April 18 - Psalms 5-7;
10-11; 13; 17
There
are several literary types of psalms included in this book, and each of the
ones we read today are considered ‘laments’, which express distress and
petitions for God’s help. Thirty-seven of the 150 psalms are laments.
Laments
can reflect internal suffering (such as sickness or physical distress) or
external forces, like enemies or oppressors. They typically follow a similar
structure where the author cries out to God for help, states his complaint,
states that he still trusts in God despite his circumstances, asks for
deliverance from the situation, and then ends by praising God for who he is and
what he has done in the past. Our reading tomorrow also consists of laments –
watch for these elements!
Look
at Ps 5:7. The word in the NIV is mercy, and in ESV it is steadfast love. These
are both translations of ‘hesed’, which we discussed back in 2 Samuel 7:15 on
April 7. It also shows up in psalms 6, 13, and 17 – did you find it? What else
do today’s psalms have in common?
TOMORROW’S READING: Psalms 41; 43; 46; 55; 61-62; 64
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