Learning Packet

CLE 7: Our Relationship with God

Fourth Quarter, 2022-2023

Lesson 1: The Psalms

*Please prepare your Bible for cross-referencing in our topic.

Our narration of salvation history will temporarily be set aside to make way for an important book in the Old
Testament: The Book of Psalms. As we will see, the Book of Psalms is a sort of an overview of the Davidic Kingdom
and holds an important place in the liturgy. It directs us also to mold our prayers through the Psalms, thereby making
it a good source of prayer that we can use every day.

Engage

Activity 1: Sound Trip!

Directions: Share your taste in music that depends on your mood. Write the songs that you prefer listening to when in
a particular state of mood. (You do not necessarily have to give 3 examples.)

Music I listen to when I am happy Music I listen to when I feel sad Music I listen to when I am angry
1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3.

We love music. It has been a part of our lives

almost the entire time. When there is a
celebration being held, there is music. When
we want to lament with the death of a loved
one, we play the appropriate sad music. For
some of us, we try to listen to music when we
study, making us much more concentrated and
focus in studying. These are just some of the
many practical ways of how music impacts us in
our lives today. And, of course, music has a
place in worship and praise to God and we get
those songs mostly from the Book of Psalms.

The Book of Psalms, sometimes also called

Psalter, is a collection of 150 sacred prayers and
songs. The title “Psalms” came from the Greek
word “psal mos” which means a song. The Book of Psalms is placed under the Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament
because of its literary genre because the books found here tend to be more “poetic” and “artistic” (e.g. use of songs,
quotes, sayings, parables). Thus, seeing the Book of Psalms comprising mostly of songs, it is fitting that this book is
placed under the Wisdom Literature.

It’s important to note that the Book of Psalms is subdivided into five parts as we will see in the figure below:
As we can see, the Book of Psalms is an overview of the
whole narrative of the Davidic Kingdom. The Psalms
were further divided into 5 books that have elements
that reveal a particular episode in the reign of the
Davidic Kingdom.

Book I (Psalms 1-41) is mostly all about David’s

sufferings and trials at the hands of his enemies,
confident of salvation but sill being persecuted and not
yet delivered by the hand of God.

Book II (Psalms 42-72) progresses to a more triumphant

and glorious tone overall in contrast to the first book. It
emphasizes the glory of Mount Zion (Jerusalem) and the
rule of the Davidic king and a series of praises to God as
God delivers David from sins, sickness, and enemies. It ends in David in old age and a description in of the reign of
Solomon.

Book III (Psalms 73-89) is noted as the darkest of the five books in the
Book of Psalms. It morbidly begins with the psalmist’s recollection of
losing his faith when he saw the wicked prosper at the expense of the
upright (Psalm 73). Many of the psalms found here are full of laments
that reflect dire distress and crisis for the whole Davidic kingdom.

Book IV (Psalms 90-106) continues where the last Psalm of Book III
(Psalm 89) left off which is portraying that the Davidic monarchy and
the covenant seem to have an end as the people enter into exile. David,
being somehow “absent”, turns to the earlier covenant mediators to
seek guidance, which is why we will see extensively Moses and
Abraham (two of the covenant mediators in the Old Testament) will be referred multiple times. Thus, Book IV shows
more of a meditative and reflective approach of the apparent failure of
the Davidic kingdom and covenant as well as the exile. Living in a literal
or metaphorical exile, the psalmist acknowledges Israel’s sin, pleads for
restoration, and reorients his understanding of God through the
guidance of Moses and Abraham (somehow resembles the cycle of Baal).

