Form Study of the Psalter

8/9/2019 Form Study of the Psalter

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LEADER's GUIDE

THE PSALMS IN THE CONTEXT OF ISRAEL'S WORSHIPFORM STUDY OF THE PSALTER

Background for the LeaderThe so-called "historical-critical" method used by Biblicalscholars is perhaps defined most simply as "the sum of the tech-niques which are currently used to read and study a document orbook, whether ancient or modern." It is not something partic-ularly esoteric or limited to Biblical study. Whether we realizeit or not, we all learned some of the basic principles when wetook literature classes in school. Children and college studentscontinue to learn these methods, whatever name may be given tothem.God chose to give us His Word in the form of a collectionof ancient documents. It is only proper that we use the besttools we have to study this ancient book, and that means histor-

ical tools. Of course, the Bible is not only a book written bymen, but it also brings us the word of God. We therefore needmore than only the best histori cal methods to hear it fully. Wemust also approach it with faith, for only faith can receiveGod's Good News. The two go together, a method by which we cancome to understand this uniquely authoritative book, and thefaith to take it to heart. (For a fuller development of thisthought, see Carl Graesser, "The Promise and the Bible,"Currents in Theology and Mission, Volume I, 1 (August, 1974),pp. 4-23. Pastor will have a copy of this.The present series of lessons will deal with just one of

these techniques, namely, the study of form (genre analysis).We shall do this in connection with the Psalms, where formstudy has proven to be especially fruitful. It is so importantin Psalms study today that many books on the Psalms use as theirorganizing principle the Forms of the Psalms! One such bookwhich would prove most valuable to a leader or learner in thisunit, or provide a supplement for later study, is a paperback,Bernard W. Anderson, Out of the Depths (Philadelphia: West-minster Press, 1974), $3.50.The objectives of this unit may be stated formally asfollows: Those participating in this study will grow in their:Understanding of a) the contents of the Psalter and thefaith of the psalmistsb) the worship life of ancient Israelites.Skill in a) reading the psalms against the backdrop of thelife of these peopleb) discerning some of the forms and formulas usedin the Psalmsc) applying the psalms to our own lives.


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Appreciation of a) the Psalter's resources for worshiptogether and individuallyb ) the value of form study for interpret-ing the Scriptures.The First Lesson

The lesson is basically laid out in two parts. First itwill be wise to try to understand what form and form study is.Then the class can move on to the study of the form "Hymn" inthe psalter.As leader you can begin by quickly laying out the goal ofthe lessons. It may also be a servi ce to spend a couple ofminutes trying to deal with any misconceptions the class mayhave of the term "criticism" as it is used in form-criticism,literary criticism, historical-criticism. See the class guidefor the Webster definition! The term is not only neutral, itis a good word. It comes from the G reek, krisis, "judgment."Criticism is the process of making judgments, decisions. Itmeans thinking carefully, using all the brainpower and ability

God has given to understand the text. When it is put that way,how can a Christian dare NOT to be "critical" when reading theBible. Don't we owe this task the very best of everything Godhas given us? In these lessons the term "form study" will beused rather than "form-criticism." You may find it useful tohelp the class to define the word "criticism"- correctly and thenpractice using it without a negative connotation!Introduction: Just what is a Form, anyway?

In this first half of the lesson the class should come tounderstand in a general way what a form is, how it develops,and to understand that our language is filled with forms andformulas. It will not take long to do this. We are all reallyform-critics today, whethe r we know it or not The leadershould take time to be sure he understands the "big three"of form, setting, purpose. Memorize the definition. Workthrough the four examples, then find some of your own examplesand analyze the form, settin , purpose. It will not take youlong to do this, and ten you will be ready to lead the classinto this rather enjoyable technique of analyzing language!

A form is a pattern. Take a telephone conversation.1. Greeting: "Hello/Hi/Good Morning."2. Identification. "This is John speaking."3. Body: (Main conversation.)4. Conclusion: "Goodbye/See you later/So long," etc. . .

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The ideas form a pattern. The order is pretty much inflexible.You don't begin by saying (goodbye! You don't identify yourselfafter the Body of Conversation! Why do telephone conversationsexhibit this pattern, or form? Because it is a setting (Tele-phone Conversation) which happens over and over and over again,with many within the community. And the needs and purposes arethe same!--and so with the same purpose in the same settingthere is a pattern/form of speech which develops. Soon peoplefeel this form is th e "right" way to do it. And of course, itis, at least it accomplishes the purposes, needs that we allhave in such a setting. 1. The Greeting initiates the conver-sation. 2. The identification makes meaningful conversationpossible, we know to whom we are talking. 3. The body is ofcourse the main business! 4. The conclusion terminates theconversation and does it in a way which keeps the conversantson good terms. (Ever try simply hanging up, without sayinggoodbye? People know the form for telephone conversation, andyou do too! That's no way to do it. If you "break" the form,it means something is wrong! Anger? Sickness? What? Ittakes a form-critic both to know to say goodbye, and to knowthat that means all is well.)

This analysis is just another example of one of the manyforms that we instinctively use in our life and conversationtogether. Most classes find that it is fun to take a situationthey never thought of and analyse it It is amazing to see thenuances of emotion and feeling which are involved in certainforms and using them "correctly."1. These formulas will show anyone how a word or two willsuddenly conjure up a setting or situation. Be sure they getthat point. Just a phrase--and you're in the grandstands, orat church, at a very specific moment, too--just having unsuccess-fully slid into 2nd, finished a prayer, etc.2. "Preaching," a sermon, is hortatory, It uses verbs like"you should," "we ought," "let us." It uses i mperatives, "Goand..." It uses rhetorical questions, "Shouldn't we..." Itscontent is hortatory, attempting to lead to a certain kind ofaction. Mother preaches, "Now you should get up early and makeyour bed and pick up your cl othes. Then eat a good breakfastand get off to school on time...."3. Once a form has developed, the society teaches the nextgeneration the "proper" form so that children can be acceptedand act acceptably. Form for Letter: Address of writer:purpose--to give correspondent the address to which to respond.

Date: to locate this in the time span. Address of correspon-dent: to identify the person addressed. Salutation: toinitiate conversation, and to indicate the relationship (Dear vs.Dearest, for example). Body of letter: to accom plish thebusiness! Concluding salutation: to express feelings towardcorrespondent (Sincerely yours, vs. As ever, vs. Always, etc.).Signature: to identify the person writing.

