GENESIS SECTION, Psalms 1-41

It has been well stated that the Book of Genesis is the entire Bible in miniature -- all great truths of Scripture are germinal in Genesis. The first few psalms cover the entire Book of Psalms in the same way.
Jeehovah and Elohim are the two names for God in this section, although Jehovah occurs more often:

Jehovah (Reedeemer) -- 272 times
Elohim (Creator) -- 15 times

The Blessed Man is contrasted to the ungodly man. This psalm, which opens the Genesis section, begins with man instead of the material universe. The Blessed Man here is not the first Adam but the last Adam. He is not in an ideal Garde of Eden but in the midst of the ungodly, sinners, and the scornful.

• vv. 1,2 -- Practice of the Blessed Man (v. 1 negative; v. 2 positive)
• v. 3 -- Power of the Blessed Man ("Rivers of water" is the Word of God.)
• vv. 4-6 -- Permanency of the Blessed Man (Ungodly will perish; the Lord knows the way of the righteous.)

Psalm 2: Rebellious man

Drama of the ages: man's rebellion against God. Another has termed it "the decisive declaration concerning the outcome of events and the forces at work today."
The truly messianic character of this psalm is revealed in the fact that it is quoted as such 7 times in the New Testament. Rebellion against God and Christ began at the arrest of Jesus ( Acts 4:23-26 ). It has gained momentum down through the ages and will finally break in a mounting and mighty crescendo.
This second Psalm can be seen like a television program with one camera on earth and another in heaven.

• vv. 1-3 -- The camera on earth comes on, showing the peoples and rulers raging against God and Christ.
• vv. 4-6 -- The camera in heaven comes on, revealing that God the Father is unmoved by this ridiculous rebellion of the little man. He pursues His plan of putting His King on the throne of this earth.
• vv. 7-9 -- The camera in heaven shifts to the right hand of the Father. God the Son asserts His authority to carry through the decree because of His resurection ( Acts 13:33 ). He will come to judge the nations.
• vv. 10-12 -- The camera on earth comes on. God the Holy Spirit invites men to accept the Savior. "Kiss the Son" is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

Psalms 3-7: Sorrows of God's remnant

Psalm 3: Perfect Man rejected

Morning prayer. The trials of the godly in Israel. Since trials are common to all of God's people, the comfort is for all also.

Psalm 4: Conflict between Seed of woman and serpent

Evening prayer (to be sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments). This is the plea of the Son of man and those who plead in His name.

Psalm 5: Perfect Man in the midst of enemies

Morning prayer ( v. 3). This is a cry of the godly in the time of great trouble. They seek a refuge (vv. 7,8).

Psalm 6: Perfect Man in the midst of chastisement (bruising heel)

Darkness, distress and death. The first penitential psalm. Trials produce a broken spirit. The plea of David is that God will judge him in mercy and not anger.

Psalm 7: Perfect Man in the midst of false witnesses

Cry for revenge. Cush, the Benjamite, may be Saul. This is prophetically the cry of the remnant during the Great Tribulation. This concludes the first cluster of 5 psalms.

Psalm 8: Repair of man comes through Man (bruising head)

Messianic psalm. God's Man (quoted 3 times in the New Testament). It emphasizes the humanity of Christ and His ultimate victory as Man ( Hebrews 2:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:27).

Psalm 9-15: Enemy and Antichrist conflict; final deliverance

Psalm 9

Satan's man ( v. 17). The title "Muthlabben" means "death of the son" and may refer to the death of Goliath ( 1 Samuel 17:4-51 ). The Scofield notes suggest it refers to the death of David's son by Bathsheba ( 2 Samuel 12:19-20 ).
It looks to the time of Jacob's trouble and God's deliverance from the "giant," the man of sin ( vv. 8, 9, 13 ).

Psalm 10

Satan's man, "man of the earth" ( v. 18 ) is closely identified with the 9th Psalm. "The wicked" are described: "pride" (v.2), "boasteth" (v.3), there is no God (v.4), self-sufficient (v.6), "cursing" and "mischief" (v.7), sin with impunity (v.11), no judgement to come (v.13).

Psalm 11

Testing of the righteous (v.5).

Psalm 12

The godly in the midst of the godlessness of the Great Tribulation.

Psalm 13

The desperate plight of David (1 Samuel 26:20) mirrors the plight of God's people in the Great Tribulation (v.1, 3).

Psalm 14

Depravity of man in the last days -- atheistic (v.1), filthy and rebellious (v. 3). He pleads for deliverance (v. 7).

Psalm 15

Those who shall enter the kingdom. The question is asked (v. 1) and answered (vv. 2-5).

Psalm 16-41: Christ in the midst of His people, sanctifying them to God

The resurection of the Messiah ( vv. 8-11; cp. Acts 2:25-31 and 13:35-37; also Hebrews 2:13,14 ). Life of Christ (vv. 8), death of Christ (vv. 9), resurrection of Christ (vv. 10), ascension of Christ (vv. 11).

Psalm 17

Prayer of David when he is being pursued by Saul and his life is in danger. It also pictures the Messiah when He was in danger.

Psalm 18

Praise of David when God delivered him from the hand of Saul. It is repeated in 2 Samuel 22. Notice the picture of the Messiah (vv. 35).

Psalm 19

God's message to man. The cosmos reveals the glory and power of God (vv. 1-6). The commandments reveal the wisdom and righteousness of God (vv. 7-11). Christ reveals the power and redemption of God (vv. 12-14).

