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Psalms and Song of Songs

  1. Lesson One
    Overview of Poetry
    31 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  2. Lesson Two
    Poetic Structures
    22 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  3. Lesson Three
    Praise and Lament
    24 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  4. Lesson Four
    The Diversity of Psalms
    28 Activities
  5. Lesson Five
    Song of Songs
    20 Activities
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

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Psalms and Song of Songs Praise and Lament In | Workbook: Psalms of Thanksgiving
Lesson 3, Activity 7

In | Workbook: Psalms of Thanksgiving

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Grab your Workbook Journal!

[Record your answers in the workbook provided at the beginning of this course.]

Psalms of thanksgiving have a liturgy to them. They have predictable patterns. There are more components to psalms of thanksgiving than we’ll address, but the list below represents the core formula:

  1. An introduction
  2. A problem
  3. An appeal to biblical history and/or God’s mighty works
  4. A testimony to past deliverance as an accomplished fact
  5. A reason for deliverance
  1. Two psalms of thanksgiving are outlined below, with most of the components identified. Fill in the remaining ones in your workbook.
Psalm 65 (ESV)Psalm 124 (ESV)
Introduction“Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.” (1)“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—let Israel now say” (1-2)
Problem“When iniquities prevail against me” (3)“People rose up against us . . . they would have swallowed us up alive . . . the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;
then over us would have gone the raging waters.” (2-5) 
Appeal to History/God’s Mighty Works“By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might.” (5-6)
Deliverance, an Accomplished Fact“You atone for our transgressions.” (3)
Reason for Deliverance“You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.” (9)“the Lord who was on our side.” (1-2)

Table adapted from: C. Hassell Bullock, Encountering the Book of Psalms, 2001, pp. 160-163.

Below you’ll find the completed table:
Table adapted from: C. Hassell Bullock, Encountering the Book of Psalms, 2001, pp. 160-163.
Psalm 65 (ESV) Psalm 124 (ESV)
Introduction “Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.” (1)

 

 “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—let Israel now say”

(1-2)
Problem “When iniquities prevail against me” (3) “People rose up against us . . . they would have swallowed us up alive . . . the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;

then over us would have gone the raging waters.” (2-5)
Appeal to History/God’s Mighty Works “By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might.” (5-6) “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (8)
Deliverance, an Accomplished Fact “you atone for our transgressions.” (3) “Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers.” (6-7)
Reason for Deliverance “You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.” (9) “The Lord who was on our side.” (1-2)