Psalms Insights (ALL THREE WEEKS)

Psalms Part 1

This week we’ll be studying the first of three lessons from the Book of Psalms. And, a little something about teaching the Psalms. It’s a little different, and it’s a little challenging to teach. It’s a book unlike any other in the Old Testament and since it’s so different, I find it often requires a different approach. Unlike all the books we’ve studied so far, Psalms is not a book of stories, it’s not a book of sermons, it’s not a book of laws or genealogies. It’s a book of hymns. Psalms is the hymnbook of the Old Testament. So before we get into the content of those hymns, I usually like to begin a study of this book with a bit of an introduction.

INTRODUCTION

Here are some good things to know and understand about the Book of Psalms.

·      It’s the longest book of the Old Testament with 150 different psalms which cover 97 pages of text in our printed version of the Bible.

·      Many of the psalms still contain musical instructions, attesting to the fact that their text was meant to be sung. Some examples, you may see the word Selah appear in the text of a psalm (Psalm 9) Or Alamoth (Psalm 46), Mahaiath (Psalm 53), or Shushan (Psalm 60). And oh, how I’d love to be able to hear the original music to some of them. Maybe in the next life, but we know that words set to music can have an incredible impact on our minds, hearts, and souls. But just having their words can still be inspiring.

·      There are multiple authors to the Psalms. The most prolific psalm writer was David who has 73 of them attributed to him. And there are others, such as Asaph, and Heman, who are also named as writers of the psalms.

·      Apparently, Jesus really loved the Book of Psalms, and he quoted it frequently.  It’s actually the most quoted book in the New Testament. Out of 283 direct citations of the Old Testament in the New, 116 are from the Book of Psalms. So Jesus must have spent a lot of time reading, studying, or singing them.

·      The Psalms have a wide date range of composition. And although it is impossible to truly determine exactly when each was written, most scholars feel that they were composed between 1000 and 500 BC.

·      I once heard another teacher say that Proverbs appeal to the head, but Psalms appeal to the heart. Proverbs help people to think, but Psalms help people to feel. Just like attending a sermon would be a much different experience from going to a concert of religious music. But both experiences can be spiritually uplifting and edifying.

·      Another interesting thing about the psalms. Though I have no problem with somebody taking the time to read through all 150 of the psalms in order in the same way they read each of the other books of the scriptures, one by one and from beginning to end, that’s not really the way they were intended to be used. In the same way that we don’t read through the hymnbook from cover to cover. Instead they are meant to be enjoyed and explored from time to time in small chunks, here a little and there a little. I think it’s ok to have favorite psalms that we turn to again and again in times of need or distress.

·      The purpose of the psalms is to strengthen faith, build testimony, praise God, and express a wide array of human emotions.

ICEBREAKER

So with that as an introduction, as an icebreaker to the Book of Psalms I like to give the following handout to my students to scan.  It shows all the different hymns in our hymnbook that are based on or have some kind of connection to one of the Psalms. Encourage them to look through and find a hymn that they particularly enjoy or find inspiration in and then instruct them to go and read the part of the Psalm that that hymn is based on in the Bible. Then, if you’d like to take a little more time on this activity, you could invite volunteers to share which hymn they chose and how it related to the Psalm that they read. You could even have the entire class sing at least one verse of their chosen hymns together.

OUR APPROACH TO STUDYING THE PSALMS

With that as a good introduction to the power of the psalms, let’s discuss how we’re going to approach our study of this book. One of the things that makes teaching the psalms a little more difficult is that they aren’t really organized in any specific order or message. One psalm may focus on the temple, while the next focuses on the power of God’s word, and the next on praising God’s power and goodness. And that pattern of alternating topics continues throughout the book. They aren’t really organized into thematic blocks. So I’ve decided that the way I’m going to cover the Book of Psalms these next three weeks is going to vary a little from how the manual breaks it down. Rather than cover the particular assigned psalms they’ve given us for each week, I’d like to just approach the book more thematically and focus on some of the major ideas that show up throughout the psalms. So when we cover a theme, we’ll examine how it’s treated throughout the book rather than just a confined section of it. That way, I think you’ll get a much better sense of how the Psalms really cover that theme in its entirety, and not just a partial understanding. So to begin our thematic study, I’d like to focus our attention on one of the themes that I feel stands out as one of the most significant and valuable from the entire book. And that is its depiction and portrayal of the nature of God.

THE NATURE OF GOD

Now remember that a majority of the Psalms were written by David. But here, we get to see the character of David in a very different light than we’ve seen him back in 1 and 2 Samuel. Really, there are two major stories that David tends to be remembered for. What are they? We all know the moment of his greatest victory, his confrontation with Goliath. And we know the moment of his greatest failure, his adultery with Bathsheba. And for most, that’s it. But in Psalms we have the opportunity to get inside the heart of David. We get to know HIM in the first person and not just the third. Many of the Psalms that David writes are actually prayers directed right to God. And regardless of what we think about the sins of David, he truly had a deep and remarkable relationship with his Heavenly Father and his Savior—the kind of relationship that I think we all want to have with God. David addresses Him so personally and familiarly. We get the rare opportunity in the Psalms to hear a great man of faith talk to his God. And he talks beautifully to him. David was a master poet, and master musician. We know that from the Book of 1 Samuel. When he was young, he was chosen by King Saul to come and play music for the King when he wasn’t feeling well (1 Samuel 16). And I would imagine that most of us have experienced the phenomenon that sometimes the poet or the musician can express the thoughts of our minds, the feelings of our hearts, and the content of our souls with words and melody better than we ourselves can express them. And when we hear those words and that music, we connect with those things more deeply and they can strengthen our faith and testimony. David had a gift for this. And here in Psalms, he paints a portrait of a loving, merciful, and tender God.  

Now there are many different Psalms that we could study to see this portrait but let me point you to a number of them that I feel to be among the best representative examples. If you’re an individual studying on your own, I encourage you to study each of the following psalms on this list with three questions in mind. One, what do you learn about the nature of God from them. Two, what do they encourage us to do because of the kind of God he is. And three, what is your favorite verse from each psalm and why?  If you’re a teacher. You could assign your students one of the psalms and to answer the three questions as they study. If you desired, you could also approach this activity as a handout. Then I could see the entirety of a lesson being dedicated to students sharing what they discovered with the rest of the class.

1.     Psalm 3

2.     Psalm 4

3.     Psalm 23

4.     Psalm 30

5.     Psalm 40

6.     Psalm 77

7.     Psalm 86

8.     Psalm 103

9.     Psalm 116

For the sake of this video, allow me to lead you through some of the things that I see in these psalms and why I chose them as representative examples. Keep in mind that as I review some of these Psalms, that you or your students are likely to find completely different thoughts from mine or choose other verses that are more significant to you or them. That’s ok. I’ll just review some of the insights that I see within them.

Psalm 3

So we’ll start with Psalm 3. What does this psalm teach us about the nature of God. Here we see God as protector and sustainer.

³ But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

I love the symbol of God as a shield. I can hold Him up as my defense. He stands between me and my enemies, shielding me from their fiery darts and assaults. My faith in God can protect me from discouragement, temptation, despair, and He can warn me of dangers, both spiritual and physical. And when I refer to “God” in our study of the Psalms here, realize that we could be referring to either God the Father, or his Son, Jesus Christ. I don’t think we need to get too hung up on which exactly the Psalmist is referring to. They are one in purpose, thought, and character and so I believe these thoughts can apply to both. If we see the Lord here as Jesus, his role as our shield takes on a different significance. Through the power of his atoning sacrifice, we are shielded from the full measure of justice that our sins demand, making it possible for us to be forgiven. We are also shielded from the power of Satan through Christ’s atoning sacrifice.

God is also the lifter up of our heads. Picture that one for a moment. Perhaps you envision a wounded soldier, or a sick child, and a caring medic, or a loving parent, or a trusted counselor comes along to lift up your head to give you life-sustaining water or comfort or help. God can do this for us. Or perhaps you picture someone distraught, depressed, or downcast, and along comes the Savior to lift up their head, encourage them, and provide them with hope for the future.

⁴ I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

God hears us when we cry unto him. Our prayers do not fall on deaf ears.

⁵ I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.

God can bring us soul-sustaining rest and support.  Perhaps after a particularly enlightening sacrament meeting, session of scripture study, or visit to the temple, we come away refreshed, rested, and spiritually invigorated. He is a God that can provide that type of spiritual respite.

What must we do from this Psalm?  We must cry unto the Lord with our voice. We’ve got to pray and rely on Him. He’s not going to force us to use him as a shield, or to enter into his rest. He’s like the mother hen calling to us to run under his protective wings. We must choose to go to him and answer that call.

Psalm 4

is similar in its themes.

1      Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

God enlarges us when we are in distress and call upon him. He is a concerned and helpful God. He makes us more capable of confronting the forces that assail us. Sometimes our problems may seem unsurmountable or beyond our capacity to overcome. But God can raise us above the level of their power. Like a David facing a Goliath. He increases our ability to stand firm against those things that we fear will defeat us. We are enlarged.

⁷ Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

⁸ I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

God is the kind of god that can bring us joy and gladness. More than any earthly harvest can provide. He gives us peace, and sleep, and safety.

But what must we do?

⁵ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

We must strive to be obedient, which often requires sacrifice. And we’ll also be required to trust Him—trust his promises, trust his commandments, trust his timing, trust in his love even when things go wrong.

