Episode 152: The beginning, the middle, and the end

Psalm 150 is the fifth and final Hallelujah Psalm and the last psalm of the Psalter. How does one end such a diverse collection of songs and poems? With praise, of course—indeed, perhaps the purest example of a psalm of praise in the entire collection. In this final episode, I’ll suggest that the Psalms as a whole tell a story, a story that begins with a vision of how life should be, then takes twists and turns through both joy and suffering before arriving at the joyous ending we expected from the start. That’s why the last word of Psalm 150, the last word of the Psalter, is hallelujah.

What is Chunks: The Book of Psalms?

If the Bible had a hymnal, it would be the book of Psalms. This diverse collection of 150 poems and prayers runs the gamut of emotion and experience, from songs of highest praise to the deepest depths of lament, from prayers for help and salvation to vehement curses against the psalmist's enemies. We will not cover all the psalms in this podcast, nor take them in order. But my hope is that each episode will help you connect more personally with the riches of the Psalms. All biblical passages will be read from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.