Surveying Scripture - the Books of Experience

The Book of Psalms

Introduction:

Continuing in our study of the books of experience, we now turn to the book of Psalms.

In many Bible reading plans there is an attempt to read five Psalms and one chapter of Proverbs every day, thus covering these two books in one month. For herein is wisdom and herein is experience. The Psalmist gives us a key—it is the same key that was at the heart of Job’s experience.

Trust in the Lord

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes” (Ps.118:8,9).

For faith will be answered by the faithfulness of God;

“I will sing of the loving-kindness of the Lord forever; To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth” (Ps.89.1).

The Psalter

The Psalter is divided into 5:

            Book 1 - Psalms 1 to 41:

            Book 2 - Psalms 42 to 72 :

            Book 3 - Psalms 73 to 89 :

            Book 4 - Psalms 90 to 106 :

            Book 5 - Psalms 107 to 150

Each book ends in a doxology and either an Amen or a Hallelujah.

Book 1 ends with: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.” (41:13)

Book 2 ends with “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen. (72:18–19) Then it adds, “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” (72:20)

Book 3 ends with: “Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.” (89:52)

Book 4 ends with: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord!” (106:48)

Book 5 ends with: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” (150:6)

These verses encourage us to always say “Amen” to the will of God, for that must be followed, perhaps not immediately, but eventually, with Hallelujah, that is, “Praise the Lord”.

The Psalter is a very large book, and deals with a multitude of subjects, and as always, any grouping will have severe limitations. The suggested themes have been selected to bring to the fore certain truths, but the multi-faceted wisdom that is found in its pages cannot be confined to any structure imposed from without. Nevertheless, the pattern suggested here, under the blessing of God, may help some. May it be so.

 To help us group them under subject headings it is sometimes suggested that we align them to the five books of experience. Five books that, among other things, describe five aspects of faith.

Book 1 is aligned to Job (faith struggles); Key Psalm—22

Book 2 is aligned to Psalms (faith prays); Key Psalm—51

Book 3 is aligned to Proverbs (faith understands); Key Psalm—84

Book 4 is aligned to Ecclesiastes (faith meditates); Key Psalm—103

Book 5 is aligned to Song of Songs (faith sings); Key Psalms—120-134

Another way of expressing these aspects of faith:

Book 1 : Faith that struggles (the conflict of faith).

Book 2 : Faith that prays (the cry of faith).

Book 3 : Faith that rests (the quietness of faith).

Book 4 : Faith that meditates (the contemplation of faith).

Book 5 : Faith that praises (the conquest of faith)

 

 

 

 

 

Book 1 : The Conflict of Faith  (Faith that Struggles) (Ps. 1-41)

If God’s minimum is faith, and there is nothing for unbelief, then faith will be attacked by Satan the adversary. Faith is the cord that connects us to God and he would like to cut that cord. Satan is the deceiver—he is dishonest, duplicitous, insincere and a liar. He is a slanderer who would, “separate intimate friends” (Prov, 16:28).

In the Garden of Eden he succeeded in separating Adam and God. After the entry of sin, Adam hid from God; but the end of sin is where God hides from man. Hell is the final separation; therefore Satanic temptations are aimed at separating man and God.

The key psalm of this first section is 22, which includes, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (v.1) When Christ uttered the cry of dereliction it was when He was bearing the sins of mankind. He really was ‘God-forsaken’. For those who have received Christ as their Saviour they have the comfort of a great Scriptural promise “for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”” (Heb. 13:5); but the Devil will insinuate that He has, that ‘God has forsaken us’.This is at the heart of the conflict of faith. Job said, “Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat!” (Job 23:3). What can we do in these circumstances? Answer: Pray!!!

This is the next section of the Psalms—the prayers of David.

Book 2 : The Cry of Faith  (Faith that Prays)      (42– 72)

When we are oppressed what can we do but cry unto the Lord. Prayer in its essence is crying unto the Lord. Not making sermons; not making well rounded sentences; but crying unto the Lord. You are shut in a room of doubt and   despair and you must make someone hear – cry unto the Lord. The hero in Pilgrim’s Progress was shut up – he agonised for hours – and then remembered he had a little key in his pocket – the key was faith – and soon he is in the open air again.

Book 2 is introduced by Psalm 42, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”” (vv.1–3)

The picture seems to be of an animal in distress. The Psalmist is saying, ‘unless I can get through to God I am finished’. He is being taunted—they say to him “Where is your God?” Satan will say ‘God is not there’.  Verse 9 sums it up: “I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

 

The key Psalm is 51, “Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (v.11).

The answer to the conflict of faith is the cry of faith. Asking God for things is minor. The essence of prayer is seeking God.

‘My goal is God Himself,

not joy, nor peace, not even blessing;

but Himself my God’. 

This section ends triumphantly,

“Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” (Psalm 72:18–20)

 

 

 

Surveying Scripture - The Book of Job (Continued)

We continue our study in the books of experience (Job to Song of Solomon). Having considered the early chapters we now look at the rest of the book.

MAIN ARGUMENT : Chapters 3 – 37

Three men have come to visit, followed by a fourth; for they have heard of Job’s trouble. They are true friends wishing to sympathise. They sit in silence for a week.  They are dumb in the face of such a calamity. Then the speeches begin. We get words, words, words, for 35 chapters.

