J. Vernon McGee's Outline of The Psalms

After having mentioned McGee's intro and outline in an earlier post, I think it good to share that with you as well as the Scofield. There are many very good scholars who study and teach the Psalms, but those two are my favorites.

From McGee:

The theme of the book of Psalms is Psalm 150.

The book corresponds to the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) and covers all *dispensations.

There are five distinct sections.

1. Genesis Section: Psalms 1-41
    Man is seen in a state of blessedness, then fall and recovery. (Man in view)

    This section covers the entire book of Psalms and gives the history of all dispensations, as is true
     of Genesis.

    Psalm 1 - Perfect Man (Last Adam)
               2 - Rebellious Man
               3 - Perfect Man Rejected
               4 - Conflict between Seed of Woman/Serpent
               5 - Perfect Man amidst Enemies
               6 - Perfect Man amidst Chastisement (Bruising Heel)
               7 - Perfect Man amidst False Witnesses
               8 - Repair of Man comes through Man (Bruising Head)
               9-15 - Enemy and Antichrist Conflict, Final Deliverance
               16-41 - Christ amidst His people, sanctifying them to God

2. Exodus Section: Psalms 42-72
    Ruin and Redemption (Israel in view)

    Psalms 43-49 - Israel's Ruin
                 50-60 - Israel's Redeemer
                 61-72 - Israel's Redemption

3. Leviticus Section: Psalms 73-89
    Darkness and Dawn (Sanctuary in view)

    Tabernacle, Temple, House, Assembly, Congregation in every Psalm

4. Numbers Section: Psalms 90-106
    Peril and Protection (Earth in view)

5. Deuteronomy Section: Psalms 107-150
    Perfection and Praise of Word of God

    Psalm 119 - Word of God in every verse. Longest chapter in the Bible.


*A dispensation is defined traditionally as a period of time during which a particular revelation of God’s mind and God’s will is operative, and during which man is tested as to his obedience to that specific manifestation of God’s will, purpose, and plan.  The believer’s orientation to both time and to human history is vitally necessary for understanding God’s plan and God’s purpose.
   Dispensations constitute the divine administration of history.  In fact, the Greek word translated “dispensations” also means administration of some organization.  Dr. H.A. Ironside defined dispensations in his book, In the Heavenlies, as follows, “It is an economy or a particular order or a condition of things prevailing in a special age which does not necessarily prevail in another age.”
   In every dispensation, God has a plan for believers, and in grace He provides the means for executing that plan.  We must understand the other dispensations and then learn why only one dispensation is called the “dispensation of grace” (Eph 3:2).
   While there is a different plan for believers in each dispensation, there is only one way of salvation throughout human history: personal faith in Jesus Christ.  In all of human history, there is only one Savior, Jesus Christ, and He is revealed in different ways in different dispensations.

(Excerpt from Doctrine of Dispensations, http://gracebiblechurchwichita.org/?page_id=58)

Knowledge of Dispensational Truth gives the believer an understanding of where we are in human history and what to expect regarding the plan and purpose of God. Without it, the Bible remains a confusing series of stories and poems the believer does not know how to apply. Those who insist there are contradictions in scripture simply do not comprehend dispensations. -LD


              

Old Testament Books of Poetry - 5 Books

The term poetry does not refer to imaginative, entertaining or rhythmic writings, but has to do with the form of the content. Other ancient literary examples of poetry are The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer. Conversational tone and repetition of ideas characterize poetic writings.

Job, the book of Undeserved Suffering, is thought to be the earliest writing of the Bible. There is no reference to the Mosaic Law, so it predates Exodus. It highlights the ongoing controversy between God and Satan which we call the angelic conflict. It is troubling to read, because of the undeserved, intense suffering in time of a man God has declared perfect (complete, mature) and upright (righteous)—Job 1:8. Satan smarted off that Job was faithful only because God kept him protected (hedged about) from the world’s pressures. Satan then was allowed to put pressure on Job; everything short of killing him. God knew his man, but Satan didn’t. I believe Job really didn’t, either, until he had endured the test. But Job knew God! Much like Abraham, Job knew that whatever happened, God would never change, and that what God had promised He would produce. He knew that God had given him everything and God had the authority to take it all back. Job 1:21 “And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” He knew that Sovereign God “stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing.” Job 26:7. Think about that! He knew, because Jesus Christ told him in 38:7 “the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy” at the creation of the earth. Job knew Jesus Christ as his eternal Savior, and even in his deepest distress, he wanted to leave a lasting witness to the world. Job 19:23-26:

Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

Job was a mature believer in Jesus Christ before the testings began, and he was a severely chastened and even more humbled mature believer in Jesus Christ after the testings were over. Throughout it all, he knew his sufferings were undeserved and that God had a purpose in the unspeakable adversities He was allowing His servant, Job, to endure. Even when he was reeling from the shock of loss; even when he was writhing in pain and wishing for death, Job never lost his faith in his Sovereign Savior. The book of Job is not about the suffering, it is about the response of a mature believer to the suffering.

Psalms, the book of Praise. Several writers contributed their inspired writings, but David is the predominant author of these poems of experiential blessings, sufferings, victories, dejection, elation, remorse, unconditional love, deep devotion, thanksgiving and total trust in the faithfulness of God.

The pattern of 5 is evident in the Psalms, as it is in the Old Testament. There is a section of Psalms which corresponds to the events of Genesis, about Man: Psalms 1-41; Exodus, about Israel: Psalms 42-72; Leviticus, about the Sanctuary: Psalms 73-89; Numbers, about Earth: Psalms 90-106; Deuteronomy, about the Word: Psalms 107-150

There is nothing haphazard about the arrangement of the book of Psalms. We could spend the rest of our lives on this topic alone. They are organized in a fascinating system. They are believed to have been set to music and sung in the worship service. There are churches even today that use no music except the Psalms in their worship. There are  23 or more studies of the Psalms archived in this blog beginning May 7, 2012.

Proverbs, the book of Wisdom. Recorded by Solomon, but not all originally written by him. Quote from J. Vernon McGee’s outline: “Proverbs are short sentences, drawn from long experience.” They are designed to advise a young man about his personal choices in life; which ones will be good and beneficial for his spiritual growth and which ones will be destructive. They are pointed and pithy, and the older we grow, the more we realize the truth in these statements.

Key verse: Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
My personal favorite: Proverbs 14:7 “Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.” Remember the definition of a fool: he despises wisdom and instruction. Therefore, he will not only reject your wisdom, but will do everything he can to distract you from it.

I learned years ago from my favorite Southern Baptist preacher (my son), that since there are 31 chapters of Proverbs, we can read one chapter a day every month for guidance in life. I like that plan. It is a comforting practice to cultivate.

Ecclesiastes, the book of Human Viewpoint. Solomon started strong, using his great, godly wisdom to rule his nation. God blessed him abundantly with not only the wisdom he had asked for, but also with great discernment, good values, and a sense of purpose and destiny in life. That is divine viewpoint. He loved and worshipped the Lord, whom he recognized and honored in all he did. He also acquired even more riches than he had inherited from his father, David. Then Solomon began to acquire wives, plural, from all parts of the world. Partly because of an out of control lust pattern, but largely for political purposes, he married many women. Many pagan women. They brought their trousseaux, their delicacies, their entourages and their gods into the kingdom which Solomon ruled. Big mistake, Solomon. When one wallows with unbelievers, one loses one’s keen identity of soul. Such a one becomes cynical, depressed, sour on the world, negligent and unresponsive to God’s Word. That’s when human viewpoint sets in. We revert to natural man, who doesn’t even understand the things of the Spirit of God, for they are spiritually discerned (I Corinthians 2:14 states the principle). Not loss of salvation. Loss of fellowship with Jesus Christ. No identification, no spiritual production in life. Boredom. Restlessness. Aimless busy-ness.

That is the subject of Ecclesiastes. He calls himself the Preacher. It means lecturer. He’s world-weary and ready to impart his experienced knowledge to his subjects. And the world is what he knows, since he has dulled his spiritual understanding by self-indulgence. He’s thinking like an unbeliever. It’s a pretty tiresome outlook. Emptiness.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-4 “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.”

Solomon eventually did recover fellowship, though, and shared the correct answer to all his own cynical questions: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. Well, at least he remembered Who is in charge. 

