THE book of Psalms, that precious collection of inspired songs, is a prophetic book. The instruments through whom the Spirit of God gave these hymns of praise and prayer are Moses, David, Asaph, Heman, Ethan, perhaps Solomon, and others. But these Psalms were not always arranged in the order in which we have them now. They may be compared with a collection of beautiful and precious pearls lying together unstrung. This was their condition, till, we doubt not, another inspired Man of God came and arranged them in divine and perfect order, putting psalm to psalm. We do not know who this person was, but under the direction of the Holy Spirit he picked up these beautiful gems of God-breathed songs, these wonderful prayers and hymns of praise, and as the jeweller does, who is to produce a gorgeous necklace of pearls and precious stones, this instrument of the Holy Spirit arranged them in such an order that the book of Psalms is in its order and progressive teaching from the first to the last Psalm, one of the most marvelous parts of the divine and infallible Book of books.

It is not astonishing that this book of Psalms is so much loved by all saints, for every emotion and experience, which the soul is capable of, is mentioned and brought out in the Psalms. Millions of believers of the past centuries and up to the presit time have received comfort, joy, encouragement, light and hope from the Psalms and found in them riches for their souls. The praise of God, the exaltation of His name. His work in creation, His goodness and mercy, His law and His word, sounded forth in the Psalms is perfect, and the believer, who accustoms himself in the power of the Spirit to follow the praises of these songs and who enters into them with his heart, will find great delight and blessing.

It should also not be forgotten that the Lord Jesus Christ used this book of Psalms perhaps more than any other book of the Old Testament. He quoted from it in His public ministry and used the Psalms in meeting the Pharisees with their accusations. On the cross He remembered that unfulfilled prophecy of Psalm lxix:21, and that the Scriptures might be fulfilled He said, "I thirst" (John xix:28). Which the dark hour, the hour of deepest sorrow came, He cried, "My God, my God. why hast Thou forsaken me," which is found in the twenty-second Psalm. He used the Psalms alter His resurrection, "Go to my brethren" (John xx:17), and this in fulfillment of Psalm xx:22, 'I will declare Thy name unto my brethren,"

He also said unto them, after His resurrection: "These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you that ail things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me" (Luke xxiv:44). When He entered heaven and as glorified Man came into the presence of the Father, the Father welcomed Him, using His own Word to greet His beloved Son, in whom He delights "as Highpriest after the order of Melchizedek" (Heb. v:10), right translation, "saluted or welcomed by God," and this is a quotation from the cx Psalm. From glory, in addressing the seven churches, the Lord still uses the Psalms. (Rev. ii:26, 27, compare with Psalm ii.) And He still waits on His Father's throne for the fulfillment of many prophecies, which are predicted and celebrated in praise in many of the Psalms.

This fact, that our adorable Lord used the Psalms so much, and most likely in the nights spent alone on the mountain tops. He poured out His heart in the language of the Psalms—this fact should make the Psalms exceedingly precious to our hearts. But why did He give the Psalms such a prominent place? Because in them His person, His humiliation and suffering, His exaltation and glory, are fully predicted and described. We should read and study the Psalms not so much to find comfort for ourselves there, but we should read this book to learn more of Himself, the One, who was made a little lower than the angels and who is and will be crowned with glory and honor. We can trace His earthly path of obedience and suffering in the Psalms. Never do we go amiss in the exposition of these songs when we apply the expressions as well as trust and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. But His glories, especially the coming glories, can we trace there likewise. His kingly glory, His world-wide kingdom and rule of righteousness are revealed. The book of Psalms is, therefore, a prophetic book.

It does not alone give us prophecies about Christ, which were, as far as His first coming is concerned, literally fulfilled, and prophecies about His glory, which await fulfilment, but here we find also many prophecies which relate to Israel. Indeed, the Psalms enter into the entire history of God's earthly people, their past as well as their future. Especially is it the godly remnant which has been repeatedly mentioned in the previous chapters, which is revealed throughout the Psalms in a most striking manner. The coming end of the age, the events transpiring then in the land and in Jerusalem, the suffering which the remnant undergoes from the side of the unbelieving nations, the prayers, the so-called imprecatory prayers,¹ to consume the enemies, as well as prayers for deliverance, the answer to these prayers, the manifestation of the Lord out of the opened heavens, the overthrow of the enemies the restoration of Israel, the establishment of the kingdom, all and much else is given in the Psalms. Here is a rich mine to be explored; it is delightful to discover these precious things which are to come. How much more there is to find for us, if we only were not so slow of heart!

It is a well known fact, that the Psalms are divided into five books. These five books correspond to the five books of Moses or the Pentateuch. So clear is the correspondency that the old rabbis called the Psalms, the Pentateuch of David.

The Genesis portion of the Psalms extends from Psalm i-xli. Many of the Messianic Psalms are found in this section. Its character is like Genesis. It begins with "Blessed is the man" (Psalm i), which is the Lord Jesus Christ, and it ends with "Blessed is he that considereth the poor," and this is the same Lord. The whole section ends with "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting" (Psalm xli:13).

