My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to Psalms 1-2; 8; 19-33; 40; 46. The title of the lesson was “The Lord Is My Shepherd.” The lesson was introduced as follows:
We don’t know for certain who wrote the Psalms. Some have been
attributed to King David, but for most of them, the writers remain anonymous.
Yet after reading the Psalms, we may feel as if we know the hearts of the
Psalmists, even if we don’t know their names. What we do know is that the
Psalms were an important part of worship among the Israelites, and we know that
the Savior quoted them often. In the Psalms, we get a window into the soul of
God’s ancient people. We see how they felt about God, what they worried about,
and how they found peace. As believers today, all over the world, we still use
these words in our worship of God. The writers of the Psalms seem to have had a
window into our souls and seem to have
found a way to express how we feel about God, what we worry about, and how we
find peace.
As usual, the lesson taught several
principles. The principle for this discussion is “The Psalms point our minds to
the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.” Some of the Psalms point to the mortal
life of Jesus Christ, and the relationships were noticed by Christians in New
Testament times. Here is a comparison between Psalms 2 and 22 with some New
Testament scriptures.
PSALM 2:2-3, 7
2 The kings of
the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their
bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
7 I will declare the
decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son;
this day have I begotten thee.
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their
voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the
heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth
stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and
against his Christ.
27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom
thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the
Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined
before to be done.
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy
servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and
wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
PSALM 22
A messianic psalm of David—He foretells events in the Messiah’s life—The Messiah will say, My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?—They will pierce His hands and feet—He will yet govern among all nations. To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far
from helping me, and
from the words
of my roaring?
2 O my God, I cry in
the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou art holy, O
thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in
thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto
thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
6 But I am a
worm, and no man; a reproach of
men, and despised of
the people.
7 All they that see
me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted on the Lord that he
would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
35 And
they crucified him, and parted his garments,
casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,
They parted my garments among them, and upon my
vesture did they cast lots.
36 And sitting down they watched him
there;
37 And set up over his head his
accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE
JEWS.
38 Then were there two thieves
crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 ¶ And they that
passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest
the temple, and buildest it in three
days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down
from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests
mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot
save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we
will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let
him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am
the Son of God.
44 The thieves also, which were
crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
45 Now from the sixth hour there
was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus
cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to
say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for
they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
35 And the people stood beholding. And
the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save
himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
23 Then the
soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four
parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat:
now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
24 They said therefore among
themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be:
that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast
lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
If you were a Jew in the time of Jesus and were familiar with the Psalms, how would you view the connections between Psalms and what you were seeing? For me, the connection would be a confirming voice that Jesus really was the Son of God.
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