40:11. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Zechariah 13:7. “Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
John 10:11. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:14. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me
Hebrews 13:20. Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
1 Peter 2:25. For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 5:4. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
The key words in the verses that describe God/Jesus:
Rock of Isreal
Carry them forever
Sit on the throne
Words of the wise
Gathers them in his arms
The evil one wants to strike the shepherd and attack the sheep
Lays down his life for the sheep
He knows them, they know him
Overseer of your souls
Chief shepherd
So God clearly calls himself the shepherd. But in ancient societies a shepherd is the lowest of all jobs. If a family needed a shepherd, it was the youngest or lowest on the totem pole son. So if this is such a low position, why does God voluntarily become our shepherd?
Matthew 20:28. just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. -more on that later-
Is a sheep a wild animal? yes and no. There are some. But a shepherd to a sheep is an owner. God owns his flock.
David says, the Lord is MY shepherd. Say all those things above with the word MY in them.
He is MY rock
He carries ME forever
He gathers ME in his arms
The evil one wants to attack ME, but he guards ME
He lays down his life for ME
He oversees MY soul
-pretty strong words-
So just like before you can have a savior you need to know what you are being saved from. Before you see God as your shepherd, you need to see yourself as a sheep.
Describe a sheep? What can they do on their own?
-nothing-
Psalm 23:1b …I shall not want
What does this mean? Does God give us anything we want?