Chunks: The Book of Psalms

Some psalms draw you in with words of joyful praise and gratitude, then seem to suddenly pivot to words of anger, cursing, and vengeance. Psalm 149, the next to last of the Hallelujah Psalms—indeed, the next to last psalm!—is jarring in this way. What begins as joyful celebration, filled with music and dancing, suddenly turns to the language of holy war and stays there. The psalmist even suggests that it is the glory of the people to be God’s instrument of vengeance on other nations. How should we understand this, especially as those who follow a crucified Savior? We’ll explore that question here and in the next episode.

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.