How do we read the Psalms? The answer begins with reading the Psalms along three horizons of interpretation. That is to say, we read the Psalms and consider how they connect at three levels: with David, with Jesus Christ, and with ourselves.

Since their composition, the Psalms have always been near to the heart of God’s people. Ancient Israel worshipped with the psalter as its hymnal. Our Lord Jesus himself would have known and sung the Psalms throughout his life on earth. The early church incorporated the singing of Psalms into their worship (Ephesians 5:29; Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 14:26), and they used the Psalms to explain the truth of who Jesus is (for example, Hebrews 7:17).