Theology For Beginners - Songs

What’s on your playlist?

What songs have been rattling around in your head and pumping through your speakers?

Why is this song on repeat for you?

What is the “theme” of the song?

What are the emotions and feelings that the song evokes in you?

Listen to this song…

What would you say the theme of this song is?

What emotions/feelings/thoughts does this song bring up for you?

My Song: Anastasis (Oh Praise the Name) - Hillsong Worship

The song carries an unbelievable message of truth

The theme of the song: Jesus is Worthy of all of our praise - because He died in our place, was buried, and raised from the dead.

I am moved… reminded of all that Jesus has done for me. It makes me long for that day that I am able to give Him my undivided attention. I will worship Him without the hindrance of sin, the distractions of this world, and the cares of this life.

Why do you think that songs carry such power to communicate something deeper than just words?

Songs of the Bible

Today, we will be spending the majority of our time in the Psalms, but it is important to acknowledge that both Psalms and Song of Solomon are books of prose - or song.

What is so special about the songs of Scripture?

They have provided people with comfort, peace, and guidance for literally thousands of years.

They have provided people with comfort, peace, and guidance for literally thousands of years.

I believe that this is part of the reason that they are the most cited OT scriptures in the New Testament.

I believe that this is part of the reason that they are the most cited OT scriptures in the New Testament.

The Psalms are real and raw.

The Psalms are real and raw.

They capture the essence of human emotion, and seem to be to be largely unfiltered. It isn’t emotion that has been all cleaned up and presentable, but it is gritty and real.

They capture the essence of human emotion, and seem to be to be largely unfiltered. It isn’t emotion that has been all cleaned up and presentable, but it is gritty and real.

What I love the most about the Psalms is that it gives me permission to feel a certain way - and reassures me that I am not alone in those feelings.

What I love the most about the Psalms is that it gives me permission to feel a certain way - and reassures me that I am not alone in those feelings.

If I am upset with the Lord, and it feels like He has forgotten me, left me out to dry, and ruined me, the Psalms give me words that can help me to capture those feelings, offer them up to the Lord.

If I am upset with the Lord, and it feels like He has forgotten me, left me out to dry, and ruined me, the Psalms give me words that can help me to capture those feelings, offer them up to the Lord.

If things are great, I find the words that help me express those feelings to the Lord.

If things are great, I find the words that help me express those feelings to the Lord.

They beautifully capture the complexity of the tones of life and help us to respond appropriately.

They beautifully capture the complexity of the tones of life and help us to respond appropriately.

And we need help to do this - because if we don’t have help, then we end up not taking our stuff to the Lord, and we try to do it all on our own…

And we need help to do this - because if we don’t have help, then we end up not taking our stuff to the Lord, and we try to do it all on our own…

About Psalms

1400BC-450BC

From the time of Moses to the time of Nehemiah (during the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem and the temple).

Several Different Authors

Moses

David

Asaph

Sons of Korah

Solomon

Heman the Ezrathite

Ethan the Ezrathite

Many are anonymous

It is broken into 5 different Books

Book 1 - ch. 1-41

Book 2 - ch. 42-72

Book 3 - ch. 73-89

Book 4 - ch. 90-106

Book 5 - ch. 106-150

Types of Songs (throughout Psalms)

This list is not the gold standard list - and depending on who you read, there may be other types or genres.

The other thing that you must remember here is that these genres are not perfect - meaning that many psalms will fit into multiple genres.

Messianic

Imprecatory

Lament

Thanksgiving

Songs of Ascent

Royal Psalm

Acrostic

Messianic Psalm

This is exactly what it sounds like… It is a Psalm that prophesies the coming of Christ

To me, one of the clearest messianic Psalm is

Imprecatory Psalm

These are Psalms that are calling God to action - particularly asking the Lord to curse, judge, or destroy the enemy.

Psalm of Lament

These Psalms are a cry to the Lord for help or deliverance. They are spoken by people who are in distress.

Psalm of Thanksgiving

These Psalms give thanks to the Lord for how He has provided for them or how He has moved on their behalf.

Song of Ascent

These were Psalms that were written with the intent that they would be sung during the celebrations of Passover, Pentecost, and The Feast of Booths (Tabernacles)

Royal Psalm

These Psalms were written to commemorate certain events in the life of a king - like a Wedding, winning a battle, etc.

- David winning in battle

Acrostic Psalm

Each verse or a group of verses begins with a specific letter that follow in sequence

- each section of verses correlates with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

All of the verses in the first section, begin with the Hebrew letter Aleph.

Group Activity

Read the Psalm and do the following:

See if you can identify an author

Identify the overall theme - why you think that is the case

Identify the genre - based on the genres that we discussed - if you believe it is more than one, thats fine! (We will not do an acrostic, because I am assuming that no one brought their Hebrew Bible.

How might this Psalm apply to your life today?

Author: David

Theme: Blessing, covenant, faithfulness, coming savior (vv11-12)

Genre: Royal AND Song of Ascent (BTW, Songs of Ascent are )

Apply: Remembering who the Lord is; keeping Him on the throne of your own life; remembering that Jesus is on the throne; God chose us (13)

Author: David

Theme: Access to the Lord, The Lord is the king of Glory, who can approach…

Genre: Messianic - reminds me of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday

Apply: Remember who our access to the Lord is - that it has been done, we are granted access, and now we are unrestricted in coming to the Lord - with anything, big or small.

Author: Asaph

Theme: Lord punishing evildoers, The evil one will not prevail, The Lord is sovereign over all.

Genre: Imprecatory

Apply: Remember who will ultimately win the war! Satan will not be allowed to run forever…

Author: Sons of Korah

Theme: depression, despair, Need for the Lord to move, hope is found in the Lord

Genre: Lament

Apply: It’s ok to not be ok… But we must cling to hope in Christ and in Christ alone! He is still on the throne even when our lives feel completely broken.

It is all about a longing for Jesus!

The Psalms all have one thing in common… there is a theme of God being with His people - and His people being with Him.

They are songs that talk about this union that the Lord has with His children.

They communicate a huge truth that the Lord has a deep desire to be with us, and nothing is going to stop that!

There may be evildoers who seek to harm us - or perhaps even do harm us, but we have an eternal hope that the Lord sees us, and He will vindicate us.

We will one day stand face to face with him unhindered by the brokenness of this world, and the Psalms intend to paint this picture for us!

Song of Solomon - all about union with the Lord as described through the relationship between a man and woman who pursue one another and get married.

The Lord intends to give us His name and keep us as His own!