At the level of structure, Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 actually go together, and they are meant to be an introduction to the entire Book of Psalms. When it comes to Psalm 1 and 2, notice that unlike most psalms, neither of these have a superscript. There’s not a header to these that say anything about the author or the context about the time when they were written. These two psalms are just there, both of them together, and they are tied together by the bookends of Psalm 1:1 and Psalm 2:12. Psalm 1 begins: “Blessed is the man...” and then Psalm 2 ends: “Blessed are all...”
So, at the level of structure, these two psalms go together, and they are the lens through which we’re supposed to understand the whole Book of Psalms. And so now what exactly is that lens?
The Way of Blessing
Psalm 1
June 16, 2019 • Jonathan Parnell
Deceit and Our Deliverer
September 1, 2019 • Brett Toney
Lies, flattery, and double-speak are rampant all around us. It seems like we face malevolent deceit, manipulative flattery, and two-faced deception at every turn. This was just as true in ancient days as it is today. In Psalm 12 we see the Psalmist lament this reality. But in this Psalm we also see the believer's hope: God is the one who sovereignty protects us from the deceit of our world. God is our deliverer!
Refuge for the Anxious and Afraid
August 25, 2019 • Nick Aufenkamp
It often seems like anxiety is the air we breathe today. Whether you consider yourself an anxious person or not, you cannot deny that fear and anxiety pervade our cultural landscape. And anxiety has a wide range of intensity. At every turn, it seems like darkness and despair are everywhere. However, Psalm 11 models for us a faith-filled response and reminds us that God is our refuge. It may seem to some as if the Gospel has lost its potency, but that is simply not true. Christ is our rock. God is always our refuge.
What God Actually Does
August 18, 2019 • Jonathan Parnell
If God is really present then how can the wicked live like he’s not and live so well? If God is really present then how can the wicked persist in their wickedness with no consequences? Those are the kinds of questions that try to mess with us. And to add insult to injury, or to deepen the disconnect, in Psalm 10 the psalmist shows us how the wicked actually think. There are four quotations in this psalm of what the wicked think and say to themselves — and we don’t find this anywhere else in the Bible. This is profound.