The book of Psalms served as Israel's songbook. The apostle Paul, in his letters to the Ephesians and Colossians, wrote of the importance and use of the psalms in our worship. It is also a part of the rule of faith and practice in the church today. The psalms are God's inspired hymnbook. Paul's admonition to the church concerning the psalms is to teach and admonish one another in psalms. The book of Psalms in the Hebrew text is called Book of Praises. The Greek word psalmoi means "songs sung with musical instruments." The psalms are sacred music at its best. They reveal much about their writers, the times, the people, and above all, the glories of Jehovah and the coming Messiah.

It is generally believed that Ezra gathered these 150 psalms together into one book during the fifth century before Christ. The actual dates of their writing cover a period of almost 1000 years. David is often referred to as the psalmist, having written 73 of the psalms. Forty-six are anonymous as to the human writer. Various writers including Moses, Asaph, Solomon, Heman, and the sons of Korah wrote the remaining 31.

The book of Psalms has long been a favorite among the Lord's people. The writers of the New Testament made 283 direct quotes from the Old Testament and 116 of these are from the Psalms. The Psalms are an excellent source book for the saints of God. There seems to be a related song for every situation we may face in everyday life.

The Messianic Psalms span the years of time from the birth of the Messiah, His earthly ministry, and His glorious return at the second coming. May the Lord richly bless the reader as they prayerfully study this wonderful portion of God's Word.