Psalm 23

Probably the most famous Psalm of all time, and for good reason. It provides us with one of the greatest metaphors or figurative images of the Savior that I know of. And that is Christ as the good shepherd. In our hymnbook there are two hymns that are inspired by Psalm 23. Hymn numbers 108 and 109: The Lord is my Shepherd (which quotes, word  for word, many of the lines found within the Psalm) and The Lord My Pasture Will Prepare (which we don’t sing as often in the Church, but also calls upon the exquisite imagery of Psalm 23) When I served as a missionary in Brazil I often saw posters or framed pictures of this Psalm hanging on the walls of the home of the people we visited. In fact, I thought it was kind of funny when I asked people if they ever studied the scriptures and the response I would often get was, “Oh yes, I read Psalm 23 often.” And that was the extent of their scripture study. But that still does speak to the power of this Old Testament hymn. The image of the Good Shepherd communicates God’s love, care, and concern for his sheep, his disciples.  I don’t think it needs much more commentary than that.  It’s superb, what more can I say.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

But what must we do from this Psalm? We must choose Him as our shepherd. We must join his flock.

Psalm 30

2      O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

So God is not only a shepherd to us, but a doctor as well. He heals us. He heals us from sin, he heals us from pain, he heals us from adversity. He can even heal us from death.

And I absolutely love this thought from verse 5.

⁵ For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Yes, it’s true that we believe in a loving, merciful, and Good Shepherd-like god. But we also believe in a chastening God. “For whom I love, I also chasten, that their sins may be forgiven” (Doctrine and Covenants 95:1) However, how long does that “anger” (in quotes) last? But a moment. Just enough to help us to change and deliver us from future sin and indiscretion. That godly sorrow and weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. Our Savior does not wish us to trudge through life condemning ourselves or beating our breasts in guilt. After that necessary “night” of chastening, he invites us to rejoice in the morning of his mercy and forgiveness. Verses 10 and 11 reiterate this thought:

¹⁰ Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.

¹¹ Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

We get another great description of God. He is our helper. And I love the alliteration of that last phrase. God girds us with gladness.

What must we do though?

⁸ I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.

So appeal to God. Look to him for that help.

Psalm 40

² He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

God places us on firm ground—on the Rock of our Salvation. He establishes our way. He is a grounding God that provides stability and strength in a world of shifting and crumbling values.

Then verse 5

⁵ Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

God is a god of wonders—a being who does wonderful works. That could refer to the incredible miracles he has brought to pass in the scriptures, and in the individual lives of all his Saints. Perhaps you have personally experienced one of those wonders. This could also refer to the wonders of his creation. The beauties of this earth and the expanse of the universe. From the delicate beauty of the smallest flower to the majesty of planets and galaxies. We worship a wonderful God of Wonders.

Another powerful thought from this Psalm: Verse 11

¹¹ Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

Some of you may recall Elder Bednar’s general conference talk a number of years ago that highlighted the term the “tender mercies” of the Lord. Now he quoted that phrase from a verse in the Book of Mormon where Nephi speaks of God’s tender mercies. However, it’s very possible that Nephi learned that phrase or became familiar with it from one of the Psalms of David. God is not just a God of Wonders, or even just a god of mercies, but a god of tender mercies. He’s not just a god of kindness, but of lovingkindness.

What does this psalm encourage us to do?

1 Wait patiently for the Lord.

Those miracles and tender mercies will not always come at the very moment we desire them. We’ll need to be patient before we see them.

8 We must delight to do his will, and have his law within our hearts.

Psalm 86

When you study the Psalms looking for what they say about the nature of God, there is one characteristic that seems to come up again and again that is emphasized throughout. We’ve already seen it in some of the psalms we’ve covered already. And that is God’s merciful and forgiving nature. Psalm 86 really stresses that idea.

Here are just a few examples of that message.

⁵ For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

⁷ In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

¹³ For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

¹⁵ But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Now that’s His part. What’s our part? 

² Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.

Again, the Psalms encourage us to trust in Him—to trust in that compassion.

Psalm 103

And continuing on that theme of mercy comes Psalm 103. Just how merciful is he? How far does his lovingkindness extend? Well let’s see.

⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

⁹ He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

¹⁰ He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

(Isn’t that a nice thought. We really never get what we actually deserve for our sins. He goes rather easy on us when it comes to that)

¹¹ For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³ Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

¹⁴ For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

¹⁶ For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

¹⁷ But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

We cannot place bounds on the mercy of our Lord. It reaches higher than the heavens, farther than the East to the West, and stretches from everlasting to everlasting. Our lives pass by as the flower of the field that flourishes for a short time and then is gone. But the mercy of God, it can encompass the sins of an entire life, because it is incomparably vaster and more extensive.

What must we do to receive this mercy? 

¹⁸ To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Psalm 116

What do I learn about God here?

⁵ Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

⁶ The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

⁷ Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.

⁸ For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

Many of the same themes found here. But this psalm, you’ll find, is much more focused on our part and what we must do.  As we consider the wonders, the mercy, and the power of our Father in Heaven, what should that cause us to want to do?

1 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

¹² What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

¹³ I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

¹⁴ I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

¹⁶ O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

¹⁷ I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

¹⁸ I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

¹⁹ In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

What an incredibly superb statement of conviction and commitment to God. One of the greatest things we can render to our Lord, is to take the cup of salvation and drink deeply from it. The Lord has put that cup into our grasp and has sacrificed so much in order to give it to us. The least we could do, is drink from it. To make proper use of that sacrifice by partaking of his cup.

What more can we do? Once again, we can pay our vows and keep our covenants.  I’m intrigued by the language of verse 17. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Gratitude is a sacrifice. It’s something we give and requires focused effort and exertion. Because I have been given much, I too must give.

TRUTH

Well did you learn a little something about your Father in Heaven and your Savior from the Psalms today? More importantly, did you feel something for your Father in Heaven and your Savior today? Perhaps we could sum up some of the things that we’ve gathered today with the following statement of truth.

God is a protecting, strengthening, shepherding, kind, wonderful, and gracious God. If we call upon, rely upon, trust, obey, and offer gratitude to Him, he will offer his mercy and lovingkindness upon us.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

While we’ve studied today, have you felt inspired to do anything that would help you to develop a relationship with your Lord and Savior comparable to David’s?

Well, I don’t know about you but I want to be judged by David’s God. I want to worship a God like that. I want to come to know and communicate with him the way David does.

CONCLUSION

And so I’d like to conclude by reminding you as my listeners that the Book of Psalms is much more about the heart than the head. Have you felt their power so far? Have you come to know your God and Savior on a more personal level today? I encourage you to come back to the Psalms more frequently in your scripture study—not to just read it all at once, although that can be beneficial too, but in small snippets—here a little and there a little. I promise that as you do, you will come to know the character and nature of your God on a deeper degree than ever before. God is the kind of God that you can feel comfortable talking about anything with. Your joys and successes, as well as your sorrows and failures. He’s that close friend to whom you can divulge all your deepest hopes and fears. I pray that you, like David, can develop that same kind of pleading, praising, loving, trusting, familiar, and warm bond with your God and your Savior.  

ICEBREAKER

There is one final theme that I would like to treat today before we end our study.  It follows naturally from the previous theme of God’s mercy but from the perspective of the sinner—which we should all be able to relate to since, well, we’re all sinners. There are just three psalms that I’d like to focus your attention on here, each of which capture the essence of the penitent disciple. As an icebreaker to this theme, you might consider the following idea. Show the following pictures of people carrying heavy loads to your students and ask them how they imagine these people must feel. Exhausted. Burdened. Oppressed. In pain. Trapped.

TRANSITION

Maybe some of you can relate to these pictures on an emotional or spiritual level. Maybe some of you are looking at those pictures and saying, “Yep, that’s me. I feel that way everyday”. Are you carrying a burden of guilt or remorse? Are regret and shame destroying your peace of mind? Is your soul troubled? If you can relate to those feelings in any way, I believe that these three psalms can not only movingly capture these feelings in words but can also leave us with a profound sense of hope and relief. Each of them was written by David. And can you think of any event in David’s life that might have prompted some heavy feelings of regret or guilt within him? Yeah, his affair with Bathsheba and the subsequent death of her husband Uriah through David’s conspiring.

The two things I feel these psalms capture extremely well are one, how guilt feels. David is going to put into words, the humble pleadings of a regret ridden soul.  And two, hope. The hope and assurance of the possibility of forgiveness and relief from the weight and the burden of sin.

SEARCH

So we’re going to approach this theme with a marking activity. I’d like to invite you to study the following three psalms with those two things in mind.

Psalm 25

Psalm 32

Psalm 51

In one color, mark verses and phrases that put into words the desires of the penitent soul. What are their pleadings? What are their longings? Find those phrases and mark them. In another color, mark verses of hope and trust in God. Look for those phrases that express a confidence in God’s ability to forgive and forget. So you’ve got the “penitent” phrases, and the “promise” phrases.

Psalm 25

Here are some of the penitent phrases that I see here.

⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

¹¹ For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

¹⁶ Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.

¹⁷ The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.

¹⁸ Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

²⁰ O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.

Have you ever prayed one of those prayers? Have you ever pined at the memory of the sins of your youth or your past? Have you ever reflected on the greatness of your iniquity? Have you ever had enlarged troubles and distresses in your heart?  Have you ever longed for deliverance from your shame? I know I have. David just puts into words so well what that feels like.

