Jesus and the Psalms

There is a spiritual thrill for the new Christian when the Holy Spirit begins to reveal Jesus Christ, especially in the Old Testament. The prophets of Israel preached and wrote of the coming Messiah. These prophecies occurred centuries before Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary at Nazareth of Galilee (Is 7:14; Mt 1:23; Gal 4:4).

The all-knowing God of heaven and earth, who eternally decreed all things that will come to pass (Is 42:9; Lam 3:37; Jn 13:19; Eph 1:11), revealed long beforehand the advent(s) of His beloved Son, who, at the fullness of time, came to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21; 26:28; Eph 1:7). The foretelling of Messiah was the hope of Israel. He remains the blessed hope of those who trust in Him for so great a salvation, today (Col 1:27; 1 Tim 1:1).

Jesus Christ, our Lord, is coming again to judge the world in righteousness (Gen 18:25; Acts 17:31; Rom 2:5; Rev 19:11); and to deliver His people from every age and every people group, from the ultimate ravages of sin, death, righteous judgment, and eternal punishment (Jn 5:28–29; Rom 6:23; Heb 9:27; Rev 20:11).

The hope of Israel is, today, seated on the throne of God at the right hand of majesty (Ps 110:1; Jer 14:8; 17:13; Rom 8:34; Heb 1:3; 8:1). Our sovereign, omnipotent Lord reigns above all (Rev 19:6); for all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him by God the Father (Mt 28:18).

We worship the King of Glory in the beauty of His holiness (Ps 24; 27:4; 50:2). We fix our eyes on Him (Heb 12:2); eyes of faith granted to us by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9, 11; Eph 1:18), who has given us the Bible through His inspiring (moving along) true prophets and apostles to write the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20–21).

The Bible has many genres within its 66 books. Each book should inspire us to worship God the Father in Spirit and in truth (Jn 4:23–24), through our one Mediator, Jesus Christ, who is our King and Great High Priest (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 5–7; 9:15; 12:24).

One book stands apart from all the rest, in its aid for God’s people to worship Him. It is the Book of Psalms. 150 chapters of wisdom literature in the form of poems that are to be set to music. Not only are the Psalms a song book of beautiful poetry; but the collection doubly serves as our Christian prayer book. The Psalms reveal the communication relationship between God and His chosen people. God speaks to us; and we speak to Him with the Words He Himself has provided for us.

No book has ever been compiled to capture human emotion like the Bible’s book of Psalms. No collection of poetry has ever come close to the popularity and perpetuity of the Psalms. God knows our hearts better than we do. He gives us words: for when our hearts are filled with joy; when in need of encouragement; when confession of sin is required; when enemies surround us; when we need God to fill the void within us; and when our hearts are broken in grief and despair.

God’s redeemed people are to love the Lord our God with our whole hearts but also with our minds. He captures our hearts and minds with both truth and passion in His Word. This presents a problem we must solve in our generation and with those whom God has blessed us with in community. We must discover the revealed Christ in the Psalms as our portion. Substitutes will never satisfy us.

One of the richest reservoirs in the Old Testament for seeing Christ is the Book of Psalms. The Psalms represent the largest book in the entire Bible. The center of the Bible, when counting verses is Psalm 118:8, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” No book is more often quoted in the New Testament (only Isaiah even comes close). More than half of the prophetic allusions to Jesus in the Old Testament are found in the Psalms.

It is the devil’s work to lead us away from God, our Maker (Gen 3). God’s design is for His image bearers to find Him to be their all in all (Col 3:11). Humans are complex beings, biologically and spiritually (body and soul). We are, however, broken vessels because of sin. The fall of man and creation has marred the image of God in people (Gen 3). We should love God; but because of sin, we hate God in our unregenerate state (Rom 1:30; 1 Cor 2:14). Even after one is born again (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3), the flesh of the saint wars against the indwelling Spirit (Rom 7). We need help from the Spirit and the Word to incline our hearts to sing God’s praise.

To see Jesus is to see our God and Savior (Titus 1:4; 2:13). It should not be difficult for believers to see Jesus in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms. One must be warned that certain theologians will dissuade Christians from looking for Christ in the Psalms. They will suggest this is eisegesis; but no one is reading the Christ of the New Testament back into the Old Testament, if He was already there revealed in prophetic words.

The Christian’s salvation, predestined by God before the foundation of the world (Rom 8:30; Eph 1:4–5), in His predetermined plan and foreknowledge (Acts 2:23), is a restoration project — really, a new creation (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15). Christ died for us (Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3); and then the Father and Son sent the Spirit to cause His elect to be born again of God (Jn 3:1–8; 14:26; 15:26; 1 Pet 1:3).

God redeemed His elect, so to conform us into the image of His only begotten Son (Rom 8:29). Jesus was/is the perfect God-man. During His earthly ministry, He always did what was pleasing to the Father (Jn 8:29). He even told the people that the Scriptures were about Him (Jn 5:39, 46). The Psalms certainly speak of Him.

When we read the Psalms; they are raw, earthy, real. They do not hide the fact that Christ suffered in His humanity and earthly ministry. The Psalms foretold Messiah’s trouble (Ps 22). His tribulation in the world would precede glory to follow (Ps 2:7; 110:1). The Psalms revealed this about Jesus and reveal it for us who are in Him (Rom 8:18). This makes the Psalms relevant regarding the past, the present, and the future. They are timeless truth.

Our Christian praise and devotion, so perfectly represented in the words of the Psalms should compel us to study, meditate, memorize, sing, recite, write, preach, hear, and delight in the Psalms. The Psalms are also for today’s spiritual but not-so-religious folk. In addition, these 150 chapters of the Bible crush the false teaching of health and wealth prosperity theology. Further, they elevate worship above the often unbiblical, effeminate, “Christian” music in our contemporary gatherings.

To sing the Psalms in one’s local church, is to literally sing the Bible. The Word of God is revealed by God for His beloved to learn, pray, praise, and worship God in Christ. The Psalms were quoted by Jesus and sung by His disciples (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16).

The Spirit of Christ continues to reveal Christ in the Psalms in every generation. It behooves every believer in Jesus to search the Psalms, so to see Jesus, by the gracious illumination of His indwelling Spirit (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11; Eph 1:18).

As God’s grace compels you to enjoy God’s song book, may you sing a new song unto the Lord, with the timeless Word that gave you life (Jn 6:63), that fills your heart with the joy of the Lord (Ps 84:2), and that liberates you from the world, to be free to serve and worship the living God.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

July 21, 2024