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4. Here is a chance to have some real fun! You canexamine cartoons for awhile and find examples that are superb.The humor often comes when the setting is shifted ever solittle--so that the formula known to fit so well in one settingseems somewhat incongruous in the new setting. The boy is con-cluding his prayers, uses a formula for conclusion of newsbroadcast--and the purpose is clear, too--reviewing the highpoints, so that God will get the m essage! (originally that theaudience would get the News.) "Harrison B. Endicott speaking"is a formula from a phone conversation, initiating the call andidentifying the speaker. The wealthy man is initiating prayer,or conversation with God. The setting is shifted ever so slight-ly, and incongruously. Try your own exampl es. This is mosteffective when you can show the cartoon picture itself. form,setti ng,

But why bother with all of this form, setting, purpose?Well, a study of cartoons, and the formulas we've just seenshows how much can be packed into words and phrases that simplycannot be found in the dictionary! Every language has this,no less the language and culture of the Bible. The writers ofthe Bible used forms, consciously and unconsciously. Theoriginal readers of the Bible, the Israelites for whom theBible was written, "heard" those forms too, consciously andunconsciously! If we want to read the Bible in its fullness,"hearing" all that the sacred writers wrote and the readers"heard," we will want to know more of the forms they were using.We can never recover all the nuances or all the forms, but wecan discover some and often they are very helpful.The Hymn

Stress the fact that "hymn" is used in form study with aspecial definition, not broadly, as today.

Understanding will probably come most quickly if you goimmediately to Example 1 and illustrate and discuss the formof the Hymn on the basis of the example. You will probablynot have time to take all the examples. The leader should workthrough the examples and decide which are best for his teachingand for the learning and interest of this particular group.Verse-by-verse reading is not at all necessary after Psalm 117.Snatches and parts will be enough to illustrate the form. Theleader can judge best whether it will be most helpful to covermore psalms quickly, or to go into depth with fewer psalms.Example 1. Psalm 117

Verse 1 is Introductory Call to Praise, v. 2 is the Bodyof praise, up to the words "for ever." The Conclusion is"Praise the Lord!"


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The introductory call to praise may be addressed to thepsalmist himself (Oh, my soul, Praise), to the fellow worshipers(Oh, sons of Israel), nature (Oh, stars above), or the world(Oh, all nations). In short, it is not necessary for theaddressees to be physically present. In spirit, the whole worldand all nature stands before God in warship, and the psalmistscan address anyone or anything in the universe to render whatis due to the Lord."For" or "therefore" are key words. They introduce thereason. They connect and show the logical relationship. Theyare important words wherever found. The Body of Hymns oftenbegins with "for" and this should be duly noted.Yes, this "steadfast love" (RSV) of God may fairly becalled the central all-encompassing attribute of God. It isin fact the covenant love of God. It not only stressed God'sgood and loving disposition toward man, but also that he oanbe counted on to have this loving disposition. It reminds usof God's promise to be gracious (in Jesus Christ, we Christianswould add in the light of God's full revelation).Let none say the God of the OT is an angry god! Here isthe God and Father we know in Jesus Christ, sola gratia, alldepends on His promise and grace!If some wish to study hymns further, a most interestingstudy is of the reasons for praising God given in the Body ofhymns. See the hymns listed in Example 7. Overall, this givesa good picture of how the Psalmists viewed God!'Be sure all know the meaning of the formula, Hallelujah!

Example 2. The two most common reasons for praise listed inthe Body of Hymns are creation and historical deeds of God.These two psalms, probably set together by the compiler, exhibitthis one-two punoh: Raise the Creator and the Lord of History.It is useful to point out the parallel in our Creed: CreatorGod--Article I; Lord of history--especially the history ofJesus' life, death, resurrection--Article II. You need notspend long with these psalms. You can in a minute or two letthe class "analyze" the hymns--that is find the calls to praisein introduction 104:1a, 105:1-6, and at the conclusion, 104:35b,105:45b. (104:31-35a has a concluding prayer inserted. Thisis not common in hymns, but is an example of how forms areflexible and at times psalmists add elements.)Example 3. Here is another example of the flexibility of forms.The first half of all these verses can be taken to form a per-fectly good hymn. With Introductory call in verses 103, Bodyin verses 4-25, and Conclusion in v. 26. But each verse isexpanded with the phrase, "for his steadfast Love enduresforever." It is hard to avoid the hunch that this refrain was

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repeated by a choir or the congregation, just as we sometimesread the psalms antiphonally in our congregational worship!You can note how the RSV has divided the hymn according to theparts discovered by form study! Note, too, that the body isdivided into three "paragraphs," creation, history, continuedcare.Example 4. Every verse begins with "praise" and there isvirtually no reason for praise given in the whole psalm (exceptin v. 2)! The entire psalm is a Call to praise, part I of theHymn form. A compiler has placed it at the end of the Psalter,to serve as a conclusion, in a sense treating the entire psalteras if it were a Hymn! Thus the Psalm beoomes a "concludingCall for Praise."Example 5. It is fun, and usually a surprise, to find that youcan analyse the hymns we've sung lustily also! And some showthe pattern of "Hymn." Hymn 14. Stanza 1 is Introduc toryCall, 2 is Body, 3 is concluding Call, 4 is another Body, 5 isconcluding doxology or call to praise. Hymn 15 would appear tobe fundamentally a call to praise (like Psalm 150) especiallyif you remember that Alleluia means "Praise the Lord." Orone could analyse the first line of stanza 2 as the body, andthe rest as introductory call and concluding call to praise.Hymn 475 is one long series of C alls to praise. Stanza 1 callson the angelic beings, Stanza 2 calls on the Blessed VirginMary, Stanza 3 calls on the departed souls, Stanza 4 on fellowworshipers. The "common doxology" which we know so well func-tions as a concluding Call to praise in Hymn 558. It functionsthe same way when we use it to close our service--treating thewhole service as a hymn of praise, as it were.Example 6. The compiler of the oracles of Amos (could have beenAmos himself!) apparently bracketed some of the oracles withsnatches of what may have been stanzas of a Hymn of praise. Itis impossible to determine all the reasons for putting them injust where he did. In general however, they add grandeur tothe oracles, stressing the power and majesty of their ultimateauthor, the Mighty Creator. This shows one more variation ofhow Hymn material has been used in the Old Testament.Example 7. Example 7 lists a series of Hymn s. One which isshort and very clear is Hymn 100. This might be a most usefulshort example for the class to study. See paragraph below foranalysis.Setting. The Hymns of praise are really qu ite general. Thecall to others to worship clearly suggests that their settingwas community worship in the temple. It is difficult to tiedown the specific point of worship more precisely. No doubthymns were written in general terms also that they might beused at many points in the servi ce! Ask the class to speculate

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when the hymns would fit in Temple worship. Where would theyfit in our own worship? Indeed, where are the points when we usehymns of praise? At the beginning of worship, at the conolusion,and sometimes in response to a lesson or sermon announcing God'sgood deeds for us. We also use them on certain occasions, whenwe celebrate the great good deeds of God, Christmas, Easter, andso forth.Psalm 100 would seem to be a hymn used at the beginning ofworship, perhaps as the congregation processed to the gate ofthe courts of the temple. 1-2 are the introduotory call toworship, with a call to enter in v. 2 V. 3 is formally anexhortation (it begins with an imperative!) but it serves as thebody of the hymn, giving the reasons for praise. V. 4 is a callto enter again. V. 5 is that verse we've seen so often, a reasonfor praise.

