Bible Study: Psalms 1, 2 and 3

     It is my choice as to what my wife and I read next, and I have chosen Psalms. The Psalms are divided into 5 books with roughly 40 psalms in each,  so I have not decided whether to break the books up and do other bible books in between or rather to just tackle all 150 Psalms in a row. I guess we will see when I hit Psalms 41( the end of the first book).  For the Psalms we are going to change translations and use the English Standard Version, which is a very accurate literal translation that still keeps the poetic feel of the passages in the book. For the shorter psalms we will be reading several a day.Here we go.

Psalms 1 ESV
¹Blessed is the man
   who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
   nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and on his law he meditates day and night.
 ³He is like a tree
   planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
   and its leaf does not wither.
 In all that he does, he prospers. ⁴The wicked are not so,
   but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
 ⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
   nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
   but the way of the wicked will perish.

     The text does not specify the author of this Psalm. It may have been David or it may have come from an even older collection of work. it is also one of only 17 psalms that do not have a preface. Most biblical scholars consider it to be a preface of opening for the entire book. It is reminiscent more of a proverb even though it is in the poetic form.

Psalms  2 ESV

The Reign of the LORD’s Anointed

¹Why do the nations rage
   and the peoples plot in vain?
²The kings of the earth set themselves,
   and the rulers take counsel together,
   against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
³"Let us burst their bonds apart
   and cast away their cords from us."
 ⁴He who sits in the heavens laughs;
   the Lord holds them in derision.
⁵Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
   and terrify them in his fury, saying,
⁶"As for me, I have set my King
   on Zion, my holy hill."
 ⁷I will tell of the decree:The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
   today I have begotten you.
⁸Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
   and the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹You shall break them with a rod of iron
   and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel."
 ¹⁰Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
   be warned, O rulers of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear,
   and rejoice with trembling.
¹²Kiss the Son,
   lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
   for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

     We know from the book of Acts chapter 4 that this psalm was written by David. David was very much a warrior king, with images of battle and the Lord's righteous judgement against his enemies and other wicked nations foremost in his mind. It is also very clear that David considers himself to be the Lord's holy and appointed messenger warrior and king.

Psalm 3 ESV

Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

 ¹O LORD, how many are my foes!
   Many are rising against me;
²many are saying of my soul,
    there is no salvation for him in God.
                         Selah
 ³But you, O LORD, are a shield  about me,
   my glory, and the lifter of my head.
⁴I cried aloud to the LORD,
   and he answered me from his holy hill.
                         Selah
 ⁵I lay down and slept;
   I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
⁶I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
   who have set themselves against me all around.
 ⁷ Arise, O LORD!
   Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
   you break the teeth of the wicked.
 ⁸Salvation belongs to the LORD;
   your blessing be on your people!
                         Selah

     This Psalm was written at a very difficult time in David's life, as the sins and arrogance of his past have now come back to haunt him in consequences that cold cost him both his life and his kingdom. This was probably written during the events of 2 Samuel 15: 1-17. Selah is an exaltation, similar to saying "Amen
Despite the stress and grief in his heart over the situation, he still trusts God to see him through. This is an older and wiser David, who has an unshakable trust in God despite the situation around him.