Psalms 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; 46: Lesson 100

Introduction to Psalms, Part 1

Prophecies of Jesus Christ in the Psalms

What do your favorite hymns teach you about Jesus Christ? Hymns have allowed musicians and poets to express their feelings about the Savior for centuries. Like many modern hymns, several of the psalms teach and testify of the Savior’s life and mission. This lesson can help students better understand Jesus Christ’s life and mission as prophesied in Psalms.

Student preparation: Invite students to ponder how their favorite hymns teach and testify of Jesus Christ. Invite them to prepare to share a favorite hymn about Jesus Christ in class. If students feel they do not have a favorite hymn, invite them to look through the hymn book for songs that teach about Jesus Christ.

Possible Learning Activities

Hymns that teach of Jesus Christ

Using sacred music in class can create a feeling of reverence, invite the Holy Ghost, and increase feelings of unity. Music can also be used to connect the message of hymns to the truths students are learning.

You might use sacred music to begin this lesson. One way is to invite students to search Hymns (1985) or Hymns—for Home and Church (2026). Invite students to select a hymn under the topic “Jesus Christ.” Give students a moment to read and reflect on the lyrics of that hymn. You might point out the authors’ names and scripture references underneath the music and lyrics. Display the following questions and invite students to share their answers with a partner.

(For additional training on using sacred music in class, see “Create settings and opportunities for learners to be taught by the Holy Ghost” in Teacher Development Skills.)

• What can we learn about the Savior and His life from the words of this hymn?

• Is there another hymn about the Savior that has special meaning to you? If so, why?

As you study today, invite the Holy Ghost to help you feel the power of words and music that teach and testify of Jesus Christ.

The book of Psalms

The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers, poems, and hymns that is similar in some ways to our modern hymnbook.

Invite students to turn to the book of Psalms. Give students two to three minutes to scan through some of the psalms, looking for an overall impression.

• As you scan through the book, what do you notice about Psalms that makes it unique?

• What questions do you have about this book?

Quickly look through Psalm 3, marking each time you find the word Selah. While the meaning of Selah is not certain, it may have been a signal to the singer or reader to pause and reflect (like a musical rest).

Read Psalm 3, pausing each time you read the word Selah. Invite the Holy Ghost to help you ponder these verses.

• Why might the author have wanted us to pause and reflect in these places?

• How might pondering in one or more of these places help or comfort a teenager today?

Depending on your class’s questions and experience, you could briefly point out some or all of the following:

• Many of the psalms are attributed to specific authors like David (Psalm 3). Other psalms have no known author (see Psalm 1).

• Hebrew poetic elements are found throughout Psalms.

  • Parallelism is poetry where two or more lines share connected ideas (see Psalm 29:4).

  • Repetition is a Hebrew poetic tool that emphasizes a line by repeating it (such as “Praise him” in Psalm 150).

• In the Hebrew language, Psalm 119 is an example of an acrostic poem. Acrostic poems use the first letter of each line to spell out words or the Hebrew alphabet..

• The book of Psalms is quoted in the New Testament over 115 times (see Psalms 6:8 and Luke 13:27).

• After the Last Supper, Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn (see Matthew 26:30). This was possibly Psalms 113–118, the “Hallel,” the hymn traditionally sung at Passover (see Merrill J. Bateman, “The Power of Hymns,” Ensign, July 2001, 17).

Read Luke 24:44, looking for what the Savior taught His disciples about the psalms shortly after His Resurrection.

In speaking of one of the most important messages found in the book of Psalms, President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Jesus Himself quoted the book of Psalms more than any other Old Testament text. … It could be argued that in all of holy writ, no book of scripture goes on so extensively about the Messianic mission or the looking and longing for His return that is expressed in the songs of the Psalmist. (For Times of Trouble: Spiritual Solace from the Psalms [2012], 7–8)

• What did you learn from Luke 24:44 and from President Holland? Why is it worth studying the book of Psalms?

Help students recognize that we can learn about the life and mission of Jesus Christ by studying the psalms. Consider writing this truth on the board.

Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ

To help students understand some of the prophetic statements in Psalms about Jesus Christ’s life and mission, provide some or all of the scripture references below. The following are a few ways you might have your class study these verses:

• Write the verse pairs on strips of paper and place each paper around the room. Give students time to walk around the room and read several of the prophecies and fulfillments.

• Mix up the scripture pairs and invite students to match the prophecies in Psalms with their fulfillments.

• Display only the Psalms verses. Invite students to use the footnotes and other scripture study tools to find references from the Savior’s life that fulfill each prophecy.

Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ	Prophesy fulfilled
Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ Psalm 22:1	Prophesy fulfilled Matthew 27:46
Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ Psalm 22:7–8	Prophesy fulfilled Matthew 27:41–43
Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ Psalm 22:16	Prophesy fulfilled Doctrine and Covenants 6:36–37
Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ Psalm 22:18	Prophesy fulfilled John 19:23–24
Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ Psalm 31:5	Prophesy fulfilled Luke 23:46
Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ Psalm 34:20	Prophesy fulfilled John 19:31–36
Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ Psalm 41:9	Prophesy fulfilled Luke 22:47–48; Acts 1:16–17
Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ Psalm 69:20–21	Prophesy fulfilled John 19:28–29
Psalms that prophesy of Jesus Christ Psalm 118:22	Prophesy fulfilled Acts 4:10–12

Think of a situation that you or a loved one faces where it is helpful to know something you learned about the Savior’s life or mission from these prophecies. Record your thoughts in your study journal.

