Psalm 150

1
The Songs of Ascent I was glad when they said to
me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD. Our
feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Psalm 1221-2
2
(No Transcript)
3
Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives
(from the east)
4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
The Songs of Ascent

• Psalms 120-134
• Also Pilgrim Songs, Songs of Degrees or Gradual
  Psalms
• So named because the pilgrim Israelites sang them
  as they traveled from their homes all over the
  land and ascended Mt. Zion/Jerusalem (2600) for
  the annual feasts (Lev. 23)
• Meant to provide travel inspiration
• A Song of Ascents superscription found in all
  15
• Expresses the confidence hope of worshippers
• David composed at least four of these 15 psalms
  (Pss. 122, 124, 131, and 133). Solomon wrote one
  (Ps. 127), and the remaining 10 are anonymous.

8
The Songs of Ascent

• Jerusalem (Zion) is prominently mentioned in
  these psalms
• "Our feet are standing in your gates, O
  Jerusalem" (1222)
• "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion"
  (1251)
• "When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion,
  we were like men who dreamed" (1261)
• "May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days
  of your life (1285)
• "May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame"
  (1295)
• "The Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for
  his dwelling" (13213).

9
The Songs of Ascent

• Peace is an important concept in the Songs of
  Ascents.
• Two psalms end with the blessing "Peace (shalom)
  be upon Israel" (1255 1286).
• Psalm 122 is a prayer for the peace of Jerusalem.
  
• Gods protection is another theme of these
  psalms
• "The Lord will watch over your coming and going
  both now and forevermore" (1218)
• "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord
  surrounds his people both now and forevermore"
  (1252)
• "Unless the Lord watches over the city, the
  watchmen stand guard in vain" (1271).

10
The Songs of Ascent

• Two consecutive songs of ascent mention the
  blessing of children
• "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a
  reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a
  warrior are sons born in ones youth. Blessed is
  the man whose quiver is full of them" (1273-5)
• "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within
  your house your sons will be like olive shoots
  around your table" (1283).

11
The Songs of Ascent

• The Songs of Ascents are short and average about
  seven verses, whereas in Psalms as a whole, the
  average psalm length is about 16 verses.
• But for all their brevity, they are profoundly
  inspirational.
• The returning exiles may have sung "Restore our
  fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev.
  Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of
  joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to
  sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying
  sheaves with him" (Psalm 1264-6). The last verse
  became the basis of the famous hymn "Bringing in
  the Sheaves." Similarly, a popular Hebrew folk
  song is based on Psalm 1331, which proclaims
  "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live
  together in unity!" Psalm 134 provides a fitting
  conclusion to this collection "Praise the Lord,
  all you servants of the Lord who minister by
  night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your
  hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May
  the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless
  you from Zion" (vs. 1-3).

12
The Festivals in Zion

• Hebrew calendar originally began in the spring
• Once in the land the beginning of the calendar
  moved to the fall festivals
• The worship calendar contained three pilgrimages
  (spring, early summer, fall)
• The festivals were characterized by rejoicing,
  sacrifices, psalms, special and ceremony
  particular to each fest.

13
The Festivals in Zion

• The Hebrew Calendar (original order)
• Purim from Esther
• Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread
• Firstfruits (with Feast of Unleavened Bread)
• Pentecost (Feast of Weeks Shabouth)
• Rosh Hashanah (beginning of new calendar)
• Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
• Booths or Feast of Tabernacles/Ingathering

14
The Hallel Psalms

• Psalms 113-118 form the Hallel, the Hymns of
  Praise, which were to be sung at the Festivals of
  Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, as well as
  the Festival of the Dedication and New Moons.  At
  a domestic celebration of the Passover, Psalms
  113 and 114 would be sung before the meal, and
  Psalms 115-118 after it, when the fourth cup had
  been filled.  Psalm 118, at least, was probably
  the hymn sung by Jesus and His disciples in the
  upper room at their Passover supper (Matt. 2630
  Mk. 1426).

15
Psalm 1131-3

• Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD.
  Praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name
  of the LORD from this time forth and forever.
  From the rising of the sun to its setting the
  name of the LORD is to be praised.

