Summarize the Psalms

[ITS]

If you wrote one psalm to summarize the content (in proportion) of all the Psalms, what would it include?

[rross]

The psalms provide us with a message of hope and comfort through the common theme of worship. The collection of 150 psalms naturally covers a great variety of feelings, circumstances and themes. This means it is difficult summarize the content, but it is safe to say that all the psalms embody a personal response on the part of the believer toward the goodness and grace of God. Often they include a record of the psalmist?s own inner emotions of discouragement, anxiety, or thankfulness even when faced with the opposition of God?s enemies or in view of God?s varied providences. But whether the psalmist is occupied with a mournful or a joyous theme, he is always expressing himself as in the presence of the living God.

[danielwalker1]

If you wrote one psalm to summarize the content (in proportion) of all the Psalms, what would it include? If I had the chance to pen one psalm, I would primarely make it a psalm of praise. The meaning of the term (Psalm) in the Hebrew is Book of Praise. However, there are other facets that must be included. I would start out with the call to worship and base it upon the acknowledgement of God's provision and attributes. I would then write a lament for my personal sins that brings my Savior sadness. I would then remember the faithfullness of the Lord in past situations and draw courage from them. Finally, I would express this courage for future events that may arise.

[danielwalker1]

The psalms provide us with a message of hope and comfort through the common theme of worship. The collection of 150 psalms naturally covers a great variety of feelings, circumstances and themes. This means it is difficult summarize the content, but it is safe to say that all the psalms embody a personal response on the part of the believer toward the goodness and grace of God. Often they include a record of the psalmist?s own inner emotions of discouragement, anxiety, or thankfulness even when faced with the opposition of God?s enemies or in view of God?s varied providences. But whether the psalmist is occupied with a mournful or a joyous theme, he is always expressing himself as in the presence of the living God.

While I agree with most of your comments, I ask if you could be more specific in your answer. Yes, the Psalms do cover a wide range of material, but what would you include in your own. Would you include your inner emotion in a personal lament, or would your declare the wonders of the Lord in an acknowledgement psalm. Would you say that you found yourself in the presence of the Lord? I just needed a little more detail.

[hoeppner]

Since most Psalms are that of Lament my choice would reflect this motif. Of course all such Psalms include praise, but the overall tone is decidedly melancholy, imploring the Lord to intervene and save. I admire the Psalmist for their honesty and confidence in the Lord. They are determined to hold fast to him believing that his justice and “loyal love” (hesed) will somehow reign in the end. This truly depicts the life of faith.

[hoeppner]

The psalms provide us with a message of hope and comfort through the common theme of worship. The collection of 150 psalms naturally covers a great variety of feelings, circumstances and themes. This means it is difficult summarize the content, but it is safe to say that all the psalms embody a personal response on the part of the believer toward the goodness and grace of God. Often they include a record of the psalmist?s own inner emotions of discouragement, anxiety, or thankfulness even when faced with the opposition of God?s enemies or in view of God?s varied providences. But whether the psalmist is occupied with a mournful or a joyous theme, he is always expressing himself as in the presence of the living God.
I believe you are right in saying that the Psalmist is always expressing himself within the presence of God. If we look more deeply into this it would seem natural to say that the Psalmists, even during their darkest times of despair, share a common belief that God is the one to which one must turn. They have a determination in their worship, even when God is seemingly silent and distant. I believe this unwillingness to give up on God is at the heart of the Psalms, and serves as an excellent example for us today amidst our own struggles.

