Why Meditate on and Master The Psalms | Pastor Daniel Batarseh | Maranatha Conference 2025

But I'm afraid that on average today, although the Psalms are generally appreciated, they're often treated as supplementary to other scriptures. And I think that is most reflected in a lot of people's daily devotions. For example, you might be reading through the book of Romans, and to add a little bit more of a heart stirring touch to your personal time, what do people tend to do? Maybe read a Psalm or two. But it has so much more to offer than that.

The Psalms are not spiritual seasoning to add flavor to your faith. It has substance to it. Quick references in our sermons or quick peeks in our devotional reading. And that's my prayer for this weekend to persuade you and to persuade my own heart more and more of why the Christians should meditate on and begin to master the Psalms. We're gonna be spending our time in the Psalms this weekend.

Amen. That's good. I'm glad you're excited. And by way of introduction, I wanna give you five quick reasons why this is a worthwhile pursuit. And so if you're a note taker, this is a time to pull out your instrument, your device, whatever you use to record these helpful thoughts.

Why why should anyone not just visit, but meditate, sink your teeth into, and even master these passages. Number one, it engages our emotions in a unique way. Now I'm aware that any part of scripture has the ability to stir a wide range of feelings, but the Psalms have a way of reaching a place and touching the depths of who you are unlike any other book. And that's not conjecture. That's not opinion.

That's because they were designed by God to do so. The Psalms intend to do two things in this realm of our being. One, awaken your affections for God. And two, to help you express them to God in a way that glorifies him in every kind of human experience. Whatever it is that your heart is experiencing, there is a psalm for it.

And that may not mean anything to you unless you firmly believe that your emotions are important to God. And if you don't agree, then here's what you're essentially saying. God longs to sanctify every part of me except my feelings, which would be a ridiculous thing to believe. And I'm aware that there are some believers who rely too much on emotions, who maybe even come to events like this to get another fix for their emotions. Right?

And they allow themselves to be governed by their emotions. Their emotions control their behavior and even dictate their duty. That's dangerous. But there's another extreme, and I've met people like this, who think and talk about feelings as though they are a product of the fall, As though engaging your emotions and seeking to sanctify them is antithetical to mature faith. Wrong.

Because the Psalms beautifully display to us that we are created by God as creatures made in his image to feel, to feel, and that he is glorified when our affections are inspired by him and expressed to him from the heart. So if you go through the Psalms, and the more you do so, the more evident it will become that the Lord has prescribed consolation for your emotions and mind. And that he offers guidance in training them. And more importantly, he models through these hymns and prayers and praises. He models to us how to commune with God even if your feelings are absent or not aligned with the truth.

So what the Psalms testify of is that Christianity is more than cold creeds or lifestyle of hollow obedience. It is deeply personal, and it is a faith that feels. And that's why I believe so many Christians are drawn to this book. It stirs and shapes our emotions in a meaningful way. Number one.

But here's number two. It enriches the book of Psalms enriches our prayers. Someone once said that the only way to understand the Psalms is is on your knees. The only way to understand the Psalms is on your knees. And and that's one way, I guess, of explaining how the Psalms are special among the books of the bible as they have been given for us to be quoted and echoed and even sung as prayers.

And we see that so clearly within the narratives of scripture. It's everywhere from Genesis to Revelation. For example, a careful reader will quickly realize that Jonah's prayer in Jonah chapter two is peppered with the Psalms. In fact, if you read Jonah chapter two isolated from its context, you would assume that it was a chapter in the Psalms. What does that say about Jonah?

Well where did he quote those Psalms? Not in a sanctuary, in the abyss, which tells me that he had it in his heart. He had these illusions and he had these references and he was able to wet it. He was able to bring it out when he needed it the most. Oh, how the Psalms are so helpful when you're downcast.

