The Savior of Psalms

Introduction

Matthew Vander Els from Founded in Truth Fellowship presents a teaching that delves into the Book of Psalms, offering a perspective beyond individual songs and poems. He posits that the Psalms, when understood collectively, form an intentional narrative that chronicles Israel’s history, highlights the kingship of David, and ultimately points forward to the Messianic hope embodied by Yeshua (Jesus). This teaching emphasizes the profound connection between the Old Testament Psalms and the New Testament’s portrayal of Jesus as the promised Davidic King and the fulfillment of God’s salvational promises.

The Narrative of Psalms

Vander Els explains that historical consensus suggests the Book of Psalms was compiled and edited around or after the Babylonian exile. The individuals who preserved these ancient hymns and prayers, likely used in temple services, intentionally organized them to convey a story to the post-exilic Israel. This organization divides the Psalms into five books, a structure mirroring the five books of the Torah (Pentateuch), suggesting a deliberate parallel between Israel’s foundational story and the prayer book of the nation.

Within these five books, the teaching highlights the significance of the Davidic collections – groupings of psalms attributed to or in honor of King David. Following these collections reveals a narrative arc. The first book and the initial Davidic collection revolve around David’s enthronement as king, with expectations of him as God’s son and mediator. However, the second grouping of Davidic Psalms in Book Two shifts focus to David’s broken kingship and his struggles, exemplified by his transgression with Bathsheba in Psalm 51. This section concludes with Psalm 72, which, despite being the last psalm explicitly attributed to David, speaks of a kingship that will be passed on, hinting at a future, greater king.

The third grouping of Davidic Psalms, implied in the transition after Psalm 72, looks towards a new, better kingship. The fourth grouping re-imagines the kingship, portraying a renewed David who is afflicted but ultimately transformed, embodying the heart of a messianic king characterized by love and justice. Psalm 108, which will be discussed in more detail, falls within this section. The fifth and final grouping of Davidic Psalms moves towards the realization of an ideal social community marked by God’s justice, peace, and praise, culminating in Psalm 145 where the messianic king seemingly hands the kingdom back to Yahweh.

This overall structure suggests that the Book of Psalms is not a random assortment but a carefully crafted narrative intended to provide hope and understanding to a post-exilic Israel that still felt the weight of their past and the absence of God’s complete promises. The Psalms acknowledge the struggles and laments of God’s people while also offering praise and hope, reflecting the tension of their lived reality.

The New Testament and Psalms

A central argument of this teaching is the New Testament authors’ extensive use of the Psalms to demonstrate that Yeshua is the promised Messiah and the fulfillment of the Davidic kingship. The New Testament contains over a hundred references to Psalms, with almost every author drawing from its message when speaking about Jesus. Even the opening lines of Matthew’s Gospel connect to the Psalms, and Luke’s Gospel is particularly saturated with references, even in the accounts of Jesus’ birth. Satan himself quotes Psalm 91 during the temptation of Jesus.

The speaker emphasizes that the New Testament authors didn’t solely rely on the prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah to prove Jesus’ messianic identity; they saw the Psalms as profoundly satisfying this conclusion. This might seem surprising initially, as the direct connection between some psalms and the New Testament interpretation might not always be immediately obvious.

Focus on Psalms 105-108

The teaching specifically highlights the significance of Psalms 105, 106, 107, and 108 in Luke’s infancy narrative (Luke 1-3). Luke strategically weaves in allusions and inferences to these psalms in the songs proclaimed by Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon at the beginning of Jesus’ life.

• Psalm 105 tells the story of God’s saving actions towards the patriarchs and the Exodus in a positive light.
• Psalm 106 retells the same history but focuses on Israel’s repeated rebellion against God despite His acts of salvation, spanning from the Exodus to the Babylonian exile.
• Psalm 107 serves as a thanksgiving to God for redeeming His people from exile, acting as a response to the preceding two psalms.
• Psalm 108 is presented as an appeal for God’s triumphant victory to be manifested over their enemies and a testament to a future salvation that will extend to all nations.

Psalm 108 as a Messianic Psalm

Psalm 108 holds particular significance as it is a composite psalm, formed by combining sections from Psalm 57:7-11 and Psalm 60:5-12. Both Psalm 57 and Psalm 60 have superscriptions that indicate times of struggle and difficulty in David’s life. However, the author of Psalm 108 intentionally removed the negative sections of lament, anxiety, and doubt from these earlier psalms and combined their more hopeful and positive conclusions.

The speaker suggests that Psalm 108, written after the exile, should not be seen as reflecting the earthly David’s immediate circumstances but rather as a prayer of triumph and victory through the lens of the future, messianic David. Following the idea that psalms after Psalm 72 speaking of David refer to this archetypal, messianic figure, Psalm 108 becomes a victory cry for a generation that has turned away from their “stony hearts” and the “Babylon” of their own sin, looking towards the hope found in the coming kingdom of God through Yeshua.

Application for Everyday Life

• Recognize the overarching story of the Bible: Understand that the Old Testament, including the Psalms, is not just a collection of isolated events or sayings but a narrative that leads to the person and work of Jesus Christ.
• Engage with the Psalms as more than individual prayers: Consider the historical context and the intended flow of the Book of Psalms to gain a deeper understanding of God’s relationship with humanity and His promises.
• Find comfort and hope in times of struggle: The Psalms acknowledge the reality of lament and doubt, offering a voice to our own difficult experiences while simultaneously pointing towards God’s faithfulness and ultimate redemption.
• Pray with steadfast faith: Like the composite Psalm 108, we can focus on God’s promises and express unwavering trust in His power and love, even when facing daunting circumstances.
• Understand Jesus as the fulfillment of messianic hope: Recognize that the New Testament authors used the Psalms extensively to demonstrate that Jesus is the promised Davidic King who brings salvation to Israel and the nations.

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References

• Psalm 22
• Psalm 108
• Luke 1
• Acts 1