Mark Hamilton, PhD - Associate Dean, Associate Professor of Old Testament, ACU Graduate School of Theology
I thought I’d start a series on the Psalms to augment the discussion on worship. I don’t want it to be 150 posts long because that requires too much of a commitment. So, instead, I’ll just write on the ones that jump out at me. Purely an arbitrary choice, but there it is. They’re all wonderful, and worth hearing, but there is the possibility of overkill.
Psalm 1, then.
“Blessed is the person who does not walk in the council of the wicked or stand in the road of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”
By opening the Psalter this way, the organizer and collector of these 150 hymns from Jerusalem’s temple, whoever he was, wanted to open the collection with a benediction. The blessing tells us who the ideal reader and singer of the book is to be, namely, the person who actively avoids involvement in plots and schemes that lead to evil. A curious verse, really. You would expect the person to stand in the counsel and walk on the road, but this person does the opposite, or rather avoids the opposite. Very arresting.
Then there’s the description of the ideal reader and singer of these Psalms. This person responds to the Torah with pleasure. He or she is attentive to Torah to the extent of “meditating” on it all the time. Actually, our English word “meditate” is too weak. The Hebrew word means something more active (the same word appears in Psalm 2:1). It’s like when you pace the floor back and forth all night talking to yourself about whatever is on your mind. That’s the ideal reader’s response.
And so the Psalmist compares this person to the most beautiful things he knows, the beauty of nature. Those of us who live in west Texas understand this. Trees are precious things. Green is a wonderful color. And virtue is too. A life well lived is the ultimate act of biblical interpretation.
Something to do: Please let me hear which is your favorite Psalm. I’d like to talk about it!
If you have the time, I’d like to hear your thoughts on the imprecatory Psalms and Psalm 88 in relation to Christian worship today.
I was talking to my Grandma yesterday (89 years young) about Lynn’s book Talking Back To God. I told her about my first attempt at memorizing a Psalm last week; Psalm 1. She rattled it off in one shot! Not bad for a lady who can barely see. She has fruit in season indeed.
The Hebrew word “haggah” has captured my mind recently, and I love that it’s in this passage of scripture. I don’t want to just sit and quietly think about the scriptures, I want to passionately devour them.
I know it’s a big task, but I’d be very interested to know your thoughts on Psalm 119. Or also 118.
Thanks everyone who wrote to the blog or to me in an email about a favorite Psalm. Stay tuned!
Mark
I am looking forward to reading this series as I love to read from the Psalms. I would really enjoy reading a reflection on Psalm 77…one line which I have really identified with in my life from Psalm 77 is “I am so troubled that I cannot speak” (v. 4).
Grace and peace,
Rex
Maybe the word ruminate could be used instead of meditate… though ruminate might have a negative connatation.
Many moons ago I had the notion to memorize several Psalms. Logically I started with Psalm 1. While I have forgotten 80% of it, the cadence and rhythm come back to me from time to time.
My favorite Psalm is 139.
Seems my favorite Psalm changes with each day or perhaps more often. Inspiration may just be that the word “IS” alive and each day “our daily bread” comes to us.
Thanks for looking into the Psalms. We would love to learn more ways of using them in our public worship.
Looking forward to this, Mark.
Some special interests: 19, 90, 92
Every night when I rocked my son to sleep as an infant and toddler, and even sometimes when he was older and needed calming to go to sleep, I recited the ‘Blesseds’ for him, beginning with Psalm 1, Psalm 23, the Beatitudes, and a hymn, “Blessed Be the Name.” Next was “Can You Count the Stars of Evening,” but he rarely made it that far.