What about the New Testament? Do we see believers? Do we see the early church utilizing the Psalms in any way to help them and to guide them in how they come before God? Go to Acts chapter four with me and verse 23. This is a record of one of the early scenes of persecution against this movement of the followers of the way.

And when the leaders came back to their friends and reported what the chief priest said, I want you to see what they do in acts four twenty three to 26. Acts four twenty three. When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priest and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, sovereign lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David your servant said by the Holy Spirit, why did the gentiles rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers were gathered together against the lord and against his anointed.

They're quoting Psalm two. Why? Well, some will explain very simply that this is just a way of them confirming that what they are experiencing is a fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalm two, which is right. But there's more. What's the benefit of quoting this?

They're not preaching it. They're saying it and they're praying it amongst believers. Here's what I think is happening. They are rehearsing the psalm to reassure themselves that this fulfilled prophecy means God was in total control of the circumstances they were facing. Lord, the uprising of persecution, the threats against our lives, you predicted this in Psalm two.

And this is no surprise to you, and and it's no surprise to us either. So now give us the courage and give us the boldness with this revelation that you saw this centuries ago, and you've prepared your people for it. So again, here's an example of the church finding words to pray, finding truths in the Psalms to know how to speak to God about whatever they're experiencing. What about our ultimate example in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ? My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Psalm 22. One of the final sayings of Jesus on the cross when he said, into your hand I commit my spirit. That's Psalm 31 verse five. So, yes, the Lord is quoting those passages to show and put on public record. I am the fulfillment of those Psalms, but surely there was a level of consolation in his own heart as he expressed those words.

I wanna let you know that in God's infinite kindness, he has provided the Psalms to give us language for every category of prayer. Every category. Why? In great part to help us fellowship with him because that is his desire for us to commune with him. So in thanksgiving, there are psalms.

In lament, there are psalms. In praise, there are psalms. In adoration. There are Psalms. Whatever the condition of your heart, whatever the nature of your challenge, whatever the condition of your soul, the Psalms are there to help you linger in God's presence.

To stay a little longer, to know how to formulate your words. The Psalms enrich our prayers. Thirdly, the Psalms guides corporate praise. It guides corporate praise. Now many of the Psalms are appropriate for personal devotion.

There's no doubt about that. But many, if not all of them, were originally composed for the community of believers to sing together. Even those songs that have a personal focus, they weren't meant solely for private use. They were designed to be experienced within the context of community, of communal worship. I'm just gonna give you these in rapid fire succession.

Here here are just an example. Here's just a few examples of this from the titles of the Psalms. Psalm five in the ESV. You don't have to turn there, but listen to these. Psalm five in the ESV, to the choirmaster, for the flutes.

More than one flute. For the flutes, a psalm of David. Psalm eight, to the choir master according to the giddeth, a psalm of David. That's a liturgical term. That's a musical term.

Psalm 92, a psalm a song for the Sabbath implying that this is a song for families, for people at the house of worship to sing on the Sabbath. Psalm 100, a psalm for giving thanks. And many believe that the idea here is not just spontaneous gratitude, but actually what to sing when you gave a thank offering at the temple. So the corporate aim of these Psalms makes it clear that their full blessing can only be realized when expressed among the people and with the church of Jesus Christ. That tells me at least two things.

Number one, the Psalms rebuke individualistic Christianity. Solo faith. Me, myself, and I, and God, and whenever I feel like it, I might visit the church if I'm in a good mood. No. No.

No. No. No. Psalms says, you're actually robbing yourself of a lot. How many of the Psalms carry the the following framework?

Let us. Let us. Let us. Let the redeemed, plural. You can't experience the Psalms on your own.

So it confronts those if you read it because yeah. That's what individual Christians wanna do. Right? I just wanna read my Bible in my living room by myself. How do you do that when you read the Psalms, by the way?

I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord. Not me though. No. No. And secondly, the Psalms must be intentionally incorporated in our corporate worship.

