Signposts

A Devotional Map Of The Psalms

Derek Tidball

• Publisher: IVP
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781844743735
• eBook ISBN: 9781844748211
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christianity

There have been times of personal difficulty when the Psalms alone have been my source of hope, as they directed me to God and his rebuke and discipline but also to his unfailing love and forgiveness.'
The Psalms have an extraordinary ability to enable people to give voice to joy, praise and thanksgiving and an equal ability to turn their fears, frustrations and failures into heartfelt prayer to God. The whole of life is to be found in them, the complete range of emotions and the raw reality of our precarious existence.
Signposts provides a map to help readers chart their way through the Psalms, watch out for points of interest, and make connections between one place and another. This devotional book will repay careful reading with a Bible open alongside it.
* A psalm per page makes for ideal daily reading or preacher's notes.
* Short articles explore significant themes from the Psalms.
* Signposts helpfully provoke reflection, action or response.

Psalm 1

The great divide

Orientation: Psalm 1 serves as a suitable introduction to the whole of the Psalms because of its uncomplicated delight in God’s law. The Psalms, like the writings associated with Moses, are arranged in five books and share an emphasis on the importance of God’s law, the essence of which lies, not in legal stipulations, but in an understanding of his ways. Psalm 1 divides the world sharply into two groups – the godly and the godless. The godly know God’s blessing; the wicked experience his judgment.

Map: This psalm is the most basic of all and introduces:

The godly, 1–3

In introducing the godly, the Psalmist gives us:

• a warning to note, 1. His thought shows a progression, warning against increasing involvement with the ungodly, from walking (casual acquaintance) to standing (lingering) and finally sitting (belonging).
• a pattern to follow, 2. Godliness grows from paying careful and joyful attention to God’s word.
• an ambition to have, 3. To be an evergreen and fruitful tree in dry and dusty Israel was something to be prized.

The godless, 4–5

Note the strong contrast between the godly and the godless – ‘not so the wicked’:

• their existence is empty, 4b: ‘chaff’;
• their life is precarious, 4c: ‘blows away’;
• their destiny is destruction, 5.

Links: Verse 6 provides a succinct summary of the psalm. Deut. 30:15–20 and Matt. 7:13–14, 24–27 dwell on the same theme.

Signpost: Some of the trees in our garden are flourishing, but others are diseased and need treatment while one evergreen recently died from lack of water and had to be removed. Which sort of tree characterizes my life with God? How much do I love God’s law and build my life and relationships around it? Am I tempted to linger around those who are unhelpful to my being a follower of Jesus and am I being drawn away from him?

Psalm 2

The laughing God

Orientation: This shocking psalm offends modern sensibilities as God laughs not in humour, but in derision at the nations. The nations are an example of ‘the wicked’ spoken about in Psalm 1. Many view it as a second introduction because the theme of kingship is prominent in the Psalms.

Map: This map is drawn on a cosmic scale and features:

The rebellion of the nations, 1–3

They are characterized by engaging in:

• frenetic activity, 1, in plotting and conspiring;
• futile alliances, 2, in banding together;
• foolish ambitions, 3, in seeking independence from God.

The derision of the Lord, 4–6

• God’s reaction is to laugh at their folly, 4.
• God’s response is to rebuke their wilfulness, 5.
• God’s rebuttal is to re-establish his authority, 6, by installing his own king on the throne.

The dominion of the son, 7–9

The king is God’s son and these verses speak of his:

• unique relationship to the Father, 7;
• universal rule over the earth, 8;
• uncompromising judgment on his enemies, 9.

The reflection of the onlooker, 10–12

Reflecting on this, a commentator invites the nations to:

• choose wisdom and take warning, 10;
• serve reverently, 11;
• submit humbly to the son’s rule, 12.

Links: The early Christians saw it as speaking of Jesus’ kingly rule: Matt. 3:17; Acts 4:25–26; 13:32–33; Heb. 1:5–6; Rev. 2:7; 12:5; 19:15.

Signpost: Tony Blair’s spokesman famously said that as UK prime minister Blair didn’t ‘do God’. But can politicians avoid ‘doing God’? And isn’t it good that they hold themselves accountable to the supreme authority in the universe? This psalm assumes a big God who is more powerful than the super­powers who conspire against him. Is my God this big? Do I really believe he holds nations accountable? If so, how does that fuel my attitudes and prayers?

Psalm 3

Falling apart

Orientation: Set in the time of his son Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam. 15 – 17), this psalm reflects one of the lowest points of David’s reign when he was threatened with losing everything he had accomplished. Life was falling apart.

Map: Here are the contours of faith.

The valley: the enemies he faced, 1–2

David expresses what he feels about his enemies:

• their numbers, 1: ‘many’. Kidner speaks of ‘a rising tide of disloyalty’;
• their character, 2: accusing, cynical, faithless;
• their falsehood, 2: in saying God has deserted David.

The mountaintop: the God he trusted, 3–7

Note the active verbs. God ‘lifts my head high’, ‘answers me’, ‘sustains me’. In dire circumstances, God is:

• a protective shield, 3;
• a ready listener, 4;
• a sustaining presence, 5–6;
• an active saviour, 7.

The plateau: the faith he expressed, 8

When faced with trouble we often look to people for support, but David expresses his confidence in God as the one who will deliver him.

