Thoughts on Psalms

Today, I wanted to put some thoughts with real flesh on it. I surely know that when you're writing your words become more believable supported or contradicted by others. I know C.S. Lewis has written more than I'll ever read. His notions about Psalms are that they are a collection of poems.

"In his excellent meditation on the Psalms, Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis says, "What must be said, however, is that the Psalms are poems, and poems are intended to be sung: not doctrinal treatises, nor even sermons. . . . Most emphatically the Psalms must be read as poems; as lyrics, with all the licences and all the formalities, the hyperboles, the emotional rather than logical connections, which are proper to lyric poetry. They must be read as poems if they are to be understood...." (p. 2-3) From www.xenos.org Tim Clark

Poetry and songs from poetry touch the heart and soul. Even in my Life Application Study Bible (NIV), some of the Psalms are explained as songs and poetry in reference to praise that is heart-felt and lifted up to God. Tim's opposition to this line of explanation is that Psalms are "thus devoid of theological and historical truth value." He goes on to say, "However, when we want to be comforted, or motivated, or awed-in short, when we want to move from the intellectual to the affective-then (and often only then) do we venture into the Psalms. Our choices of when and how to teach from the Psalms also seems to be directed by such an approach; we have our "stock Psalms" which we'll teach occasionally, yet in general we seldom venture into the Psalms for a teaching series." Tim Clark www.xenos.org

Please, go to the xenos site and read more on Psalms that fleshes it out for you. I love the Psalms because they reach my heart and soul. They allow me to express all my feelings-happiness, loneliness, excitement, disappointment, praise, anger, and all my feelings that I know reach God's heart through His Son, Jesus Christ. I memorized the twenty-third Psalm when I was twelve. It has always been my psalm of comfort. Along with the Lord's Prayer and Jesus' scriptures to rebuke Satan after His 40 days in the desert.

Be sure you go to Tim's site. He has many other resources worth reviewing.