But now for the promise phrases:

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

⁹ The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

You see, we are not “sinners in the hands of an angry God”. God is willing to work with the sinner. He teaches them in “the way”. He “guides” in judgment, not “condemns” in judgment. When we go to Him with a penitent heart, he says, “Let me help you. I will teach you how to overcome this if you’re meek and humble. I can guide you through the mists of darkness and lead you back to me. He’s a good and upright God.

¹² What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

¹³ His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.

¹⁵ Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

When we feel entangled in the nets of sin and shame, he can pluck us out of them and lovingly free us from those snares. 

Psalm 32

Penitence phrases:

³ When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

You ever felt that before? What happens when we try to “keep silence” with our sins. When we hold those things in and suppress them or keep them to ourselves? Our bones wax old with the constant roaring of self-condemnation—all the day long. There is only one way to hush that roaring. Break the silence. Go to God, go to his representatives if need be and let it out. Confession is an act of healing and release. The roaring ceases when we do so.

⁹ Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

We don’t want to be like the horse or mule that have to be pulled or bridled or coerced into action.  We want to come to God willingly, freely, and happily. In fact, in the church handbook of instructions to priesthood leaders who are working with those who have seriously sinned, one of the things that they are asked to consider when it comes to any kind of formal disciplinary measures, is whether the confession was voluntary or compelled. Were they caught in the act by someone else or did they come forward of their own volition. Now both can still be forgiven. But those who are brought to God without bit and bridle, typically experience a swifter pathway through repentance.

Now promise phrases:

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

⁵ I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

⁷ Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

¹⁰ Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

Do you sense the hope and assurance in each of those verses? God loves to forgive his children. He can cover them, he can preserve us, he can deliver us. His mercy compasses us about.

Psalm 51

This psalm above all others, I feel, really captures the disposition of the penitent and it’s basically the entire psalm. I think that when we talk about repentance, we often go straight to a doctrinal understanding of the principle. We talk about the steps of repentance, the requirements of repentance, the need for repentance. We may even try to diagram and calculate out the nature of the atonement and the balance of God’s justice and mercy. But here, we leave all of that behind and we just FEEL the principle of repentance. We FEEL David’s godly sorrow and desire for mercy.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

² Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

⁴ Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

⁵ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶ Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

⁹ Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

¹³ Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

¹⁵ O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

¹⁶ For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Now, could you feel David’s repentance in that? And can you relate in any way?

TRUTH

When I feel burdened by sin or regret, If I go to God, He can relieve me of my burdens.

I want you to think back to those pictures we looked at the beginning of the lesson and imagine how you think it would feel for those people once they were able to lay their loads down? Can you imagine the relief, the liberation, and the delight. Well, that’s what confession, and repentance and forgiveness feel like. We can experience the same kind of thing on a spiritual level when we’re willing to take our burdens to the Lord.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

When have you felt God relieved you of some burden? What did it feel like?

What would you tell someone that was discouraged about their past to give them hope?

CONCLUSION

Well, what has David just taught us by example to do when we feel weighed down by the loads of life? When we feel burdened, talk to God! Don’t suppress it. Don’t hide it. Don’t go around telling everyone how terrible you are or what an appalling disciple you must be. Go to God. Trust in his lovingkindness and his tender mercies. Be willing to do what you need to do to make restitution and the things that will help you to change your heart—but find comfort and peace in the knowledge that God can and does forgive. Since we’re studying and enjoying the power of Old Testament hymns, perhaps it would be appropriate to include a modern hymn here as well. One of my favorite hymns that I feel captures this theme we’ve been studying today really well is hymn #125 “How Gentle God’s Commands”.  I invite you to listen to and ponder the words. 

1. 1. How gentle God’s commands!

How kind his precepts are!

Come, cast your burdens on the Lord

And trust his constant care.

2. 2. Beneath his watchful eye,

His Saints securely dwell;

That hand which bears all nature up

Shall guard his children well.

3. 3. Why should this anxious load

Press down your weary mind?

Haste to your Heav’nly Father’s throne

And sweet refreshment find.

4. 4. His goodness stands approved,

Unchanged from day to day;

I’ll drop my burden at his feet

And bear a song away.

I pray that when your “anxious loads press down your weary minds” that you will remember the promise of David’s pleas and drop your burdens at the feet of your Lord and bear a song away.

Psalms Part 2

THE WORD

ICEBREAKER

As an icebreaker for our first theme I like to ask my students if they have ever seen the play or the movie of “Fiddler on the Roof”. And this goes well with our study of psalms since that play is a musical, and the psalms are musical. Now if you have seen that play, one of the most delightful characters in it is a man named Tevye, the father of the family that the story is about. And one of the most famous songs in that play is when Tevye sings, “If I Were a Rich Man”, where he sings about all the wonderful things that he would do if he were a wealthy man. But there is one thing, in that song, that Tevye felt would be the greatest thing about being rich—the thing that would be “the sweetest thing of all?” And I would ask my class if they remembered what that was. And do you recall that? If you need a little hint. He wanted to be rich so that he wouldn’t have to spend so much time working on his farm, and instead, it would give him more time to do what?

Well here’s the line from the song:

If I were rich, I'd have the time that I lack to sit in the synagogue and prayAnd maybe have a seat by the Eastern wallAnd I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men, several hours every dayAnd that would be the sweetest thing of all

So what was it? The sweetest thing of all would be to have more time to study the scriptures.

TRANSITION

Well I think that Tevye would get along really well with David of the Bible. David clearly had a deep and abiding love for the word of God—for the scriptures, for the law, for the gospel. Studying the word of God for David was much more than just a duty, a task to get done, or an act of obedience—like sometimes, I think, we may be tempted to treat it. “Oh well, I’m supposed to read my scriptures, I guess I’ll go study them.” That’s not David at all. He LOVES the scriptures. He’s an enthusiast, a fan, an afficionado. The scriptures profoundly bring him great joy and meaning.

So let’s see what David and the psalms can add to our understanding of God’s word, or the scriptures.

SEARCH

To help us discover what David had to say about the scriptures, I have a few options here. Depending on what you wish to emphasize, I actually have three different crossword puzzles you could choose from. Depending on the amount of time you have, you could decide to just do one of them, or you could do all three if you wanted. But I found that it was just too much material to put all the great things we learn about the scriptures from Psalms into one puzzle. But what this does is that it allows you to really spotlight whichever aspect of the scriptures you wish to emphasize with your students. So the three puzzles we get to choose from here are Scripture Synonyms, Scripture Symbols, and Scripture Splendors, or “scripture blessings” is really what I’m getting at there on that last one.

But let’s take each one in turn.  

First, scripture synonyms. Now there are some religious terms that I feel we use so often that they start to lose their meaning. “Scriptures” is one of those words. And when we use that term, most of us are going to picture the actual books of scripture—the physical object of cover, binding, ink and page. But that’s not really what “scripture” is. It’s not just a mere physical object or publication. It’s so much more than that. Scripture is divinely revealed truth. It’s the gospel. It’s the law. It’s a message. That divinely revealed truth can come in many forms. It can come in the form of stories. It comes in the form of sermons. It comes in the form of laws and commandments. It comes in the form of hymns. But there are many other terms that we could use to describe scripture. And I think that when we use one of these other scripture synonyms, it tends to have a greater impact, or it at least gives us a deeper understanding of what “scripture” is all about. Well, interestingly enough, you will not find the word “scripture” anywhere in the book of psalms, and yet, they’re a major theme. So with the following crossword puzzle, see if you can find all the “scripture” synonyms that psalms uses.

SCRIPTURE SYNONYMS

ACROSS3. (78:2) Dark sayings of _____.

OLD. Now dark in this context doesn’t mean foreboding, or obscure, or secret.  A better translation would probably be the word “sacred”, or truths that have been hidden from man for a time but can be revealed to the righteous. That’s the scriptures. They are sacred messages that have been passed down from generation to generation. And hopefully “old” doesn’t hold a negative connotation to us here. Old as in established, eternal,  time tested, or deeply rooted.

5. (25:10, 78:56, 93:5, 99:7)

TESTIMONIES. Now what is a testimony? According to Merriam-Webster,  It is defined as: firsthand authentication of a fact OR evidence OR a public profession of religious experience OR  a solemn declaration. That’s the scriptures. Through them, God offers evidence, solemn declarations of truth, and professed religious experiences.

7. (1:2, 19:7, 119:1) The _____ of the Lord

LAW. The scriptures contain God’s laws. He’s a God of law and order and he desires his children to understand his will and the principles that govern good terrestrial living.8. (26:3, 43:3, 57:3, 138:2)

TRUTH. Doctrine and Covenants 93:24 defines truth as “knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;” The scriptures contain that kind of knowledge—things as they really are. Fact, not fiction. Actuality not fantasy.9. (119:4, 119:15, 119:27, 119:45)

PRECEPTS. A precept is “a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action”. The scriptures give us actionable content. They aren’t just meant to be read, or studied, or understood, but to be lived. They give us precepts that guide and instruct our thoughts, words, and deeds.