The Exodus part begins with Psalm xlii and ends with Psalm Ixxii. Like in the book of Exodus do we find here the suffering of Israel's remnant and how they are delivered. This section is rich in dispensational foreshadowings of Israel's future. It begins with the cry for the tabernacle and ends with the vision of the kingdom established. "He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor." "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth" (Psl. Ixxii :8). This section ends with a fuller praise than the first. "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen and Amen" (Psl. Ixxii:i8, 19).

The third book begins with Psalm Ixxiii and closes Ixxxix. The very beginning of this part makes it a Leviticus, The opening Psalms are the gift of the Spirit through Asaph and they celebrate the holiness of God. "Truly God is good to Israel, to such that are of a clean heart" (Psl. Ixxiii:1). This refers us to the remnant of Israel in the last days. The last Psalm in this section rehearses God's wonderful doings in behalf of His people and puts before us the sure mercies of David, that is the full ratification of the Davidic covenant, and how One from David is exalted. "And I will make Him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth" (Psl. lxxxix:27). The ending is "Blessed be the Lord for-evermore. Amen and Amen."

The fourth part or book extends from Psalm xc to Psalm cvi. This is in character like the book of Numbers. Here we see Israel in the wilderness; all her ways are traced, but Israel is seen in this section led out of that wilderness and come into her inheritance. The opening Psalm, the xc, is significant. It is the only Psalm we have, given by Moses, the leader of the people. It speaks of death and is rightly called the Psalm of the old creation; the xci is the Psalm of the new creation. While in the ninetieth we see the first man, in the ninety-first we behold the second man. This is the shortest section. In the ciii Israel redeemed from all her backslidings sings her new song. "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crown-eth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies." Then comes the civ, the praise of nature. The cv and cvi are the praise of His restored people and the doxology in the last verse of the cvi contains the nation's praise: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting, and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord." Still More interesting is the fifth or Deuteronomy part. the last book in the Psalms. Like Deuteronomy, it puts before us the end of the ways of God with His people. This section begins with the cvii. and leads to the close of the book.

The opening is highly instructive. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is go-ad; for His mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the lord say so, whom He hath re-deemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered them out of the lands, from the East and from the West, from the North and from the South." Deuteronomy shows us, in its closing chapters, how Israel is to be scattered into the corners of the earth. All this has been and is being fulfilled. But there is also the promise that they should be gathered again ". . . Then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations whither the Lora thy God hath scattered thee" (Deut. xxx:3). Here in the cvii Psalm we find the fulfillment of this prophecy. This section, and with it the whole book, ends in a continued "Hallelujah." Praise ye the Lord. All is praising Jehovah. Israel re-deemed, praises Him, the nations, all creation, everything that has breath praises Him. Here we have the great end of all things, the praise and worship of God.

All this proves that Israel is the leading theme of the Psalms. Oh, that we, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, would take more time to search out His marvelous ways with His earthly people and learn from them the goodness, faithfulness, mercy and holiness of Him who is our Saviour and Lord!

It would be quite impossible to give all references in the Psalm... which relate to Israel. We only give a few, which will help in the study of this book.

Israel's prayers for deliverance are found in passages like the following: iii:1-7; vii:1, 2; xxxv:1-28; xliv:22-26; lix:1-5; lxx:1, etc.

Israel's confession: li; Ixi :1-5, etc.

Prayers against her enemies: v:10; lviii:6-9, etc.

The time of Jacob's trouble: xiii; xiv; xx:1,2; xlii:1-4; lv:9-12; Ixxiv .19-23; Ixxix; Ixxxiii, etc.

Antichrist, the false Messiah: x:2- xliii:1; lii; liii:20, 21.

Assurance in faith: iii:8; iv; xxvii:5; xlvi:1-5; Ivii; Ixi; Ixxx, etc.

Deliverance, victory and the establishment of the kingdom: ix:5; xlv; Ixviii; Ixxii, and many others.

Supremacy of Israel: xviii 41-45; xxvii:6; xlviii; Ixxxiv; Ixxxvii, etc.

Praises out of Zion: ix:11; xxx:1-12; xlvii:19; Ixvi; Ixxvi; Ixxxi; xcv; c, etc.

The glory of Zion and Jerusalem: xlvi :4-5; xlviii .2, 4, 12; Ixviii :21-23; Ixxxvii :1-2; cxxxii :14-18.

The glorious rule: Ixxii:2-7; xcvii:1-5; xcix:1-4; cx:6-7; cxlv:13, 16, 21.

To illustrate the perfect and divine order in which all these events concerning the remnant of Israel is revealed, the suffering of the people, their wonderful deliverance and the events, which are connected with it, we shall give a more detailed exposition of some of the Psalms mentioned above To appreciate fully their prophetic meaning, a number of these Psalms must be studied at one time. They are, as we said before, divinely arranged, one follows the other so as to bring out a prophetic picture.

One of the most striking series of such Psalms leading us from suffering to glory, from tribulation to deliverance, are the seven Psalms, with which the second book begins.