Discussion. The class could at this point fruitfully discusshow they believe Hymns of praise could be used more fruitfullyin their lives--in community worship or individually.Praying this Week. It is suggested that in prayers and privatedevotions the class think about the form "Hymn" this week andthen come to share some of their thoughts at the next meeting.Are there aspects of the Hymn that are helpful in individualprayer? Are there parts that are only suited for corporateworship? Personal witness and responses here could prove to bevery valuable for the class. Writing "hymns" should beencouraged.Conclusion. We suggest the class conclude its session by prayingtogether a hymn of their own com position. This is an easilyunderstood worship device and could be used by any group.Organize and explain how the class will do this first, and thenthe group can simply conclude with praise! Let each contributea verse or two. A few calls such as "Oh, brothers and sisters,Praise..." A number of reasons, "For he speaks when we callupon him," "For he supplies our every need...," and ooncludingcall for praise: "Yea, praise him Lutherans, Methodists,Baptists all."....

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LEADER's GUIDEII. LAMENT

INTRODUCTION:The Student's sheet suggests beginning with sharingreflections on how the "hymn" form enriched devotions during

the past week. The Leader may decide that this is not the bestpoint in the lesson. to take up this matter. It should be notedthat whenever the discussion of how a knowledge of these formscan enrich our worship is scheduled, and whether it takes placea week later or immediately in the lesson, covering that form,such discussions are vital, and probably the most significantmanner in which these studies will benefit the class. Makethe most of them. They need not take a large portion ofcalsstime.Most likely a brief review on what form study is will beuseful to most, and even crucial for any newcomers who did notparticipate in the last lesson. Prepare your analysis of someform. If you have given previous thought, you can then betterlead their discussion. A blackboard is useful if not absolutelyessential for helping the olass set any pattern in mind! Theanalysis of telephone conversation in the previous Leader'sGuide may be useful. It will surely be fun and perhaps especiallyinsightful to analyze the form of "Bible Class" (or whatevername your group study goes under!) The point of all this is tohelp the group to think form study-wise, to look for a patternin a setting which accomplishes the purposes of those involved.

The Form LamentThe names used in form study are often really not the best!Yet they are kept because they have come into current usage.This form could easily be cal led "petition", "plea", etc. Inany case, the two parts "petition" and "lament" are the crucialones; either could give its name to the whole form.Keep in mind that some forms are quite flexible. Flexibilityis difficult in the hymn, by the nature of the oase. A concludingcall to praise could hardly precede the body, nor an introductionconclude the Hymn! The lament is more fle xible. Lament andpetition may come first or last, or they may be intertwined, orbe repeated over and over. This is not surprising and should beexpected. Certain elements are not essential and may be omitted,others are crucial and always present.The student's guide lays out the parts of the lament andpurposes in some detail. It is done in schematic form forreference again and again. Probably it will be best NOT to study

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this first in a vacuum, but rather in connection with a Psalm,as Psalm 13. The leader may first read off the 6 parts, as alist, and then the words in brackets--reading them together asif they formed a complete Psalm, for they exhibit in shortestform the essentials of a full Lament.Example 1.

The Introductory address is usually short, "0 God/Lord."if all in the class are not aware of the meaning of LORD withoapital letters, it is useful to poi nt this out. This is usedwhen God's personal name in the Old Testament is in the textas "Yahweh." The English translations (most but not all)translate this "Lord" in imitation of the Rabbinic Jewishpractice of avoiding the pronunciation of God's name, Yahweh,and substitute of the title "Lord" instead. The avoidance ofpronouncing "Yahweh" is a late practice, coming when there wasa heightened reverence toward God's name. It also was a wayof keeping the letter of the seoond commandment. If you neverused God's name, you oouldn't possibly abuse it by "taking itin vain"! Sometimes the text makes more sense when one remembersthat LORD/Yahweh is a proper name, as Ex. 15:3.

The laments which describe the psalmist's problem oftenbegin with "Why" or "How Long?" These are also used in ancientBabylonian laments. A common plight of mankind! What reallydoes this psalmist suffer from? It is likely that the classwill not agree exactly, a good sign that the lament ispurposefully vague, so that many could use the psalm--and we cantoo. Note how trouble in the life of the psalmist is immed-iately traced to God, for He controls all things that happen.No "Death of God theology" here!3 suggests that illness/death is the problem. But thatmay be metaphorical, 'pain in soul" "sorrow in my heart" ofv 2 are very vague! A man in misfortune or sickness was oftenassumed by others to be a sinner, undergoing God's punishment.A man's enemies could take delight in this.The three imperatives in v 3 are the petitions, "consider,answer, lighten." Is this "lightening of eyes" literallycontinued sight? Lengthening of life? It would appear torefer to physical death, yet note that v 4 calls this "beingshaken," a rather mild description if it really is physicaldeath. The point is that there is so much picture languageone must allow for variety of interpretation, as there probably

was already among the temple worshipers! But as vague as thedescription is, the reality of the trouble is not in question,nor the fact that God was in control and the one to whom onemust flee for aid.

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Three motives are urged by the ps almist. You ought todo this God, or else look what wil l happen. "I will die.""My enemy will say 'I've won.' "My foes can rejoice." (Letthe olass discuss just why the psalmist believes these threemotives will urge and lead God to answer positively.) Thefirst appeals to God's pity. The second two may be said toappeal to His sense of justice, or even pride. The psalmistis God's pious man. Is it right for him to suffer so? Willthis reflect poorly on God's justioe as one who aids Hispeople? (This is one possibility, at least.)

One does not have to look far to find the emphasis onsola gratia, on the unmerited love of God, as a central themein the Psalms, as the source of hop e and life. The psalmistdoes not claim that God owes him rescue. He hopes ratherin the surest resource of all, God's steadfast love. Notethe parallelism. Steadfast love/salvation. The one leads tothe other; surely God will rescue him! The Gospel promise isat the center of this Psalmi st's faith. When we pray, do wereflect on the source of our trust and encourage ourselvesthereby?Hebrew verb tenses are not precisely the same as inEnglish, and there is sometimes room for variety of trans-lations. Let the class compare how their various translationstreat this verse. All of them fit into the lament form inone way or another, either as statements of trust or aspetitions."I will sing to the Lord," v 6, is perhaps not explicitlya vow, yet a vow may be involved. In ei ther case, thepsalmist announces his intention and desire to thank Godfor rescue!Is there a profound change in mood between the lament ofvv 1-2, "How long?" and the confidence of verses 5-6 ? Itcould be debated just how profound it is, or whether a priestactually gave an assuring oracle or blessing to the petitionerbetween vv 4 and 5. The ohange to confidence could be a resultof his reflection on God's steadfast love. A good example forus to follow alsoOf course, if these verses are understoodas petition, then the change in mood is not so profound.)Example 2. Psalm.The address, 0 LORD, is repeated 5 times in four verses.The major lament is in verses 6-7. They graphically speakof his sleepless, sad condition. The menti on of "foes" isfleeting and not very helpful for determining the precise problem.

