The Book of Psalms

The Book of Psalms is a collection of meditations, prayers, and praises. While the book has a distinctly prophetic character, it is not a formal declaration of future events. Neither is it history or doctrine, though it contains both. They are the expressions of the hearts of those in the midst of deep sorrow or exercise under the leading of the Holy Spirit.
David wrote many of the Psalms (Luke 20:42). Some can be related to specific circumstances in his life. Nevertheless these are not simply the cries of David, nor mere human sentiment. Rather, they are the language of the Spirit of Christ in the psalmist (1 Peter 1:11). Some, such as Psalm 22, can be identified with a particular time and place in the history of the Lord Jesus. In others, we find Christ in association with the godly remnant in Judah and Israel: afflicted in the land, out of the land, the place He took among them when on earth, and in the full blessing of millennial days. No other book expresses the thoughts and feelings of the Lord’s heart in such a manner.
While there is much for the Christian, the Psalms should not merely be read for comfort, but for communion with the mind and ways of God. The Psalms are occupied with Judah and Israel. They are the experiences of a people under law. The blessings and position that we as Christians—members of the body of Christ—enjoy were not known.