The Intent Of The Psalms Is To Reveal Christ

Though the “Book of Praises” was gathered during the OT era and used in the Temple’s worship, its full intent as a canon of praise could not be fully grasped until Christ came. Its intent was to reveal and praise the Savior-King who would fulfill all the promises of God’s covenant with Israel. Jesus Christ must therefore be understood as the Sovereign of the Psalter, but also as the source of and the purpose for the development of the canon of the Psalter.

RPCNA Synodical Study Committee on Worship, “The Psalms in the Worship of the Church.” Submitted to the Synod of the RPCNA, June 2004. (HT: Dan Kok)

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  • R. Scott Clark
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    R.Scott Clark is the President of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, the author and editor of, and contributor to several books and the author of many articles. He has taught church history and historical theology since 1997 at Westminster Seminary California. He has also taught at Wheaton College, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Concordia University. He has hosted the Heidelblog since 2007.

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4 comments

  1. That’s a wonderful sentiment. Some time ago I heard a man (well known scholar) preach Psalm 40 who believed that sentiment. But I walked away disappointed with the level of “Christ-centeredness” the sermon communicated from the text. There is no doubt in my mind that we who preach need serious help in how to mine the Psalms for its true gold. I thought Vos’ essay entitled “The Eschatology of the Psalter” was a good beginning. Who has advanced this in a book, tracking down the various leads to Christ in the Psalter?

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