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There is also lament material in verses 2-3, whioh mentionlanguishing, being sorely troubled, and troubled in the bones.In content, this is lament, describing his trouble. Butformally, it functions as motive! It is urged as a reason whyGod in his pity should answer his prayer! It is a neatdistinction, and an example of how the materials within a Formmay be intertwined in many different ways. The mention of bonesappears to be metaphorical.The petition seems in verse 4-5 to strongly suggest thatsickness is the problem. It is possible that the psalmist'senemies have trumped up a charge against him which could leadto his execution. (Compare Naboth's vineyard! I Kings 21.)The question of the "enemies" in the psalms of lament hasbeen the subject of many studies, and is worth time in a Bibleclass too. Many hypotheses have been developed.. Probably nosingle hypothesis can account for all references to enemies,and every hypothesis probably is correct in a few cases. Hereare some of the suggestions: 1) the p salmist is the king, theenemies are foreign kings and peoples. 2) In the clan life of

the small village, strife and gossip was common between families.When a man became sick or encountered grave misfortune, it waseasy to assume this was punishment by God for sin, and theindividual could be socially ostracized. 3) These may be ene-mies who have brought accusations against the psalmist in court.(Many psalms include a "protestation of innocence" which wouldsuit this interpretation). 4) The "workers of iniquity"(Psalm 6:8) are people who "work magic spells." 5) The enemiesare members of a different religious party. One wonders if thepeople who used the psalms in the temple always knew just whatsort of "enemies" the original psalmist had in mind--or was hevague on purpose? These references to enemies can cause troublefor a thoughtful Christian, after our Lord's injunctions topray for our enemies! See below under Psalm 54.Excursus: Sheol/Pit. Afterlife. One of the important decisions the leader will have to make in this lesson is whetheror not to pursue this matter at some length. The theme ofdeath and Sheol is common in these psalms, and so is a usefulobject of study. This is a topic, however, which will bestudied most fruitfully where the leader has gone over theground carefully for himself. Then he can help those in thegroup who may find the matter somewhat of a shock or threat.

It comes as a shock to many that the Old Testament textsdealing with death and afterlife do not give the same unequiv-ocal, glorious, hopeful picture that the New Testament texts do!This of course does not call our hope for resurrection and lifewith God in heaven into doubt at all! Our Lord, St. Paul,St. John, and the apostles give a clear witness! This must be


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emphasized! Those who read the texts dealing with Sheol andPit will see that the Old Testament picture was not usuallythat of a resurrection to judgment, and then Heaven or Hell.All men, good and evil are in the one abode of the dead! Hereis a case where God in his wisdom has chosen to reveal hisgracious will for men not all at once, but only after theinbreaking of the new age in Jesus Christ. Praise to him!It is suggested, then, that the leader take a few minutesto look up all the passages mentioning Sheol and Pit (see aconcordance for the list) before leading the class. Readingin Bible dictionaries would also be helpful, especially the onenoted in the Student's Notes.Isaiah 26:19 does speak of resurrection, but of God's(thy) dead, the righteous. Daniel 12:2, presumably writtenin the second century BC, speaks of a resurrection to ever-lasting life and a resurrection to everlasting contempt quiteclearly. In the New Testament the hope of resurrection is allpervasive. In the Old Testament it is not the view of mostwriters. This opinion may seem hard to swa llow to some. Let

each read for himself and conclude as he feels the text indi-cates. In any case, our hope for resurrecti on is as sure asthe promise of Jesus Christ.(Psalm 73:24 may refer to a presence with God after deathwhen God "takes" him, cf. Gen 5:24, Ps 49:15, I K 2:10. Ps.49:15 may refer to something similar, though it may only referto a rescue from what seemed to be certain death. These are inany case no clear passages proclaiming resurrection of all men!)Be sure to see the point of all this: it is the backgroundto these puzzling passages which say "In Sheol, who can praisethee?" (6:8) "Do the shades rise up to praise thee?" (88:11).How does this relate to the picture of the thousands around thethrone of the lamb, praising God as in Revelation 4? Theyreally are not to be compared. They come from two differentages, deal with two different questions. The psalmist says,"If I die, I cannot come to the temple to give you praise andthanks! I cannot come and remember before the community yourgreat rescue of me from my trouble--and I want to do that andgive you your due very much, Lord!" This seems a strangeargument for us! Can we pray such psalms? If we realize theglorious fuller revelation which we have, we probably can. Yetthe words "who can give thee praise in Sheol" are such as wecan never fully enter into! This is a matter for personal

opinion and taste. Let the class express itself.To sum up, three points: The leader should work the textand the question through to beable to give aid to the group.

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Rejoice in our sure hope ofResurrection!Let all respect the honestunderstanding that each has ofthese difficult texts, and beready to learn from all!

Example 3. Psalm 54.The superscription, giving the presumed occasion of psalm,is not original to the psalm. These superscriptions wereadded in the course of compiling the Psalms, and are the latestelements in the text.Verses 1-2 are petition, rather vague. Verse 5b is a veryspecific petition!Verse 3 is a lament. The petition of 5b suits it! Arethese enemies of the country, and is the psalmist the king?(One can see how the superscription could come about.)Verse 4 is a statement of trust. 5b (and 7 too for thatmatter) can be read as a general statement of trust, or morespecific confidence of being heard. The two parts are reallyclose to one another, and sometimes blend together.Verse 6. This vow includes both sacrifice and thanksgiving.Ask the class if they feel at ease praying "in thy faithfulness,put an end to my enemies" (verse 5b) . There are many that dofeel a problem here, and there is no universal answer. Tounderstand this, it is necessary to see the Old Testamentsituation. Such prayers "against" the psalmist's enemies are

not uncommon. In all cases, however, it is a prayer for God,the righteous judge, to take the action, not man. And it isthe justice of God that is really at stake. Today we can say,"God is just even if it is not fully clear in this life, forthere does come a judgment." However, in the Old Testamentthere was no general belief in a judgment after death. Thus,if God was to show his justice, he had to do it in this life.When a pious person suffered this was a blot on God's justice!When the wicked prospered without punishment, one could wonderif God was, after all, just! Thus the prayer, "Put an end tomy enemies" was in a sense a prayer for God to proclaim beforethe world that he was God and was just!Example 4. Psalm 51.

