The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-09-08

Salvation from Psalm ~; "Ihe
King of Love" from Psalm %; 20
Worship the King from Psalm lO4.
In private worship also we know
Jesus used the Psalms. One OF the
Hebrew names for them was THE
Book Of Prayers" and Jesus, like
many another who has loved these
Psalms. found in them the natural
expression Of what was deepest in
his heart when he turned toward
his Father in heaven.
i. A striking proof Of this
comes from the story Of Cal
vary. The cry, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?" Is .
quotation from Psalm 22:1, and
''Into thy hands / commend
my spirit" is from Psalm 31:5.
Thus, two out Of three prayers
he uttered in his last moments
were from the Psalms. So the
reader today, bordering in a quiet
moment these immortal poems,
either from the printed book or bet
ter yet, as Jesus did, from the
treasures Of memory, may often
find in them prayers which seem
breathed from his own mind and
to which he need only say. Amen.
Truth about God
TESUS also found in the Psalms
a revelation Of truth. It would
be too much to say that Jesus de-
rived his ideas Of God from the
Psalms. But certainly some Of the
great teachings about God which
we hear from Jesus we can read
already in the Psalms.
Jesus did mot NE The Psalms
stupidity, Il course. He would
never have supposed that yeu
could take just any sentence
about God out d some Psalm
Or other, and quote Il ~ The
last word shout Gedo
For instance. during his tempta.
lions the thought was suggested
TO him that be could jump of Z
high building and not be hurt; had
not God promised just that In .
Psalm? Now II IL true that Psalm
9l:9-12 does say that God viii keep
you from ''dashing your foot
against . stone but Jesus knew
that does not mean that God will
guarantee to keep you out Of
trouble or harm no matter how
foolish you are!
Christ In the Psalms
JESUS found in the Psalms also
prophecies. There is a rather
thin line between illustration and
prophecy.
For instance. when the Jerus-
alem boys and girls were making
such q noisy welcome for him. and
the dignitied priests were protest
ing, Jesus quoted Psalm Ga In de-
tense Of the children: 'Out Of the
mouths Of babes and stockings
thou hast perfected praise"
Did he mean that the Psalm
1T had predicted that very
occasion. Or did he mean that
the Psalm expressed . truth
always good.
At all events. we do know that
Jesus often took q Psalm. or a part
of one. as 4 prophetic picture OF
himself. He knew himself to be the
true King Of Mankind, 'the Lords
Amounted" as his use Of Psalm
1901 plainly shows.
Yet he also knew that he must
pass through suffering to his
throne duke 24:26). When the
leaders Of his people rejected him
he was not surprised. for he
thought at once Of Psalm 1l8:22-23.
When he hung on the cross, and
saw the soldiers gambling for his
clothes. Psalm 22:16-l8 would sure
ly come into his mind.
And can we doubt that in his last
agonies, one who knew the Psalms
SO well would not have remembered
also the later lines from the same
prophetic Psalm? 1t begins with
the tragic question-Why? But il
rises to a song of triumph-"When
he cried unto him. he heardl"
Copyright by the international Coun.
I'll of Religious Education on behalf OF
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