The Temple was the place where the glory of the Lord dwelt, and the Psalmists spoke of the desire to dwell in the Temple forever with the presence of the Almighty. The author expounds on the idea of the Jews longing to “see” the Lord in His holy Temple. “The Fair Beauty of the Lord” is the subject of the fifth chapter. The next chapter sees a shift in mood for the book. The Jews looked for worldly prosperity, but God had to continually warn them and judge them concerning this very matter. According to the Psalmists, Lewis does not see where the Jews believed in the after-life, per se. The writer speaks on the surprising nature of the Jews’ belief system on death and resurrection from the dead. The fourth chapter in Lewis’ work covers “Death in the Psalms”. Again, he warns the reader not to fall into a trap of self-righteousness. He speaks on forgiveness and how we are to do as Jesus taught in forgiving those that hurt us. This chapter holds one of the most moving portions of the entire book. Moving to the next chapter, Lewis moves to the “Cursings”. Lewis warns the reader of falling into the same self-righteous trap as the Jews when calling for vindication on their enemies. The Christians, on the other hand, see the Day as a time when Jesus will return to this earth and ultimately establish His rule and reign and restore everything to its original design.
The Jews saw the Day of Judgment as a day of vindication from their enemies and those that oppressed them as a people. Lewis begins the body of the book with the first chapter on “’Judgment’ in the Psalms.” He speaks of the differences of the beliefs of the Jews and the Christians toward the “Day” of Judgment. I write for the unlearned about things in which I am unlearned myself.” The tone of his Introductory follows the first few sentences. I am no Hebraist, no higher critic, no ancient historian, no archaeologist. He states in the first line of his Introductory, “This is not a work of scholarship. Lewis begins his short book on the Psalms with an introduction that sets the mood for the entire work. Lastly, there was Lewis the “popular writer and broadcaster of Christian apologetics.” Then, there was Lewis the writer of science fiction and children’s literature. It has been said that there were “three Lewises.” First, there was Lewis the distinguished literary scholar and critic. Lewis was a prolific writer of fiction, science fiction, poetry, and Christian apologetics. Lewis came to Christ in 1931 after being influenced by his close friend, J.R.R. He was later granted the seat of Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Magdalene College in Cambridge. Lewis went on to become a Fellow and Tutor of English Literature at Magdalene College in Oxford from 1925 to 1954. After being wounded in battle in Arras, he was discharged from the military and returned to his studies in 1919. In 1917, he took a break from his studies to enlist in the military during the tumultuous time of the First World War. In 1916, Lewis was awarded a scholarship to University College, Oxford University, England. In his teen years, as he struggled with the pain of the death of his mother, he drifted in his faith and ultimately became an atheist. The great sadness that ensued thrust Lewis further into the world of literature and fantasy. Tragedy struck his family when his mother died when he was only 9 years old. Having been surrounded by books throughout his entire childhood, Lewis is said to have found his reality between the pages of the books he read. Clive Staples “Jack” Lewis was born to a well-educated family in Belfast, Northern Ireland on November 29, 1898. Reflections On The Psalms was written by one of the most influential authors of Christian literature in the 20 th century.
This is a required book review for my Old Testament Orientation class.
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