Psalm 20

Plea of Israel for the success of the Messiah. "The king" is the Messiah (v. 9).

Psalm 21

Messianic psalm. The ascension and coming again of Christ. "The king" who is the subject of the psalm, is the Messiah. Psalms 20 and 21 present the same picture.

Psalm 22 The Good Shepherd John 10:11	Psalm 23 The Great Shepherd Hebrews 13:20	Psalm 24 The Chief Shepherd 1 Peter 5:4
Cross Savior Foundation Dying Past Gives His Life	Shepherd's Crrok Satisfier Manifestation Living Present Gives His love	Crown Sovereign Expectation Coming Future Gives His light

Psalm 22

X-ray of the cross (see author's booklet by the same name). Eusebius called it "a prophecy of the passion of Christ." It gives a new dimension of the cross.

• vv. 1-21 -- Humiliation --> suffering --> cross
• vv. 22-31 -- Exaltation --> glory --> crown

Psalm 23

Psalm of an old shepherd (see author's booklet by the same name). One must know the Shepherd of Psalm 22 and have walked with Him in life to know intimately Psalm 23. "My sheep hear My voice."

• vv. 1,2 -- Revelation of the sanctuary of the Shepherd's soul.
• vv. 3,4 -- Record of the musings of the Shepherd's mind.
• vv.5,6 -- Reflection of the happiness and hope of the Shepherd's heart.

Psalm 24

The coming of the Chief shepherd. Tradition says it was composed by David and sung when he brought up the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Mt. Zion ( 2 Samuel 6:12-23 ).

• vv. 1-6 -- Companions of the King who enter the kingdom.
• vv. 7-10 -- Coming of the King to set up the kingdom.

Psalm 25

Plea for forgiveness (vv. 11).

Psalm 26

Plea on the basis of personal righteousness. This could apply only to the Messiah. Written by David perhaps at the time of Absalom's rebellion.

Psalm 27

Prayer of David.

• vv. 1-6 -- Preparation for prayer: triumphant praise in the presence of pressing problems.
  • vv. 1-3 -- Foundation for prayer; God is salvation and strength.
  • vv. 4-6 -- Meditation on prayer.
• vv. 7-12 -- Declaration of prayer proper: thankful prayer in pressure of painful prediction ( cp. v10 and 1 Samuel 22:3,4 ).
• vv. 13,14 -- Realization of prayer: patience.

Psalm 28

A cry in time of trouble. In the storm of wickedness David finds God to be a rock, strength, and shield.

Psalm 29

The voice of the Lord. Written during a thunderstorm, Delitzsch labeled it the "Psalm of seven thunders." "Voice of the Lord" occurs 7 times.

Psalm 30

A psalm-song at the dedication of the house of David (place of future temple). A song of deliverance and prosepct for the future (vv. 5).

Psalm 31

Psalm of troubles and trials, followed by prayer for deliverance, and the deliverance that follows as an answer to prayer (vv. 1 ).

Psalm 32

"Maschil": psalm of instruction. Written in conjunction with David's sin and his confession (Psalm 51) and the restoration of the sinning saint (vv. 1,2).

Psalm 33

Praises of redeemed people. God is worshiped as Creator, as providential Ruler. He is praised for His majestic and matchless grace. Notice the method of creation (v. 6) -- God spoke into existence all of creation.

Psalm 34

A song of Praise when Abimelech (a royal title; called "Achish" in 1 Samuel 21:10-15 drove David away, and he fled to the cave of Adullam. Compare vv.15, 16 with 1 Peter 3:12. David's experience is that of all God's children (v. 19).

Psalm 35

A plea for God to deliver David from the hand of Saul (1 Samuel 24) and to judge the wicked.

Psalm 36

A Psalm of David as the servant of Jehovah.

Psalm 37

A promise of future blessing to the remnant of Israel in the form of an acrostic. This psalm has refreshed all of God's saints down through the ages -- it is often quoted. ( See vv. 1, 4, 5, 7, 11, 25, 35, 36. )

Psalm 38

Confession and physical sickness; David in deep distress prays that God will not judge him in anger (v. 1). This is real conviction (v. 2). His physical sickness is the result of sin (v. 3). Disease, the result of his foolishness, is followed by mental anguish (v. 5-8). Some dare to say that this refers to Christ and that He had a diseased body. They use Matthew 8:17. Jesus, however, was holy, harmless and separate from sin. He could not be the spotless Lamb offered for our sin if He were diseased -- disease is the result of sin. Death is also. Jesus did not have to die -- He said, "No man taketh [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:18). On the cross He dismissed His spirit (John 19:30).

Psalm 39

A psalm for funerals. The vanity and feebleness of humanity. This is the last psalm in the series beginning with Psalm 25.

Psalm 40

Messianic psalm, quoted in Hebrews 10:5-7 as referring to Christ (vv. 6-8). It is the experience of David when he fled from Absalom.

Psalm 41

Messianic psalm. It opens with "blessed" and closes with "blessed." Jesus quoted this reference to Judas (v. 9) in John 13:18, and Peter refered to it in Acts 1:16.
This is the last psalm in the Genesis section. It closes on the high hope of resurrection (v. 10). What a contrast to "a coffin in Egypt" which concludes the book of Genesis. David is the writer of 37 of these 41 psalms.