I This shows the usual marks of the lament, but is interestingalso for the manner in which all the parts are integrated aboutthe theme of sin. The lament is a confession of guilt. Themany petitions ask first for forgiveness, and then for restor-ation that prepares for an amended life. The vow promises to

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teach sinners to repent! Return-repent: (16-17 are areflection on the relative value of repentence and animalsacrifice, compare "I will have mercy and not sacrifice.")Verses 18-19 are probably a post-exilic addition, from a timewhen the walls of Jerusalem had not yet been rebuilt. Verses10-12, of course, are well known by all as the Offertory.Example 5. There are more laments even than these, but thelist should be a good starter for any who wish to pursue thematter further!

For Discussion. Vows? On the negative side: they candegnerate into bargaining with God, and so deny the free giftof forgiveness. They can have a tendency to a legalism whichis not in the spirit of the Gospel. On the positive side:They do take seriously the fact that man should reallyrespond to God's gracious rescue when we pray for aid! Moreof this in the next lesson when we take up the payment of vowsand thanksgiving!Motives used in our prayer? The fatherly divine pity

and mercy are still appealed to! Also, "for thy name's sake,for the sake of thy steadfast love." These same motives arespecified most clearly in the directive our Lord himself gaveus, "Whatever you ask the father in my name..." In him aresummed up all the motives!At some point the group should share and discuss theirreflections on the resources the individual parts of the lamentoffer for their own prayer. It can be done at the end of thislesson. It could be assigned for mulling over during the week(which is the suggestion of the Student's Guide). In eithercase suggest that they go down the list of items and considerhow each element is reflected in their own prayer. Is theresome suggestion in the laments of the Psalms for enrichingtheir prayer?

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LEADER's GUIDEIII. THANKSGIVING

If the group agreed in the previous meeting to reflect onthe resouroes of the Lament form for personal prayer they willprobably have a good bit to share with the others.It would be useful to begin with a short review of the"chief parts" of form study: form, setting, and purpose. Aparticularly helpful example for this lesson would be theanalysis of a simple lament psalm, such as one of those listedin Example Five of the previous l esson. This review of thelament form will provide a good introduction to the thanksgivingform since the forms lament and thanksgiving are closely related.

THE SETTING OF LAMENT AND THANKSGIVINGIn the Psalms we have only the words which Israeliteworshipers used in the temple. We are not told how thesewords played a part in their lives as a whole, nor much about

the ritual which acoompanied their reciting these words. ISamuel 1 gives an example of just what is missing with the Psalms!It tells us of the background and actions of a worshiper, howshe came to offer a prayer in the sanctuary, and some of theritual which accompanied her prayer. It would be impossible toprove that Hannah used a formal "lament psalm" and a formal"thanksgiving psalm" in her two visits to the sanctuary, butthis chapter exhibits the same concerns and characteristics oflament and thanksgiving forms. It may therefore be presumed togive a reasonable idea of the baokground and setting of thelament and thanksgiving forms.I Samuel 1 is a fascinating glimpse of life in early Israel.One could easily spend much time studying it. For our purposeswe study only one aspect of this chapter, and that briefly,namely how ordinary everyday people and problems are the back-ground and setting of lament and thanksgiving forms.Hannah had a serious problem, she was childless. In thismale-oriented society, child-bearing was the foremost functionfor women. (In the East today this is still true. Thiswriter had a memorable experience as he carried out negotia-tions to rent a home in Jerusalem for a year. The landlord'swife wanted to wish the writer's wife well while living in thishome. She said, "May you give birth to a son while you are

living here." She could wish her nothing finer! Incidentally,this also shows the preference for boys!)First of all, Hannah made her vow at the central sanctuaryat Shiloh, the "temple" of her day. It is difficult for usChristians to appreoiate fully all that the temple meant tothe Old Testament faithful. They went on a pilgrimage to the

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temple, the central sanctuary of the entire country, a trip ofseveral days. We no longer ask with the Samaritan woman (John4:20), "Where should we worship, in Jerusalem or Mount Gerazimhere?" We are free to find God "in spirit and in truth" (John4:21, 23). "Where two or three are gathered together in Jesus'name" (Matt. 18:20). But for the Old Testament people, God wasin a unique sense present in the Jerusalem temple. There theannual (I Sam. 1:3, Luke 2:41) or thrice-annual (Ex. 23:14,Dt. 16:16) pilgrimages to Jerusalem were a most importantoccasion. There the congregation worshiped, and individualswith special troubles would offer their laments and make thevows associated with their plea.

Hannah went up to the central sanctuary each year. There shecame before God to offer her lament and vow. She was apparentlyin the court before the sanctuary, for Eli sat at the door ofthe temple and heard her. (In the Old T estament only priestswent inside the temple or sanctuary. The main altar of burntsacrifice was in the court, and there, too, the people offeredtheir worship. See a Bible dictionary for a plan of Solomon'stemple. The plan of Herod's temple and temple courts is mostinteresting. See Interpreter's Bible Dictionary, Article "Temple,Jerusalem," p. 556. [Your pastor or church library should hav ethis.] In Herod's temple the limits are carefully laid out: acourt for Gentiles, for women, for Israelite men, and thenpriests.)The anguish reported of Hannah here is reminiscent of thelament sections of the lament psalms, is it not? She alsoprayed to the Lord. Thus we have the three chief points of theLament: address, lament, petition! Hannah may not ha ve useda formal, written, lament psalm, but her purposes and herthemes are the same as those of the lament form! The vow ofverse 11 suits this view also, as the vow is an optional part

of the lament form.When granted a son, she will dedicate him as a Nazirite,one specially set aside for a life of service to God. (SeeNumbers 6 and a Bible Dictionary.) To this day in the NearEast mothers or grandmothers may "dedicate" their offspring tobe a priest, dressing the 1-2 year old child in monk's orpriest's robes.Note the change in Hannah (her countenance was no longersad) when the priest speaks his blessing! It surely remindsone of the "change of mood" at the end of many psalms of lament!Read Numbers 30 to see how in this male-oriented societythe husband has the right of deciding whether the vow is binding.Apparently Elkanah has taken responsibility for repaying Hannah'svow or partly repaying it at the next time he comes to thesanctuary.