I'm not suggesting that the only thing that we should sing are Psalms. There are movements and there are camps that can use that word that believe that. But I'm afraid that there are many churches and ministries that aren't mindful of the Psalms at all. Week after week after week. And I praise God that there is a recent advancement and development of gifted musicians that are changing that.

But I I trust that there is a deeply sanctifying power unleashed when these timeless truths are sang by God's people in unified voice. And the early church understood that. Colossians three, it's mentioned. They sing the Psalms. Ephesians five, they sing the Psalms.

Now if you're wondering why the Psalms hold so much promise about abundant blessing when they are quoted, referenced, repeated as a group of believers, the next two points out of the five, the final two will help you understand. So it guides corporate praise. Here's point number four of why we should meditate on and master the Psalms. It holds rich insight and instruction. The Psalms do.

It it would be very wrong to view the Psalms as an unorganized collection of random journal entries that have been glued together, that are randomized, that have no order or structure. That would be a grave error. On the contrary, the entire book of Psalms is neatly divided into five books. And some of you already know this because in your bible translations, those divisions are made very clear. If you don't believe me, I mean it depends what translation you have, but if you were to look at the end of Psalm 41, you would see the end of book one.

If you look at the end of Psalm 72, you would see the end of book two. If you looked at the end of Psalm 89, you would see the end of book three. If you looked at the end of Psalm one zero six, there is the end of book four. And the obvious one, Psalm one fifty concludes with the fifth book. This is not just one single unit.

There are five sections to it. Why are the Psalms arranged in this way? Here's the most obvious observation, that at the end of each of those sections is a similar doxology. Sounds like a fancy word. All all doxology means is an expression of praise to God.

Similar refrain that gives a formal ending to that section. But it's more profound than that. I but it's more profound than that. I think there's something deeper going on when you realize that it's been arranged with five particular books. Did you know that Jews refer to the Psalms as the Pentateuch of David?

Pentateuch meaning the first five books of the old testament, but not the Pentateuch of Moses, the Pentateuch of David. Why? Because it is widely believed that these five books of the Psalms were meant to reflect and honor the first five books of the Bible, the law of Moses. Some would even go as far to say that each book in the Psalms corresponds to those books in the Pentateuch. So Psalm the the first book of the Psalms, book one, reflects Genesis.

Book two of the Psalms is linked to the themes of the Exodus, etcetera. More importantly though, what is going on is this, that in the same way the law of Moses contains divine instruction, the Psalms do as well. That's the reason why there's a mirroring happening there, to show you even by the framework that this isn't just a place for you to experience something for your emotions, there is things to learn here. So if you wanna go to a place in your bible to really grow in your understanding of the attributes of God, you can't afford to skip the Psalms. The ways of God, Psalms.

The blessing for holiness, Psalms. The punishment and the and the fate of the wicked Psalms. It's everywhere. There's doctrine in the Psalms. I wonder when the last time you approached the Psalms in such a way.

To actually learn. Again, not just to sprinkle something so that you can feel a certain way. No. No. To actually deepen your grasp of the character and the nature of God.

And in case you weren't convinced that the Psalms are instructional and not just sentimental, this came to me weeks ago when thinking about the book of Psalms. Just prayerfully meditating on the wider landscape of this book. Does satan ever speak in the bible more than once? He's quoted more than once. To my knowledge, there is only one place where he explicitly quotes scripture.

It's in the new testament when he was tempting Jesus. What did he quote? Out of all the things he could have quoted, Psalm 91. Let me read it to you from Matthew four six. And said to him, if you are the son of God, throw yourself down for it is written, he will command his angels concerning you, and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

That is Satan. That is the adversary of your soul. Of God with it. That stayed with me for days. Satan reads the Psalms.

Satan memorizes the Psalms. And here's what jolted me. If Satan dared to use the Psalms to wage war against the son of God, why don't we use the Psalms to go to war with him? Do we? Do you have Psalms ready on your tongue?

