Peter Goeman: The Sufficiency and Superiority of God's Word

A Better Message on Psalm 1&2

I recently listened to an episode of Theocast saying that Psalm 1 is not about you. What they were communicating is that no one can the man in Psalm 1 because we can never perfectly obey the Word of God, which is true, and that we do not make an appearance until Psalm 2. Jesus is only One that can be the man in Psalm 1 because He was the only One who can perfectly obey the Word. 

While I get what the Theocast guys were saying my issue was no where did they mention that although we cannot perfectly obey the Bible perfectly, we should strive to be the man that Psalm 1 addresses. We should not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers. We should strive to delight, obey, and love God's Word which we meditate on it all day.

As I mentioned, only Jesus can do this perfectly but that does not mean we should not desire that for ourselves. Thankfully, there is a better sermon on Psalm 1 and 2 that does mention Christ as the man of Psalm 1 and does exhort us to strive to be the blessed man it says. 

This is message from James Hamilton, which was the start of his sermon series in the book of Psalms. A huge thanks to David Hacker for sharing this video.

Book Review: How to Read & Understand the Psalms by Bruce Waltke and Fred Zaspel

The book of Psalms is the most read and quoted book of the Old Testament. The Psalms have also been put into music more than any other book in the Bible as I have mentioned in a previous review. 

The Psalms are written with different types of emotions. Some are rejoicing while others are lamenting over the writer's current circumstance. Many times, when one reads the Psalms, you will notice they are not in context as a historical narrative like most of the Old Testament books. For some, it can be confusing as to what kind of Psalm I am reading. 

Bruce Waltke and Fred Zaspel have written a book to assist believers, whether new or seasoned, in understanding the Psalms titled, How to Read & Understand the Psalms. This book begins with a basic introduction to the Psalms as well as the different types of Psalms. The next few chapters address studying the Psalms whether for a sermon or personal Bible study. 

Waltke and Zaspel even address the genre of the Psalms which is Hebrew poetry. Now I know for a lot of people when they hear the word, poetry, they tend to think of a passage that rhymes with words, which is not the case for Hebrew poetry. The rest of the book, which is nearly over half of it, address the different types of Psalms, what they are, and which Psalms they are in the Bible. 

This book will be a great benefit to new believers who are reading and studying the Psalms for the first time. This will also be a good study aid to pastors as they lead their congregation through the Psalms.

I received this book from Crossway in exchange for a review.

Book Review: Musing on God's Music by Scott Aniol

The book of Psalms is one of the most popular books of the Bible and perhaps the most read book of the Old Testament. Some have called the book of Psalms, "God's songbook" or "God's Hymnbook." 

Many of the Psalms, if not all of them, have been converted in songs of worship for the church. I personally have a playlist on Spotify that have the Psalms set to music by various musicians such as Sovereign Grace, The Corner Room, Already Not Yet, CityAlight, and more. 

The Psalms were important to the people of God during the Old and New Testament times as well as the church in years past. Many churches have sung the Psalms but there are some churches that want to sing more modern songs that are not biblical. 

In Scott Aniol's latest book, Musing on God's Music, he dives into the book of Psalms and the importance of singing these songs in the church today. Aniol beings with the foundation of praise by looking into the first three Psalms.

Aniol takes five chapters in the middle of the book to go through the division of the Psalms which he calls a five-movement cantata. Each of the five books of the Psalms were set by accident. These were set with a certain order in mind. According to Aniol, a decline in the use of the Psalms is due to not recognizing this deliberate organization. 

The final section of the book addresses how can we use the Psalms to lead us to true blessedness and praise. A way to look at the Psalm is them in light of the gospel. Aniol gives a list of the Psalms in various categories that are classify their gospel function for the believer today. As we look into the Psalms, they will shape our hearts to repent, be thankful, trust and praise the Lord. 

The Psalms tend to be looked at as more of an inspiration book to many Christians rather than a book of worship. Aniol's book will help you realize the Psalms are God inspired songs for us to sing. Now, he is not arguing for strict Psalmody as some believers think our worship should be, but Aniol does really well to present the Psalm as God's music as the title of his book says.

I received this book from G3 Press in exchange for an honest review.

Protected While Exposed

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).

True believers, although they dwell safely under the protection of God, are, notwithstanding, exposed to many dangers, or rather they are liable to all the afflictions which befall mankind in common, that they may feel the better how much they need the protection of God. David, therefore, here expressly declares, that if any adversity should befall him, he would lean upon the providence of God. Thus he does promise himself continual pleasures; but he fortifies himself by the help of God courageously endure the various calamities with which he might be visited. 