[hoeppner]

If I had the chance to pen one psalm, I would primarely make it a psalm of praise. The meaning of the term (Psalm) in the Hebrew is Book of Praise. However, there are other facets that must be included. I would start out with the call to worship and base it upon the acknowledgement of God's provision and attributes. I would then write a lament for my personal sins that brings my Savior sadness. I would then remember the faithfullness of the Lord in past situations and draw courage from them. Finally, I would express this courage for future events that may arise.
I hear you saying much of what I was trying to convey; and so I agree. I believe all the Psalms (as the word indicates) convey consistent praise. At the same time, most appear to be of the lament variety, which really strikes me. Until Christ comes again to redeem the world there will always be a need for lament, and so the church should embrace such Psalms today. Why is it that we so often ignore them in the worship of the church? David was not shy about lament, why are we? I believe God has much to teach us in these Psalms about the life of faith in him.

[jasangborges]

If I were write one psalm to summarize the psalms it would include "Praise to Yahweh who will completely reign over the earth from his holy hill through his Davidic son for his marvelous acts (of creation and salvation) and praiseworthy attributes (of justice and righteousness), although the righteous continue to suffer through lamentable situations." Such a statement combines the major types of psalms: royal/messianic, enthronement acknowledgment, lament, and praise into a concise statement. Of course the actual psalm would have to be filled out with specific examples and poetic language.

[jasangborges]

The previous posts limit their focus on the psalter to lament and acknowledgement psalms. However, there are many other types of psalms (royal, enthronement, ascent, thanksgiving, etc), that their summary psalm would not include. Granted a large portion of the psalms are written as laments or acknowledgement and express a lot of emotion, the means which ancient psalmists expressed their praise (as the book is named) was eclectic, a fact that we must recognize. It seems as though people have focused on the psalms that are more personal and individual, at the expense of the more corporate and historic psalms.

[Wise Fisher]

Taking this course, reading the Book of Psalms with various forms, contents and messages, once again, I’d like to praise our wonderful Lord. His is beyond out understanding, deserving much more than we can put into limited languages. So to answer this question, I would probably take all the Psalms as a “relational expression” with our dearest Lord. In the core of the Psalms, I identify a conversation on the spiritual relationship the Psalmist(s) hopes to build with God, no matter it takes which form, petition, lament, praise, worship, etc. etc. One thing for sure, the Psalmist(s) wants to get closer to our Lord, the universal creator.

[Wise Fisher]

If I were write one psalm to summarize the psalms it would include "Praise to Yahweh who will completely reign over the earth from his holy hill through his Davidic son for his marvelous acts (of creation and salvation) and praiseworthy attributes (of justice and righteousness), although the righteous continue to suffer through lamentable situations." Such a statement combines the major types of psalms: royal/messianic, enthronement acknowledgment, lament, and praise into a concise statement. Of course the actual psalm would have to be filled out with specific examples and poetic language.

Yes. To certain extent, I will agree with you the major theme of a psalm should be Praise, because the One to whom we write the Psalms is not a normal being, a creature, instead, our Creator – Yahweh! That should be the final purpose driving our life to praise the Lord and glorify His name as we live on the earth. With the weakness and sinful nature, we are short of His glory and grace so that we also need continuously lament and petition. But one day in heaven of eternity, praising and worshiping the Lord might be the only things we need to do.

[caitlinweaver]

If I were to write a psalm it would include a cry for God's help, an acknowledment of God's power and mercy, and thanksgiving for His faithfulness. This psalm would elude to a complete dependency on God and a surrender to His will while recognizing the difficulty inherent in living in a world tainted by sin. It would also include a differentiation between life with God and life apart from God, and underline the hopelessness of a life without God. The praise portion of the psalm would accent the desire to worship God and delight in His goodness and mercy. Praise to God would also be given because He has given favor and answered prayer. The psalm, overall, would reflect the trials and triumph of/from following God while living in the world among fellow believers and those who turn away from Him.

[Constance.Johnson]

If you wrote one psalm to summarize the content (in proportion) of all the Psalms, what would it include?

