Why Psalms?

In this day and age, only the latest thing will do; the latest iPhone, the latest political philosophy, the latest fashion. So why would you possibly want to spend time in a book written some 3,000 years ago?     To answer, let us examine the book of psalms itself.  Why was it written? What benefits does it claim for itself? Why would a modern man want to read an ancient book? So to begin, let us start in the beginning:

Psalm 1
1 How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand in the pathway with sinners,
or sit in the assembly of scoffers!
2 Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord s commands;
he meditates on his commands day and night.
3 He is like a a tree planted by flowing streams;
it yields its fruit at the proper time,
and its leaves never fall off.
He succeeds in everything he attempts.
4 Not so with the wicked!
Instead a they are like wind- driven chaff.
5 For this reason the wicked cannot withstand judgment,
nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly.
6 Certainly the Lord guards the way of the godly,
but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.
NET Bible

"Blessed is the man..." is the way that the King James version starts out.  Do you want to be blessed? Would you like to find pleasure (verse 2)?  Would you like to be  strong as a tree (v.3)? Would  you like to succeed (v.3)?  Or would you rather be blown like dust in the wind (v.4) and be judged harshly (v.5)? Wouldn't it be better to guarded by the Lord (v.6)?

So, to put it in simple terms, the psalms claim to show you the way to lead a successful life, being blessed in this life, and learning how to please and worship the Lord.  The emphasis in psalm 1 is really on man and how he lives, but the real answer to why the psalms were written is at the back of the book. Have you ever been stumped by a mystery book and been tempted to read the last chapter? Me too, but I'm usually too much a stickler for order to actually do it. But in this case, it's alright, as the end to the book gives us the real reason for its being:

Psalm 150 
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary!
Praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength! 
2 Praise him for his mighty acts!
Praise him for his surpassing greatness!
3 Praise him with the blast of the horn!
Praise him with the lyre and the harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing!
Praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!
5 Praise him with loud cymbals!
Praise him with clanging cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
NET Bible

There are 6 verses in psalm 1, and 6 verses in psalm 150, but notice a major difference. Every verse of psalm 1 mentions man in one form or another, "the man", "he" , "the wicked", "the godly", etc. But look closely at psalm 150. How many I's, me's and he's are there?  Not a single one!  Psalms starts out talking about man (in the generic sense) and his relationship to God.  But in the end, psalm 150 talks only about the Lord, and how He is to be worshiped. And what a variety of worship there is; horns (my favorite), dance, drums, cymbals, stringed instruments, flutes, basically anything that makes music can praise the Lord!

So the real message of psalms is this; you can learn to live right and be blessed, but to really find the purpose of your existence, learn to worship God. So that is why I read, pray, sing and meditate on the psalms.  It's really a way of life, to live immersed in a book that leads you to your ultimate purpose in the universe.  In many ways, life is just choir practice. Psalms is the choir book to show you how to get ready for eternity; praising and worshiping God with the elders and the angels, and the vast throng of heaven!

Rev 19:4  The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: "Amen! Hallelujah!"
...
Rev 19:6  The Wedding Celebration of the Lamb
    Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting:
    "Hallelujah!
    For the Lord our God, the All-Powerful, reigns!
Rev 19:7  Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him glory,
    because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
 NET Bible

Amen