It has often been said that the Psalms do not give true Christian
experience. If that means true in the sense of complete then we shall
quite readily endorse the dictum. Until the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ
and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the heavenly line of blessing could
not be opened up to human view, but collaterally with that there is
the line of responsibility which undoubtedly takes character from the apprehension of the
former in the power of the Spirit. Thus it is in the latter
line that the teaching of the Psalms has valid application. Consequently it is
of prime importance that Christians should study the prophetic bearing of the Psalms.
In the study of the Psalms, it is necessary to distinguish between what
is relative to the Spirit of Christ personally and to the same Spirit
animating the remnant of His people. Moreover, the expression of their own exercises
are freely interspersed with those prompted by the Spirit of Christ. Unlike the
summaries which form prefaces to the chapters in other books of the Bible,
the Psalm headings are inspired and thus demand equal attention with the subsequent
subject matters. ……….
The title of this article appears in the superscriptions of fifty-five Psalms and
is thus of more frequent occurrence than any other. Expositors say that the
term in the original indicates the thought of the one who is the
origin of the music, i.e., its inspiration. That would not be true in
the first instance relative to the individual who was the overseer of the
music in the time when the Psalms were written. But in its prophetic
significance then the term will apply to no other than our Lord Jesus
Christ, who is the Leader of the praises of His people in every
era. Psalm 22:22-27 undoubtedly refers to the Spirit of Christ inspiring the Psalmist
and so throughout the Old Testament. Hebrews 2 is more specific in adapting
the foregoing scripture to convey the intelligence that in the midst of the
Church, Christ Himself is the leader of the praise which goes up in
an unbroken stream to God the Father. That is descriptive of what has
been going on throughout the Christian era. But subsequent to the Church being
translated to her proper home there will be a brief period when the
language of the Psalms will apply with equal force to a revived earthly
people who will be loyal to death and in the process will be
led in praise to God by the same person, who is Leader now.
Psalm 4, although primarily connected with the experience of David, applies with greater
force ultimately to his Lord who was enlarged when in distress. His Glory
was turned to shame by the sons of men and gladness was put
in His heart. ("For the joy that was set before Him He endured
the cross, despising the shame…..Heb. 12,2"). Psalm 6 speaks of the many sorrows
of Christ in the midst of His enemies. Psalm 12 shows the same
experience developed in the persecution of "the poor and needy" remnant by the
treacherous and evil rulers of the day in which they live. In His
devoted love He associated Himself with the poor of the flock while here.
While since He has gone on high He is still watching their interests
in deep perfect sympathy!