DOWN1. (19:9, 48:11, 119:7, 147:20)

JUDGMENTS. And yes. Judgments does not have an e after the g, though it’s often misspelled that way.  The scriptures help us to understand the justice of God and how and why he rewards righteousness and condemns iniquity.2. (19:8, 71:3, 119:96, 147:15)

COMMANDMENT. Like a precept, a commandment is meant to instruct our actions. Commandments are blessings that teach us the best way to live our lives. They are heavenly help that can help us to avoid negative natural consequences of certain behaviors. 4. (36:9, 43:3, 49:19)

LIGHT.  I love this one. The scriptures are light. They help us to see our way through the mists of darkness. They provide clarity. They provide guidance. They provide comfort. Like a light shining in a dark place. 6. (19:8, 105:45, 119:8, 147:19)

STATUTES. Synonyms for statutes would be laws, commandments, or permanent rules. So once again, a word that suggests the applicable and relevant nature of scripture.

So there we have it. Nine different words that we could use other than the word “scriptures”. Each one giving us a bit of a distinct insight into the nature of God’s word.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

As a final discussion question for your students, as they look over the answers, ask them to share which of the “Scripture Synonyms” was their favorite and why.

SCRIPTURE SYMBOLS

Now moving on to our second crossword puzzle: scripture symbols. There are a number of different objects or ideas that the scriptures are compared to in the book of Psalms. Again, each one offering us a unique insight into the nature of scripture.

ACROSS2. (19:10, 119:127)

GOLD

¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:

¹²⁷ Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.

The scriptures are priceless. They are more valuable than gold.  This reminds me of something that Mormon said about the gold plates. He said,  “And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless. (Mormon 8:14) So that’s what made the gold plates so valuable. Not the gold they were written on, but the record itself. The truth it taught. Money is fleeting, but truth is forever. 4. (119:105)

LAMP

¹⁰⁵ Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Try to imagine navigating your way through a cave without any light source at all. What would happen? You’d be lost, scared, disoriented. You’d probably stumble, bump your head, and get hurt. Eventually, in the darkness, you would die. Spiritually speaking, these same things can happen in our lives if we don’t have the truths of the scriptures to provide us with light. They give us guidance and show us the way to go. They give us comfort in dark times. They help us to avoid pain and hurting ourselves through bad choices. They help to show us the pathway to exaltation.

5. (119:9)

CLEANSE

⁹ Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Now I know that’s not an object being described there, but it implies one. What is an object that cleanses us and removes dirt and grime? Soap! The scriptures are like soap. They can help lead a soul to repentance. They can help us to experience a mighty change of heart. They can help us to turn to the cleansing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. 6. (19:10, 119:103)

HONEY

¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

¹⁰³ How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

The scriptures are like honey! And why do you think the psalmist chose honey rather than any other type of food? Because honey is sweet. Have you ever tasted the sweetness of the word of God? To you, what are some of the most delicious doctrines they contain? Families can be together forever? Through the grace of God I can be forgiven of my sins? I am a child of God? The pain and adversity of life is temporary? Each of these are sweet doctrines. They go down easy. They’re tasty. Sweet foods, nowadays, are very easy to get our hands on (as our waistlines can attest to). But back in Biblical days? They were rare. They were a treat. Good doctrine is also rare in our world. There is so much falsehood, opinion, and duplicity in our world. But the delicious doctrines of God are a rare treat and are to be savored when we get the chance to consume them. DOWN1. (12:6)

SILVER

⁶ The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

God’s words are pure. How pure? Purified seven times. The more times you put a precious metal through the refining process, the purer it is going to be. God’s word has stood the test of time and has proven valuable from the days of Adam to today. There are no impurities or imperfections in them. It is truth untarnished. Compare that with the ideas and opinions of the world. Though they claim their theories to be new, progressive, and exciting, they just haven’t had the time to really be tested and vetted. They’re tainted by bias, ulterior motives, and ignorance. But God’s word is pure-seven times pure.

3. (1:1, 40:8, 119:16, 119:24, 119:47, 119:70, 119:77, 119:174)

DELIGHT

Now this is the most common word we see used in the Psalms to describe the scriptures. Isn’t that a great word to describe one’s relationship with them? Hopefully, we delight in the scriptures. I know that’s the way I feel about them. When the scriptures or the gospel or God’s word is truly understood, I don’t think there is any other way you can feel about them. Their complexity, their depth, their relevance, their charm is undeniable when they are sincerely engaged with. Part of the reason why I started this channel was because I wanted to share my delight for the word of God. I hope that if you’ve studied with me for any length of time, that you’ve sensed my delight and that you’ve shared in it yourself. One of the greatest blessings of the Come Follow Me program has been an increased delight in God’s word. You may have noticed that the word delight shows up repeatedly in Psalm 119 which is really the BIG psalm that deals with the scriptures. And it’s long, coming in at a whopping 176 verses. But it’s really kind of cool and unique. You’ll notice when you read Psalm 119 that it’s divided up with these strange words and symbols. Now what those are, are letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. So it’s like one of those acrostic poems that perhaps you’ve seen. The first word of each section begins with that Hebrew letter, if you were to read it in Hebrew. It’s a Psalm entirely dedicated to the delight of God’s word and if you get the chance, I highly encourage you to read it all the way through. It has many insights to teach us about the value of the scriptures.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

To conclude this activity, you could ask your students to share their answer to the following question as they look back over their answers.

Which of the symbols for the word of God from the psalms is your favorite and why?

Scripture Splendors

For this third and final crossword puzzle, we’re going to be looking for two things really. Scripture splendors or blessings and then also and some scripture strategies or suggestions on how we can better engage with God’s word. So here we go.

ACROSS1. And I will walk at __________: for I seek thy precepts. (119:45)

LIBERTY

The truths of God’s word lead us to liberty. Satan and his lies, on the other hand, are all about bondage and captivity. But when we commit to living according to the laws, statutes, and precepts of God, it makes us free.  The truth shall set you free. The more obedient we are, the more freedom we experience—freedom from guilt, freedom from addiction and freedom from the consequences of sin.

4. That they might set their _______ in God. (78:7)

HOPE

The scriptures bring us hope. Hope in a glorious resurrection. Hope in God’s grace and forgiveness. Hope for a better world. Hope that we can endure our trials. Hope in our divine destiny.

7. In his law doth he __________ day and night. (1:2)

MEDITATE

This is one of our scripture strategies. We’re invited to meditate or ponder on the word of God. Sometimes the best scripture study you will ever have will happen when you aren’t even looking at your scriptures, but when you are meditating on them. When we ponder, we give the spirit an opportunity to teach us and inspire us. They act as a catalyst to personal revelation. I’ll sometimes joke with my students that if they were to come by my office in the morning when I’m prepping my lessons, they may just look in and see me leaning back in my chair, feet up on the desk, hands behind my head, staring into space. And they might be tempted to think, “Wow, just look at that lazy old Brother Wilcox, just relaxing in there, doing nothing.” But what they wouldn’t realize is that what they are witnessing is me engaged in some of the hardest work I do all day. I’m pondering. I’m thinking about the scriptures. I’m contemplating their relevance. I’m meditating on the message. Meditating on the scriptures will help us to delight in them.

9. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their ___________. (78:5)

CHILDREN

Another scripture strategy. Parents have a solemn responsibility to make the word of God known to their children. Now what they do with that word will be up to their own agency and free will, but each generation must seek to pass their testimony and knowledge on to the rising generation in an effort to maintain a heritage of faith. 

11. In keeping of them there is great ___________. (19:11)

REWARD

The Lord knows how to bestow good gifts on his children. Those who engage consistently with his word are promised great rewards. In your experience, what are some of those rewards? Happiness? Peace? Knowledge? Comfort? The Spirit? Revelation? What else? Remember the words of God are worth more than gold and silver. What prizes have you been awarded for delighting in them?

DOWN2. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the __________ of my heart. (119:111)

REJOICING

The truths of the gospel can bring us joy. They make us happy. I can attest to this. When I have taken the time to truly dig deep into my scriptures, I always seem to have a better day. I’m in a better mood. I have more strength to face my hardships. No wonder David delighted in the scriptures. They made him happy! They can do the same for us.

3. And not _________ the works of God, but keep his commandments. (78:7)

FORGET

Here’s a blessing of scripture study. The scriptures help us not to forget the works of God. It’s when we begin to forget all the great things he’s done that we start to encounter trouble and lose the will to choose the right. That’s why the scriptures were originally called “Book of Remembrance”. In them we find all the principles and truths that God wishes us to always bear in mind. Remembering will keep us from repeating the mistakes of the past. Remembering will help us to stay strong in the face of temptation. Remembering will help us to remain loyal to our Savior.

5. And he shall be like a _____ planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (1:3)

TREE

That’s a great image. Those that delight in God’s word are like a healthy tree planted by a flowing river. A tree near a river has a constant source of nourishment and water. When we delight in the scriptures, God pours out his strength and nourishment on our souls. Alma compared our faith to a seed, but cautioned that the seed must be nourished and cared for if we ever expect it to grow and provide fruit. Scripture study is one of the best ways to nourish that faith.

6. By them is thy servant __________. (19:11)

WARNED

The scriptures warn of us spiritual dangers. They teach us what to avoid and what to look out for. In them we get to read of many examples of people who did or did not heed God’s warnings and the results of those decisions. We therefore are better equipped to make our own decisions and choose the right. 

8. ____________ are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. (119:2)

BLESSED

Well that’s kind of an all-encompassing one. Those that keep his testimonies and seek him, will be blessed. Can’t get much more straightforward than that.