Do you know it enough so that even if, like, the devil here misinterprets it, you can say that's out of context. You can't quote a promise like that in this situation, devil. I refuse to be a Christian with my limited time on earth to have the nagging thought in the back of my mind that Satan knows the Psalms better than I do. And so it enriches, yes, our prayers, but it is filled with instruction and insight that you and I desperately need. Point number five.

Why should we meditate on and master the Psalms? Because the Lord Jesus is found all over the Psalms. You remember what he said to his disciples at the end of the book of Luke? In Luke twenty four forty four. In Luke twenty four forty four, Jesus said to them, these are my words that I spoke to you while I was with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Underline that, the Psalms. Christ reveals that the most profitable of meditations in this book is himself. It's to relish, it's to investigate, it's to scale and survey and try to find Christ. And most of us in here grew up in the church long enough to even quote some of the passages that point to his death, his his resurrection, maybe even his ascension, but there's more in there. What do you and I know about the Psalms pertaining to the current priestly ministry of Jesus in heaven?

What about his future reign on earth? It's in the Psalms. But more than these monumental events, the Psalms reveal the depths of his longings. His own heart is made known there in the Psalms. In fact, to not have Messiah in view in the Psalms leaves many of them unfulfilled.

We're gonna explore one of those today. Not today. I wish. This weekend. And Christ himself alludes to the Psalms in ways I think that Christians miss to prove who he is, to show that every facet of who he is, including his divinity, is found in God's hymn book.

Can I give you one example before we close this introduction? Let me read this to you from the gospels. I'm gonna ask you to turn to the psalm. Listen to these words, famous words from Jesus in John ten twenty seven to 28. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. Profound. Amazing. Glorious. Where did he get the language from?

Well, he's the son of God. Anything he says is the word of God. Sure. But he continually made known to us the authority of the scriptures. I want you to highlight two things from the verses that I just read to you.

My sheep, that's what he says in verse 27. And at the end of verse 28, no one will snatch them out of my hand. Here's where we're gonna end. Turn in your bibles to Psalm 95 and look at verse six and seven with me. Psalm ninety five six and seven.

Oh, come. Let us worship and bow down. There it is again. Let us. Oh, come.

Let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the lord, our maker, for he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Do you see it? Jesus Christ is borrowing from this psalm to make a point, many points, and one of them being, I'm God in the flesh. My sheep, they will hear my voice.

They know me. They will follow me, and I wanna make you a promise. A promise that is found in Psalm ninety five six and seven. No one will snatch them out of my hand. Ability belongs to the Lord, Yahweh, our maker, the one that the psalmist says, let's go and worship him.

And Jesus dares to say in the presence of Jews who knew the Psalms, my sheep, they they know me, they follow me, they hear my voice, and none can snatch them out of my hand. You're quoting Psalm 95 and applying it to yourself? Yes. Why? Because he's Yahweh in the flesh.

That's why. You wanna know more about Christ? Don't just go to the gospels. Go to the Psalms. If you desire your emotions to be sanctified, your prayer life to be energized, your church to be more unified, your knowledge of God and his ways to widen, your warfare against the enemy of your soul to be more effective, and to fall deeper in love with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Psalms will serve you well.

And I trust that we will be blessed this weekend. Let's pray. Father, we thank you that you've given us just a sample of the sweetness of the Psalms. Lord, we pray that you would open our hearts and to allow the passages that we will discover together to do its work. Help us find Christ.

Help us be instructed, educated. Sanctify our emotions. Apprehend every wayward or rebellious affection. Anything that's placed on something lesser than Christ. We pray that you use the Psalms to reel them back in.

And, Lord, we even pray this weekend that you would help us experience the Psalms the way they were intended as the church. Infuse our prayer lives with these truths. Give us the motivation even from now leaving this place and going back to our own homes, our own churches to master the Psalms. Thanks now as we sing your praises. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. Let's stand as the praise team helps us to sing to the Lord.