Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World: Expounding Christ in the Psalms

By Edmund Clowney

The Psalms are the praises of the redeemed centred on Christ.

A song is a covenant witness. In Deut 31:19 God gives to His people the songs they are to sing. Songs are not simply a response to God but a God-given ordination. The people were to memorise them.

Jesus is presented as the living Christ singing in the midst of the congregation (Hebrews 2 quoting Psalm 22:22). We sing with Jesus our singing saviour.

Structure of Psalm 22
1-2 the cry of lamentation
3-5 the confession of trust
6-8 another lamentation
9-11 another confession of trust
12-18 another lamentation
19-21 cry for deliverance
22-24 confession of deliverance
25-31 praise for deliverance

The suffering servant signs from the depths to the heights
In Psalms 2 and 24 the royal King sings.
The song of Christ is seen as the song among the Gentiles (Rom 15:9). Jesus signs a missionary song among the nations (Psalm 96).

The NT authors gained their theology from the OT. They were people absorbed in OT doctrine.

We need to practise doxological evangelism: witnessing Christ with a heart of worship.

We sing with Christ because He is a signing saviour and we sing to Him because He is worthy.
Psalm 96 the Lord is our maker, ruler and saviour. The song of Moses becomes the song of the lamb. All songs are fulfilled in Christ.
We sing because of His acts and person.

Psalm 90 = the praise of Jesus Christ is delighting in the beauty of God.
1) The beauty of majesty = the overpower beauty of God.
2) The beauty of design in the tabernacle
3) The beauty of delighting in what is enjoyable

Jesus Christ comes to be made almost inhuman through his sufferings in order that we might become beautiful to God.

102 out of the 150 Psalms are alluded to in the NT.

In Psalm 51 David confesses with agony his sin. David pleads for forgiveness based on God’s covenant promises. God’s justice (by which He promises to show mercy to Israel) is David’s real hope. Christ is the Lord of the covenant in the OT as well as the NT.

1 Peter 3:15- ‘sanctify the Lord as Christ in your hearts’. How do you do this? By declaring His holiness and exalting Him in the eyes of others.

Comments

Mark said…
Thanks for putting your notes up here. Any hints on how to get the seminar handouts?
22 January 2009 at 23:43
Simon said…
I did a search a while back and can't find them anywhere.

Glad you're enjoying the notes

Simon
23 January 2009 at 11:26
Mark said…
Simon -- I got the handouts and thought of you immediately. I think you'll appreciate the seminar that much more. http://www.soulofatlas.com/2009/01/preaching-christ-in-postmodern-world.html

Mark
27 January 2009 at 01:13
Simon said…
Cheers Mark!

Very helpful :-)
28 January 2009 at 09:21
jmark said…
Hi Simon

Nice work. Are you doing all your notes in a word document? In others words would it be possible to have a complete set of notes once you're finished? Save me cutting and pasting every post?

God bless

Mark (a different one)
2 February 2009 at 12:20
Simon said…
Hey Mark

I have all these lectures in Word format. If you add me on facebook and message me with your email I'll send you the complete set once I've finished.

Glad you're enjoying the series :-)

God bless,

Simon
3 February 2009 at 14:32
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