The book of Psalms is one of the greatest treasures that God has given to His people. Through these sacred poems, the Lord has given us a rich songbook and a divinely inspired guide for our prayers. In these messages, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey provides an overview of the Psalms with the specific goal of learning to love them through a study of their themes, structure, and beauty. In addition to Dr. Godfrey’s two-part introduction, messages include: “ Psalms 11: Chapter 11 1 In Jehovah do I take refuge: How say ye to my soul, Flee `as' a bird to your mountain; 2 For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string, That they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart; 3 If the foundations be destroyed, What can the righteous do? 4 Jehovah is in his holy temple; Jehovah, his throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 5 Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For Jehovah is righteous; he loveth righteousness: The upright shall behold his face. Psalm 12 For the Chief Musician; set to the Sheminith. A Psalm of David. The Power of Poetry” “ Psalms 26 Chapter 26 1 Judge me, O Jehovah, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in Jehovah without wavering. 2 Examine me, O Jehovah, and prove me; Try my heart and my mind. 3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes; And I have walked in thy truth. 4 I have not sat with men of falsehood; Neither will I go in with dissemblers. 5 I hate the assembly of evil-doers, And will not sit with the wicked. 6 I will wash my hands in innocency: So will I compass thine altar, O Jehovah; 7 That I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard, And tell of all thy wondrous works. 8 Jehovah, I love the habitation of thy house, And the place where thy glory dwelleth. 9 Gather not my soul with sinners, Nor my life with men of blood; 10 In whose hands is wickedness, And their right hand is full of bribes. 11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: Redeem me, and be merciful unto me. 12 My foot standeth in an even place: In the congregations will I bless Jehovah. Psalm 27 `A Psalm' of David. & 39: Peculiar Psalms” “ Psalms 49 Chapter 49 1 Hear this, all ye peoples; Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world, 2 Both low and high, Rich and poor together. 3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; And the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. 4 I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp. 5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, When iniquity at my heels compasseth me about? 6 They that trust in their wealth, And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 7 None `of them' can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him; 8 (For the redemption of their life is costly, And it faileth for ever;) 9 That he should still live alway, That he should not see corruption. 10 For he shall see it. Wise men die; The fool and the brutish alike perish, And leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inward thought is, `that' their houses `shall continue' for ever, `And' their dwelling-places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. 12 But man `being' in honor abideth not: He is like the beasts that perish. 13 This their way is their folly: Yet after them men approve their sayings. Selah 14 They are appointed as a flock for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be for Sheol to consume, That there be no habitation for it. 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; For he will receive me. Selah 16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, When the glory of his house is increased. 17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul (And men praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,) 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light. 20 Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, Is like the beasts that perish. Psalm 50 A Psalm of Asaph. & 50: All the World & All the People” “ Psalms 52: Chapter 52 1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God `endureth' continually. 2 Thy tongue deviseth very wickedness, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 Thou lovest evil more than good, And lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah 4 Thou lovest all devouring words, thou deceitful tongue. 5 God will likewise destroy thee for ever; He will take thee up, and pluck thee out of thy tent, And root thee out of the land of the living. Selah 6 The righteous also shall see `it', and fear, And shall laugh at him, `saying', 7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness. 8 But as for me, I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God: I trust in the lovingkindness of God for ever and ever. 9 I will give thee thanks for ever, because thou hast done it; And I will hope in thy name, for it is good, in the presence of thy saints. Psalm 53 For the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath. Maschil of David. The Psalms & History” “ Psalms 77: Chapter 77 1 I will cry unto God with my voice, Even unto God with my voice; and he will give ear unto me. 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: My hand was stretched out in the night, and slacked not; My soul refused to be comforted. 3 I remember God, and am disquieted: I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah 4 Thou holdest mine eyes watching: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5 I have considered the days of old, The years of ancient times. 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart; And my spirit maketh diligent search. 7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will he be favorable no more? 8 Is his lovingkindness clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? 9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah 10 And I said, This is my infirmity; `But I will remember' the years of the right hand of the Most High. 11 I will make mention of the deeds of Jehovah; For I will remember thy wonders of old. 12 I will meditate also upon all thy work, And muse on thy doings. 13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: Who is a great god like unto God? 14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast made known thy strength among the peoples. 15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah 16 The waters saw thee, O God; The waters saw thee, they were afraid: The depths also trembled. 17 The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound: Thine arrows also went abroad. 18 The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lightened the world: The earth trembled and shook. 19 Thy way was in the sea, And thy paths in the great waters, And thy footsteps were not known. 20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock, By the hand of Moses and Aaron. Psalm 78 Maschil of Asaph. Questions in Grief” “ Psalms 81: Chapter 81 1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. 2 Raise a song, and bring hither the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the psaltery. 3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the full moon, on our feast-day. 4 For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5 He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, When he went out over the land of Egypt, `Where' I heard a language that I knew not. 6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: His hands were freed from the basket. 7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder; I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah 8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto me! 9 There shall no strange god be in thee; Neither shalt thou worship any foreign god. 10 I am Jehovah thy God, Who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt: Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11 But my people hearkened not to my voice; And Israel would none of me. 12 So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, That they might walk in their own counsels. 13 Oh that my people would hearken unto me, That Israel would walk in my ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn my hand against their adversaries. 15 The haters of Jehovah should submit themselves unto him: But their time should endure for ever. 16 He would feed them also with the finest of the wheat; And with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee. Psalm 82 A Psalm of Asaph. The Word at the Center” “ Psalms 91 Chapter 91 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust. 3 For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; `But' it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. 11 For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under foot. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, And show him my salvation. Psalm 92 A Psalm, a Song for the sabbath day. & 93: God Is Protector & King” “ Psalms 94: Chapter 94 1 O Jehovah, thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth. 2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: Render to the proud `their' desert. 3 Jehovah, how long shall the wicked, How long shall the wicked triumph? 4 They prate, they speak arrogantly: All the workers of iniquity boast themselves. 5 They break in pieces thy people, O Jehovah, And afflict thy heritage. 6 They slay the widow and the sojourner, And murder the fatherless. 7 And they say, Jehovah will not see, Neither will the God of Jacob consider. 8 Consider, ye brutish among the people; And ye fools, when will ye be wise? 9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? 10 He that chastiseth the nations, shall not he correct, `Even' he that teacheth man knowledge? 11 Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity. 12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Jehovah, And teachest out of thy law; 13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit be digged for the wicked. 14 For Jehovah will not cast off his people, Neither will he forsake his inheritance. 15 For judgment shall return unto righteousness; And all the upright in heart shall follow it. 16 Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? 17 Unless Jehovah had been my help, My soul had soon dwelt in silence. 18 When I said, My foot slippeth; Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, held me up. 19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul. 20 Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with thee, Which frameth mischief by statute? 21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, And condemn the innocent blood. 22 But Jehovah hath been my high tower, And my God the rock of my refuge. 23 And he hath brought upon them their own iniquity, And will cut them off in their own wickedness; Jehovah our God will cut them off. Comfort from the Future” “ Psalms 127: Chapter 127 1 Except Jehovah build the house, They labor in vain that build it: Except Jehovah keep the city, The watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To take rest late, To eat the bread of toil; `For' so he giveth unto his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are a heritage of Jehovah; `And' the fruit of the womb is `his' reward. 4 As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 128 A Song of Ascents. The Lord’s Beloved” “God Is All” Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel and turned on notifications? You’ll stay up-to-date about future livestreams like these. Browse our library of hundreds of teaching series at https://www.ligonier.org/learn.