Job

20 chapters are attributed to Job.

4   chapters are attributed to Eliphaz.

3   chapters are attributed to Bildad.

2   chapters are attributed to Zophar.

6   chapters are attributed to Elihu, the young man.

There are fourteen speakers in the book altogether – the Lord,     Satan, Job, Job’s wife, Job’s four friends, four messengers, a spirit and a horse. We must remember that the debate that takes place is among those who know nothing of what has taken place in heaven.

The arguments presented by these friends are not to be dismissed.  They are good men, with much wisdom, drawing on such resources as  they have – their own experiences, the experiences of others, what they have heard from their fathers, etc.

Eliphaz : God is perfectly pure and righteous (4.17) and man brings trouble on himself (5.7).

Bildad :   Charges Job with godlessness (8.6 ff) for God never perverts justice (8.3)

Zophar :  Charges Job with boasting (11.2-6). God knows iniquity when He sees it (11.11).

Elihu :     God is greater than man (33.12) and only repays man (Job) what he deserves (34.11).  

But they, like Job, are in the presence of something they do not     understand. In this book there are some wonderful chapters.  

Chapter 5 on chastisement;

Chapter 9 on justification;

Chapter 23 on testing;

Chapter 28 on wisdom.   

There is wisdom here, there is truth here. It may be truth generally but it does not help Job. Human wisdom is insufficient to light up the path of the godly. Oswald Chambers said, ‘You cannot think your way out of a spiritual difficulty, you need revelation’. It is God who has the necessary information and expertise: “He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). They all fall silent, one by one:

Then God Speaks.

THE ANSWER OF GOD—Chapters 38-42

The answer is to do with the character of God. In the first two chapters God is introduced and referred to by his name ‘YHWH’.  In the middle section (the main argument) He is referred to as God, or God Almighty, that is, ‘Elohim’. If, as many suggest, Job is a very   ancient book, it is likely Job did not know God as YHWH. See Exodus 6:3 : “I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord (YHWH),  I did not make Myself known to them.”

 What is the difference between the two aspects of God?

God as Elohim is linked with creation and providence.

God as YHWH is linked with revelation, redemption and restoration.

Note well – Satan appears before YHWH (not Elohim); the test was initiated by YHWH;  and in the end it is YHWH that answers, for in the last chapters it is the YHWH name of God that is used.

Further note that this precious Name, is the name that often reflects the blessing of God for His ancient people.

YHWH-Jireh (YHWH who sees and provides) (Gen.22:14)

YHWH-Rophekah (YHWH Your healer) (Exod. 15:26);

YHWH-Nissi; (YHWH my banner) (Exod. 17:8-15)

YHWH-Shammah (YHWH is there) (Ezek. 48:35)

YHWH-Rohi (YHWH my shepherd) (Ps. 23:1)

YHWH_Sabaoth (YHWH of hosts) (Rom. 9:29, James 5:4)

YHWH-Shalom (YHWH is peace) (Judges 6:24)

YHWH-Tzidkenu (YHWH our righteousness) (Jer. 23:6; 33:16)

 1.    The answer is complete (and final)

God does provide an answer – there is no question that God cannot deal with.  But the answer does not come at the beginning, or in the middle, but at the end.  It is when you have run out of answers that God’s wisdom is seen. The final unveiling of all answers is yet future.  “now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12).

The wisdom of God will be demonstrated in eternity. The first speaker in this book is YHWH, and the last speaker in this book is YHWH. Similarly, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1), and at the end will be the Word. The Word is the alpha and also the omega, the first and the last (Rev. 1:11; 22:13).  When God has spoken Job has to say, “I lay my hand on my mouth.” (40:4). He is silenced. And when God has finally spoken none will speak except perhaps to say ‘Amen’.

2.     The answer is convincing

God’s argument is to take them into the mysteries of creation. If it is Elohim, the God of creation that they know, then God will answer them in terms that they understand:

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea Or walked in the recesses of the deep? … “Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.” (Job 38:16–18, )

“Do you know how the clouds are  balanced, Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?” (37:16,)

“Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail?” (38:22)

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?” (Job 41:1)

"Did you give the horse its might" (39:19

God exults in His creation.

Learn wisdom. If God bestowed such infinite skill and wisdom on a single snowflake, will He deal casually with the crown of His  creation?  If the minutest detail of any animal declares divine wisdom, will He act carelessly with man?   

God is saying,

Trust Me!

3.     The answer is compensating

 Job began with 7000 sheep – he ends with 14000.

 He began with 3000 camels – he ends with 6000.

 He began with 500 yoke of oxen – he ends with 1000.

 He began with 500 donkeys – he ends with 1000

He began with 7 sons and 3 daughters – he has another 7 sons and 3 daughters.   

Note: persons are not ‘lost’ like animals.   

Also from one who had so recently been full of boils comes daughters described with the words, ‘In all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job’.

LESSON

The book of Job teaches us that God can use suffering to accomplish His will and demonstrate His infinite wisdom?  By it Satan was defeated and God glorified.

A Closing Thought

Satan is absent at the end of the book!