Problem Passages: New Testament Use of Psalms In The Book Of Hebrews

The ministry of the Psalms gives testimony to a God who is both immanent and personal, who reveals himself throughout biblical history. The Psalms is also a “universal statement about the majesty of Yahweh and the delegated authority of humanity.”[1] It contains some of the most profound sentiments humans have about themselves and God. “It functions to give people opportunity to articulate their uncertainties about their positions as human beings in the world, before drawing them into statements of faith.”[2] In contrast to the poetry of the Psalms, the author of the letter to the Hebrews will effectively utilize the quotations and imagery of the Psalms to “demonstrate the superiority of Christ to every other key Jewish figure and institution.”[3] The author of the book of Hebrews will apply a Christological hermeneutic that reveals how “the moonlight of the Old Testament is replaced by the sunlight of a new era in God’s dealings with men.”[4]