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The ritual at the vow is instructive. A sacrifice isoffered at the oentral sanctuary, where the vow was first made.In addition, they deliver the chil d to the priest, Eli. Thereis also a public ceremony with a statement made by Hannah.Compare what she says with the parts of the thanksgiving form:Here the statement is addressed to Eli, but what she says arethe same themes of the thanksgiving form. She narrates how shehad offered a petition/lament to the Lord, seeking a child.She narrates how the Lord ans wered her prayer. (These aretwo parts of "Narrative" in the thanksgiving form.) She makesa statement of repayment of vow. Note too that this is a publicact, for "they" slew the bull and bring the child to Eli andthen, if the text is to be corrected, worshipped there. Thisreflects the setting of "Didactic witness."Excursus on Sacrifioe. The sacrifices of the Old Testamentare a complicated series of offerings with much ritual that isalluded to and not explained fully. It is clear, however, thatthe conceptualization of many of the sacrifices is that of ameal. The Israelites knew that the Lord was not "hungry" anddid not need these meals for subsistence, yet the picture is

surely there, for the sacrifices include the main types of food,meat, bread, drink. The worshipers joined in this meal, andpart was offered on the altar to God. This conceptualizesfellowship: as worshipers and God share the meal, so they sharefellowship and a sound friendly relationship. A third con-ceptualization is that of gift, or offeri ng. The gift ofsacrifice to God is a symbol of the worshiper's dedication andoffering of self to God.Many scholars understand I Sam 2:1-10 to be a communalthanksgiving psalm, that is, one written for use by thecommunity as a whole, riot speoifically by an individual. Itmentions God's blessing on barren women, and so is a fittingpsalm to insert here. The prayer for the King in verse 10suggests that the psalm, or at least verses 9-10, were addedat a later date. The opinion that this is a later addition,and not from Hannah's lips, is not crucial to this lesson. Theleader can probably decide whether this might occasion a lengthydiscussion which would eat up time more usefully spent on otherthings.After looking at I Samuel in detail, it will be useful toreview the high points, especially with the pattern or outlineof the forms of Lament and Thanksgiving before the eyes of thegroup, either in the form of the lesson sheets, or written out

on a blackboard. Emphasize that vows were made at the centralsanctuary and the rhythm of the pilgrimages to that sanctuaryannually or more often.

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THE PATTERN OF THE FORM "THANKSGIVING"It may be best to study this chart of the thanksgivingform in conneotion with some concrete example, such as Psalm30. You will note that there is a great deal of flexibilityin these psalms: One suspects that s ome of the psalms ofthanksgiving may not actually have been written for specificuse in the temple. The custom grew that in response to some

special blessing from God a literate educated person would writea special thanksgiving psalm. Since these were not constructedspecifically for ritual use in the temple courts, they tend tohave a greater flexibility. However, because there was aspecial "form" for thanksgiving in the culture, the generalpattern of "thanksgiving" psalm is followed. Note too thatthe vow is often omitted. The use of thanksgiving psalms wasnot limited to cases where the worshiper had made a specificvow. They were used in response to any special blessing of theLord in time of dire need.The "Didactic Witness" section is of special importance.It indicates that these psalms were used, originally at least,

in the company of the worshipping congregation. Furthermore,it stresses the note that proper praise does not and cannot endwith praise of God. It must reaoh out horizontally to thefellow worshipers, giving witness and sharing the gift which Godhas given. It may well be that your group will find reflectionon this part of the Thanksgiving psalms most valuable andrewarding. Be sure to include this sort of discussion some-where in the lesson.Examples: More than enough examples are offered here. Theleader will want to work through these and decide which willprove most valuable and will fit into the time available.

Example 1. Psalm 30.Since thanksgivings follow on laments, many of the samethemes that occurred in the laments will also occur in thethanksgivings. Verse 1 mentions foes of the psalmist. Theymay not have been his main problem, for they are not againmentioned in the psalm. This may simpl y be a way of saying,

"I've been helped, I prosper."Sickness is not explicitly mentioned, but is indicated bythe several references to life and being. rescued from the powerof Sheol and the Pit. Considering the trauma that severesickness is in our lives, even today, it is not surprisingthat many psalms deal with this problem. It is a universalproblem, and gives the psalms universal usefulness.V. 4 is another example of how small grammatical details arethe keys to recognizing important shifts in the parts of theform. The fellow worshipers are addressed in the second person.

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Example 3. Psalm 107.The spacing of RSV is a help in dealing with this psalmrapidly and with clarity. Each section (beginning at vv. 4,10, 17, 23) has three parts. You might ask the group to identifythose parts, which they will be able to do easily enough. A.description of problem. B. description of their prayer to Godand his deliverance. C. call for the rescued to give thanks.Parts A and B are, of course, the narrative section of thethanksgiving form. It seems clear enough that this psalm is ageneral liturgy for group thanksgiving by pilgrims at the temple.Example 4. Psalm 31.The difference in tone between the beginning of these twopsalms and the end is striking. You might dramatize this byasking half the group to analyze Psalm 31:1-18 or 69:1-29, andthe other half to analyze Psalm 31:19-24 or 69:30-36. Let eachperson take care not to sneak a peek at the other portion of thepsalm. Probably the first group wil l see a lament, and thesecond a thanksgiving.How is this disparity to be explained? Are they reallythanksgivings, with the entire lament which was previously usedincluded? Or are they only united by a compiler, and never usedas a unity in worship? Or are they laments with particularlystriking statements of trust and confidence of being heard,almost giving the thanksgiving in advance? Perhaps a more fruit-ful question even would be, "On what occasions would you findthis a good psalm to pray?"Example 5.Remember that the thanksgiving form is quite flexible.There are many interesting varieties here!

Our Thanksgiving:The discussion could take many different directions. Onepossibility is here suggested. Beginning with a review of presentcongregational practice in thanksgiving and in individual witnessto God's answer to prayer, the group can compare their practicewith that of the Psalms. The psalms may not give a patternwhich is fitting for your congregation, but it should stimulatesome thought and discussion.The element of didactic witness should be a special pointof discussion. What are its values? Are you making the most ofthem?

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LEADER'S GUIDEIV. LITURGY

INTRODUCTION:If the group previously agreed to the project of reflectingon the thanksgiving form at home, these reflections may be sharedas an opener to discussion and class interaction. Did anyonecompose a thanksgiving psalm?

LITURGY:You can see from the definition that really this is a broadercategory than the previous forms studied. This is a: combinationof several units of differing forms. Do not confuse it with theadjective "liturgical." The meanings are very olose, but differ."Liturgical" is an adjective indicating that a thing has to dowith worship, with the process of the community's worship. A"liturgy" is an "order of worship" for the community, composedof several parts, of a number of forms and/or formulas. The

forms Hymn, lament, and thanksgiving are all liturgical, that is,have something to do with worship, but are not, in form, a"liturgy." They can form part of a l iturgy, however!Example 1. Psalm 118.

