"The Art of Preaching Old Testament Poetry" (Steven D. Mathewson)

TITLE: The Art of Preaching Old Testament Poetry
AUTHOR: Steven D. Mathewson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (256 pages).
 

This is an excellent book about preaching from the wisdom and poetic books of the Old Testament. Filled with lots of biblical insights, historical backgrounds, and illuminating observations, preachers will be excited when reading about the many ways to approach the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Written for those who preach and teach Scripture, author and professor Steven Mathewson takes us through these five books, to give us tips on teaching and preaching strategies. He typically begins with a description of what the texts are saying. He patiently elucidates the purposes of each book by ensuring that we do not put the cart before the horse. For instance, in Psalms, he shows us the emotive components of the Psalms, to ensure we are aware of the stance of each psalm and the emotional plot development. In Proverbs, he reminds us to be mindful of Proverbs 1:1-7, which shows us the purposes of the wisdom texts. In Job, he reminds us to discern the structure and flow of the arguments and counter-arguments. In Ecclesiastes, he calls us to first examine the structure, and understand its perspective, keywords, and concepts, before preaching it. He covers the general and specific structures of the book, taking care to supply the framework of the book before leading us through some powerful strategies for preaching. That is not all. He gives us helpful resources for studying and preaching, leading us to some of the most valuable resources for the Bible book concerned. For instance, in Proverbs, he recommends Bruce Waltke's monumental work on Proverbs. For Job, he highlights John Walton's NIV Application Commentary and Daniel Estes's Teach the Text series, etc. For Ecclesiastes, he takes guidance from Iain Provan, Craig Bartholomew, etc. Many pointers can also be gleaned from "The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching." Mathewson uses Dr. Haddon Robinson's Big-Idea expository Preaching throughout the book. This is no surprise given that the late professor was his mentor. (Dr. Robinson was my mentor too!) At the end of the book, Mathewson gives us six sample sermons, two from Psalms and one from each of the other Bible books concerned to illustrate his points. 

"How to Read the Psalms" Revised (Tremper Longman III)

TITLE: How to Read the Psalms (How to Read Series)
AUTHOR:Tremper Longman III
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2025, (168 pages).
 

What are the biblical psalms about? Is Jesus referred to in the poetry? What does the repetitive verses mean? How do we read the Psalms? These are common questions asked by those who read the book of Psalms. For modern readers, the Bible is not easy to read simply because it has different genres. In the Old Testament, there are the historical books, narratives, poetry, and the prophetic books. The New Testament books contain the gospels, history, letters, and apocalyptic literature. Thus, there is no one set way to read and understand the Bible. The  "How To Read" series of books by IVP is intended to help readers learn to read the books in their different genres. One of the most popular books of the Bible is the Psalms. First published in 1988, the author helps us through the different literary devices of the 150 Psalms. While he does not go through every Psalm, he shows us how to build three bridges to understand them: Historical, Cultural, and Theological. The motivation behind these bridges is to deepen our love for God through reading the Psalms. The first part of this book looks at the historical contexts, asking questions about how the Psalms were understood and used in the ancient era. The second part zooms in on the art and use of literary devices. The third part demonstrates how we can bring all of this learning together and apply it to three psalms (30, 69, and 98). 

"How to Read and Understand the Psalms" (Bruce K. Waltke and Fred G. Zaspel)

TITLE: How to Read and Understand the Psalms
AUTHOR: Bruce K. Waltke and Fred G. Zaspel
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2023, (608 pages).
 

The Psalms is the most if not one of the most beloved books in the Bible. Many preachers love to preach from the Psalms. Containing a rich compendium of praise, poetry, prayer, theology, and worship, many people identify deeply with the Psalms as they go through the ups and downs of life. Many New Testament writers have also referenced the Psalms. The Psalms have inspired many songs. They are the official Prayer Book of the Jews. They teach us how to pray. They encourage us to be completely honest with God. The five major sections of the Psalms parallel the Pentateuch. In that sense, they mark out a brief history of Israel. While it is one thing to read and cherish the Psalms, interpreting and preaching on it can be tough. That is why it is also one of the most difficult to understand. The intent of this book is to equip readers, preachers, and laypersons with some fundamental skills in reading and understanding the Psalms. The content is mostly credited to the highly respected Dr. Bruce Waltke, who has spent the bulk of his life as an Old Testament scholar. In this book, readers are treated to a rich collection of fundamental tips to remember when reading the Psalms. Covering many important segments of the 150 Psalms, we learn about the Psalter in broad terms. We learn the different interpretive frameworks for understanding the Psalms. this is in line with the type of psalms. While many people would follow the Psalms in a chronological manner, or refer to them by their psalm numerical notations, there is a better way to interpret the Psalms. That is via the nature of the psalm concerned. For instance, there are the didactic psalms (of instruction), those that instruct us on the righteous way of life. There are various forms of praise psalms that teach us the power of worship. There are the psalms of trust which inspire us to be assured in the promises of God. There are also the lament psalms that show us how much God understands our human conditions. There are the royal psalms of David as well as the Psalms of Ascents which are also pilgrimage psalms. Apart from the genre concerned, there are the superscripts and postscripts that tell us about the composition and intent of the psalm. 

"A Commentary on the Psalms Vol 3 (90-150)" (Allen P. Ross)

TITLE: A Commentary on the Psalms: 90-150 (Kregel Exegetical Library)
AUTHOR: Allen P. Ross
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2016, (1024 pages).

