Like a soft breeze blowing through wind chimes, the Spirit stirred the hearts of the psalmists.
Before we get too far into our studies, this might be a good place to pause and notice the author of the Psalms. Would it surprise you if I told you it was the Lord Himself? But you already knew that! Heaven is the homeland of music, and God is the Grand Musician. He is the One who plays on our heartstrings, if we allow Him, and makes harmony in our souls. W. Graham Scroggie points out the subtle difference between psalms and hymns: “In the case of the former, the words were stirred by the music, and in the case of the latter, the music is stirred by the words.” This is the reason the psalms (from a word for strumming the strings) are lyric poetry (from the ancient musical instrument called the lyre). Lyric poetry is subjective, focused on the inner life, the thoughts and feelings, of the poet. By contrast, epic poetry seeks to capture the essence of events. So whose heart was being stirred to write these beautiful words set to such heavenly music? Of the 150 psalms, 101 have their author’s name mentioned in the title. David penned 73, and to this can be added Psalm 2 (recorded in Acts 4:25) and Psalm 95 (noted in Heb 4:7). Then there are 12 attributed to Asaph, 11 for the sons of Korah, two for Solomon (72, 127), and one each by Heman (88), Ethan (89), and Moses (90). And it could well be that the ten anonymous Songs of Degrees were penned by Hezekiah (see Isa 38:9, 20). Of course, prepositions are notoriously difficult, and the titles could mean these psalms were written “by” or “for” or “to” these men. But as we’ve noted, it matters little since it’s the Lord who has “put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord” (Ps 40:3, KJV).