What was your view on studying the Psalms prior to enrolling in this course?

Psalm empowered me when i am down.Want to drill deeper into it.

Throughout my life, I have taken several courses on the book of psalms, and I understand that my knowledge on the historical and cultural backgrounds was crucial understanding the original meanings of the psalms. “The text cannot mean what the text originally meant.” That approach was very fascinating to me because it helped me to critically think and try to work out the original meaning of those texts. I like such a scholastic approach to reading the Bible.

This course is also an invitation to the world of the psalms – while making use of the modern theories of linguistics, critical thinking, and metaphors. I am looking forward to continuing this course.

Reading them as sources of help and inspiration.

Psalms gives us important focus for our prayers. My daily prayers to God can wander around and give way to thoughts of the stress of daily life. If I can get some deeper insight on Psalms, it should give me deeper focus and alignment with God’s will.

Even though I’ve read the Psalms many times, I hadn’t actively studied the content. The only study I’ve looked a few times is the one written by Charles Spurgeonn,

I don’t know much about Psalms. Though I do know that it has some beautiful poetry in it and I can’t wait to learn more.

While I understood it to be the books of poetry, I never correlated it as aspirational and the law as the minimum requirements in a society. It makes perfect sense and gives a better insight of the ministry of Jesus as well.

My view prior to enrolling in this study was one of delight. I love the psalms. They have been a source of encouragement for me down through the years.

I am always ready to learn more about Psalms. I’ve always loved poetry in itself but Psalms is my absolute favorite. I am eager to learn it in more depth from the professor.

I love the psalms and have memorized many of them. They give me great comfort in challenging times. I have noticed patterns but I want to learn and understand more.

An invitation to share in the thoughts, emotions and worship of God’s people as we journey in our knowledge and experience of the One who created us, chose us, redeemed us and loves us with an unfailing love.

Purely on the enocuragement and worship with no connotation to enjoying the life good (versus law-driven avoidance of sin).

My view on studying the Psalms prior to enrolling to this course was that The Psalms contain great truths about God and His will. My desire is to learn how to study the psalms in a proper way, but at the same time, how to have a refreshing communion with God, I want to learn about metaphors and how to interpret them properly. Ultimately what I look for in the Psalms are relevant principles for surviving in this world by volunteering God’s will.

My view on studying the Psalms prior to enrolling to this course was… “ I enjoy reading the Psalms so I felt I would enjoy studying them as well”.
The opening comments of Lecture 1, showed me that there is still a lot I need to learn regarding the Psalms.
In reference to my notes, I can see now how reading the Psalms can help us as people to live with ideal, desirable and acceptable attitudes and lives that please God. Yes!! There are alot of metaphors in the Psalms. That’s one thing I recognize when I read the Psalms.
The Psalms tell us about the life of David as well and his relationship to God. I’m looking forward to learning and understanding the Psalms in a fresh and powerful way!

My idea wa that it contains prayers in the midst of trouble.Never thought it had ideals of the giver

They were expressions and emotions written to the Lord in times of trouble and praise.

My prior views are meditative, praises, worship, intercessory prayers, and spiritual warfare.

The Psalms cover all aspects of life and how Dr can approach God in prayer.

Reading to find comfort and solutions to everyday problems.

Reading, memorizing verses, and finding comfort in times of sorrow, and reading them to find solutions to everyday problems.

My view of studying the Psalms was getting more insight into the Psalms of King David. I also want to understand the difference in style of Psalms written by persons other than David. I also want
to gain insight into why the poetry or songs were so important to the early church .

Well, my view was that Psalms are songs to praise God, asking for help and support in difficult time, songs of thanksgiving etc.

Very interesting the quote “What has been written with imagination must be read with imagination.

In the first lesson Dr. Heim gives the following: from the Roman Catholic Spanish theologian Luis Alonso Schokel, “What has been written with imagination, must be read with imagination.” And by the way, if you forget everything else from this lecture on the introduction to the Psalms and remember only this sentence, you remember the most important thing I want to share with you: “What has been written with imagination, must be read with imagination.”

I do not believe that any of the psalmist or others used to gives us the Old and New Testament scriptures wrote with imagination. I believe they were written as God wanted them to be written. Second Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” All scripture was given by inspiration not by imagination. Therefore, scripture is not understood by our imagination, but through the inspiration of God. In Second Peter 1:21 we are told, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The Word of God did not come by the will or imagination of man, but they wrote or spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost not by their imagination.

Scripture was not written through imagination. It was written through the inspiration of God.

I want to see if I can distinguish between the Psalms of David and other writers. Is there a spiritual connection between the Psalms other than the Lord?

My prior view of Psalms was trying to interpret unfamiliar words or words placed in sentences that may or may not have changed the meaning. I can understand that they are sometimes metaphors but at other times I thought they meant what they said they meant.

The psalms are perhaps the most popular book in the bible. My view of the book of psalms is that it covers most aspects of our human nature. Psalms can be used to uplift and encourage believers and non-believers in times of distress. Apart from this the book of psalms teaches Christians on how to praise God and to hold him in awe. Of all the psalms I think that psalms no 23 is the one that stands out as universally known both with believers and non-believers. Other psalms that stand out to me include psalms 90, 91, 121, and 34. There are other psalms too that I once heard are referred too as ‘imprecatory psalms such as psalms no 35, 75, 109 among other which are strongly worded and judgmental toward evil doers. It is interesting to know that the psalms are written by various writers though most of the psalms were written by king David-no wonder he is referred to “as the man after God’s own heart.” I find the book of psalms to be the best to use for prayer purposes. Perhaps psalm 27:8 sums this up the best “You have said, “seek my face, My heart says Your face Lord do I seek”…..Here David is seeking God’s face using God’s own words. I am looking forward to this covering aspects of this course.