April 30, 2023
Since I am both a pastor and a chaplain, a lot of people ask me what the “best” book of the Bible is for reading and for study purposes. While the answer is different for different people and for different circumstances, you can’t go wrong with the book of Psalms. The Book of Psalms is a collection of songs (psalms). These psalms were written by different writers and cover a period of hundreds of years. Our “book” of Psalms is actually divided into five “books”. Book One-Psalms 1–41, Book 2-Psalms 42–72, Book Three-Psalms 73–89, Book Four-Psalms 90–106, Book Five-Psalms 107–150. We don’t know who divided the psalms this way, nor do we know why. Some speculate that the five “books” of Psalms correspond to the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). Here’s a quick look at the emphasis of each of the five books in Psalms: Book 1: God beside us, book 2: God going before us, book 3: God around us, book 4: God above us, book 5: God among us[1]. When we read the Psalms, we should do so devotionally. They will bring us closer to God. Many of the books I have in my library on the book of Psalms are written with a devotional mindset. However, to limit the Psalms to quaint devotions, mainly for our daily Bible reading, is to limit their impact on our spiritual transformation. The very first Psalm emphasizes the importance of meditating on God’s word. In lots of ways, the Psalms are some of the most personal writings in all of Scripture. They tell us about man’s failures, fears, doubts, and need for forgiveness. They inform us of God’s majesty, love, and wrath. The Psalms will change the way you view yourself and the way you view God and, if you will let them, the Psalms will draw you into the very presence of God and when that happens, you will find yourself becoming more like Jesus. After all, isn’t what it’s all about?
Be blessed and be a blessing . . . Bro. Andy
[1] Blog-Davis Carmen – Apologia December 28, 2017
