God Wears a Robe? Reading the Psalms as Poetry (Chip Hardy and Matt Mullins)

Dr. Chip Hardy, Dr. Matthew Mullins

Episode Summary

Why is the Book of Psalms important? How does reading the psalms as poetry help us to understand them? In this conversation, Dru Johnson talks with Chip Hardy and Matt Mullins about psalm 93 and the importance of the structure, metaphors, and wording of the psalms. They warn against reducing the poetry to a fluffy expression of an internal state (if that were all poetry is, it wouldn’t be worth reading).

The structure of the words in the Book of Psalms is integral to their meaning. The rhythm and pace of the language can conjure certain images and attitudes. In psalm 93, the language crescendos to suggest a sense of God’s overwhelming power and majesty. Chip and Matt guide listeners carefully through this psalm and offer their advice on studying this book for life and ministry.

Chapters

- 0:00 Psalm 93

- 5:30 The psalms as poetry

- 7:55 The structure of the words

- 16:30 The Lord provides surety

- 20:35 How does holiness fit in?

- 25:57 There really is a God who is in control

- 32:49 How to use the poetry for ministry

Transcripts are AI generated and are not guaranteed to correctly reflect the content of the podcast.

Transcript

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Dr. Chip Hardy
Dr. Chip Hardy is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He holds a PhD from University of Chicago and an MDiv from SBTS. He is the author of Exegetical Gems of Biblical Hebrew: A Refreshing Guide to Grammar and Interpretation.
Dr. Matthew Mullins
Matthew Mullins (PhD, University of North Carolina at Greensboro) is Associate Professor of English and History of Ideas at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches classes in literature, literary theory, and writing. His research focuses primarily on American literature and culture and on hermeneutics. His latest book is Enjoying the Bible: Literary Approaches to Loving the Scriptures.