9. This is my __________ in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. (119:50)

COMFORT

The scriptures can provide us with comfort. When the dreariness and difficulty of life begin to bring us down, if we turn to God’s word, we will find reassurance and encouragement. God mourns with those that mourn. When I get discouraged, there are some chapters in the scriptures that I know will cheer me up and give me comfort. Doctrine and Covenants 121, Isaiah 43, Romans 8, Ether 12. God never promised us that our lives would be easy or trouble-free, but he did promise that he would not leave us comfortless or abandon us to destruction.

10. Great ______ have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. (119:165)

PEACE

Though the world around us may rage, Jesus Christ’s command “peace, be still”  can be heard calling out from every page of holy writ. The scriptures give us stability and serenity in a world of ever-shifting values.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

And to conclude this activity, you could ask your students to share their answer to the following question:

Have you ever seen any of these blessings come into your life from studying God’s word?

Which ones and how have they been manifested?

CONCLUSION

So did you enjoy that little exercise? The psalms sure have a lot to say about the scriptures, don’t they? With all the blessings that God offers those that engage with his holy word, is it any wonder that Tevye would sing that more time in God’s word would be the sweetest blessing of all. Have you come to Tevye’s conclusion yet? Would more time to study God’s word be at the top of your list if you had the means and the opportunity? Now I know that I’m spoiled because I get to spend hours every day talking about and teaching from the scriptures as a profession. I’ve been blessed to be able to do that for the last 20 years or so. And you might wonder if I ever get tired of them. Have they gotten old to me? Have I ever sighed as I opened up my Book of Mormon, or Old Testament and said, “Well, here we go again,” I can say with all sincerity, that no, I’ve never felt that way. I’m nowhere near tired of them. I have never found them boring. I’ve never found them irrelevant. I’ve never grown weary of their content. To this day, that’s never happened.  There is an infinite amount of depth, truth, and insight within the pages of each of the standard works. And I’ve seen the blessings—all the rewards the psalms have promised. I’ve experienced the joy, I’ve felt the comfort, I’ve enjoyed the peace. I delight in God’s word. And I pray that you will too.

MESSIANIC PSALMS

ICEBREAKER

Our next theme. Do you know what the word “Messianic” means?  Ever heard that term before? It means: “Of, or relating to the Messiah, Jesus Christ or the salvation believed to have been brought by him.”  When you study the psalms, you may see the phrase “A Messianic Psalm” in the chapter heading. In fact, that may be a good marking activity to try sometime. Just go through and mark every time you see that label, and then read each of those psalms. I can promise you that you will walk away with a better understanding and love for your Savior if you do so. Here's a list of all of them if you’d like to do that.

2, 8, 9, 16, 21, 22, 31, 40, 45, 67, 68, 69, 89, 91, 110, 118, 132.

Some other psalms that aren’t designated specifically as Messianic, but I feel still have messianic qualities are.

41, 55, 72, 107

But for an icebreaker to this theme, I would show the following video produced by the Church. It’s called “His Sacred Name-An Easter Declaration.”  I feel this little video does a good job of creating the atmosphere and spirit that you’ll want to have as you discuss this lesson. After you watch it, ask the following discussion question. When you feel discouraged, persecuted, or lonely, where do you turn for comfort and help?  And I would just allow a few of my students to share some of their thoughts and experiences with that.

His Sacred Name-An Easter Declaration: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-03-0007-his-sacred-name-an-easter-declaration?lang=eng&alang=eng&collectionId=eba917eaaa0e4f0d9cd61bef2709a076

Then I would ask: Does anyone know where Jesus turned to for comfort and help in his hour of need? In Gethsemane and on Calvary? And there’s more than one answer to that question. He turned to his friends. He turned to his Father. He turned to his own teachings and applied them. But there’s one other place he turned that may not be as well known. He turned to the psalms. He found solace and strength in these old testament hymns. Today we’ll take a look at some of the Messianic psalms that aided Jesus in his sufferings, and we’ll begin with Psalm 22.

SEARCH

Now when we study the crucifixion in the gospels, we only experience it from below looking up. We are outside observers to his sufferings and his words. We get it from the perspective of Matthew, Mark, or John. But would you be interested in experiencing or understanding that moment from the cross looking down? To have a clearer understanding of what Jesus was thinking and feeling at that moment from his own perspective? Well, I believe there is a way we can do just that. We get that perspective from Psalm 22.  While Jesus hung on the cross, he made a number of statements. Seven in fact. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) ,“Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). But at one point while Christ hung, perhaps in the moment of his deepest agony, he said something that has intrigued and even confused many. He said, “My god, my god, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Now that statement has been interpreted in a number of different ways and I suppose no one can really definitively explain what Christ was experiencing in that moment. Some in the world have interpreted that as a murmur from the Savior, an accusation or an expression of doubt. Now that I don’t believe. Latter-day prophets have taught us that this was the moment that the Father withdrew his Spirit from the Savior so that Christ could experience all that mortals experience. He needed to know what it felt like to lose the Spirit and the presence of his Father. In his lifetime, he had never sinned and therefore had never lost the Holy Ghost or link with his Father. And I believe that explanation. Doctrinally that makes sense to me. However, Psalm 22 gives us another possible interpretation that I like very much. Read the first verse and see how it begins.

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Huh?  It is very possible, that in the moment of his deepest pain, Christ found strength and comfort by quoting a line from one his favorite hymns or psalms. Now Christ quoted scripture all the time. You may recall on the mount of temptation that Jesus found strength to resist the adversary by quoting Deuteronomy. But here, he quotes psalms at a time when he needed comfort and courage. Jesus must have read this psalm many times in his life and perhaps contemplated a future experience he would have. And when that moment came, he found solace in it.

SEARCH

So I’d like to invite you to read Psalm 22 from that perspective. This is a psalm that is worth reading through with you verse by verse. These very well may be the Savior’s thoughts on the cross. When he quotes that one line, he evokes the thoughts and sentiments of the entire psalm. So what was Christ thinking about. Here we go:

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

² O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

Have you ever prayed that kind of prayer? Have you ever felt like God was far from you? That no one was listening?  Joseph Smith once prayed that kind of prayer in Liberty Jail. “Oh God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place.”  (Doctrine & Covenants 121:1)  But does Christ dwell on this thought for long? No

³ But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

⁴ Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

⁵ They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

These are verses infused with faith and trust in God. One thing we get for sure from this psalm is a refutation of the theory that Christ is expressing doubt or complaint.

Continuing on, we’re going to see some things that are very descriptive of what Christ was experiencing at this time, right down to minute detail.

⁶ But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

⁷ All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

⁸ He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

Isn’t that exactly what some of the people at the crucifixion accused Christ of.   But now more conviction:

⁹ But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

¹⁰ I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

¹¹ Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

Here our Savior reaffirms his commitment to his Father and accomplishing his will. “thou art my God from my mother’s belly”.  I will always follow you; I have always followed you, from my very birth. 

And now, he’ll give us a very moving description of what he was experiencing physically.

¹² Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

¹³ They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

¹⁶ For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. (How’s that for a reference to the crucifixion?)

¹⁷ I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

¹⁸ They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

(That is something that we know took place on Calvary.)

¹⁹ But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

²¹ Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

Can you see why this psalm would come to mind for Christ?

And now, there’s a shift from verse 22 on.  A psalm that is filled with a description of pain, agony, and pleading, will end in triumph and an anticipation of future glory. 

²² I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

²³ Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

²⁴ For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

²⁵ My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

²⁶ The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

²⁷ All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

²⁸ For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations.

²⁹ All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

³⁰ A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

³¹ They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Do you understand why Christ would quote this hymn? Why he would have this in mind. I’m sure it gave him strength at the time when he needed it most. I imagine he was drawing upon the victorious and exultant spirit of this hymn to help him endure his anguish.

And that’s what we must do as well. We don’t need to enjoy or welcome or rejoice in our suffering. But we can rejoice in God’s promise that we will overcome all if we maintain our faith and conviction in his eventual triumph over all our pains and problems.  Even though he suffered greatly, Jesus didn’t suffer forever. He did overcome. He did his Father’s will and triumphed over all his foes. He defeated both sin and death, and through that victory, also overcame all of our sins, sorrows, sicknesses, temptations, and afflictions (Alma 7:11-13).

MORE MESSIANIC MEANING

There are other Messianic psalms that most likely would have been on Christ’s mind as he hung on the cross. Allow me to point you to few and I encourage you to study them personally and do what we just did together. Where do you see connections to what Christ experienced? In fact, see if you can find the two other places that connect directly with things that Christ actually spoke from the cross.

Psalm 31

Psalm 41

Psalm 55

Psalm 69

Let me point out just a few of these for you:

Did you see the connection in psalm 31? Verse 5

⁵ Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

More evidence of Christ finding strength from a psalm. When he said from the cross, “Father, into thy hands I commit my Spirit” (Luke 23:46) perhaps the thoughts and feelings of psalm 31 were in his heart. This is also a psalm full of faith and trust in God. For example,

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

² Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.

³ For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.

⁴ Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

Look for a moment at verses 9-13.

⁹ Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.

¹⁰ For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

¹¹ I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

¹² I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

¹³ For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, his “neighbors” and closest friends did flee from him, and he faced his trials alone.

However, more triumph.

¹⁴ But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.

¹⁹ Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

²³ O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

²⁴ Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

From Psalm 41

Maybe these verses caught your attention:

⁵ Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?

⁶ And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

⁷ All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.

⁸ An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

And then who does this make you think of?