To help students visualize the fulfilment of some of the prophecies, you could show a video depicting moments from the Savior’s life. For example, you could use “My Kingdom Is Not of This World,” time code 0:00 to 3:18, from ChurchofJesusChrist.org. This video illustrates prophecies in Psalm 22:1, 7–8, 16.

As students watch the video, invite them to raise their hands when they recognize an event prophesied in Psalms. Consider pausing the video and inviting students to share what they would want someone to understand about this moment in the Savior’s life.

The life of Jesus Christ

Invite students to demonstrate their understanding of the Savior’s life and mission as prophesied in Psalms. One option is to invite students to discuss the following questions with a partner, small group, or the class.

Select one of the prophecies from Psalms that you found particularly meaningful.

• What does this prophecy teach you about Jesus Christ?

• Why is what you learned about Him important to know?

Consider sharing your witness of the life and mission of Jesus Christ. You could invite students to continue to look for references to Jesus Christ as they study the book of Psalms throughout the next few weeks. It might be appropriate to conclude class by singing or listening to a hymn about the Savior, as chosen by the students.

In Lesson 101: “Introduction to the Psalms, Part 2,” students will create an expression of their love and devotion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as the Psalmists did. Consider inviting students to start thinking about this now. Ask them to ponder how they feel about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and how they would express those feelings.

Additional Resources

Why should we study the book of Psalms?

President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

It has been asserted that the book of Psalms as a whole has exerted more influence on the Western world than any other collection of poetic verse ever written. Whether or not that is true may be a matter of literary opinion, but surely it is true that for Bible readers generally, the Psalms have been among the most personally applicable and most privately embraced scriptures in the entire canon. In that canon, this book is unique in its intense longing for deliverance, solace, and safety. … [No other book of the Old Testament can] compare with the personal tone, content, quantity, and quality of the psalms, these pleas to a compassionate God, to the healer of broken hearts, to the Savior of the downtrodden and destitute. As such, the book of Psalms may be the one biblical text admired nearly equally by both Christians and Jews, to say nothing of those of other faiths—or no faith at all—who find comfort in its verses and encouragement in the hope they convey. (For Times of Trouble: Spiritual Solace from the Psalms [2012], 7–8)

How might the Savior have used the psalms?

While serving as a member of the Seventy, Elder Merrill J. Bateman taught:

If you had been invited to the Last Supper, what hymns from our hymnbook might have been appropriate? …

It is likely that many hymns were sung that evening. Matthew indicates that the Lord and His Apostles concluded the Last Supper with a hymn before leaving for the Mount of Olives (see Matt. 26:30). What did they sing? Although we have no way of knowing the concluding hymn, we do know one song. It is called the Hallel, which consists of Psalms 113–18. From before the time of Christ down to the present day, it is traditional for Jewish families to sing Psalms 113–14 before the Passover meal and Psalms 115–18 after. …

Imagine, if you will, the Savior of the world singing these hymns with His disciples, which foreshadowed the events that followed later that evening and the next day. All members of the Jewish faith participated in these events. They committed to memory these Psalms. They understood the meaning of them. (“The Power of Hymns,” Ensign, July 2001, 17, 18)

Where can I learn more about the Hebrew poetry of the psalms?

Enrichment Section G: Hebrew Literary Styles

Reading Poetry in the Old Testament

Understanding Old Testament Poetry

Supplemental Learning Activities

The power of music

Like the psalms, the lyrics and music of modern hymns can reflect expressions of reverence and love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and can invite the Spirit’s witness of Them. To help students recognize how reverent music can be a powerful tool, inviting the Holy Ghost to testify of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, consider showing a video montage of the Savior’s life, such as “Nearer, My God, to Thee” (3:30). First play 30 seconds of the video without any sound. Then play the video with either the sound on or with another selection of sacred music played at the same time. Invite students to share what difference the music made.

Psalms referenced in modern hymns

Students might benefit from seeing how modern hymns have used verses from Psalms. You could share some or all of the following. Invite students to compare how the Psalms passages might have influenced the messages in the accompanying hymns.

Psalms 8:3–9; 9:1–2. “How Great Thou Art”

Psalm 26:8. “We Love Thy House, O God”

Psalm 27:1. “The Lord Is My Light”

Psalms 33:1–6; 95:1–6. “For the Beauty of the Earth”

Psalm 37:3–9. “Be Still, My Soul”

Psalm 148. “All Creatures of Our God and King”

Psalm 150. “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”

(Note: Lesson 102 will focus on Psalm 23, which inspired the hymn “The Lord Is My Shepherd.”)

After students have had a chance to compare the Psalm passages and the lyrics, invite a few willing students to share what they discovered.

Create an acrostic poem

To help students understand one type of Hebrew poetry, you could introduce them to acrostic poetry. Invite students to write the word “Jesus” on a page of their study journals, with one letter for each line:

J

E

S

U

S

Then invite students to write a sentence that begins with each letter and reflects something they learned about the Savior as they studied Psalms today.

An example of an acrostic poem using the word “Sacrament” can be found in “Fun with Hebrew.”