Why Is Martin Luther Rightly Called The Book Of Psalms

Martin Luther rightly called the book of Psalms a “little Bible”. As we begin our journey into this book, we will find the full range of human emotions. We will find praise and lament; joy and agony. Moreover, we will discover two overarching themes. First, the righteous will live by faith in God as expressed in his Torah, and second, that the Righteous Messiah will overcome evil and reign as the sovereign of the universe that was created by him, and through him, and for him. As we examine these Psalms, we first must understand with what specificity and care they have been arraigned. It makes sense that this collection of praises would be arraigned with care and for a purpose. Imagine if we were placed in charge of creating a musical playlist

In one sentence he gives us a picture of the character of the wicked. “The wicked are not so.” The wicked are not controlled by the Torah of God instead they are controlled by the evil counsel. The wicked delight is not in the Torah of God; instead his delight is in himself and the temporal things of this world. Because he is not rooted in the Rock that is our God, the Psalmist says that he is life chaff that the wind drives away. Chaff is literally dust. It shows a lack of usefulness and stability. The wicked are marked by a lack of self-control. They are led, as Paul says in Ephesians 2, by the desires of their flesh and the passions of their minds. They are children under the full and necessary wrath of God. Notice that this Psalmist is exposing the fruits of these two individuals. Christ himself declared that you will know them by their fruit. We are so quick to count ourselves among the righteous, but what do our actions say about us? The wicked are not so. Read verses one, two, and three. Then replace the word wicked with your own name. Ryan is not so. Is this a true statement? We find this to be the most important question about our life. Have come to know and to adore God for who he is as revealed in his word and in his Son. Is he my salvation and is this proven in my thoughts and

Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” The key to righteous living is not a “how” it is a “who”. Christ is the blessed man that fulfilled the Torah of God completely. He is the one who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers. He is the one that is firmly planted beside streams of water. Notice in verse 6, the Psalmist declares, “The LORD knows the way of the righteous.” The LORD is continually knowing the way of the righteous. To live righteously is to be known by the LORD. Today, do you find yourself rootless and fruitless? Are you tossed to and fro by every temporal thing? Are you swallowed up in sin and choked by the worries of this world. The Psalmist begs of us to take hold of the tree firmly planted. Take hold of Christ and his word. We must find in him our truest delights. He is the one who put on human flesh, lived the life perfectly marked by righteousness, took upon himself the wrath of God for our sins, and now sits at the right hand of the Father beckoning us to follow him. Do you hear his voice? Come now, his yoke is easy, he will give you