This is the third volume of a huge undertaking by Professor Allen P. Ross that despite confessing that "no work on the Psalter can be said to be complete," still proceeds to give the rest of us a glimpse of the beauty and the difficulty of the work. It is one thing to admit the limitations. It is yet another to do one's best and I am happy that Ross has done the latter for the benefit of the rest of us. So this volume gives us the rest of the 60 psalms.  Pledging to strike a balanced between being too technical and being too popular, he shares about his early learning process about preaching Psalms. He would first do the heavy lifting of exegesis before engaging in an expository style of preaching from the Psalter. Under the guidance of Dr Bruce Waltke and Haddon Robinson, Ross has grown in his treatment of the psalms to develop a method that combines the best of exegesis and exposition. This method is described in this commentary. The general format of each chapter is:

• A Summarized Title shows us the big idea of the entire Psalm.

"From Whom No Secrets are Hid" (Walter Brueggemann)

TITLE: From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms
AUTHOR: Walter Brueggemann
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014, (224 pages).

I have learned that the Psalms do three things to us. They orientate us. They disorientate us. They then re-orientate us. All these are necessary in order to reveal our true selves to God, and for God to be revealed to us. For Brueggemann, the Psalms open us up. Those who really want to understand Psalms, cannot simply approach it via a liturgical ritual, a psychological insight, or an intellectual exercise. They need to be honest and to let Psalms tease the fearful selves within us out toward an awesome God. This idea is succinctly described in the title of the book, which was inspired from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer,

"ALMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen."

"The Psalm 119 Experience" (John Kramp)

TITLE: The Psalm 119 Experience: A Devotional Journey You Will Not Forget
AUTHOR: John Kramp
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing, 2014, (256 pages).

It is the longest psalm in the Bible. It is also the longest book in the entire Bible. Comprising 176 verses divided into 22 sections, this psalm is one of the world's most loved and most quoted and has William Wilberforce repeating the psalm by heart in great comfort. According to author John Kramp, it is possible to remember all 176 verses in the psalm. More importantly, it will be an unforgettable "a devotional journey." He notes that Ps 119 is based on the 22-alphabets of the Hebrew language. Each eight-line section would be linked to the next via a literary device "bridge." It needs to be simple with memory tunes. Very soon, for the busy executive, one song leads to five, then twelve, then fifteen, and soon covering the entire psalm. Themes start to form and the ancient psalm becomes very relevant, very enriching, and deeply personal. He is experiencing what the Psalmist then was experiencing. What started as a song stuck on as a powerful instrument of faith. Each chapter comprises five days of devotions followed by a review of the particular section of the Psalm called "Lyrics." There are themes of righteousness, seeking to live purely, appreciating the Word, Truth, joy, the goodness of God, faith and faithfulness, and many more.

"A Commentary on the Psalms: 42-89" (Allen P. Ross)

TITLE: A Commentary on the Psalms: 42-89 (Kregel Exegetical Library)
AUTHOR: Allen P. Ross
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2013, (848 pages).

The Psalms remain one of the most beautiful writings in the world, widely revered by the three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. It covers from worship to songs; prayers to laments; and for individuals as well as for communities. As part of the Kregel Exegetical Library series, the book is written by scholars who are not only well versed in the original Hebrew language, they are also eminent professors having spent many years in studying the Holy Scriptures, the Ancient Near East, and the historical background of the Old Testament. With a culture so ancient, one of the best ways to study and understand the book of psalms is to employ the best exegetical tools and knowledge that we have now, put them together in their original contexts, and then build a bridge to the modern era so that readers will be able to learn and benefit from the gift of Scripture. Allen P. Ross is well qualified to do just that.

Due to the immense amount of material in Psalms and the exegetical space needed to do a comprehensive study, this book is just Book 2 in a series of three books. Book 1 describes Psalms 1 to 41. Book 2 covers Psalms 42 to 89, while Book 3 is a commentary on Psalms 90-150. Each chapter begins with an apt title and a brief introduction to set the tone. It is then followed by personal translation of the text, with footnotes to distill words pregnant with meaning. The "composition and context" section gives the contextual information needed to shed the light on the ancient psalm. This is no easy task. The "exegetical analysis" section is precisely what readers will be paying for. That is not all. The subsequent exposition builds upon this exegesis and we get a homiletical product at the end of it all. At the end, there is a "Message and Application" to help us along, to reinforce the underlying belief that the Psalms are highly relevant for today.

I have studied Hebrew using Dr Ross's excellent material and this commentary is a great testimony of how a great language teacher puts the raw work of exegesis through the intellectual rigour of scholarship, coupled with a keen understanding of Biblical Hebrew, in order to produce a convincing work that compels readers and hearers to want more. Preachers and teachers will find this commentary series extremely useful for teaching and preaching. A word of caution. As the book is an excellent resource, it must remain just a resource and not a replacement for our own exegetical work and preaching preparations. For even the best books on God's Word have limitations. They are not the Word of God. They are not the perfect teacher. There is only one Perfect Teacher, and that is the Holy Spirit.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"The Psalms" (Andrew Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr.)

TITLE: The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul
AUTHOR: Andrew Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr. (editors)
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2013, (288 pages).

How do we read Psalms? Are they more to be sung or simply read? Can we study them analytically? How do we appreciate the poetic structures in it? In seeing God in the Psalms, is there a way we can discover our identity in God? Eighteen highly esteemed and learned scholars from across the evangelical community across North America and Europe have come together to share of their perspectives about the Psalms and how they can be read, studied, or used in worship. There are four purposes that these contributors want to achieve. First, they want to celebrate the spirit of the Psalms, and how the Psalms continue to impact the Christian community. Second, they want to crystallize the many insights learned through the years. Third, they desire to connect together the "theological, literary, and canonical" themes in Psalms. Fourth, they want to consolidate the material and learning into one book for the use of pastors, teachers, and lay leaders. The essays began out of the Evangelical Theological Society's "Psalms and Hebrew Poetry Consultation" section, which was established back in 2009. As a result nineteen essays are collected and set forth clearly in five parts.