When singing the Psalms in church, do you ever think: how would non-Christian visitors or even those new to the faith react to the words? Are they a turn-off in some way? Do the Psalms make newcomers feel unwanted perhaps? In short, are the Psalms un-missional because something in them inhibits the work of evangelism?
Another way to get at this issue is to ask: what, if anything, do the Psalms have to do with Christ’s command to his church to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19)? Let’s take a closer look at the Psalms to see if and how they relate to making disciples of the nations. We’ll cover this in three blog entries.
We don’t have to go very far into the Psalter before we run into the nations. In Psalm 2 the LORD says to his anointed human king (ultimately referring to Jesus Christ), “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession” (Ps 2:8; see Rev 2:26–27). Immediately this shows both God’s rule over the nations and his intention to do good to them. As the book of Psalms moves on, God’s kingship over all peoples of the earth comes out as a major theme: Psalm 24:1 shouts, “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” We sing in Psalm 47:2 that the LORD is “a great king over all the earth” and again that “God reigns over the nations” and “God sits on his holy throne” (v. 8). Psalm 113:4 says, “The LORD is high above all nations and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the LORD our God who is seated on high?”
The King loves the nations
The Psalms reveal still more: this majestic King loves and cares for his world. Psalm 33 declares, “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.” That’s very missional, isn’t it? Your unbelieving friend singing psalms like these beside you in church can’t miss the implication: not only does God have power over all peoples but he’s also very concerned for all peoples, including me! Think of how Psalm 8 would resonate with someone who’s trying to figure out the kind of God we Christians believe in:
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet . . .” (Ps 8:3-6).
In a world which tells people that they come from an amoeba in the sea and descend from monkeys so that they are on the same level as animals, Psalm 8 proclaims the good news that God has made all humans special. God created them in his image and set mankind as rulers over the world—that gives people dignity and purpose! The theory of evolution or the ideas of atheism offer no rhyme or reason for life, no reason to keep living when life gets tough, but being a Christian does—and the Psalms proclaim this.
Psalm 145 also says much about the LORD’s providential love for all: “The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing” (vv. 14–16; see Ps 104:10–15). All of this shows a God who is very involved and concerned for his creation, a caring God—from the littlest and least of the animals all the way to the height of creation, human beings. When a visitor sings a song like that and realizes that it’s a psalm out of God’s songbook, he starts to get the message: God has his eye upon you. He even provides for you and cares for you. You should pay attention to him. And that’s a great opening for a follow-up conversation with your friend after church.