Transcending in Meditation

A Commentary on the Book of Psalms

By: Dr. N. J. Paul

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The book of Psalms is a popular Bible reading routine. It appeals to our heart and mind as we identify ourselves with David as he pours out his heart to God. Psalms are a compilation of prayer, praise and thanksgiving written in the form of songs or poem. Why did David write all these personal matters and pass it onto history? David wrote most of the psalms while tending the sheep in the forest and not after he sat on the throne.. At least when he sat on the throne as a king why did he not ask the court scholars to revise them and edit and present it as glorious piece of literature? David did not even attempt to clip the passages that talked of his adultery with a soldier’s wife, and his frantic fleeing from his son Absalom who wanted to kill him and usurp the throne. Why David did not want to cover up all those dirty stories? And what did David want to tell others through his writings? Of the one hundred and fifty psalms only seventy-three are directly attributed to David. Some of them were composed by the music directors Asaph and Korah and some of them were written long before and long after David’s time. But they are not grouped together or placed in a chronological order either. Although half of the Psalms are attributed to different authors, they follow a similar pattern in style and language. The compilers whosoever it may be divided the psalms into five sections. From first to the forty-one is the first section, and from forty-two to seventy-two is the second section. From seventy-three to eighty-nine is the third section and from ninety to one hundred and six is the fourth section. From one hundred seven to one hundred and fifty is the fifth and final section. Each book or section concludes with the words ‘Amen and Amen’. As we progress reading through each section, we find a change in the attitude of David towards his problems and his enemies. We find his attitudes and emotions changing from anger and frustrations to one of hope and patient waiting. In this book, we will delve into each of these sections and learn what these Psalms have to teach us and how we can use them in our day to day life.