THE PSALMS PROFOUND
INFLUENCE IS TIMELESS—part 2
Plumer
noted the long tradition which the psalms represent when he stated, "The
Psalms are wonderful. They have been
read, repeated, chanted, sung, studied, wept over, rejoiced in, loved, and
praised by God's people for thousands of years." Plumer, W.S. Psalms. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1978, p. 5.
Barnes pointed out the timeless value of the
Book of Psalms. “It is not a little remarkable that the Psalms in the
estimation of religious person, hold substantially the same place under the
clear light of the Christian dispensation which they did under the comparatively
obscure Hebrew economy, and that with all the additional light which has been
imparted under the Christian revelation, the Psalms have not been
superseded. The Christian looks to the
Psalms with an interest as intense as did the ancient Jew, and, as expressive
of personal religious experience, as well as for the purpose of a manual for
worship, the Psalms are selected by the Christian, from the whole Bible, as
they were by the Jew from the books in his possession--the Old Testament.” Barnes,
Albert. Barnes' Notes on the New Testament.
Grand Rapids: Kregel Publication, 1962, p. XL.
So, the
Book of Psalms is probably without doubt the greatest devotional book in the
Bible. The fact that the most practical
book of devotion in the Bible is a song book is proof of the importance of
music in the life of the Christian. It
should also be pointed out that although this collection of lyric poetry is
deep in its religious, ethical, and theological content, it is presented in
such a way that the common man is able to identify with its situations and
understand its meaning. Since this great
collection of music has not become outdated or its message superseded, the
psalms will relate to contemporary Christian experiences. For this reason the twenty-first century
church musician should seriously consider its value in public worship.
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