READ IT! - Introduction to Psalms 48-54

Readings for this week

Monday: Psalm 48
Tuesday: Psalm 49
Wednesday: Psalm 50
Thursday: Psalm 51
Friday: Psalm 52
Saturday: Psalm 53
Sunday: Psalm 54

Introduction to Psalms 48-54

Psalm 48

The Sons of Korah say, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised! The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion. O God, we ponder your love in your temple.”

The term “Zion” in the Old Testament is used as a kind of code word for the coming kingdom of God. Zion was a symbol of God’s dominion over the whole earth, as well as the promise of a great future, when the Gentiles would come and submit to Israel’s God. The worship at the Temple was a foretaste of that future, when David’s kingdom would extend over all humanity forever. The very presence of Zion in a human city, Jerusalem, was proof that God’s covenant was with people and that, unlike the gods of the nations, he would indeed dwell among us.

Psalm 49

The Sons of Korah say, “Hear this, all peoples! Man in his pomp will not endure. He is like the beasts that perish. But God will ransom my soul from Sheol.”

The psalmist portrayed death (or the grave) as an insatiable monster feeding upon its victims. The “grave” (Hebrew Sheol) refers in a general way to the realm of the dead, the netherworld, where, it was thought, departed spirits lived. The Israelites viewed death as the opposite of life, and resurrection was not yet a part of their communal experience with God. The grave in their view brought no escape from God, but just how the ancient Israelites viewed the condition of the godly dead is unclear.

Psalm 50

This is “a psalm of Asaph.”  Asaph, a Levite of the Gershonite family, was appointed over the service of praise during the time of David and Solomon. He led the singing, sounded cymbals before the ark and apparently set up a school of music. Twelve psalms are credited to Asaph, but this accreditation does not necessarily imply authorship and may mean no more than that these psalms constituted an Asaphic collection, begun by the great man and then prolonged over the years by the Asaph singers. The psalms themselves cover a long span of time, and have a deep and contemplative nature.

Psalm 50 is a “covenant lawsuit” brought by God against his consecrated ones, who made a covenant with him by sacrifice. This sort of legal practice was common in the Old Testament as a means by which God aired Israel’s shortcomings and justified his judgment upon the nation.

The psalmist says, “The Mighty One, God the LORD speaks: ‘I will not accept bulls and goats. For you hate discipline. Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving.’"

Psalm 51

This Davidic psalm is introduced with the words: “When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.”

David says, “Have mercy on me, O God! Cleanse me from my sin. Do not cast me away from your presence. A broken heart, O God, you will not despise.”

When David cries out to God in repentance after his sin with Bathsheba, he says, "Cleanse me with hyssop." This is not an insignificant request. Hyssop was used as a healing ointment for wounds. It cleansed the wound so that healing could begin, but this wasn't a comfortable process by any means. It hurt! It burned! David isn't saying "take my sin away from me," he is saying "burn this sin right out of me!" It'd be like saying, "God, pour battery acid on me until all the evil in me has been burned up!" Also, healing doesn't always come quickly. David never fully recovered from the consequences of his sin, however, his "wound" would never have been healed at all had it not first been "cleansed."

Psalm 52

This Davidic psalm is introduced with the words: “When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: ‘David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.’” This resulted in Saul murdering the priests who had aided David when he was fleeing Saul.

David says, “Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? Surely God will bring you down to ruin. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.”

Although there is evidence that ancient Israel was far more forested than it is today, the presence of flourishing trees was still a sign of divine blessing for former nomads living on the fringes of a settled, agricultural society. The Old Testament presents a thriving tree as symbolic of the blessing of the righteous. This blessing is frequently contrasted with the sad state of the wicked, depicted in terms of nonproductive dryness. Olive trees, which live for hundreds of years, were not actually planted in the temple courts.

Psalm 53

David says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ There is no one who does good. Will evildoers never learn? God has rejected them.”

Psalm 54

This Davidic psalm is introduced with the words: “When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, ‘Is not David hiding among us?’” This would have been when David was on the run from Saul who was trying to kill him.

David says, “Save me, O God! For strangers have risen against me. God is my helper. He will repay my enemies. I will praise your name, O LORD!”