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sometimes shocks our own postmodern sensibilities. This Hebraic zeitgeist reflected a wholesale affirmation of her life in God.

      The language of the Psalter does not contain abstract theological statements or anything approaching philosophical theology. What it does contain is some of the most erudite theological thinking and richness to emerge out of its deep sense of the knowledge of יהוה. This knowledge of God is rooted in relationship and the entire edifice is supported by the fact of the covenant. It elicits responses in prayer, praise and, frequently, laments or complaints which reflect the existential life situations of this people who have become, by the election of יהוה, the people of God. Israel’s knowledge of יהוה is both a burden and a blessing. It defines the parameters of her long and historic relationship with and witnesses to the varied implications and meaning of that relationship.

      No other literature in the Bible approaches the levels of intensity, pathos and promise as we find in the book of the Psalms. It tells us how life is to be lived this side of glory. It informs our spiritual formation, growth and maturity in faith. It teaches us life! G. W. Anderson enriches our introduction:

      Some of the psalms have recognizable forms which help us to better understand the burden of their message and how we relate to them. Many of the individual psalms are heartfelt complaints which end in a reaffirmation of vows of trust. Some are songs of pilgrims approaching the temple; some concern the bellicose utterances of warfare; some are hymns to creation; some are prayers of repentance; some are songs addressed to the king and others perhaps composed by the king. Not infrequently, the psalms seem disjointed to our literary sensibilities. To a very large extent this problem disappears when we view them as litanies of spontaneous prayer in which a limited number of themes are constantly repeated. What I am referring to here is a sense of the reader of the Psalter engaging a text that does not always seem inviting to modern ears. But once we have come to appreciate these select themes, it is not difficult to see how together they make up a coherent confession of faith.

      To enter the world of these psalms we must first appreciate the cultural milieu in which Israel’s relationship with יהוה found expression. It is a world that is far removed from our experience. Its ideals are not abstractions, but rather reflect the realities of a “concrete immediacy.” The conflict, bloodshed and oppression frequently referred to are not the products of metaphorical imagination, but the stuff of everyday experience. The Psalter is vibrant and alive because it is rooted in human and historical experiences of life.

      The rock, for instance, is often spoken of—“I love you, יהוה. . . my strength. יהוה is my crag, my fortress, my champion, my God, my rock, in whom I find shelter, my shield and sure defender, my strong tower” (Ps 18:1, 2 , REB). It is not a monument or a scenic tourist attraction but rather a riveting metaphor for Israel’s personal God, the Rock. Note that the term rock occurs within a parade of metaphors that speak of refuge and strength, defense and shelter. These are recurring themes, all of which we will encounter over and over again in the pages just ahead.

      The following section addresses fifteen broad contours that are reflected throughout the Psalter. The citing of these verses which are taken from many psalms provides a scriptural context for the remainder of this book. In order to immediately saturate the reader in the Psalms, and to enable the reader to read and hear them as sacred scripture, the reader is encouraged to patiently and quietly read the following section–uninterrupted if possible.

      cf.

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