Understanding the Songs of Jesus Better - The Flow of the Psalms by O Palmer Robertson Book Review

The Flow of the Psalms will help you to read the Bible in its original context and see Christ in the Psalms.

Are you trying to be more intentional in your Bible study this year?

If you’ve spent time reading the Psalms from cover-to-cover, you’ve probably asked yourself the question, “Is this a random collection of poems, or is there some kind of intentional arrangement to this eclectic book?”

In his book, “The Flow of the Psalms,” O. Palmer Robertson makes the case that although it may not be entirely visible at first glance, there is a progressive structure intrinsic to the book of Psalms as they were compiled over many years.

Robertson’s “Flow” divides the book of Psalms into five smaller books, which is the traditional way of breaking up the Psalms. What is unique about Robertson’s analysis is that he traces a progression from the first book, which he labels “Confrontation” (between God’s people and the world, and God and ungodly nations), to the last book, which he labels “Consummation” (the entire book of Psalms climaxes with the hallelujahs of heaven featured in the last portion of the book).

What I really love about this book is the way that Robertson draws out the way that the different books of the Psalms are tied together and organically connected. Although he admits that his analysis is not scientific, it is really helpful to know where a Psalm fits in the larger structure when trying to determine its individual meaning. At the end of the day, when interpreting the Bible, context is king, and this book will help you read individual Psalms rigorously in the larger context of the book!

I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to deeply study the book of Psalms, or who is interested in any Psalm in particular.

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