This psalm presents a fine chance to exercise new-foundskills of form analysis. It falls into two main sections:verses 1-18 are a thanksgiving by a king after victory in battle.Verses 19 and following are ritual at the entrance to the templecourt for the king and his entourage. Begin by making the pointthat this is called a "liturgy" because it is an order ofservice used by a number of people, noting a few verses asexamples. Then proceed to analyze it verse by verse.

One profitable manner of approach is to go through verses1-18 first with but one question in mind, "Who spoke each verse?"Then return and analyze the form of each verse and what part itplays in the Thanksgiving as a whole.Think through just who the "I" must be. Who but a kingwould say "all nations surrounded me?" V. 15, "victory"and "tents of the righteous" surely sounds like talk re-garding a battle, led by a king. V. 22 "head of the corner"is surely some important individual. The amount of ritual

involved at the entry to the gate would be fitting for aking, though it could be used for other occasions.Consider who the speaker(s) may be in verses 8-9, 15-16,20, and 22-25. In 23-25 there can be littl e doubt that itis the entourage, for the speakers use the first personplural. In the other verses no firs t person is used at all,either singular or plural. Since all the other verses in


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verses 5-25 specifically use the first singular, there isa good likelihood that those without the first personsingular are not spoken by the kind, but by priests, by-standers, or (v. 20) the gatekeeper(s). Certainty isimpossible, of course.Verses 2-4 would appear to begin this back-and-forth,antiphonal speaking. Here are three calls for the cry wehave seen so muoh already, "His steadfast love endures

forever," first by all present (v. 2, Israel), then by thepriests (v. 3, house of Aaron), and finally by the congre-gation (v. 4, those who fear the Lord).Again, certainty is impossible. Good debate whereopinion differs is healthy here, especially if it fosterswithin your group an attitude of willingness to allow theother person a different opinion, so long as there is nodenial of dootrine involved.Verses 1-4. Introductory declaration of thanksgiving byking, (?) then by congregation and priests (verses 2-4).Verses 5-18. Narrative, interspersed with applause bybystanders.

5. Summary of narrative. 6-7, Statement of Trust.(Had the king used these before or during the battle? Oris he sharing with worshippers the lesson he learned fromGod's rescue?)8-9. Didactic proverbs on the theme of 6-7, trust!Either addressed by king to worshipers, or by worshipers inapproving response to king's statement in verses 6-7.10-14. Narrative of the battle and rescue. Verses12-13 are apparently figurative, a simile and a metaphor.

Verses 15-16. An exclamation praising God and thevictory he gave. The "right hand" or "arm" of Yahweh is afigure used in hymns praising God for victory in battle.See Exodus 15:6, Isaiah 51:9-10. (Here the prophet callson Yahweh's arm to wake up and bring a new viotory!) "Tentsof the righteous" refers to tents of the victor, the one whowas in the right and whom God blessed with victory.Excursus on "Righteous." The term "righteous" in verses15 and 20 of this psalm is not used in the broad sensewhich we often attach to it, "perfect, without moral blemishof any sort." Rather it is used in its Old Testament sense,a narrow sense, "the one in the right." Righteous is a


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relationship word, indicating "the one who is in the rightrelationship" rather than the wrong relationship. Itsoriginal setting is a lawsuit between two parties. Theone who is in the right is "righteous." The one in thewrong is called "wicked." Of oours e, a fellow may be ascoundrel otherwise, and yet "righteous" in the sense thathe is in the right in this particular case, in relationshipwith this man with whom he is having a lawsuit. At the endof the court argument, the judge declares one man to be"righteous" (in the right) and the other man "wicked" (inthe wrong). This is the background for the New Testamentpioture of "Justification." God "declares us to berighteous" even though we are sinful and guilty! (Romans 3)Thus the "tents of the righteous" in v. 16 are the tentsof the one in the right vis-a-vis his enemy (and God!) towhom God therefore gives the victory. The term is alsoapplied to people ready for worship in v. 20. The "gatesof Righteousness" are the gates where only the righteousmay enter. This does not mean only sinless people can enter,or the temple courts would be empty! Rather only those in

the right relationship with God may enter, those who comein faith and who are ceremonially clean, not having toucheda dead body, etc.Verses 17-18. Note how rescue is closely tied to theresponsibility to praise God before others! An obviousexample for us. The words are stylized. If the talk ofbattle and victory had not preceded, one might think thatsickness was the problem of the psalmist. Of course, theremay have been threat of death in defeat.In dealing with verses 19-29, make the most of theritual that these verses describe and imply. Few psalmsbear so clearly the marks of the ritual and temple atmos-phere! Most psalms give us the words, not the actions, ofthe worshipers.Verse 19. Undoubtedly spoken by the king at the gateway.The gateway is a natural place for special ritual, for hereman left the secular, the profane, and entered the area ofholiness, God's dwelling. This was a dividing line notlightly to be ignored. The class of temple personnel calledgatekeepers not only guarded the property, they wereguardians of the sanctity of God's temple, and aided theworshipers to perform the proper ritual so they would not

profane the temple and thereby bring threat of harm on them-selves.Verse 20. The spaces in the RSV translation set thisoff as the speech in response to verse 19. Many are of theopinion these are spoken by gate-keeping priests.

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Verse 21. A thanksgiving declaration. Is the kingstating here the purpose for which he wishes to enter thetemple courts? This may raise the question of just wherethe worshipers offered their psalms of thanksgiving. Theorder of Psalm 118 suggests that the "thanksgiving" ofverses 1-18 was spoken outside the gate. We may presume,of course, that thanksgiving was not limited to "outsidethe gate" but was given within the temple courts, also incases where preliminary thanks had been given at the entry-_ way. A victory celebration for the king was no smallceremony! The celebration and ritual lasted a long timeboth outside and inside the gates!

Verse 22-25. The picture of a cornerstone, importantbecause it must bear the chief weight of a building, ishere used for the king, the person who bears the burden ofresponsibility in the kingdom. The king of Israel wasusually not an important figure among the nations. Yetin this victory God showed that the king was, after all,crucial in God's order of things.The greatest example of the reversal of fortunes wasthat of Jesus Christ, who seemed to go down to defeat in ahumiliating death on a cross, yet was raised victoriouslyby God. Small wonder that this passage was applied to Jesusoften in the New Testament. It is all the more fitting sincethis was the last and greatest son of David, this was theKing of kings. It is important to distinguis h between thetwo uses of this verse. In the Psalm it is used to refer tothe contemporary king of Israel. In the New Testament it isre-used and re-applied to Jesus. Thus is it not strictlyspeaking a "prophecy," it was not intended by the people whoused this psalm to be predicti ve. Yet one can say Jesus

"fulfilled" these words, in the sense that he "filled themfull" to the brim with meaning, that he was the goal whomGod, at least, had in mind in calling and preserving hiskingdom Israel, and its kings, through the long years fromDavid to The Son of David.These verses could oocasion a long discussion. The leaderwould be well advised to consider this beforehand and planthe use of class time. What will be most valuable for thisgroup at this point? A fuller disoussion of the Christolog-ical use of these verses, or fuller discussion of Psalm 95,etc.?Verse 25. Note the origin of the term Hosannah!Verse 26-27. Since the priests had the task of officiallyblessing, these words were probably spoken by priests. Youwill recognize the phrase reused in our Communion Liturgy at

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the coming of the King of Kings into our midst in theSacrament. The text is not fully clear as to just whatsort of ceremony went on. The broad open court before thetemple lent itself to large processions and such ceremonies.The huge altar for burnt offering must have served as afocal point and center around which they could have pro-cessed.verse 28. A final declaration of thanksgiving.Verse 29. The entire psalm is bound neatly into aunified bundle, ending as it began.

