INTRODUCTION
The Christian Bible has served as a source of inspiration,
instruction, and revelation for nearly two millennia. The Hebrew Scriptures, or Old Testament, which
comprise nearly eighty percent of the Bible, have done the same for much
longer. The contents of its pages have
been used as material for hymns, consolation for the suffering, and criteria
for attaining and maintaining a right relationship with God. The centerpiece of the Old Testament is the
book of Psalms. The Psalms contain a
variety of literature that has been placed into categories such as hymns,
complaints of the people, complaints of the individual, thanksgiving songs of
the individual, royal psalms, and wisdom psalms.[1]
