Songs of a Suffering King

Book excerpt: Our Lord has wisely given the Psalms, the songbook of the Bible, for the benefit of the church. But for many people, the Psalms' contents are mysterious because they no longer have a place of prominence in the church's worship. Author J. V. Fesko hopes to awaken the church to the majesty, beauty, and splendor of the Psalms through a devotional exploration of Psalms 1 8, a "grand Christ hymn," in which David, as the suffering king, prefigures the king of kings, Jesus Christ. To encourage readers to come to a greater appreciation for the Psalms, the author includes with each chapter questions for further reflection and study and a metrical version of each psalm. He also recommends Internet resources that provide digital files of the tunes. Author J.V. Fesko is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and is also academic dean and associate professor of systematic theology at Westminster Seminary California. Endorsements "Christians know they need instruction not only to pray but also to sing. By tracing the narrative of Christ in the opening eight psalms of the Psalter, this book helps me pray while I sing and sing while I pray. I learn not only to hear Christ in each psalm but I also begin to sing under the aegis of Christ, the chief musician. Those who have sung these psalms from their earliest days as well as those who have joined the Psalter choir only recently will find, with the Spirit's blessing, deeper and fuller sound." Gerald M. Bilkes, professor of New Testament and biblical theology, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, and author of Memoirs of the Way Home: Ezra and Nehemiah as a Call to Conversion