Links: Although the psalm arises out of an extreme situation, verses 5–6 make it ‘also an evening psalm for the ordinary believer’ (Kidner), helping them to view their everyday troubles in the context of faith. 1 Pet. 5:7 may aptly be said to summarize the psalm: ‘Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.’

Signpost: An inability to sleep is one of the warning signs of stress, depression or, ironically, exhaustion. It is often accompanied by anxiety or a foolish desire to control what we cannot control. Yet here is David in the most extreme of situations sleeping well because of his faith in God. Do I believe that my God is the God of David? If so, can I leave my situations of extreme difficulty and my everyday troubles in his hands? Do I turn to God as a first or a last resort? And how does this active trust in God differ from complacency or an avoidance of responsibility?

Psalm 4

Seeking God’s smile

Orientation: The prayer, ‘Let the smile of your face shine on us, Lord’ (NLT, v. 6), is the climax of the psalm which functions as a primer on prayer.

Map: This elementary guide to prayer highlights:

The heart of prayer, 1

• The cry for help. ‘Mercy’ here is not a quest for forgiveness for wrongdoing, since David believes himself to be sinned against rather than a sinner (2–3), but for relief from distress. David has come to the end of his own resources and believes only God can help.

The occasion of prayer, 2

• A situation of need and distress caused by enemies,...

Table of contents

• Signposts
• Contents
• Introduction
• Psalm 1
• Psalm 2
• Psalm 3
• Psalm 4
• Psalm 5
• Meditating on God’s law
• Psalm 6
• Psalm 7
• Psalm 8
• Psalm 9
• Psalm 10
• The justice of God
• Psalm 11
• Psalm 12
• Psalm 13
• Psalm 14
• Psalm 15
• ‘The Maker of heaven and earth’
• Psalm 16
• Psalm 17
• Psalm 18
• Psalm 19
• Psalm 20
• The God who saves me
• Psalm 21
• Psalm 22
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 24
• Psalm 25
• Covenant love
• Psalm 26
• Psalm 27
• Psalm 28
• Psalm 29
• Psalm 30
• God’s activity in history
• Psalm 31
• Psalm 32
• Psalm 33
• Psalm 34
• Psalm 35
• The Lord reigns
• Psalm 36
• Psalm 37
• Psalm 38
• Psalm 39
• Psalm 40
• Zion and the temple
• Psalm 41
• Psalm 42
• Psalm 43
• Psalm 44
• Psalm 45
• Exile and return
• Psalm 46
• Psalm 47
• Psalm 48
• Psalm 49
• Psalm 50
• ‘The name of the Lord is to be praised’
• Psalm 51
• Psalm 52
• Psalm 53
• Psalm 54
• Psalm 55
• Give thanks to the Lord
• Psalm 56
• Psalm 57
• Psalm 58
• Psalm 59
• Psalm 60
• Affirmations of faith
• Psalm 61
• Psalm 62
• Psalm 63
• Psalm 64
• Psalm 65
• ‘Trust in the Lord’
• Psalm 66
• Psalm 67
• Psalm 68
• Psalm 69
• Psalm 70
• ‘I’m hurting’: Personal lament
• Psalm 71
• Psalm 72
• Psalm 73
• Psalm 74
• Psalm 75
• ‘We’re hurting’: Community lament
• Psalm 76
• Psalm 77
• Psalm 78
• Psalm 79
• Psalm 80
• ‘Blot out my transgressions’
• Psalm 81
• Psalm 82
• Psalm 83
• Psalm 84
• Psalm 85
• ‘Curse them, Lord’: Psalms of vengeance
• Psalm 86
• Psalm 87
• Psalm 88
• Psalm 89
• Psalm 90
• ‘Teach me your ways, Lord’: Wisdom psalms
• Psalm 91
• Psalm 92
• Psalm 93
• Psalm 94
• Psalm 95
• A quick reference guide
• Psalm 96
• Psalm 97
• Psalm 98
• Psalm 99
• Psalm 100
• The beauty of the Psalms: Poetry
• Psalm 101
• Psalm 102
• Psalm 103
• Psalm 104
• Psalm 105
• Five books or one?
• Psalm 106
• Psalm 107
• Psalm 108
• Psalm 109
• Psalm 110
• Who wrote the Psalms?
• Psalm 111
• Psalm 112
• Psalm 113
• Psalm 114
• Psalm 115
• ‘Make music to the Lord’
• Psalm 116
• Psalm 117
• Psalm 118
• Psalm 119
• Psalm 120
• The Psalms and festivals
• Psalm 121
• Psalm 122
• Psalm 123
• Psalm 124
• Psalm 125
• The Psalms and the Messiah
• Psalm 126
• Psalm 127
• Psalm 128
• Psalm 129
• Psalm 130
• The Psalms and the life of Jesus
• Psalm 131
• Psalm 132
• Psalm 133
• Psalm 134
• Psalm 135
• The Psalms and the cross of Jesus
• Psalm 136
• Psalm 137
• Psalm 138
• Psalm 139
• Psalm 140
• The Psalms and the apostle Paul
• Psalm 141
• Psalm 142
• Psalm 143
• Psalm 144
• Psalm 145
• The Psalms and the letter to the Hebrews
• Psalm 146
• Psalm 147
• Psalm 148
• Psalm 149
• Psalm 150
• The Psalms and the book of Revelation
• Afterword
• For reference and further reading