THE PSALMS PROFOUND INFLUENCE IS TIMELESS—part 2

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and that with all the additional light which has been imparted under the Christian revelation, the Psalms have not been superseded.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  Since this great collection of music has not become outdated or its message superseded, the psalms will relate to contemporary Christian experiences.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.

Thought for the Day

Although a host of writers over several centuries have purported that the psalms are of timeless value, church musicians have evidently not shared that opinion since many of them rarely include them in congregational worship.