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To the Alamoths
“To the Director: Of the Sons of Korah to the Alamoths — a song.”
(Psalm 46:1 — the Superscript in English Translations)
I suppose that I sound like a broken record to some when it comes to the importance of reading superscripts; yet they are not superscripts in the Hebrew Bible and thus we ought to recognize them as being just as divinely inspired as the rest of the text of scripture…hence it is given to us for instruction, guidance, reproof, etc… to prepare us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
So what ought we take away from the superscription of this psalm. To begin with, the psalm is a psalm written by the Sons of Korah. We will again look more closely at the person of Korah later, but let it suffice to say that this family understood the meaning of grace as well as the consequences of taking a stand against God and against his anointed servant. Secondly, we should note that this song was written to the director — most likely a designation given to the Levite who would direct the temple musicians.
This psalm is also listed as a song, which means it was sung. How we as Christians have deviated from the practice of singing psalms. Now, I am not an advocate of exclusive psalmnody for in the spirit of the “new song sung” sung by the elders and by the redeemed in heaven (Revelation 5:9; 14:3), God has blessed his church with many wonderful hymns through the ages, but I also think that we ought not abandon the old for the new.
Now, the tune to which this psalm was to be sung was the Alamoth. We know very little about this particular tune other than it was the celebratory tune used when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:20). The term itself is actually plural in Hebrew and thus it could represent a group or series of melodies, but we simply don’t know as the music has not been preserved through the generations.
There are speculations, though as one might suspect. The term עֲלְמוֹת (alamoth) is the plural of עַלְמָה (almah), the latter typically used to refer to a young maiden or virgin. This is the term used, for example in Isaiah 7:14, that speaks of the Messiah being born from the womb of a virgin. Thus, some commentators have suggested that the term used of the tune indicates that it is either to be sung by women or to be played on instruments in a very high key. Psalm 68:26 (verse 25 in the English translations) adds to our understanding slightly, as this term is used to speak of the dancing girls with tambourines that would follow the processional, bringing the Ark into Jerusalem. In modern Egyptian, “almah” is used to refer to belly-dancers, not too far off from a picture of young girls with tambourines.
Regardless of the actual tune, this song was sung in celebration and stands as a reminder to us as to how we are to respond to the deliverance that God brings. How often we do not make much of all God does in our lives. He is to be praised with all of our might and in any way possible, for he has been good to us both in the good times and in the times of trouble. Our God is indeed a mighty refuge and deserves the praises we bring.
A Song for the Sabbath
“A Psalm: A Song for the Day of the Sabbath”
(Psalm 92:1 [superscript in English])
That which we identify as Psalm 92 begins with a clear statement of its purpose. It is written for use on the Sabbath day. And, presuming that superscripts are given to us as indicators of purpose and groupings of psalms, it follows that this introduces Psalms 92-97 as a grouping of psalms (given no superscripts until psalm 98) that are all designed for worship on the Sabbath day.
Sadly, in the western world, we have largely lost any sense of the Sabbath’s significance. Stores are open for business (even stores that purport to be Christian stores!), it is often the busiest day of the week for restaurants, amusement parks are open for business, athletic teams are practicing, and there is no abatement in the worldly junk that passes for television entertainment. We fill our lives with so much activity that we are beyond busy and then we buy into the lie that if we just rob ourselves of the Sabbath day and make that day busy as well, then we will find the satisfaction and fulfillment that we crave. Yet, falling into this pattern is a downhill race to self-destruction.
Probably even sadder is that teaching on the Sabbath in our culture is often ignored or avoided because of fears of stepping on toes. Yet, the scriptures have no hesitation about speaking of the Sabbath Day. The other challenge in our culture is that teaching on the Sabbath only tends to be received in terms of negatives and not in terms of positives. People hear “DON’T” and then they shut their minds off and never hear the “DO.” Yet, the scriptures place far more emphasis on the “DO” and the blessing of the Sabbath day. We don’t seem to have a problem hearing the words: “You shall no Murder” or “You shall not commit adultery” but when people hear the Sabbath spoken of, they seem to shut down and miss the blessing of the teaching.
While there are entire books and treatises written on the Sabbath, for the devotions that will follow, we will let this psalm guide our thoughts and hopefully challenge our practices. Though the day of the Sabbath has changed from Saturday to Sunday, the principle behind the Sabbath day remains the same; may the Spirit move our hearts as we reflect and meditate on these words.
“Remember the Day of the Sabbath and continually consecrate it.”
(Exodus 20:8)
To the Director: Psalm 51 (part 1)
“To the director: a psalm of David—when Nathan the prophet came to him just as he had gone to Bathsheba.”
(Psalm 51:1-2 [superscript in English Bibles])
It is always good, when you come to a psalm, to have a superscript as detailed as this one. So often, it is hard to determine with any degree of certainty just when a particular psalm was written, yet, with this one, that is not the case. After the prophet Nathan confronted David about his adultery with Bathsheba, as he grieves over his sin and over his dying child, it would seem that David penned these words (see 2 Samuel 11-12). Oh, what a dark time in Israel’s history this was—King David, the model king of Israel, entered into one of the worst sins that could be entered into. At the same time, here is the mark of the believer—repentance. Oh, how we stumble and fall, particularly when we seek to resist sin on our own strength, but we have a God that is so much greater than our sin—the mark of the believer, though, is repentance.
Beloved, as you read the words of this psalm, never separate them from their context. Though we may apply them to our own lives, never forget that they come from a heart that is deeply grieved by sin—to write this, as his lay dying as a direct result of his sin—his tears must have flowed with each verse he wrote. Never lose touch of that, sometimes it is all too easy to read passages of scripture as abstract words and systematic teachings—cold and distant from our emotions—and beloved, that could not be further from the truth. These words, as were all the words of scripture, were penned through human beings much like you or I, with all of the same kinds of fears and concerns, hopes and dreams, that you or I have. Could David have felt any less agony as he watched his baby son die before him that you or I would feel were our child to die in our arms. Friends, this is the context of this psalm of repentance—it is out of a heart that has been wrenched and torn asunder as a result of grief over his sin. Indeed, I wonder if this agony and pain is not so distant from the pain that God the Father must have felt, as he watched his Son die on the cross—this time not for his sins, for God knows no sin, but for the sins of a rebellious and wicked people who he yet loved with a love deeper than can be described with words. Indeed, I wonder if it was all that different.
Yet, beloved, as we read this psalm, let us see this as a model and a guide for our own repentance. King David has laid bare his soul before us not simply as a means of his own repentance, but to teach us how to repent as well. John Calvin called the book of Psalms an “anatomy of the human soul,” and indeed, every emotion common to mankind is expressed within this book. Within the psalms we cannot only be taught how to worship God, but we can also be taught how to express pain, misery, grief, and even holy anger. Beloved, do not neglect the psalms, and especially do not neglect the difficult ones, for they are meant for you to be a guide and a standard to teach you how to live every aspect of your life to the glory of God. Take them to heart, and apply them to your soul. Listen to these words of David as he repents of his sin, and let them be a guide for you as well as you struggle to repent of that, which has caused you to stumble in your life. And never forget, forgiveness is not earned, it is a free gift given out of God’s abundant grace to those who come to him in faith and repentance.
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, Grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, Grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
-Julia Johnston
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