Disoussion: Most of us come from a tradition in which the oon-gregation remained seated or standing in the pews, and in whichthe chancel was the focus of virtually all pastoral activity.Actually, we are in a minority in Christendom, for in most agesand in most traditions, there was a much fuller use of processionsand motion, as well as a variety of focuses of ceremony otherthan the chancel. Discussion may show that variety may not beuseful to the group, or it may open some fresh possibilities formeaningful worship.

Entryway ceremonies: Baptism, or part of baptismal services,to symbolize the entry of the ohild into the church. At thededication of church, when congregation first enters the build-ing. (Some communities have elaborate ritual at the enthrone-ment of a new Bishop. He knocks at the locked doo r. Thecommunity then unlocks from within to welcome him, symbolizingtheir voluntary acceptanoe of his authority!) Are there anyentryway ceremonies that the group thinks would be helpful fortheir worship? (Share that with the pastor!)"Happy parades." Many congregations have a processing choir.Funerals and weddings, occasions with many clergy suoh asordinations, installations, conventions, are other examples.Congregations may process, singing hymns and have a "happyparade" on happy occasions, as Easter ,and Christmas. A paradeshould not be an "ordinary affair." Would your group find thisan appropriate worship form?The Psalter, like many hymnals, contains not only a varietyof hymns, but also several orders of service, that is, "liturgies."

Example 2. Psalm 95.If your congregation uses the order of Matins, this will beespecially useful.Verses 1-7a are clearly a Hymn. Verses 1-2 are the call toworship, the "for" of verse 3 introduces the body of praise inverses 3-5. Here the main note of God's creativ e and ruling

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power are struck. Verses 6-7a are the concluding call topraise. The space between verses 5 and 6 in RSV seems tosuggest that the editors of RSV understand 6-7a as a separateshort Hymn. 7a could possibly be understood as a brief "bodyof praise." Such short "reasons for worship" are, however,sometimes found in introductory and concluding calls to worship.Many scholars understand this to be a hymn at the beginning

of worship, used at the entrance, taking verse 2 literally.The "come" of verse 6 literally means "enter."We live in a monotheistic world, so that God is a propername for us! The Israelites were monotheists, too, but livedin a world of polytheists. They used the word god also as acommon noun, for any "more than human bein g" -- including angels(Job 1:6, "sons of God,") and dead "spirits" (Samuel, II Samuel28:13). Yahweh is pictured as the Great "King" of all theheavenly beings (angels, powers, principalities, Col. 1:16)who range about him as a court about a king. The net resultis that Yahweh is unique, ruling and p owerful over every forcein the universe. This verse ascribes majesty to God!What do the members of your group r eally think of when they

sing this verse? A happy blur!?Since 1-7a is a unity and complete within itself, many feelit was originally oomposed as a unit, and only later was usedin the liturgy of Psalm 95. (The hymns we sing in our serviceswere written separately and then used in the liturgy in exaotlythe same way!) The Scriptures do not explain the "how" ofInspiration. Many prefer to see the Spirit active throughoutthe whole process of the writing of Psalm 95. This too couldbe a topic for long and fruitful discussion. Any view which

advances and does not deny a full inspiration of the BiblicalPsalm is allowable under the Scriptures and Luteran Confessions.Verses 7b-11 have a hortatory tone, (7b, "0 that"...)(8, imperative, "Harden!") An example is given urging compliance,and the implied threat of punishment is given in that example.Thus, words like Sermon, Exhortation, Warning come in mind for

the forma Verses 9-11 use "I" of God! Prophets (sometimespriests) speak for God like this. Thus, a term like "PropheticExhortation" would be a reasonable name for this form. Thereis no widely used agreed-upon name used for this form. TheGroup may find one more to their liking.This is a liturgy for entry to worship. As they approachGod the people naturally fall into a hymn of praise. A prophetrises to exhort them, reminding them that this great creatorGod is one who expeots faithfulness and loyalty and punishesthose who turn from him! The purpose is to enable the congrega-tion to come before God properly , that is, with praise, andwith dedication, aware of whom it is they m eet to worship!

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Discussion: The purpose of the Venite is to call on ourselvesto initiate our worship with the praise of God. We use itwith virtually the same purpose that the Psalmists used itThere are reasonable explanations for not using the second half.First, the Venite is a unit, and probably was so before beoomingattached to Psalm 95. The second half of Psalm 95 has a some-what different purpose, warning. The compilers of Matins wanteda canticle of praise, a hymn. An exhortation would not be outof place, but neither is it necessary. The example given inthe exhortation was tailored for Israel; it is not as powerfulan illustration for us, since the fathers in the wildernessare only figuratively "our fathers."

By what right do we "put asunder wh at God has joined to-gether" and use only part of Psalm 95? in choosing the lessons,the Gospels and Epistles, we must use our sanctified commonsense in choosing limited seotions that serve a purpose. Solong as we do not thereby do violence to the sense of the text,but use the section for edification, we are using the Scripturesproperly.Concluding discussion: This is the point to sit back and takestock. Thera will probably be a variety of opinion whioh willhelp to stimulate discussion, There is of course no single"approved" mode of interpretation. Through the centuries manydifferent methods have been used and their proponents eachthought their method was the best'. Each m ust determine whatis the best method available to him. For Lutherans there arelimits however! There are two words which God speaks in HisScriptures, the word of. Judgment, Law, and the word of Promise,Gospel. A method which does not discern these, or confusesthem, must be corrected. A method which assists the interpreterin hearing this Word of God is a us eful, and for Lutherans, aproper method.Tell those who want to study the Ps alms further, a good paper-baok is Bernard W. Anderson, Out of the Depths (Philadelphia:Westminster, 1974), $3.50.

Prepared forThe Division of Interpretation and CommunioationProgram of Education for Responsible Christian Action (PERCA)Evangelical Lutherans in Mission (ELIM)12015 Manchester RoadSt. Louis, Missouri 63131-28-

Form Study of the Psalter

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