16
The Hallel Psalms

• Psalm 113 is a psalm of praise for the Lord's
  greatness and grace.  Anyone who knows of the
  incarnation could not miss the obvious parallels
  between the psalm and that doctrine.  It is the
  nature of the LORD to come down in order to exalt
  the helpless and the weak.  
• Psalm 114 celebrates the Exodus from Egypt, and
  so is altogether appropriate at Passover, or any
  other national Festival.  It declares how God
  delivered His people with miraculous
  intervention, calling for the earth to tremble at
  His presence. 
• Psalm 115 was apparently written in a time of
  national humiliation.  It is a prayer for the
  Lord to vindicate His honor by delivering His
  people.  The psalm contrasts the powerless gods
  of the pagans, who drag down their worshippers to
  their level of impotence and senselessness, with
  the sovereign Lord who is omnipotent.  Israels
  sense of her own need adds to the call for faith
  in Him.

17
The Hallel Psalms

• Psalm 116 is a psalm that praises the Lord for
  answered prayer and promises lifelong praise for
  it.  The psalmist can look forward to a long,
  tranquil life because the Lord proved Himself
  gracious to him.  The psalmist had not lost faith
  in the great time of trouble, and so can now
  praise the Lord and edify others.  The psalm is
  praise for deliverance from imminent danger of
  death. 
• Psalm 117 is a call for praise for the Lord's
  loyal love and truth.  Some have suggested that
  this short passage served as a doxology in the
  use at the Festivals.  At any rate, it is used by
  Paul in Romans 1511 to show that the grace of
  God was extended to Gentiles. 
• Psalm 118, perhaps the grandest of the Hallel
  psalms, is filled with significant theology and
  typology. Note 11822-29!!

18
Psalm 150

• Psalm 150 is the finale in the Psalms concluding
  praise-fest known as the Hallelujah Psalms
  (146-150)
• Psalm 150 is the last of the 150 psalms found in
  the psalter
• Hallelujah begins ends each of these final 5
  psalms.
• 33 of the praise terms in the entire Book of
  Psalms occurs in these final 5 psalms.
• Musically, Psalm 150 is the crescendo of the
  Psalms, the climatic end of the inspired hymnal.
  13 usages of praise
• Psalm 150 is the final doxology of the Psalms.
  Its message is simple and action-oriented
• Let everything that has breath praise the
  Lord!

19
Psalm 150

• 1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary
  Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
• 2 Praise Him for His mighty deeds Praise Him
  according to His excellent greatness.
• 3 Praise Him with trumpet sound Praise Him with
  harp and lyre.
• 4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing Praise
  Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
• 5 Praise Him with loud cymbals Praise Him with
  resounding cymbals.
• 6 Let everything that has breath praise the
  LORD. Praise the LORD!

20
Psalm 150

• The Call (1501)
• The Cause (1502)
• The Celebration (1503-5)
• The Culmination (1506)

21
Psalm 150

• THE CALL 1501
• 1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary
  Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

22
Psalm 150

• THE CAUSE 1502
• 2 Praise Him for His mighty deeds Praise Him
  according to His excellent greatness.

23
Psalm 150

• THE CELEBRATION 1503-5
• 3 Praise Him with trumpet sound Praise Him with
  harp and lyre.
• 4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing Praise
  Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
• 5 Praise Him with loud cymbals Praise Him with
  resounding cymbals.

24
Psalm 1506

• The Culmination 1506
• The Psalms Final Words
• Let everything that has breath give praise to
  the LORD! Hallelujah!

25
LORD in Psalm 1506

• ????
• YHWH
• Yahweh
• Yah

26
Praise the LORD in Psalm 1506

• Hy w llh
• Hallel u yah

27
Praise in Psalm1506

• llh

28
Praise in Psalm 1506

• Deep acknowledgement of Superiority or Greatness
• Commend for a Reason
• Exalt Lift up
• Bragging on somebody for something
• Articulate the Particulars!

29
Praise in Psalm 1506

• Examples of Praise
• Sarah's beauty (Gen. 1215)
• Tyres wealth (Ezek. 2617)
• Good wifes works (Prov. 3131)

30
Praise in Psalm 1506

• In any area of life one naturally praises what
  one appreciates in fact, the praise is part of
  the enjoyment. It does not matter whether it is
  sports, flowers, sunsets, children, cars, great
  books, or anything else.
  To enjoy something fully one must
  speak of it.
  
• C.S. Lewis
• Reflections in the Psalms

31
Psalm 1506

• Let everything that has breath give praise to
  the LORD! Halleluyah!

32
Psalms Bible Study 700-845pm

• June 10 Intro Psalm1
• June 17 Psalm 2
• June 24 NO CLASS
• July 1 Psalm 63
• July 8 Psalm 23
• July 15 Psalms (Songs) of Ascent
• Hallel Psalms
• Hallelujah Psalms
• Psalm 150

33
(No Transcript)