The Book of Psalms was the hymn-book and prayer-book for Christ's holy people in Old Testament times. Since it is included in the Holy Scriptures to serve the Church until the last day, we can use it in the same way. It is the most comprehensive collection of sacred prayers, poems, and hymns in the Bible; and it is the most quoted book in the New Testament. Much of our liturgy is taken directly from the Psalms: especially the many Introits, the confession of sins from Psalm 55, and the Venite from Psalm 95. Many of our hymns are based on them. Most notable are "A Mighty Fortress," based on Psalm 46 and "Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee," based on Psalm 130.

Various authors, spanning centuries, wrote the 150 Psalms; but most of them were written by David. The collection of Psalms was completed somewhere around 400 B.C. The content includes Psalms about the coming Messiah (Psalms 2, 110), the seven Penitential Psalms (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) which speak of the justified sinner, and Psalms known as "The Songs of Ascent" (Psalms 120-134), which were sung by the Israelites as they traveled up to Jerusalem for the great annual feasts. We can use them for our congregational festivals, events, or even funerals, since they reflect our journey together to the heavenly Jerusalem. Psalm 119, the longest, is a structured devotion on the Word of God, which has many applications to our lives.

Then there are the Imprecatory Psalms (e.g., 58, 69, 137, 139, 140). These Psalms call upon God to carry out justice by bringing punishment or destruction upon the unrighteous, especially those who have mistreated us. These Psalms cause unwarranted embarrassment to those untrained in the Word, especially those who bask daily in the glow of the worldly wisdom of Oprah. Psalm 139 is a good example. It begins by extolling the infinite wisdom of God and the wonder of our creation in our mother's womb, and then ends by calling for God to slay the wicked. Certainly a twist, but there is nothing about which to be embarrassed. In all imprecatory Psalms the principle remains, "Vengeance is mine, I shall repay, says the Lord." Christians are never to seek personal revenge, but they can seek and pray for the restraining of evil, or, as the Psalmist states, "I hate them with a perfect hatred" (Psalm 139:22). A perfect hatred is not marred by sinful personal revenge, but is a hatred against those "who hate You, O Lord." In Psalm 139, it is a godly anger that abhors evil and struggles against those forces of darkness such as sin, death, and the devil. Christ's people certainly hate those forces, even when they rise up within ourselves.

To unlock the meaning and to gain the most from the Psalms is to read them through the knowledge of Christ crucified. Then we will be edified by all that is in this rich treasure of the Bible. Luther taught much about the Psalms, and his insight into how we approach them is very useful. He wrote:

"'I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also' (1 Cor. 14:15). To sing with the spirit is to sing with spiritual devotion and emotion. This is said in opposition to those who sing only with the flesh. And these appear in a twofold sense: The first are those who with an unsettled and weary heart sing only with the tongue and the mouth. The second are those who indeed sing with a cheerful and devout heart but are still enjoying it more in a carnal way, as, for example, taking pleasure in the voice, the sound, the staging, and the harmony. They act as children, not concerned about the meaning or the fruit of the spirit that is to be raised up to God. In the same way, to sing with the mind is to sing with spiritual understanding. And there are likewise two opposites of these: The first are those who understand nothing of what they sing, as nuns are said to read the Psalter. The others are those who have a carnal understanding of the Psalms, like the Jews, who always apply the Psalms to ancient history apart from Christ. But Christ has opened the mind of those who are His so that they might understand the Scriptures. The key to understanding and receiving the blessings contained in the Psalms is Christ" (Luther's Works, American Edition, Vol. 10, pg. 3).

Richard J. Waters is the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Carthage, Missouri.