Song of Solomon, the book of Marital Love is actually a portrait of the bond between Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, and His Church, the Shulamite Woman. She is poor and seems common, but the Shepherd loves her. As human life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of man and woman, so spiritual life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of God for His people and Christ for His church. The Shepherd Lover turns out to be King Solomon, who can rescue the Shulamite from her drudgery and make her his beloved queen forever.

This book illustrates the real significance of human marriage. In marriage, one woman submits herself physically and emotionally to one man, for life. In marriage, one man gives his life, strength, provision and protection to one woman for life. He initiates, she responds. He fulfills her, she completes him. They become one flesh. This happens spiritually in their soul relationship to one another. It happens physically in their production of children, whose bodies are a blend of both parents’ DNA. This explains the sacredness of marriage. It is not a convenience, it is a living entity. Knowing that and honoring that truth will positively affect your marriage. This is God’s gift to humanity, to teach us His commitment to us.

When we believe in Jesus Christ’s finished Work, we become one with Him. He has given Himself for us. We have received Him into ourselves. We are IN HIM. We are what He is. Our production is His production. This is intimacy which cannot be adequately explained by language. Human marriage, in the Biblical model, explains it, like Jesus in His incarnation explained the Person of God (John 1:18).

Song of Solomon 2:4 “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

Song of Solomon 6:3 “I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine…”

Song of Solomon 8:6 "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave."

Psalms Outline

McGee’s Outline of Psalms

I. Genesis section, Psalms 1—41

Man in a state of blessedness, fall, and recovery (Man in View)

Psalm 1: Perfect Man (last Adam)

Psalm 2: Rebellious man

Psalm 3: Perfect Man rejected

Psalm 4: Conflict between Seed of woman and serpent

Psalm 5: Perfect Man in midst of enemies

Psalm 6: Perfect Man in midst of chastisement (bruising heel)

Psalm 7: Perfect Man in midst of false witnesses

Psalm 8: Repair of man comes through Man (bruising head)

Psalms 9—15: Enemy and Antichrist conflict; final deliverance

Psalms 16 — 41: Christ in midst of His people, sanctifying

them to God

II. Exodus section, Psalms 42 — 72

Ruin and Redemption (Israel in View)

Psalms 42 — 49: Israel’s ruin

Psalms 50 — 60: Israel’s Redeemer

Psalms 61 — 72: Israel’s redemption

III. Leviticus section, Psalms 73 — 89

Darkness and Dawn (Sanctuary in View)

IV. Numbers section, Psalms 90 — 106

Peril and Protection of Pilgrims (Earth in View)

V. Deuteronomy section, Psalms 107 — 150

Perfection and Praise of the Word of God

Psalm 119, an acrostic in the heart of this section, refers to the

Word of God in almost every verse. It is the longest chapter in

the Bible.

FEATURES:

The Psalms record deep devotion, intense feeling, exalted emotion, and dark dejection. The Psalms play with all the stops pulled out upon the keyboard of the human soul.

They run the psychological gamut. This book has been called the epitome and anatomy of the soul and designated as the garden of the Scriptures. The place Psalms have held in the lives of God’s people testifies to their universality, although they have a peculiar Jewish application. They express the deep feelings of all believing hearts in all generations.

The Psalms are full of Christ. There is a more complete picture of Him in Psalms than in the Gospels. The Gospels tell us that He went to the mountain to pray, but the Psalms give us His prayer. The Gospels tell us that He was crucified, but the Psalms tell us what went on in His own heart during the crucifixion The Gospels tell us He went back to heaven, but the Psalms begin where the Gospels leave off and show us Christ seated in heaven.

                                                    *       *       *

All of the above was copied and pasted from J.Vernon McGee's Notes and Outlines on the book of Psalms. I recommend you print and keep it in your Bible for handy reference. It is important information for any Bible student who undertakes a study of Psalms. They are beautiful poetry, but their purpose is to teach us the plan and provision of God in the angelic conflict. The Psalms are clearly dispensational in their arrangement, depicting human history from beginning to end. We can feel their emotion in our souls as we read them, but there are technical details of doctrine to be learned and stored, categorically, along the way. It will be quite an experience.