Book 4 of Psalms . Lots of contrasts. The sheperd king leads us through the trials and trails of life in this book which is a poetic takeoff on the book of Nubers

1. Key changes in the Psalms
Book 4 of Psalms
An idyllic future mountaintop ending of book 2
in dissonance with a dark present crisis ending of book 3
Now we step back back back to make sense of it starting
with a prayer of Moses the man of God
The myriad uses of musical dissonance: above, a
caricature of Arnold SchoenbergCredit...Ralph Steadman
See Musical Dissonance, From Schumann to Sondheim -
The New York Times (nytimes.com)

2. Book 2 ended with
an idyllic fruitful
world
Ruled by a
“Solomon”
(perhaps meant to be
like the tabernacle
shining in the desert
ending Exodus, only
fruitful not a dessert
and filling the world
not confined)
Book 3 ended with Psalms
speaking of gentiles born
in Zion
As part of the glorious
tings of thee spoken
Followed by the darkest
lament in Psalms and
another mostly lamenting
Psalm
Palms Book 2
Palms Book 3

3. Before resolving this ,
Psalms book 4 will step
back to Moses, to before
there were mountains
and in fact To eternity
Palms Book 4
Opens with :
The prayer of Moses the
man of God

4. Psalms book 4 will step
back to Moses , before
there were mountains
and in fact To eternity
Palms Book 4
Opens with :
The prayer of Moses the
man of God
Poetically like Numbers and will “teach us to number our days”
It will also point us to a need for a greater deliverance than the Exodus
generation had

5. Book 4 will be poetically like Numbers and wanderings led by the Shepherd King

6. Psalm 90
GOD has been our dwelling in all
generations
The sanctuary and temple may
have been ‘the house of God; and
a dwelling of God in a sense” but
God is and has always been our
dwelling

7. “Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting, you are
God.” Psalm 90:2
Moses includes mountain images

8. God is from eternity
1000 years, a day, a
watch in the night all
same to Him
7 times (or more)
We are reminded we are
transient
Our sins are before God
And there are
consequences
7 times (or more)
We are reminded we are
under Gods opposition to
sin . So teach us to
number our transient days
God is faithful Satisfy us with your love
Make known God’s work
to us
Establish the work of our
hands, our transient
hands
Tensions
In Ps 90

9. Psalms 91
The benefits of dwelling with God
He who dwells with you,
in your shadow, is secure
The individual dwelling in the shadow of the almighty
can be seen several ways:
If this is read as the Son in a more literal way
It is like the seed of the woman crushing the head of
the serpent.
He will tread upon the lion and the cobra
And trample upon the serpent’s head

10. Palms 90
You have been
our dwelling
place in all
generations
Palms 91
Because you
made the Lord
your dwelling
place
blessings and
safety follow

11. Many problems
At least 7
Because you made the
Lord your dwelling place,
He will deliver you
God will protect your foot
That foot will tread on the
lion and the cobra,
trample upon the
serpent’s head
Fulfilled in Christ crushing
the head of the serpent.
Also, with the church in
Christ crushing the
serpent under foot
God will show him his
salvation and bless with
a long life
For Christ fulfilled in the
resurrection
Tensions
In Ps 91

12. Psalm 92
A psalm for the Sabbath
We may rest from work on the sabbath but
This Psalm thinks on God’s works

13. This is a psalm for the
Sabbath when man
should not work
Man should meditate on
God’s works
Tensions
In Ps 92

14. Psalm 93
The LORD reigns
Holiness befits his
house
A short Psalm, often
a transition or
punctuation in a flow

15. Psalm 94
An imprecatory Psalm calling on
“the God of vengeance” ,
calling down judgement for
People engaged in injustices like
Killing the widow and orphan.
Those who God disciplines are
blessed (said once). God will wipe
out the wicked (said twice)

16. Tensions
In Ps 94
God will wipe out the
wicked
Blessed are those who
God disciplines
There is a difference
between God’s judgement
and discipline

17. Psalm 95
An assurance that the LORD, the
shepherd king,
will protect his people
But comes with a warning

18. God was will protect his
people
But comes with a warning
Tensions
In Ps 95
(and with other
Psalms)
God is our dwelling in all
generations on Ps 90 and
91
We should enter his rest
and consider his ways and
works in Ps 92
But he loathed the
generation that came out
of Egypt in the Exodus
They didn’t know His ways
They won’t enter His rest
God is a shepherd God is a King

19. Psalm 95
Will be like a(n) inclusio shepherd king
(bookend) with psalm 100. like Psalms
23 and 24 coming back expansively.
The Mountains in His hands, we are in
His hands
The
Enthronement
Psalms

20. Psalm 95
God is a King and a Shepherd (like Psalms 23 and 24)
The LORD has mountains in his hands
The LORD has us in His hands
Psalm 90 said the LORD has been our dwelling place
in all generations
but now….
Psalm 95 says
The generation saved in the exodus He loathed for 40
years

21. Psalms 96 to Psalm 99
Will involve preaching to the
world
Two will be called ‘new
songs’
God's salvation seen by all
nations

22. Psalms 96
through 99
Will sing together
of the gospel
reaching beyond
Zion and
including all the
ends of the earth,
the coastlands,
the people
groups.