If I were to write a psalm, it would be a combination of praise and lament and be constructed for use in liturgical worship. The reason for the emphasis on praise is that sometimes our prayers of petition turn into a shopping list of requests and we lose the joy that comes from praise. It would begin with a call to praise and the reason for that praise, then praise. I would then move into an introduction for a series of petitions. The petitions would include intercessions for the world, the church (world-wide and local), specific missions, and then prayer for needs within the local parish. I would end with a vow of confidence/ trust and praise.

[Constance.Johnson]

If I were to write a psalm it would include a cry for God's help, an acknowledment of God's power and mercy, and thanksgiving for His faithfulness. This psalm would elude to a complete dependency on God and a surrender to His will while recognizing the difficulty inherent in living in a world tainted by sin. It would also include a differentiation between life with God and life apart from God, and underline the hopelessness of a life without God. The praise portion of the psalm would accent the desire to worship God and delight in His goodness and mercy. Praise to God would also be given because He has given favor and answered prayer. The psalm, overall, would reflect the trials and triumph of/from following God while living in the world among fellow believers and those who turn away from Him.

Your psalm sounds like a wonderful reflection of the relationship of an individual with their God. In my submission, I focused on the use of psalm within the worship of a community, but the prayer/psalm of the individual is important as well. You provide a coherent outline. I would love to here your psalm in its completed form.

[cathyl]

If you wrote one psalm to summarize the content (in proportion) of all the Psalms, what would it include?

I think it would be necessary to include at least one motif of most of the types of psalms, if my psalm were to come near to summarizing the content of them all. I'd begin by addressing God (motif from Lament Psalms), give a cause for praise (Descriptive Praise), and make a confession of trust (Lament). Next I would have the pilgrimage motif on yearning to draw near to and appear before God (Ascent). I'd continue with thanks for deliverance (Declarative Praise) and a petition (Lament). I'd finish with a renewed vow of praise (Enthronement). I think this would make a fairly decent summarizing psalm, and that it could also work as an outline for morning prayers. ...I have left out any motif from the Royal psalms, as you can see. I'm not sure how a reference to a king could be tied in neatly.

[cathyl]

Taking this course, reading the Book of Psalms with various forms, contents and messages, once again, I’d like to praise our wonderful Lord. His is beyond out understanding, deserving much more than we can put into limited languages. So to answer this question, I would probably take all the Psalms as a “relational expression” with our dearest Lord. In the core of the Psalms, I identify a conversation on the spiritual relationship the Psalmist(s) hopes to build with God, no matter it takes which form, petition, lament, praise, worship, etc. etc. One thing for sure, the Psalmist(s) wants to get closer to our Lord, the universal creator.

This is a different approach from mine, where I take a motif or two from each type of Psalm, in my attempt to summarize the most important part of the Psalms' content. But your method might do just as well. Here you're summarizing the overall broad idea behind them all -- that they are "relational expressions" to God by people who want to get closer to God -- rather than specifying any particular type of expression (lament, praise etc.). Good way of tackling this question!

[Jeff Kuhn]

If you wrote one psalm to summarize the content (in proportion) of all the Psalms, what would it include?

On the whole it would be a pilgrim psalm, because the Book of Psalms is the worship book of a people on pilgrimage with God. Within the journey there would be difficult periods, sometime due to our rebellion and sometimes in order to help us grow. These periods would breed verses of lament leading to petition, confession of trust, and praise. The praise would at times be on behalf of the entire community and at other times praise for God's active participation in the lives of specific individuals. Ultimately the psalm would build, giving hints through royal imagery of what was to come. Finally it would culminate in a psalm of enthronement, as we celebrate the fact that Yahweh reigns.

[Jeff Kuhn]

The psalms provide us with a message of hope and comfort through the common theme of worship. The collection of 150 psalms naturally covers a great variety of feelings, circumstances and themes. This means it is difficult summarize the content, but it is safe to say that all the psalms embody a personal response on the part of the believer toward the goodness and grace of God. Often they include a record of the psalmist?s own inner emotions of discouragement, anxiety, or thankfulness even when faced with the opposition of God?s enemies or in view of God?s varied providences. But whether the psalmist is occupied with a mournful or a joyous theme, he is always expressing himself as in the presence of the living God.

