Wisdom Class 9: Psalms 8-18

The required reading for Sunday, May 30 is Psalms chapters 8-18

Bible Reading Assignment
For Sunday, we'll review next eleven Psalms:

1. Psalm 8: The Glory of the Lord in Creation (Man the Crown of Creation)
2. Psalm 9: Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord's Righteous Judgments (Thanks for Victories)
3. Psalm 10: A Song of Confidence in God's Triumph over Evil (David's Prayer for Help)
4. Psalm 11: Faith in the Lord's Righteousness (Prevalence of Wickedness)
5. Psalm 12: Man's Treachery and God's Constancy (Prevalence of Wickedness)
6. Psalm 13: Trust in the Salvation of the Lord (Prevalence of Wickedness)
7. Psalm 14: Folly of the Godless, and God's Final Triumph (Universal Sinfulness)
8. Psalm 15: The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord (True Citizens of Zion)
9. Psalm 16: The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah's Victory (Resurrection of the Messiah)
10. Psalm 17: Prayer with Confidence in Final Salvation (A Prayer for Protection)
11. Psalm 18: God the Sovereign Savior (David's Hymn of Thanksgiving)

Notes on each Psalm below are provided as additional background to help you understand the context or classification of each as you read the Psalm. For class on Sunday, choose one or two of these Psalms and be prepared to describe what the message of the Psalm is and any interesting details.

Psalm 8: The Glory of the Lord in Creation (Man the Crown of Creation)

This to be brought to pass under the Messiah, in the day of His triumphant reign (Heb 2:6-9). Jesus quoted verse 2 as referring to an incident in His own life (Mt. 21:16)

Psalm 9: Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord's Righteous Judgments (Thanks for Victories)

Thanks for victories over enemies, national and individual. God sits as king forever. Let the nations know themselves to be but men. Praise God. Trust God.

This Psalm, with Psalm 10, forms an Acrostic. Acrostic (also known as "alphabetic") Psalms are those in which the Initial Letters of successive verses follow the order of the Hebrew Alphabet; a device, it is thought, to assist the memory. See Class 8 notes for a full list of Acrostic Psalms.

Psalm 10: A Song of Confidence in God's Triumph over Evil (David's Prayer for Help)

In contending with wickedness, oppression and robbery, apparently within his own realm. Prevalence of wickedness troubled David greatly, especially their defiance of God. To David, as to other bible writers, there are just two classes: the righteous and the wicked; though many try to be both.

Psalm 11: Faith in the Lord's Righteousness (Prevalence of Wickedness)
Psalm 12: Man's Treachery and God's Constancy (Prevalence of Wickedness)
Psalm 13: Trust in the Salvation of the Lord (Prevalence of Wickedness)

The wicked walk on every side. David overwhelmed the wicked enemies, almost to death. But trusts in God, and sings for joy. Such Psalms as these seem to belong to the period when David was hiding from Saul.

Psalm 14: Folly of the Godless, and God's Final Triumph (Universal Sinfulness)

About the same as Psalm 53. Quoted in Romans 3:10-12. Infidels are here called fools. prevalent wickedness shows what fools men are. For as sure as there is a God, there will be a day of judgment for the wicked. But among them God has a people, for whom judgment will be a day of joy.

Psalm 15: The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord (True Citizens of Zion)

The righteous, truthful, just, honest. Thomas Jefferson called this Psalm the picture of a true gentleman.

Psalm 16: The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah's Victory (Resurrection of the Messiah)

David appears to be speaking of himself; yet mystic words of the coming Davidic King find their way into David's mouth (10); quoted in New Testament as a prediction of Jesus' resurrection (Acts 2:27). Two magnificent verses (8, 11). Michtam, in title, means a Golden Poem.

Psalm 17: Prayer with Confidence in Final Salvation (A Prayer for Protection)

Overwhelmed by enemies, David looks to God. Protests his own innocence, but trusts in God. Surrounded by lovers of this world, David set his heart on the world beyond (14, 15).

Psalm 18: God the Sovereign Savior (David's Hymn of Thanksgiving)

On his accession to the throne, with the kingdom firmly established in his hands, after years of flight from Saul. Repeated in 2 Samuel 22. He attributed it all to God, his strength, rock, fortress, deliverer, stay, refuge, shield, horn, high tower, one of the best Psalms.

Head of nations (43-45), true of David only in a partial sense, it looked forward beyond the time of David to the throne of David's greater son, Jesus.

Note:  Haley's Bible Handbook, 24th Edition and The Holy Bible, new King James Version, Reference Edition, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.were used in preparing the comments in this post.