Lastly, Book V (Psalms 107-150) suddenly overturns the gloomy mood of

the previous book by beginning with a psalm of thanksgiving praising
God for restoring the people from exile (Ps107). Book V is considered to
be the most complex of the 5 books and will reveal themes that point
forward to the end of time and what is going to happen. It shows to us

2
the hope for a glorious kingdom of God being established, which will only be established in the Messianic Age.
Explore
Activity 2: Classification
Directions: Classify which book in the Book of Psalms is being pertained in the ff descriptions. Write I if it pertains to
Book I, II if Book II, III if Book III, IV if Book IV, V if Book V.
_____1. The darkest of all the books.
_____2. Emphasizes the glory of Mt. Zion.
_____3. Has an “exile” theme overall.
_____4. Gives an anticipation of the Messianic Age.
_____5. Mostly about the sufferings and trials of David.
_____6. Expresses confidence in God during suffering.
_____7. Moses and Abraham are commonly referred.
_____8. God delivers David from sickness and his enemies.

_____9. A series of laments on the dire situation of the kingdom of David.

_____10. The most complex of all the 5 books.

Types of Psalms
Now that we have more or less an overview of the whole Book of Psalms, let us try to identify what are the different
types of Psalms we can see in the Psalter. Some have already been mentioned when we were talking about the
subdivisions of the Book of Psalms. Let’s get into detail about what kind of Psalms we would deal with if we read or sing
it.
The thing is, if we dive into a more serious study of Biblical scholarship, we would find ourselves scratching our heads
and overwhelmed at the many types of Psalms we can find. For our purposes here in this learning packet, we will only
identify the most basic types of psalms that we can encounter.
1. Psalms of Lament
• The most commonly used genre in the Book of Psalms. As the name implies, it calls to God for aid in
times of distress.
• Usually a psalm of lament will end with an expression of faith and trust in God in the midst of his
persecution and suffering.
2. Todah Psalms
• Similar to a Psalm of Lament, only that this is prayed AFTER being delivered from persecution and
suffering.
• Usually, a thanksgiving offering of sacrifice is associated when this type of psalm is being said.
3. Hymn Psalms
• Psalms of praise that emphasize the characteristics of who God is, His works and actions and wonders.
4. Wisdom Psalms
• Shares themes with the Wisdom Literature.
• Gives emphasis and stress on how to become a righteous person by following the Law of God.
5. Royal/Messianic Psalms
• Focuses on the king of Israel
• Usually holds a Messianic tone which eventually would become Messianic prophecies.

Explain

Activity 3: Classification

Directions: Identify the type of psalm being portrayed. Write A if it is a Psalm of Lament/Todah, B if it is a Hymn Psalm,
C if it is a Wisdom Psalm, or D if it is a Royal/Messianic Psalm.

_____1. Psalm 38
_____2. Psalm 1
_____3. Psalm 110
_____4. Psalm 103
_____5. Psalm 2
_____6. Psalm 22
_____7. Psalm 72
_____8. Psalm 19
______9. Psalm 4
3
 _____10. Psalm 2

Although the psalms are not merely intended to give us an artistic picture of the
Davidic kingdom, they are also provided to us as a means for meditations and prayer
in our spiritual life. The Book of Psalms in the Liturgy of the Word in the Mass is
most extensively read book in the Old Testament. Apart from that, the Book of
Psalms is also used extensively in the Eucharistic Prayers spoken by the priest in the
Mass. In addition, although less popularly known except for the religious sisters and
brothers, the Book of Psalms is the backbone of the Liturgy of the Hours, a set of
hymns and prayers said throughout the day in various times.

The point is, we make us of the Psalms if we find ourselves in a condition wherein
we do not know what to say or what to pray for. A lot of times in our lives we find
ourselves speechless, most especially in times when the burden of problems seem to be too unbearable for us now. We
seek the wisdom of the psalmist and we borrow his words to make it ours that our heart and our inner self may find our
way to express ourselves more clearly if our words fall short to speak what we really want to say.

Extend
Activity 4: The Psalm of My Life
Directions: Of all the 150 Psalms that we can find in the Old Testament, choose one particular psalm that would
somehow relate the kind of situation you are going through right now and explain how this psalm is related to you.
Lastly, use this psalm that you will choose as a prayer after you answered this activity.