23. Psalm 96
Declare His glory among the
nations!

24. Psalm 97
Let the coastlands rejoice!

25. Psalm 98
Sing a new song!
His right hand and holy arm have
brought righteousness!
A song of salvation

26. Psalm 99
The LORD is enthroned in Zion
All the peoples should tremble,
and he is exalted over all the
peoples.

27. Psalms 96 through 99
Are not without warnings
Psalm 99:8 O LORD our God, you
answered them; you were a forgiving
God to them, but an avenger of their
wrongdoings.

28. Psalm 100
We are His people and the
sheep of His pastures
(Like a bookend to Psalm 95)
The
Enthronement
Psalms

29. Psalm 101
A commitment to paise in the first
person
At least 7 commitments made
(like the resolutions of Jonathan
Edward,
The Psalms resolves to follow God)

30. Psalm 102
A prayer of an afflicted person who
has grown weak and pours out a
lament before the LORD.
But sometimes you weep before
you praise
And out of place sounding lament
in the midst of many praise songs
calling for joy

31. Psalm 102
A prayer of an afflicted person
who has grown weak and
pours out a lament before
the LORD.
Psalms book 4 has many calls to rejoice. Even the hills sing, the river’s clap and the sea
roars! But before the individual praises they sometimes weep first.
There are about 30 references to singing, joy, cheer and rejoicing in Psalm book 4
Psalm 94:19
When the cares of my heart are many, your
consolations cheer my soul.
Psalm 102
A prayer of an afflicted person
who has grown weak and pours
out a lament before the LORD.

32. Psalm 103 and 104
Will be preaching
truth to self
Oh, Bless the Lord
Oh my soul!!
One approach to a heart weighed down is to preach truth to self.

33. Psalms 103 and 104 sing together
“Bless the Lord, Oh my soul!”
Psalm 103
Bless God for what
He has done for me
Directly mostly
related to myself
but also persons in
general, even
angelic persons
Forget none of His
benefits!
Psalm 104
Bless God for what
He has done for me
Indirectly through
His creation and
praises will follow
the creation week
order

34. Psalm 103
Preaching to self
Oh Bless the LORD, Oh my soul
Oh has a sense of awe and said
twice
For is personal benefits

35. Psalm 104
Preaching to self
Oh Bless the LORD, Oh my soul
Oh has a sense of awe and said
twice
This time about creation

36. Palms 105
The
faithfulness of
God
Palms 106
The
unfaithfulness
of his people

37. Psalm 105
A historical Psalm
A history of the faithfulness of
God

38. Psalm 106
Another historical Psalm
An uncomplimentary history of Israel
The generation that left Egypt was not faithful
And when Israel went to the promised land,
, following the gods of the Canaanites as well
The land is left under sin needing redemption.

39. Book 4 ended with
an uncomplimentary
history of the
unfaithfulness of
Israel before and
after going to the
promised land
Even a call for God to
save them.
Book 1 promised the
Son with get the
nations as his
inheritance and even
the meek shall
inherit the earth in
the Son
Palms Book 4
Palms Book 1

40. Psalm 105
A historical Psalm
On the faithfulness
of God
Psalm 106
A historical Psalm
On the unfaithfulness
of Israel

41. Book 4 ended with
an uncomplimentary
history of the
unfaithfulness of
Israel before and
after going to the
promised land
Even a call for God to
save them.
Book 1 promised the
Son with get the
nations as his
inheritance and even
the meek shall
inherit the earth in
the Son
Palms Book 4
Palms Book 1

42. Spoiler alert! A resolution is coming
Psalms book 5 will be poetically
Deuteronomy, entering the greater
promised land and coming home
Psalms Book 5
Coming Home

43. Key changes in the Psalms
Book 4 of Psalms
An idyllic future mountaintop ending of book 2
in dissonance with a dark present crisis ending of book 3
Now we step back back back to make sense of it starting with a
prayer of Moses the man of God
fin’
Suffering and glory
The myriad uses of musical dissonance: above, a
caricature of Arnold SchoenbergCredit...Ralph Steadman
See Musical Dissonance, From Schumann to Sondheim -
The New York Times (nytimes.com)