Why Should We Sing Psalms?

Description:

Among evangelicals, singing psalms is largely a thing of the past. In this pamphlet, Joel R. Beeke gives nine reasons why churches ought to return to the ancient practice of psalm singing. Here you will find the biblical basis, the experiential benefits, and the sheer beauty and glory of singing psalms. Those hoping to recover biblical faith in our day will do well to take part in the Christ- exalting and soul-enriching worship found in the inspired Psalms.

Notes:

3 REASONS TO SING PSALMS

• God gave the Psalms for Israel and All Nations to sing
  • “The Psalms have a missionary emphasis and expectation that all nations will turn to and worship the Lord.” (Ps 22:27, 66:4, 67:1-3, 86:9) p 5
• The Psalms reveal Christ in His Sufferings and Glory
  • “In the Psalms we sing to Christ whenever we praise God as our rock, our shield, our king, and our Redeemer.” p 9
  • “They teach us to sing with Christ” and “lead us to sing of Christ”.
  • “The Psalms reveal Christ in the whole of His person, natures, offices, states, and glory.” p 10
• Christ and the New Testament Church Sang the Psalms

The unique divine origin of this collection implies that there can be no other songs like as the gift of God to His church, and obedience to His will requires that God’s people use them as God Himself intends and commands–as the sacrifice of praise that we offer to Him. p 12

THE EXPERIENTIAL BENEFITS OF SINGING THE PSALMS

• our biblical duty, but also for our good
• Singing the Psalms Causes to Word of Christ to Dwell in Us Richly
• Singing the Psalms Helps Us to Be Filled with God’s Spirit
• Singing the Psalms Enables Us to Worship God in Every Experience
  • “The Psalms link our subjective experience to the reality of God. We are compelled to look at our own circumstances from the vantage point of God and His power to save.” p 20
  • “Rather, they are a solemn acknowledgement that we live a fallen world among people who fight against God and His Christ and that such people’s doom except they repent, is both just and sure. Consequently, in the imprecatory psalms we do not pray for personal vengeance but for God’s glory and the good of the church.” p 21
  • “these psalms demonstrate faith in the Lord from within the trauma of real-life situations and teach us to express a holy, moral indignation toward those who would set themselves against God’s King and his kingdom.” p 22

THE BEAUTY AND GLORY OF SINGING THE PSALMS

• The Psalms Unite Us with Believers of All Times
  • “When we ging psalms, we fulfill the multigenerational prophetic vision of the Psalms themselves” (Ps 78:3-8, 79:13) p 25
• The Psalms Life Up Our Eyes to the Hope of Glory
  • “The Psalms hold before our eyes the reality that God has intruded, and will intrude, into history in cataclysmic ways, ultimately yeidling everlasting peace and rest for His people…Psalm singing equips the believer to be on watch for God’s Kingdom.” – Anthony Selvaggio Psalm Singing and Redemptive-Historical Hermeneutics p 26
• The Psalms Keep God Supreme in Our Worship