Psalms

Objective: 

• The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

• The Lord Helps His Troubled People

• Man’s Treachery and God’s Constancy

• Praise for the Lord’s Mercies

• The Lord the Defense of His People

• A Song of Praise to God Coming in Judgment

• God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

• The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked

• The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• Psalm 1
• Psalm 3
• Psalm 12
• Psalm 16
• Psalm 37
• Psalm 96
• Psalm 103
• Psalm 121
• Psalm 124

Please read the Psalms in the order mentioned in the notes below.

Key verse(s):

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart” Psalm 34:4

Encourage the youth to read and memorize as many Psalms as they can.

Comments:

• The book of Psalms is the largest and perhaps the most widely used book in the Bible
• The Church organized the Psalms to be prayed at certain hours that parallel them of that hour in Agpeya
• It contains prayer for the full range of human experiences in a very personal and practical way
• It is written over a lengthy period of Israel's history, the tremendous breadth of subject matter in the Psalms includes topics such as jubilation, war, peace, worship, judgment, messianic prophecy, praise, and lament
• The Psalms were set to the accompaniment of stringed instruments and served as the temple hymnbook and devotional guide for the Jewish people (refer to the title of each psalm in the Bible book)
• The Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) uses the Greek term Psalmoi as a title for this book, meaning poems sung to the accompaniment of musical instruments, and this word is the basis for the English terms "psalter" and "psalm".
• "Psalmody" Book of Psalms or Praises
• The Hebrew version has some words different from the Septuagint. That is the reason why we have different words in the Bible from the Agpeya
  • Agpeya and all church books: Use the Septuagint
  • Bible Books: Hebrew Version
• Psalters:
  • King David: 73 Psalms
  • Asaph: 12 Psalms
  • Sons of Korah: 11 Psalms
  • King Solomon: 2 Psalms (72 & 127)
  • Moses: 1 Psalm (90)

  • Heman the Ezrahite 1 Psalm

  • Ethan the Ezrahite 1 Psalm

  • The rest are called "Anonymous Psalms" because no author is mentioned or known

• H.H. Pope Shenouda III: "Preserve the Psalms, the Psalms will preserve you."
• Categories of Psalms:
  • Individual Psalms:
    • God's deliverance: Psalm 12
    • Lament Psalms: Psalm 3
      • V.5: Messianic prophecy
  • Thanksgiving Psalms: Praises God for His gracious acts and mercies toward us. These psalms make us aware of God's blessings and lead us to express our thanks with feeling.
    • Psalms 103 - 124
  • Enthronement psalms: God's sovereign rule. Through these psalms, we acknowledge God as a powerful Creator and sovereign Lord over all His creation.
    • Psalm 96
      • Kiahk Ode
  • Psalms of Ascend: Prayed by the Jews going to the 'uphill' of Jerusalem. Uphill -> Ascend. These are Psalms 120-134
    • Psalm 121
  • Wisdom Psalms: Instruct the worshiper in the way of wisdom and righteousness
    • Psalm 1
  • Messianic Psalms: Prophecies on the coming Messiah
    • Psalm 16
      • V. 10
• Many Psalms are used in the Liturgical prayer and worship in our Coptic Orthodox Church
  • Examples:
  • A psalm is ready in almost any Liturgical service (Vespers, praises, Matins, Liturgy, Pascha, Crowning and Funeral services, etc.)
  • Psalm 118
    • Weekend Liturgy Procession of the Lamb
  • Psalm 24
    • Resurrection feast Enactment
  • Psalm 150
    • Liturgy Distribution of the Holy Eucharist
  • Psalm 50
    • Agpeya hours introduction
  • All Psalms are read during the making of the holy bread used for services (Orban)

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions