The Book of Psalms (30-Day Journey)Sample

A Covenant of Praise

There are five covenants found in scripture: the Noahic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and, of course, the New Covenant. A Biblical covenant is a two-sided promise or contract between God and His people. They’re His promises, but they also require something of us. The Davidic covenant stands out from the others preceding it because in it, God promises and reveals that the Messiah will come through the line of David.

Throughout all scripture and especially in the book of Psalms, we read of a place called Zion. You may notice that its meaning seems to change depending on where you’re at in the Bible. The term Zion began as a literal place, a hill in Jerusalem which God took special interest in. In 2 Samuel 5, we see King David conquer Mount Zion from the Jebusites soon after he became king. This is why the place would be known as the City of David. “David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces inward. And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him,” (2 Samuel 5:9-10 NIV). From this point forward, Zion became a term to represent the spiritual center point for all God’s people.

Each year, the Superbowl MVP shouts that he’s going to Disney World. This phrase has become a pop culture allusion. Maybe you’ve even said it once after a big achievement. Today, we understand “I’m going to Disney World” to mean “let’s celebrate,” but we also understand that Disney World is a literal place. The word Zion in the Bible functions a lot like this, it is both a symbolic allusion and a real place. Hebrews 12:22 (NIV) states, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly…” Here and now in the New Covenant, established by Christ at the Last Supper, Zion symbolizes the kingdom of heaven, which is available for all Christians. Jesus reserves Zion for His people, just as David reserved Zion for His people.

As we read more of the Psalms, we see that King Jesus and King David are very much interwoven. Psalm 89:37 (NIV) states, “His [David’s] offspring will continue forever, his throne like the sun before me, like the moon established forever, a faithful witness in the sky.” How will David’s offspring continue forever? Because Jesus came from David. Jesus’ descendants, His children, his bride, the Christian Church, will continue forever in his spiritual kingdom.

David’s kingship reflects the Lord’s kingship. This is a form of messianic prophecy. The life of David serves as a foreshadowing of Christ, not because David is blameless, but because of the plot points of His life. Where David establishes Zion literally, Jesus establishes Zion metaphorically. David was a temporary King; Jesus is an eternal King. David was anointed by Samuel. Jesus was anointed by the Father. David was a shepherd, a job which was considered lowly or average. Jesus was a carpenter, also understood as a similar social status to David. But perhaps the most profound comparison between David and Jesus is the humiliation of the anointed one.

Even though he was chosen King, David was humiliated his whole life. He was the forgotten son to his seven older brothers. He was humble and small next to his predecessor, King Saul. He was misunderstood, mocked, made an enemy of, and more. He was not what you’d consider regal. Later, we see Jesus also humiliated. He was misunderstood, rejected, betrayed, and mocked. We see this allegory climax when Christ Himself quotes David while hanging on the cross, “Why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22: 1 NIV).

What does this all mean? Are we to look at everything King David did and consider it holy because it parallels Christ? Not necessarily. But we can understand this literary tool of prophecy a bit better by looking at the life of David. Not all prophecy in the Bible is literal. Sometimes it’s a grand allegory that doesn’t require us to look at the details. The Psalms are a microcosm of the entire Scriptures. When we approach each one and when we approach all scripture, we should understand its literary genre. Is this a poem? Is this history? Is this a literal prophecy? Is this an allegorical prophecy? Is the author speaking of Zion in its historical context? Or is the author speaking of Zion as the spiritual place to come?

Today, as you read scripture, be reminded of the context of what you are reading; where you’re at in the Bible, who the author is, where and why they are writing it, and what God intended His children to take from it. Through this practice, your time in the Word will become richer, and your worship will be more aligned with the heart of God.