Psalm Chosen: ____________________

Explanation:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Before I would end, I would like to share how the Book of Psalms point forward to Jesus in the New Testament. At some
point, you can also consider the Book of Psalms as a “prophecy” of the Messiah who is to come. Let us try to examine
one of the psalms that foreshadows Jesus Christ.

Psalm 22 – the beginning of this psalm is very familiar for us because this is spoken by Jesus Himself when He was
crucified, known also as one of the 7 last words. In addition , when Jesus said that line, “My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me?” is not an indication that disproves the divinity of Jesus. Rather, He is QUOTING the very first line of Psalm
22, an indication usually that He will fulfill it. Let us try to read some of the passages in Psalm 22:
• Psalm 22:1 – “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?”
• Psalm 22:6-7 – “But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by
men, and despised by the people. All who see me mock at
me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads;”
• Psalm 22:8 – “He committed his cause to the Lord; let him
deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
• Psalm 22:16 – “… they have pierced my hands and feet”
• Psalm 22:18 – “they divide my garments among them, and
for my raiment they cast lots.”
• Psalm 22:27 – “All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.” (in short, Gentiles will
convert).
• With all this, let us try to parallel these verses to Christ’s
crucifixion

4
 Psalm Verse
Psalm 22:1 – “My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?”
Psalm 22:6-7 – “But I am a worm, and no man;
scorned by men, and despised by the people. All who
see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they
wag their heads;”
Christ’s Crucifixion
Matthew 27:46 – “And about three o’clock Jesus cried
out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which
means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:39, 41 - Those passing by reviled him,
shaking their heads… Likewise the chief priests with the
scribes and elders mocked him…

Psalm 22:8 – “He committed his cause to the Lord; let
him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in
him!”
Psalm 22:16 – “they have pierced my hands and
feet”
Matthew 27:42-43 - “He saved others; he cannot save
himself. So he is the king of Israel! Let him come down
from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He
trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
(I think this is obvious already.)

Psalm 22:18 – “they divide my garments among Matthew 27:35 - After they had crucified him, they
them, and for my raiment they cast lots.” divided his garments by casting lots;

Psalm 22:27 – “All the ends of the earth shall
remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families
of the nations shall worship before him.”
Matthew 27:54 – “The centurion and the men with him
who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when
they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and
they said, ;Truly, this was the Son of God!’” (The
centurion and his men, who were Gentiles, converted!)

This is just one of the enormous prophecies Christ fulfilled in the Book of Psalms. Indeed, Christ is hidden in the Book of
Psalms. He Himself said so:

“He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in
the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” - Lk 24:44

In a nutshell:
• The Book of Psalms is a part of the Wisdom Literature that gives us an overview of the Davidic
kingdom.
• The Psalms are widely used in the liturgy and most especially in prayer and meditation.
• The Psalms also foreshadow and point forward to Christ of what is to happen to Him in the New
Testament.

For additional readings:

Pitre, B., & Bergsma, J. S. (2018). A Catholic Introduction to the Bible. Amsterdam University Press.

Citations:

Great is Our God. (n.d.). [Image]. Https://Www.Psalmsquotes.Com. https://www.psalmsquotes.com/praise.htm

Listening to Music. (n.d.). [Image]. Https://Axerosolutions.Com.
https://axerosolutions.com/blogs/timeisenhauer/pulse/195/how-listening-to-music-makes-you-more-
productive
Man Praying. (n.d.). [Image]. Https://Www.Vectorstock.Com. https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-
vector/man-praying-black-silhouette-vector-3230364
Psalm 22. (n.d.). [Image]. Https://Www.Believetrust.Com. https://www.believetrust.com/bible/psalm-22-for-
the-director-of-music-to-the-tune-of-the-doe-of-the-morning-a-psalm-of-david/
Psalm 107. (n.d.). [Image]. Https://Www.Americamagazine.Org.
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/12/12/angry-glad-heartbroken-theres-psalm
The Book of Psalms. (n.d.). [Image]. Https://Www1.Cbn.Com. https://www1.cbn.com/books/poetry-prose-new-
book-series-psalms-comes-life