⁹ Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

Pair that thought with Psalm 55:12-14

¹² For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

¹³ But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

¹⁴ We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

Who is he referring to there? Who was this familiar friend that lifted up his heel against him. An acquaintance that at one point had taken sweet counsel with, and walked with him who became his enemy.  Judas Iscariot. Right. We know that was a difficult thing for Christ to experience. It’s one thing to be hated and oppressed by your enemies, but that’s what you expect from them. But to be betrayed by one of your closest friends . . . Now there’s a trial far more difficult to endure.

Still: Back to psalm 41:

¹⁰ But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.

¹¹ By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

¹² And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.

¹³ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

And 55:16-18

¹⁶ As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.

¹⁷ Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

¹⁸ He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

These psalms of pain and hurt always reverberate with trust in God and triumph over evil.

If you go to psalm 69, we see another connection with a statement from the cross. Did you catch it?

And, we won’t take the time to go into depth on this one, but it shares much of the same spirit of psalm 22 where we hear the sufferings of the savior defined and expressed in beautiful poetic language, but let me direct you specifically to verses 20-21.

²⁰ Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

²¹ They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

What statement are we seeing a reference to?  The only request the Savior made for himself during his entire ordeal. He said, “I thirst.” (John 19:28) He was thirsty—a common petition made by the dying. To have just a little bit of relief and quelling of the difficulty of death. When my Mom was dying of cancer, I remember my father giving her little chips of ice to suck on because she didn’t have the strength to really eat or drink.  And what did they give Christ to drink? Vinegar. Even then, he was not offered relief or help. He drank the bitter cup, right to its last bitter drop.

I think it’s fascinating that one of the most poignant and eye-opening places to study the sufferings of the Savior would be in this Old Testament book that predated Jesus by about 1000 years. And, I’m not so sure that when David wrote those Psalms that he was really prophesying what Jesus would experience? Maybe there is some of that in it. But perhaps this is more of an example of Jesus making David’s words, his own—finding himself in the scriptures and relating to them. Which is what we are all called on to do. That’s why I’m always encouraging you to Liken the Scriptures to yourself. Jesus was a master at this and repeatedly turned to them when he needed strength.

TRUTH

To summarize what we’ve learned here, a statement of truth I feel these psalms illustrate.

When we suffer, if we, like Christ, turn to the scriptures and the hymns, we can receive strength and reassurance.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Is there a hymn or a scripture that has helped you through a difficult time? Please share your experience.

CONCLUSION

Well, Christ taught us some powerful things while he hung on the cross, but the psalms give us a much deeper comprehension of those words. Though he didn’t say much as far as a word count is concerned while he suffered, but those few words were filled with meaning. Christ was always teaching, even in those darkest moments. He didn’t have the strength or ability to give an entire sermon at that point, but he gave us hints in those statements, hoping we would go to the scriptures for understanding and instruction, just like he always did. I know that my Redeemer lives.

PSALMS PART 3

Psalms Part 3

TEMPLES

ICEBREAKER

I’d like to introduce our first theme from Psalms for this week with the following icebreaker. I challenge my class to name as many hymns or primary songs that they can that are about or refer to temples.

And here is a list of some of the possibilities:

2 The Spirit of God

5 High on the Mountain Top

44 Beautiful Zion, Built Above

52 The Day Dawn is Breaking

54 Behold, the Mountain of the Lord

94 Come, Ye Thankful People

132 God Is in His Holy Temple

287 Rise, Ye Saints, and Temples Enter

288 How Beautiful Thy Temples, Lord

289 Holy Temples on Mount Zion

290 Rejoice, Ye Saints of Latter Days

291 Turn Your Hearts

300 Families Can Be Together Forever

95 I Love to See the Temple

153 The Lord Gave Me a Temple

After that activity, you might consider choosing one of these hymns to sing together as a class. Or you could show a video of one of these hymns being performed.  Here is just one suggestion of a YouTube video that has a great rendition of “I Love to See the Temple” set to pictures:

I Love to See the Temple https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBsbaewsO7w

TRANSITION

And I feel it’s fitting that we begin today’s lesson with a hymn about temples, because the book of Psalms also contains many hymns about temples. Quite a few in fact. And these hymns, just like our modern ones, can help us to appreciate the power and importance of these holy buildings in our lives. So let’s take a look together at what the Book of Psalms can teach us about the Lord’s house. 

SEARCH

An activity I might have my students do to study this particular theme would be to give them a chance to be student teachers. As teachers, we don’t always have to be the ones doing all the teaching. You have probably discovered that you, as the teacher, learn far more than what you can share with your students. Sometimes it’s good to give them a little bit of that experience in your class. What you do is divide them up into groups of four as much as possible and give them one of the following handouts and sets of verses to study. Give them about 10-15 minutes to really become familiar with their assigned references and to write down their answers on their sheet. Then, they can use their notes to give a brief lesson about what they learned with the other three students in their group. Each will take a turn being the student teacher. And if you look closely at these handouts, you’ll notice that the initial question on each focuses on a different aspect of temple worship from the psalms.  So each student’s thoughts should be unique from the others.  Then, after that first question each of the students have the same following two questions to answer:

·      Of all the verses you studied, which one stood out to you as the most important and why?

·      How do you personally feel about the temple?

After they have studied and prepared, each student will get a few minutes each to teach the other students in their groups. When I do this type of activity, I usually like to walk around and listen in on some of the lessons being taught, and I might even select a few to share some of their lesson with the entire class. Or you could ask for volunteers.

Now, for the purposes of this video, I’d like to walk you through the content of each of the handouts with their initial question in mind.

STUDENT TEACHER #1: THE BLESSINGS OF THE TEMPLE

So student teacher #1 has this question: What do your verses teach us about the blessings that flow from the temple?

Psalm 5:7

⁷ But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

The temple is a place where we can feel the multitude of God’s mercy.  “How is God’s mercy revealed by the temple?” you might ask.  It’s merciful that he allows us to come to his house—that he’s created a place like the temple for his children to come home to and experience just a little piece of heaven in a fallen world. A place where we can escape the pressures and the temptations and the darkness of the world around us.  A place that helps us to think forward to the day when all wickedness and pain will end. It’s a place where we can feel the power of God’s grace and his forgiveness of our shortcomings and weaknesses. The temple is not a place for perfect individuals, but a place for those who are striving to be the best disciples they can.

Psalm 27:4-5

⁴ One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

⁵ For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Why does David desire to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life? So that he could behold the beauty of the Lord and enquire in his holy temple.  The temple is a place where we can behold many different aspects of the Lord’s beauty. The beauty of his doctrine, the beauty of his plan, the beauty of the world and universe he’s created, the beauty of family relationships, the beauty of service to both living and dead, the beauty of truth. 

And the temple is a place where we can go to enquire things of him. It’s an excellent place to pray and ask God for help and guidance. I know that I’ve found answers to prayers in the temple as I’ve prayed for help on how to lead my ward, how to raise my children, how to enrich my marriage and how to be a better man.

From these verses, the temple is also a place where we can go in times of trouble. When we’re discouraged or worried, or hurting in some way, there we can hide in his pavilion for a time and set us upon his rock. The temple provides a firm foundation from which to stand in perilous times. The scriptures sometimes refer to the temple as a house of refuge.

Psalm 43:3-5

³ O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

⁴ Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

⁵ Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

The temple is a place that sends out light and truth. That light guides us through the dark places of our lives. I always love to see temples at night--all lit up and shining in the darkness. They remind us that the house of the Lord is a place of guiding and glorious light.

Also, from verse 5, when we are feeling cast down or disquieted, we can go to the temple and receive hope and health to our countenance. I like that last expression. Is our countenance healthy? The way we appear to the rest of the world? Our outlook, our attitude, the way we bear ourselves to others? Is there health in our countenances? Or are we sour, negative, judgmental, or pessimistic? The temple can help to put health into our countenances once again.

Psalm 48:9

⁹ We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

The temple is a good place to reflect on the lovingkindness of our God. He is a god of help and love and kindness. We can feel that, within the walls of his home.

STUDENT TEACHER #2: TEMPLE WORTHINESS

Now for the question for student teacher #2: What do your verses teach us about temple worthiness?

I refer to psalms 15 and 24 as David’s temple recommend interview. Why? Because he begins both psalms with basically the same question, just expressed differently in four unique ways.  In Psalm 15: Who shall abide in thy tabernacle?  who shall dwell in thy holy hill? AND in Psalm 24: ³ Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? And then both psalms give us a list of requirements for those who wish to dwell in God’s house. And a bit of a heads up here. The requirements are not the same as ours today. But as you look at these psalms, I want you to ask yourself if you would pass David’s temple recommend interview.

Psalm 15

From psalm 15:

Do we walk uprightly? Do we act in a way that we are proud of? Could we stand in the presence of God with our heads held upright?

Do we work righteousness? And I like that verb. Righteousness is something that we work. It requires concentrated effort and persistence.

Do we speak the truth in our hearts? Not just with our mouths, but in our hearts as well. Are we sincere and act with righteous motives?

Do we strive not to backbite with our tongue? (or gossip) That question might eliminate quite a few of us from temple attendance.  Are we able to speak well of people when they’re not present and resist the urge to put others down that we perceive as lesser.

