“How does canonical consciousness within and beyond the Psalter affect your philosophy of teaching and preaching the Psalms?”
I found that the Psalms reflect God’s character and how He wanted Israel of old and the body of Christ to operate in the present as ambassadors for Him. Therefore, I decided to use Psalm 72 for this assignment and try to correlate it with other texts within the Psalms and other parts of Scripture per our assignment’s instructions.
Psalm 72 is the first of two psalms written by Solomon, but many scholars credit King David with its composition while Solomon was the acting king before his death. However, some argue that Psalm 72 encountered three redactions.[1] Nevetherless, we will preserve a sense of simplicity in keeping with David and Solomon’s agreement to seek the Lord for help with leadership. This psalm details Solomon and David’s desire for godly and righteous governance over God’s people, amongst other things. While Author Robert Cole mentions how the Israeli scholar Amos Hakham describes Psalms 1 and 2 as being joined as a unit,[2] I believe Psalm 72 would be best explained by linking individual verses within Psalms and other selected texts throughout the canon.
Schmutzer describes certain catchwords, themes, and messages that are written within the Psalms.[3] We will explore some of these in Psalm 72. In 1 Kings 3:9, Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom to rule over His people. So, in Psalm 72:1-2, we find David praying to the Lord to bless Solomon with leadership abilities, which required wisdom. David recognized that the Lord was the only One who could guide his son to be a righteous and Godly leader, as did Solomon when He petitioned the Lord for wisdom. Furthermore, David prayed that Solomon would uphold justice, one of the themes found throughout the Psalms. Psalms 86:16 details the psalmist’s plea for help from the Lord, thus asking for justice to be rendered on his behalf.
Another theme or message within this particular psalm is the banner of prosperity to be over all the people. This request is in keeping with what God promised Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 12:1-3,7. In Psalm 72:3, David asks the Lord to give prosperity to the people under Solomon’s rule. We also see this expectation of prosperity in Psalm 111:5, where recognition of the Lord’s provision was given to those who honor Him.
Schmutzer describes observing links between Psalms' microstructure and macrostructure, thus understanding it from a fundamental and more extensive level.[4] Therefore, when we read Psalm 72:4, we see that David asks the Lord to help Solomon be a defender of the innocent, which is reminiscent of the Lord being a defender of Israel when the Egyptians enslaved them in Exodus. This theme of being a defender, protector, and shield is seen in Psalm 48:14 when the psalmist declares the Lord as being our defender.
* A quick note… one may also find this text can be understood as having the characteristics of Jesus, our King, Lord, and Savior. Everything that David asked the Lord to bestow upon his son describes Jesus in His glory. This is especially evident in Psalm 72:8, but is in no way exclusive, where David asked and described rulership for his son from sea to sea and the ends of the earth, which can be found in Psalms 22:27-31 and Luke 1:33. One can also see Jesus in Psalm 72:10 where the kings from distant shores brought gifts and tribute to him, which can also be found in Matthew 2:11. Schmutzer suggests the Davidic representation establishes or signifies God’s divine plan for His Kingdom, for He is the King who endures forever, and unlike human kings, He alone is worthy of our trust.[5]
Schmutzer describes the difference between the grumblers in the wilderness and the written lament psalms. The Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron to one another, whereas the writers of Psalms who wrote laments addressed their concerns to God.[6] Psalm 78:12 speaks about the king defending the defenseless who cry out for help, but this was not in response to grumbling. On the contrary, it was a cry and desperate plea to the Lord for help, with the king being a representative of God to administer help and justice. This is parallel to Psalm 88:1-2 where the psalmist cries out directly to the Lord for help as his King and defender who was the only One who could deliver him. Similarly, Paul describes the role of government officials who are to defend what is right in Romans 13:4.
David ends Psalms 72 with a word of praise to the Lord for everything He has done with His mighty miracles and blessing His holy name. Psalm 113:1 begins with a similar praise to the Lord and uplifting His mighty name. Shmutzer describes the praise in Psalm 150 as having two elements, the first being God’s qualities and the second commemorating His wondrous miracles throughout history.[7] When we read about the plagues the Lord sent to Egypt before the Israelites were released, for example, in Exodus 10:1-2, the Lord performed mightily so all would know He is the Lord. Therefore, as we read the Psalms, we can make correlations throughout the entire book and other books of the Bible in describing who God is and what He expects from His people. Psalms should not be read as a group of isolated chapters, as mentioned by Shmutzer, but they are interlinked within the book itself and connected to the entire canon. Hence, one can know God intimately through proper interpretation of the Psalms as it details the past, present, and future for the saints of God.
[1] Gianni Barbiero, "The Risks of a Fragmented Reading of the Psalms Psalm 72 as a Case in Point," Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 120, no. 1 (2008): 67-69, doi:10.1515/zaw.2008.005.
[2] Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Jr, The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2013), 183.
[3] Ibid., 195.
[4] Ibid., 204.
[5] Ibid., 210-211.
[6] Ibid., 219.
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