Although the Psalms are much beloved by readers of the Bible, some hostile language in individual psalms may be disconcerting. Are these seemingly vindictive prayers acceptable in the mouths of Christians? How is a pastor supposed to preach these texts?James E. Adams wants us to embrace God's Word in its entirety, and that means examining the parts that make us uncomfortable. In short, helpful chapters, Adams answers a number of questions: Are these psalms from God? Who is the speaker in the psalms? May we pray these psalms today? It turns out that the Prince of Peace has much to teach us about war, and even the imprecatory psalms may be prayed with the merciful goal of conversion.Twenty-fifth anniversary editionincludes a new epilogue and additional chapter.

Although the Psalms are much beloved by readers of the Bible, some hostile language in individual psalms may be disconcerting. Are these seemingly vindictive prayers acceptable in the mouths of Christians? How is a pastor supposed to preach these texts? James E. Adams wants us to embrace God's Word in its entirety, and that means examining the parts that make us uncomfortable. In short, helpful chapters, Adams answers a number of questions: Are these psalms from God? Who is the speaker in the psalms? May we pray these psalms today? It turns out that the Prince of Peace has much to teach us about war, and even the imprecatory psalms may be prayed with the merciful goal of conversion. --

The gap between the New Testament and the Imprecatory Psalms is less than we think. When faced with prayers against enemies in the Psalms, we are too quick to assume that these Old Testament authors were ignorant of some basic New Testament ethics. They are self-righteous, thinking they have earned God's favor. They don't know that the wicked can repent and be forgiven. They believe in vengeance and hating their enemies. We assume wrongly. These prayers are far more aware than many modern churchgoers of how deeply our own sin runs, so that even when persecuted, we are not automatically entitled to divine help. Even when we are truly entitled to justice against unrighteous attackers, if God rescues us, that is unmerited grace. Further, the psalms are fully aware that their enemies can repent, and they show mercy to them. The Book of Psalms teaches its readers--individuals and the whole people of God--to desire the repentance, forgiveness, and divine blessing of all nations, even the people's most vicious enemies.

Public reading of the psalms facilitates corporate worship, but it can also create a degree of awkwardness as a number of passages in the Psalter contain curses, asking God to avenge enemies. The presence of vengeful speech seems antithetical to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. What are these psalms really about? This book recovers the value of imprecatory speech in Scripture, arguing that such passages continue to be relevant today, both in preaching and therapy. The interpretive model Nehrbass suggests is that of dependence: these psalms transfer the burden of one's enemies to God and affirm that it is God's prerogative alone to avenge. The authors of the imprecatory psalms were victims of violence, so this book looks to contemporary victims of violence for their interpretation and application of these psalms. This study is decidedly practical. Nehrbass examines the nature of anger and hatred and highlights some of the redemptive aspects of these emotions. He concludes that the imprecatory psalms offer several positive aspects for dealing with hatred. Use of these passages fosters in believers a passion for God's reputation and can also aid us in surrendering our problems to God's control.

Sometimes life just hurts. Out of nowhere, death, illness, unemployment, or a difficult relationship can change our lives and challenge everything we thought we knew—leaving us feeling unable to cope. But, in the midst if all this pain and confusion, we are not alone. Weaving together his personal story, pastoral ministry experience, and biblical insights, best-selling author Paul David Tripp helps us trust God in the midst of suffering. He identifies traps to avoid in our suffering and points us instead to comforts to embrace. This raw yet hope-filled book will help you cling to God's promises when trials come and move forward with the hope of the gospel.

Many Christians today have only a very limited knowledge of the Psalms and are oblivious to the relevance and significance this portion of scripture has, both to the New Testament and to their lives in the 21st century. This book will help pastors, seminary students, lay leaders, and Christians in personal study, to understand how the Psalms relate to Christ so they will be better equipped to preach and teach the psalms. --from publisher description.

Among evangelicals, singing psalms is largely a thing of the past. In this pamphlet, Joel R. Beeke gives nine reasons why churches ought to return to the ancient practice of psalm singing. Here you will find the biblical basis, the experiential benefits, and the sheer beauty and glory of singing psalms. Those hoping to recover biblical faith in our day will do well to take part in the Christ- exalting and soul-enriching worship found in the inspired Psalms.

Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, this new commentary series, projected to be 48 volumes, takes a Christ- centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible. Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books. Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition. Projected contributors to the series include notable authors such as Russell D. Moore, Al Mohler, Matt Chandler, Francis Chan, Mark Dever, and others.

Stand-Alone Commentary Set from Christopher Ash Sets Out a Deeply Christian Study of the Psalms While reading Psalms, it is common for commentaries to focus on Old Testament meaning, without connecting it deeply to Christ's fulfillment in the New Testament. By studying Scripture this way, believers miss out on the fullness of God's word. The key to experiencing authentically Christian worship is learning a Christ-focused approach to praying and singing the Psalms. In this in-depth, 4-volume commentary, Christopher Ash provides a thorough treatment of all 150 Psalms, examining each psalm's significance to David and the other psalmists, to Jesus during his earthly ministry, and to the church of Christ in every age. The first volume in the set is a detailed handbook that explains how to interpret the Psalms with Christ at the center. The remaining 3 volumes cover each psalm in depth, with introductory quotations, a deep analysis of the text's structure and vocabulary, and a closing reflection and response. Ash also includes selected quotations from older readings of the Psalms, including patristic, medieval, Reformation, and post-Reformation scholars. Perfect for pastors, Bible teachers, and students, this commentary set helps readers sing and pray the Psalms with Christ in view. Stand-Alone Commentary: Ash's research also builds on other commentaries for a comprehensive, thorough resource on the Psalms Exhaustive: Christopher Ash's exegesis includes all 150 Psalms and their superscriptions, and explores how the Psalms are quoted and echoed throughout the New Testament Applicable and Heartfelt: Explains how a Christ-centered approach to reading the Psalms influences doctrines of prayer, prophecy, the Trinity, ecclesiology, and more Ideal for Pastors and Serious Students of Scripture: Written for Bible teachers, Sunday school and youth leaders, and small-group leaders

Vern Poythress, one of today's leading Reformed theologians, has made many vital contributions to evangelical scholarship— particularly a vision to glorify Christ as Lord over all areas of human life in order to redeem all realms of human thought. In honor of his many years of faithful thinking and writing, twenty evangelical scholars have come together to produce a set of essays on topics of importance throughout his ministry: biblical exegesis, the doctrine of the Trinity, worldview, history, and ethics.