Do we refuse to do evil to our neighbor or reproach them? I know that the Bible uses the word “neighbor” to mean all mankind, but personally I really like that word for a different reason. When you think about it, it’s quite easy to love the nameless masses of humanity all over the world. Oh yes, I’m a good person, I love all mankind. BUT, it’s much harder to love and serve the guy that lives just next door. The guy who has the barking dog, or throws the loud parties, or who you have a property dispute with. Or it’s our coworkers, our ward members, or even members of our own family. These “neighbors” are the people that we really need to work hard on loving, speaking well of, and doing good to. And truly, they can sometimes be the most challenging people to love.

Do we disparage the wicked and honor the righteous?  I don’t think this means that we hate, or condemn, or ignore the wicked in some kind of self-righteous judgment. I just think it means that we should be careful not to praise or uphold or esteem that which is wicked. We don’t need to support or praise the celebrity who is producing indecent media. We shouldn’t honor the criminal who gets away with it, but in style. We don’t reverence the businessperson who treats people horribly, conducts business shadily, but manages to come away successful anyway. Sometimes our world tends to hold up the wicked, and gives them honors, or admires them. We want to make sure that we respect and honor those people who truly deserve respect.  We honor the righteous.

“He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not” is just another way of saying that we keep our promises even when it hurts or its not to our advantage. Are we the kind of people who keep our word, no matter what?

Do we lend without demanding interest? And do we refuse to accept bribes to better our own situation? Hopefully we can deal graciously, fairly, and honorably with others.

There are a few more questions to consider in Psalm 24:3-5

Do we have clean hands and a pure heart? Now both are necessary for worthiness. I suppose it’s possible to have clean hands (we do the right things) but not a pure heart (we do them for the wrong reasons). The Pharisees at the time of Christ come to mind. And I suppose it’s also possible to not have clean hands (we don’t do the right things) but still manage to have a pure heart (we have good intentions but never show the fortitude to really act on them). Neither of these strategies is going to work in the end. We need to strive to do the right things with the right intentions.

Also, have we controlled the temptation to lift ourselves up unto vanity? As President Ezra Taft Benson taught us, pride is the universal sin. Have we sought to conquer pride? To consider all souls to be of great worth, regardless of any factor? To resist the temptation of thinking we are better than someone else for whatever reason. 

And finally, can we keep ourselves from swearing deceitfully? This coincides well with a question that  we do find in our modern temple worthiness interviews. Are we honest in our dealings with our fellow man? Do we tell the truth? Do we shun all forms of cheating in our school assignments, business transactions, or financial dealings? Are we trustworthy with our employers?

Even though most of these questions don’t appear in our modern interviews, I think we would still do well to consider them as we evaluate our own discipleship. Would you have passed David’s temple recommend interview?

Well, before we leave these verses, notice the promised blessings that we could add here:

He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

STUDENT TEACHER #3: LOVING THE TEMPLE

For student teacher #3, the question is: What do your verses teach us about how we should feel about the temple?

Psalm 26:8

⁸ Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

Hopefully, like David, we love the habitation of God’s house. When we attend, do we go out of a mere sense of duty, or do we truly enjoy worshipping in the Lord’s house. Do we go because we want to be there? David loved the temple and could feel the honor of God that dwells there. I pray that we all look forward to spending time frequently and consistently in his house.

Psalm 65:4

⁴ Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

There is certainly goodness in the holy temple, but do we walk away satisfied with it? Have you ever felt that way when you walked away from spending time in the temple? Satisfied. I believe that there’s a special feeling that accompanies a meaningful visit to the House of the Lord—a sense of contentment, accomplishment even, and the warmth of God’s approval.

Psalm 73:3-17 is a fascinating one to me.

It poses a question or a doubt that the author is struggling to understand. Perhaps you can relate to his question:

³ For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

⁵ They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

⁶ Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

⁷ Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.

⁸ They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

¹⁰ Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

¹¹ And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

¹² Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

¹³ Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

¹⁴ For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

¹⁵ If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.

¹⁶ When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

Do you get what he’s saying there? He’s struggling with the idea of the prosperity of the wicked. He wonders why God doesn’t seem to punish the wicked more than he does. They seem to be getting away with it. Why do they have strength, and fatness, and enjoy more than the heart could wish, and increase in riches?  But then, in many cases, the righteous don’t always prosper and are even plagued or chastened. That’s not fair! we might shout to the heavens. The world just doesn’t seem make sense to psalmist.  But then, verse 17:

¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

I love that thought about the temple. When we observe the world around us, things don’t always seem to make sense. The world is such a confusing and bewildering place . . . until we get to the temple. The temple has a way of putting all things into perspective. That which seems unjust outside the walls of the temple, becomes reasonable from within. That which seemed important when we were in the world, fades into insignificance in the Lord’s house. Life just makes more sense in the temple.

STUDENT TEACHER #4: A DAY IN YOUR COURT

For student teacher #4 I have a bit more of a catch-all kind of question and there are aspects of each of the former questions within it. This assignment takes the student to psalm 84, which I think is one of the best psalms on the temple overall, in the entire book. Student #4 is simply asked the question: What does your psalm teach us about the temple?

So let’s read through it together:

How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!  (Great word. Amiable. The temple is just a pleasant place to be)

² My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

(Have you ever felt that way. Ahhhh. I need to get to the temple soon! My heart longs to be there. I remember feeling that way on my mission when there was no temple for hundreds of miles around. When I returned home, that was one of the first things I wanted to do. I also felt that way during the Covid pandemic where, once again, months and months went by without an opportunity to worship there. And when they finally did open back up, it felt so good to get back again. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience)

³ Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.  (So, even the birds want to build their nests on the temple grounds)

(And then these verses describing the blessings of the temple)

⁴ Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.

⁵ Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

⁶ Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

(the valley of Baca was probably a literal place but is referred to here symbolically as a place of weeping. That’s what Baca means. The valley of Baca could represent those most tragic and difficult parts of our lives.  The temple can help us to get through these dark times. It’s the best place you can go to when you weep)

⁷ They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

⁸ O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.

⁹ Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.

¹⁰ For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

(I love that verse. One day in the temple is better than a thousand anywhere else—even Disneyland! David says that he’d rather be able to just stand at the door of the temple than spend any amount of time in the tents of wickedness or the pursuits of Babylon.)

¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

¹² O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

So many blessings from the temple. Light, protection, grace, glory, all the good things that God promises the righteous can be found within the walls of his house. No wonder it’s often described as a house of glory.

TRUTH

If we strive to maintain our worthiness, God will pour out countless blessings upon us from his temple.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

How would you answer that final question on the student teacher handouts? How do you personally feel about the temple? What do you love most about attending it? What blessings have you seen flow from it? What inspires you to worship there?

CONCLUSION

When Joseph Smith received the command to build a house of God in Kirtland, Ohio, the first in this dispensation, the Lord told him that it would be a different kind of house. It would be a house made up of many different houses. He said, “11 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;”  I believe our study today has shown that the temple continues to be each of these things extending all the way back to the days of David and even Moses. God’s house serves many purposes and brings countless blessings to those who take the time to worship there. I remember a number of years ago I climbed a mountain near our home named Lone Peak and failed to bring enough water for the day. As I was descending in the late summer heat, I ran out of water and began to feel very sick, nauseous, and dehydrated. Slowly I made my way down the mountain and began to seriously worry about heat exhaustion or worse, heat stroke. I was scared that I’d really put myself in a bad situation and I prayed that I would be able to get down safely. Well, at one point, I remember turning a corner on the trail and there, just in the distance down the side of the mountain I saw the beautiful spire of the Draper temple peering through the trees with the angel Moroni gleaming on the top. Though my fear didn’t completely subside, I distinctly remember feeling comforted by that sight, that a house of God was so close to me. I felt that my Heavenly Father was aware of me, and that he would help me out of that situation. Which he did, and I soon ran into some people who had been out riding ATV’s and had some spare water to share.  I think that there will be times in each of our lives when we find ourselves spiritually parched, fearful, and exhausted. It’s exactly at those times that we most need the comfort and the healing of the Lord’s house. He calls to all weary and fainting travelers to come inside and find refreshment and healing and protection from worldly elements. I love to see the temple, and even more, I love going inside. The temple stands as tangible proof of the loving, compassionate, and welcoming nature of our Father in Heaven.

PRAISEWORTHY

ICEBREAKER

Moving on. There’s a major theme that we find in Psalms that I’d like to treat relatively briefly here. But it’s one that you’ll see all throughout the book. And that’s the theme of praise. And to introduce that theme, I invite my students to think of something that they love to do. That can be a sport they enjoy, a hobby they’re interested in, a musical instrument they play, or anything that they’re enthusiastic about. I then have them turn to a partner and I give them two minutes to try and convince the other why their “thing” is so great. Why everyone should love it. Allow both people in the pair to share their reasons and then let them judge who they think did a better job of convincing the other. There’s no need to deem a “winner” but just for fun, challenge them to see if they can agree on who they felt really persuaded the other best.

TRANSITION

Well, what they just did in that little activity was an exercise in praise. That’s what “praise” is all about. It’s when you sincerely, convincingly, and passionately express your admiration or love of someone or something. The psalms are filled with praise and much of that praise is directed towards God. And you know, I feel that’s something that we probably don’t really do much of in our prayers anymore. I mean, how often do we really express prayers of praise? When we teach somebody to pray, we’ll usually teach them four steps. Direct the prayer to Heavenly Father, thank him for things we are grateful for, ask him for things we desire, and then conclude in the name of Jesus Christ. But I feel there could be a fifth step added in there. Praise. Jesus is a good example of this as he praised his Father in what is sometimes referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer”, when he says, “Hallowed be thy name” and “the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever”. (Matthew 6:9-13), he was expressing praise. Thanking God expresses gratitude for the gift. But praising God expresses gratitude and wonder at the CHARACTER of the GIVER of the gift.

