The Psalter ought to be a precious and beloved book, if for no other reason than this: it promises Christ’s death and resurrection so clearly—and pictures His kingdom and the condition and nature of all Christendom—that it might well be called a little Bible. In it is comprehended most beautifully and briefly everything that is in the entire Bible. —Martin Luther
This Sunday, we begin an eight-week series through the first part of the book of Psalms. Psalm 1 opens with the contrast between the righteous and wicked, and sets forth a theme that is found throughout the psalter: that tangible benefits— happiness, blessings—will come to those who love the Word of God. “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways!” (Psalm 128). But these are not simply rewards for legalistic rule-keeping: the righteous man delights in God’s word, “and on His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2). “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments” (Psalm 112:1). “I will delight in Your statutes” (Psalm 119:16). “Lead me in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it” (Psalm 119:35). As we read, study and sing from the psalms over the next season—eight of the eleven pieces of music in this morning’s service are psalm settings, and we’ll sing all the psalms quoted in this paragraph—I pray that we would more and more become people who daily find our delight in God’s Word. —Henry C. Haffner