I like what you have emphasized here. At times in this course I felt as if we were actually analyzing the psalm so much that it was draining the life of it. I am fully aware that there is much to be gained by disciplined study and analysis, but at their heart the psalms express the feelings and desires of a person at prayer. As well, they often express this for the whole community, which is something we can learn from in our individualistic society. We need to make sure they become prayers and not just objects of study.

[Jeff Kuhn]

Since most Psalms are that of Lament my choice would reflect this motif. Of course all such Psalms include praise, but the overall tone is decidedly melancholy, imploring the Lord to intervene and save. I admire the Psalmist for their honesty and confidence in the Lord. They are determined to hold fast to him believing that his justice and “loyal love” (hesed) will somehow reign in the end. This truly depicts the life of faith.

I too am drawn to the laments, they seem to both realize and give voice to the fact that we have gone wrong as a world. And yet there is hope so they petition God for help. I think they reflect a bit of what the New Testament means by the "groaning" in Romans 8 that all of creation, ourselves included, experiences as we wait for the full return of the Kingdom of God in Christ.

[Jeff Kuhn]

If I were to write a psalm, it would be a combination of praise and lament and be constructed for use in liturgical worship. The reason for the emphasis on praise is that sometimes our prayers of petition turn into a shopping list of requests and we lose the joy that comes from praise. It would begin with a call to praise and the reason for that praise, then praise. I would then move into an introduction for a series of petitions. The petitions would include intercessions for the world, the church (world-wide and local), specific missions, and then prayer for needs within the local parish. I would end with a vow of confidence/ trust and praise.

I appreciate your thoughtful response. For many years I looked at written prayers as a sign that someone was afraid to actually pray from the heart. As I have grown older I have realized with Jeremiah that "...the heart is deceitful above all things. Who can know it?" That has brought me to the realization that prayers that are written by others can often shine a light into the darker corners of my own heart. I often do not know how to pray. A psalm like you are suggesting would serve as a good guide.

[Jeff Kuhn]

If you wrote one psalm to summarize the content (in proportion) of all the Psalms, what would it include?

I think it would be necessary to include at least one motif of most of the types of psalms, if my psalm were to come near to summarizing the content of them all. I'd begin by addressing God (motif from Lament Psalms), give a cause for praise (Descriptive Praise), and make a confession of trust (Lament). Next I would have the pilgrimage motif on yearning to draw near to and appear before God (Ascent). I'd continue with thanks for deliverance (Declarative Praise) and a petition (Lament). I'd finish with a renewed vow of praise (Enthronement). I think this would make a fairly decent summarizing psalm, and that it could also work as an outline for morning prayers. ...I have left out any motif from the Royal psalms, as you can see. I'm not sure how a reference to a king could be tied in neatly.

It's a bit difficult to figure that aspect out, isn't it? I've been thinking about it for a few days and I think that due to the fact that we are writing after Jesus, He would have to be the King in focus. One example of what that might look like is the song that Paul quotes is Philippians 2:6-11. This would mean that any royal psalm would shift into a combo of an enthronement psalm (Yahweh reigns) and a praise psalm (Hallelujah!).

[Lenora Klassen]

If I wrote one Psalm to reflect the book of Psalms it would include a portion of heartcry, an honest declaration about the desperation of the heart. This might include feelings of being left, ignored or mistreated. More than half of the Psalm would include statements affirming the character and past faithfulness of God (including the sending of Christ as our Messiah).

[Lenora Klassen]

I think the focus of the lament portion being a focus on the lament of personal sins. This approach would be a very helpful model for teaching people how to pray, and how to be filled with the Spirit: confessing sin, and renewing trust in our God. That is the essence of the powerful Christian life and seems to be something that is often missed both in personal and corporate worship.