Why Sample the Psalms?

 Often when it comes to the Bible people say to the Holy Spirit, ‘I like your new stuff better than your old stuff’ because it is about Jesus. The New Testament seems more tangible and is clear on exactly what Jesus has done for us. When you come to the Psalms you might think 'What is all this mess of emotion, random thoughts and touchy feely stuff'. But think on this: Jesus said the whole Old testament is about him (Luke 24:44-47). He even says Psalms are about him and are proof that he had to die and rise again for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:44).

Not only that, Jesus sampled the Psalms. It's a bit like a rap or R&B artist that resurrects some old rock or soul classic. They sample it to get the mood and groove for a new personal expression of the original vibe of the song. Jesus takes the Psalms and uses their lyrics bringing to our mind the whole vibes of the Psalm they come from. 

The big exception to Jesus' sampling is that the Psalms are about him. When modern artists sample James Brown they sample songs that James Brown wrote about another time, another place and other people. The original authors of the Psalms knew that they were writing scripture for Christians and trying to work out what this meant for the Christ (1 Peter 1:10-12). So we are to Sample the Psalms and make them part of our life because Jesus is now part of our life if we trust in him.

Songs for Saints.
It is interesting where the Psalms are on Jesus’ lips in the Gospels. When things seem out of control and the world turned upside down – when God’s chosen King is facing death.

‘My God, why have you forsaken me?’ Ps 22
‘Into your hands I commit my spirit’ Ps 31
‘I thirst’ Ps 69

As followers of King Jesus we will cop some of the treatment he did in a world that wars against him (1 Peter 4). The Psalms cover the range of Christian experience and Psalms 1 & 2 anchor us in what it means to be God's people.

Ps 1 - Are you righteous or wicked? Do you pay attention to what God says in the Bible?

Ps 2 - Are you following Yahweh's King? He is the one who dispenses blessing or wrath?

The Psalms are Songs for Saints. A collection of bold, raw, majestic, beautiful, broken, joyful, disconcerting and at times unPC songs that can shake you to the core or sooth your soul. Some of them leave you thinking ‘Can anyone talk to God like that?’. ‘Can I talk to God like that?’.

If you are trying to keep a lid on your relationship with God or hold back from the richness of your conversation with your heavenly Father, you would be inclined to skip over them. Certainly when I was preparing this series I was thinking about cherry picking a few psalms to fit in with some themes I’d thought of talking on. However, a friend of mine challenged me to stick to a section so that God's word would bring up the themes. I have found this confronting but exciting, disconcerting, invigorating and challenging. But enough of my feelings.

Why don’t you sample the Psalms? Open them up! Let God’s word guide and enrich your life and help you in every season of your life - in every blessing, in every disappointment, in every heartbreak, in joy, in anger, in sadness, in success, in failure …. Your heavenly Father knows you, cares for you and wants you to be refreshed in him. That is why by His Holy Spirit he wrote this book for you through a number of authors and their experiences of life trusting in Yahweh.