At one time, the Book of Psalms held a central place in the worship of biblically faithful churches. In many congregations, however, the Psalter has become neglected—not only are the Psalms not regularly sung, but the public reading of them has been limited to occasions when the text of the sermon is taken from that part of Scripture.
But the Psalms were written for regular use in the community of God’s people assembled for worship. All the various workings of God’s grace in the life of his people call for celebration. Whether speaking specifically of the Messiah, or calling God’s people to confession, praise, or prayer, the Psalms summon the church to celebrate the bounties of God’s multi-faceted gifts.
O. Palmer Robertson here examines twenty-five psalms, reflecting the variety of messages and structures found across the entire Book of Psalms. The author argues that originally the Psalms were intended to be used with interactive congregational responses and his translations reflect this understanding.
This book aims to help congregations rediscover the riches of the Psalms in their fullness, that the full-orbed testimony of the Psalter, as it touches every experience of weal and woe in the life of God’s people, may again find a voice in the current worship of the church.