Adapted from Hearts Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms 

A Reading of Psalm 3 in The LSB

A Reading of Psalm 2 in the LSB

Christ is Our King and Priest

Yahweh says to my Lord:

“Sit at My right hand

Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”

Yahweh will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,

“Have dominion in the midst of Your enemies.”

Your people will offer themselves freely in the day of Your power;

In the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn,

The dew of Your youthfulness will be Yours.

Yahweh has sworn and will not change His mind,

“You are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek.”

The Lord is at Your right hand;

He will crush kings in the day of His anger.

He will render justice among the nations,

He will fill them with corpses,

He will crush the head that is over the wide earth.

He will drink from the brook by the wayside;

Therefore He will lift up His head (Psalm 110, Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)).

This psalm triumphantly looks to the future, to the Son of David who towers over David himself as God’s ultimate solution to a world hostile toward its Creator. The first verse of this psalm is cited all throughout the New Testament, and especially throughout Hebrews, as ancient testimony fulfilled in Christ of God’s promise of a coming Messiah who would establish justice over God’s enemies once and for all.

How does this text integrate into your own life? Christ’s enemies are your enemies, as you are his disciple aligned with him. Your greatest battle has been won. But what is this greatest battle? Your deepest struggle is against sin and death and condemnation. This transcends all other struggles. This is your real danger: separation from the Father because of your own rebellion. Conquest by Satan and the forces of hell, accusing you of your actual sinfulness.

And how is this battle won? By the fulfillment of verse 4: God has sent a priest who, unlike every other priest, will never die and will never have to offer a sacrifice for his own sin (Heb. 7:1–25). Instead, this priest has himself been the sacrifice for your sins.

Christ is your king, representing God to you, but he is also your priest, representing you to God. He is worthy of all our trust.

Adapted from the ESV Devotional Psalter

Music Monday: Satisfied in You (Psalm 42) by The Sing Team

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Music Monday: Out of the Mire by The Crossing Music

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The New Worship War: Should We Just Sing Psalms?

My favorite Old Testament book is the Psalms, which I think it is the favorite of a lot of Christians. One of the reasons I love the Psalms is the honest prayers of those who are writing these songs. Another reason is how God is exalted in every Psalm where the readers get his/her eyes to things above.

The Psalms are considered the original hymnbook to many Christians. There have been a number of songs written based on the Psalms and whole albums as well. A lot of these songs based on the Psalms are indeed more worthy of being called a worship song compared some modern songs that are sung in the church today, which leads to the question, should the church being singing only the Psalms?

There is a growing number of believers that think this is the better way to worship the Lord because all the songs would be based on the Word of God, which is commendable. However, we do not see any evidence in the Bible that we are to sing only Psalms. In the Bible, we see these two passages that parallel one another:

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:17-19).

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16).

When we come together in worship, we are sing music that honors God and lift up praise to Him. R. Kent Hughes wrote:

(W)hen the church comes together there is verbal, musical communication—both horizontal and vertical...The Roman governor Pliny, in his famous letter to the Emperor Trajan in A.D. 112, tells how the Christians in his province had the custom of meeting on a fixed day before dawn and “reciting a hymn antiphonally to Christ as God.” Tertullian, writing from North Africa toward the end of the same century, describes a Christian feast at which “Each is invited to sing to God in the presence of others from what he knows of the holy scripture or from his own heart.” Putting all this together we get the idea: some sang “psalms” from the Old Testament Psalter, some sang new Christian “hymns,” perhaps like those in Revelation 4, 5, and some sang “spiritual songs”—unpremeditated praise from the heart. Imagine how beautiful and soul-satisfying these meetings must have been under the orchestration of the Holy Spirit.

I don't think there is nothing wrong with singing the Psalms in our worship services, but we must be careful that it does not become ritualistic or even legalistic. The same is true for hymns and spiritual songs. Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn as they concluded the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30). There are a great number of hymns and worship songs for Christians to sing.

Granted there are a number of them that we must stay clear from. If a collection of songs come from a church or an individual known for heresy, then we should stay clear from those songs entering in our congregations. Just because a song is played on Christian radio, it does not qualify it as a worship song. What should qualify it is if it is in line with the Bible. Jesus says those who worship God are those who worship in spirit and in truth. To worship in truth means to worship God based in His revealed word to us. There are many things God has shown us about Himself in the Psalms, but there are other places in scripture He has done so as well.

This is from my original post: Should We Sing Only The Psalms?

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Music Monday: Psalm 139 (in Three Videos) by The Corner Room

In their second volume dedicated to the Psalms, The Corner Room divided the 139th Psalm into three songs, which means three lyric videos:

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