I like something that C.S. Lewis said about praise. He said:

“The world rings with praise. . .readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game – praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars.

… just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?” The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about. . . .

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.

I really like that line of reasoning.  Do we really enjoy the character of our Father in Heaven? If God is the greatest thing of all, greater than hobbies, greater than objects, greater than even his creations, then shouldn’t He deserve that same kind of praise from us?  Should we not get just as excited and passionate about our Father in Heaven and his gospel and all that he’s has done for us as we do for those more mundane or earthly things? And that praise would complete and enhance the joy we feel at having him as our God. Maybe we’d go around, and not be able to hold back from expressing our faith in God because we just wouldn’t be able to help it. “Oh, let me tell you about my God. He is the greatest, most amazing being you could ever meet. Let me tell you about his plan. Let me tell you about his works and his wisdom”. That’s the spirit of the psalms of praise.

SEARCH

And to help your students get a sense of that theme in the psalms, have them either study or listen to a number of the following suggested psalms. 

Psalm 8

Psalm 65

Psalm 98

Psalm 145

Psalm 150

Now, you could read some of them to your students, read them with your students, or have them listen to a recording of them. And here, I don’t want to take away from the power of these psalms by burdening you with a bunch of commentary. I don’t believe they need a lot of commentary. Their sentiment speaks for itself.  Instead, I just want you to feel the power of these psalms of praise and invite you to seek to connect with them on a personal level. Do you feel the same way about God as the writer does? Do you share the sentiments of the psalmist?

And then, just so you can get a sense of the spirit of these psalms, allow me to share with you my favorite psalm of praise from this list. Psalm 145

1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

² Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴ One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

⁵ I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

⁶ And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

⁷ They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

⁸ The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

⁹ The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

¹⁰ All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.

¹¹ They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

¹² To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

¹³ Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

¹⁴ The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

¹⁵ The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

¹⁶ Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

¹⁸ The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

¹⁹ He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

²⁰ The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

²¹ My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Now, did you get a sense of what praise is all about from that?  I hope that as I read, that you could sense the psalmists delight in God. Can you relate? I hope we can.

HYMNS OF PRAISE

And perhaps a good way to conclude a discussion of the topic of praise in the Psalms, would be to enjoy a modern hymn of praise together as a class. There are quite of few of them in our hymnbooks.  Can you think of any? Here are just a few examples:

2 The Spirit of God (just think of the chorus)

62 All Creatures of our God and King

69 All Glory, Laud, and Honor

72 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

89 The Lord is my Light

92 For the Beauty of the Earth

86 How Great thou Art

193 I Stand All Amazed

And that’s just a few. There are many, many more. Well, sing one of them! Or, if you’d like a suggested video rendition of one of these hymns to share with your class, I recommend the following musical number put out by the BYU Female Acapella group called Noteworthy and their performance of “How Great thou Art”. I think you’ll like it very much and I feel that the combined spirit of both an ancient and a modern hymn of praise together in one class period, can really bring a special spirit to your classroom experience.

BYU Noteworthy “How Great Thou Art” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nqwxnpT8tM

CONCLUSION

And I hope that we can all recognize just how amazing and wonderful our Father in Heaven and Savior are. If there are any beings in this universe that deserve great praise, it would be them. And they really are incredible! Just look at the beauty of the world they’ve created. Look at the miracles they perform. Consider the depth and power of the doctrines they teach. Think of the plan they’ve designed for us. Reflect on the wonders of their Church and gospel. Ponder their wisdom, power, and greatness. God is good! God is great! We have an extraordinary Father in Heaven! How great thou art!

SCRIPTURE PRESCRIPTIONS

ICEBREAKER

Now, to conclude our study of the book of Psalms, there is one final activity I’d like to do with you. There were a number of verses and topics from my study of the psalms that didn’t fit neatly into one specific category or theme, but that I still found worthwhile and insightful. So the last portion of our lesson is going to be a bit of a miscellaneous section.  We’re going to do an activity here that I like to call “Scripture Prescriptions”. And for an icebreaker to introduce it, you can do the following quick matching activity. Can you match the prescription to the problem? People who are suffering from the following maladies would be most helped by which prescription?

A headache                 Tylenol

Upset stomach            Pepto Bismol

Cough                          Robitussin

Allergies                      Claritin

Diabetes                      Insulin

TRANSITION

And now we’re going to do something similar with the scriptures. With the following handout, I want you to find the symptom that you can most relate with. Then, I encourage you to go to the scripture prescription that is listed and read the suggested verse or verses from the Psalms. These are verses that I feel could best help someone with those particular feelings. As the teacher, give your students about 5-10 minutes to do the activity and then, if they feel it’s not too personal, encourage some to share what they found from the scriptures that was helpful. Let’s look at them together.

I’ve been called to be a gospel teacher and I feel inadequate—40:8-10

⁸ I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

⁹ I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.

¹⁰ I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

This is a great attitude for all gospel teachers to have. We don’t want to refrain or hide or conceal the faith that is in our hearts. No wonder God wants us to teach it to others. The sentiments of the psalmist here set a good example of the attitude we can foster when it comes to sharing our faith. It’s not about us. Our teaching is not a performance. We don’t need to get all caught up in self focused concerns. All we need to do is share the righteousness that is in our hearts, declare our faith, and reveal God’s lovingkindness. The message is sure, and we don’t have to be skilled presenters or eloquent speakers to communicate that.

I am troubled by the wars and conflicts of the world—46:9-10

⁹ He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Now verse 10 there is a very well-known and oft-quoted verse from the Psalms. “Be still, and know that I am God.” But I think it’s interesting that it’s spoken in the context of war or being worried about war. Maybe some of you are troubled by some of the conflicts that are happening in the world right now. Don’t let those wars destroy YOUR peace. The events of the world around us cannot affect our personal relationship with God. That’s what matters most. We can’t control world events, but we can turn personally to our Father in Heaven for peace.

I’m getting older and worry about my children and grandchildren—71:9, 18

This is a great one for grandparents.

⁹ Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

¹⁸ Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

As we get older, perhaps our anxiety for the rising generation increases. Maybe you’ve prayed that same prayer. Lord, don’t take me from this earth until I’ve successfully passed my faith on! I believe God that God hears and answers that prayer of the elderly.

I really feel like I need the Lord’s help right now—77

We won’t go through this entire psalm, but it powerfully expresses the emotions that many feel when facing times of hardship. And so it begins:

1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.

And then later:

¹³ Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

¹⁴ Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

When we struggle, God will give ear to our pleas. And, he can do wonders in our lives, and provide us with strength.

I’m struggling with pornography—101:2-3, 6-7

Unfortunately, this is a problem among so many right now. Pornography use and addiction is becoming more and more prevalent in our society as the internet has made it so much more available and pervasive. And there are many, even in the church that are getting caught in its net. How could this psalm help?

² I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

³ I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

That’s the attitude we need to have when it comes to that temptation. We’ve got to commit to behaving ourselves wisely and not setting wicked things before our eyes. Rather . . .

⁶ Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

⁷ He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

Someone who struggles with the temptation of pornography can put forth effort to better control their environment. That is a key to overcoming it. Put your eyes on things of faith. Surround yourself with people of faith. Don’t allow the influences and the images of the world to dwell within your house. Filter those things out. Make your home and your phone, a sanctuary of faith.

I feel I need to get outside more—104

If we have any nature lovers out there, Psalm 104 is your psalm. It revels and rejoices in the beauties and landscapes and majesty of our Heavenly Father’s creation. For me, one of the greatest ways I connect with God is through nature. Psalm 104 does an excellent job of putting into words that connection between nature and faith. We won’t read it here, but I encourage you to take a look at it.

I’m wondering if I should delay marriage and family—127:3-5

It seems that more and more nowadays young people are delaying marriage and family responsibilities or avoiding them altogether. Considering Psalm 127 would do them well.

³ Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

⁴ As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

⁵ Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Motherhood and fatherhood are a great privilege. Now certainly being a parent is challenging and has its sorrows and difficulties. But at the same time, it’s capable of bringing some of the greatest blessings and most profound meaning to our lives. Happy is the person who fills their quiver with opportunities to relate with, strengthen, and love children.

There is a lot of conflict within my life—133:1

This verse is a good reminder for anyone who is experiencing tension or dispute in any key relationships in their life.

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Unity must be a priority in any significant organization or relationship we find ourselves in. Remember the advice of President Thomas S. Monson, “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”

(Conference Report, Oct. 2008)

CONCLUSION

I hope this little exercise can serve as a reminder of the power of the scriptures to help us through our struggles and uncertainties. We will all experience physical ailments and spiritual ailments throughout our lives. Luckily for our bodies, the Lord has provided a world that contains medicines and procedures that can help and heal us. And on a spiritual level, the Lord has also provided soul medicine in the form of the truths and lessons of the scriptures. As my father always says: There isn’t a problem you can have, or a question you can ask that isn’t addressed in some way by the scriptures. If we keep our minds and hearts open to the Spirit and we are sure to consistently spend meaningful time studying them, I’m confident that we will always find holy prescriptions within their pages.