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Joy Comes In The Morning: Psalms For All Seasons
Life is a journey, full of smooth sailing and rocky roads. The Psalms are there for us as we experience life. They can clarify our thinking or release emotions from the deep well of the soul. Joy Comes in the Morning helps readers understand how to utilize the Psalms throughout life’s journey and introduces readers to the concept of genre. Joy Comes in the Morning is a unique combination of head and heart. It introduces readers to the importance of genre as an interpretive tool and demonstrates this for the three major genres in the Psalms. Interwoven with the author’s personal testimony, Joy Comes in the Morning also traces the author’s journey and shows how no matter life’s circumstances, joy comes in the morning.
111 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2004
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31 people want to read
About the author
Mark David Futato
12 books5 followersMark D. Futato (MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary; MA, PhD, Semetic Languages and Literature, The Catholic University of America) is professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando campus. He has written widely on creation and the natural world in biblical studies.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 28, 2011
I have enjoyed all of Futato's books. I took a couple classes with him and have consistently enjoyed his teaching style. He has a knack of making things memorable and easy to understand. He understands the need to remind and review as he builds his point. It is an easy style to read full of great information. He always has great insight into the Psalms. His knowledge of hebrew comes right through and helps illuminate the psalms even more clearly for the english reader.
August 18, 2016
Accessible and encouraging. Drew out some beautiful aspects of God's character and what it means to trust him. Made me want to spend more time meditating on the Psalms. I would recommend this as a devotional read.
February 5, 2013
Joy Comes in the Morning is a further distillation of Futato's Interpreting the Psalms. It's basically a really dumbed-down version of Brueggeman's The Message of the Psalms. Futato opens the book with the importance of genre in interpreting Scripture. Next he walks the reader through the psalms of Praise, Lament, and Thanksgiving, giving numerous examples of structure and style. This is a helpful primer to Brueggeman's work on psalms of orientation, disorientation, and re-orientation.
Notes:
A genre is a group of writings that have characteristics in common with each other.
Songs of praise were composed when everything was going well. They are songs for trouble-free times in life.
Songs of lament are for when life is not well-ordered.
Though weeping may go on all night, joy comes with morning. Songs of thanksgiving express joy and gratitude to God for deliverance.
Why is Genre important? It guides our expectations--when you read 'Once upon a time' you know what follows. What's the difference between talking trees (Judges 9) and talking donkeys (Num 22)? Genre. Genre provides another level of context--different contexts can have completely different meanings: "That's a bad board" can mean one thing to a carpenter and another to a surfer. Psalms have layers of context: literary context, historical context, cultural context, theological context, context provided by genre.
What does genre have to do with Christ? In Col 3:16, the words Paul uses are all used in the Psalms. The Word of Christ then include the Psalms. When reading a psalm, it is helpful to read that psalm as speaking about Christ and to read it as being spoken by Christ.
Christ & Our Songs of Praise: most often these psalms praise God as Creator and Redeemer. NT presents Christ as our Creator and Redeemer.
Christ & Our Songs of Lament: David and we sing songs of lament (Ps 22), but we are never truly forsaken as Jesus was. When we sing laments we are singing and reading about Christ who has gone before us and sung the laments for us.
Christ & Our Songs of Thanksgiving: Heb 5:7--God heard Jesus' prayers and delivered Him. Jesus celebrated and celebrates this deliverance (Heb 2:12).
Psalms of Praise: 8, 19, 29, 33, 65, 67, 68, 93, 96, 98, 100, 103, 104, 105, 111, 113, 114, 117, 135, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150.
Songs of praise: typically three sections--opening invitation to praise God, central delineation of the praiseworthy character and actions of God, a concluding affirmation of faith or re-invitation to praise. Futato has helpful analysis of Psalm 104: a cosmic field trip experiencing a universe that is shining with Creator's majesty (1-2), teeming with Creator's wisdom (2-26), overflowing with Creator's generosity (27-30), glowing with Creator's glory (31-35).
Psalms of Lament: 3, 5, 6, 7, 13, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 38, 39, 42, 43, 44, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 74, 79, 80, 83, 86, 88, 89, 102, 109, 120, 130, 140, 141, 142, 143
Songs of Lament: Psalms contains more songs of lament than any other kind of psalm. While dominant note is dark and sad, the final note (usually) is upbeat (except 44 and 88). Laments typically ask three questions: Who will hear the psalmist's prayer? Why am I experiencing trouble? What does the psalmist want God to do? Futato offers analysis of Psalm 13.
Psalms of Thanksgiving: 18, 30, 34, 40, 41, 66, 92, 116, 118, 124, 138
Songs of Thanksgiving: thanksgiving is basic content of these psalms. Futato gives treatment of Psalm 30.
Notes:
A genre is a group of writings that have characteristics in common with each other.
Songs of praise were composed when everything was going well. They are songs for trouble-free times in life.
Songs of lament are for when life is not well-ordered.
Though weeping may go on all night, joy comes with morning. Songs of thanksgiving express joy and gratitude to God for deliverance.
Why is Genre important? It guides our expectations--when you read 'Once upon a time' you know what follows. What's the difference between talking trees (Judges 9) and talking donkeys (Num 22)? Genre. Genre provides another level of context--different contexts can have completely different meanings: "That's a bad board" can mean one thing to a carpenter and another to a surfer. Psalms have layers of context: literary context, historical context, cultural context, theological context, context provided by genre.
What does genre have to do with Christ? In Col 3:16, the words Paul uses are all used in the Psalms. The Word of Christ then include the Psalms. When reading a psalm, it is helpful to read that psalm as speaking about Christ and to read it as being spoken by Christ.
Christ & Our Songs of Praise: most often these psalms praise God as Creator and Redeemer. NT presents Christ as our Creator and Redeemer.
Christ & Our Songs of Lament: David and we sing songs of lament (Ps 22), but we are never truly forsaken as Jesus was. When we sing laments we are singing and reading about Christ who has gone before us and sung the laments for us.
Christ & Our Songs of Thanksgiving: Heb 5:7--God heard Jesus' prayers and delivered Him. Jesus celebrated and celebrates this deliverance (Heb 2:12).
Psalms of Praise: 8, 19, 29, 33, 65, 67, 68, 93, 96, 98, 100, 103, 104, 105, 111, 113, 114, 117, 135, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150.
Songs of praise: typically three sections--opening invitation to praise God, central delineation of the praiseworthy character and actions of God, a concluding affirmation of faith or re-invitation to praise. Futato has helpful analysis of Psalm 104: a cosmic field trip experiencing a universe that is shining with Creator's majesty (1-2), teeming with Creator's wisdom (2-26), overflowing with Creator's generosity (27-30), glowing with Creator's glory (31-35).
Psalms of Lament: 3, 5, 6, 7, 13, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 38, 39, 42, 43, 44, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 74, 79, 80, 83, 86, 88, 89, 102, 109, 120, 130, 140, 141, 142, 143
Songs of Lament: Psalms contains more songs of lament than any other kind of psalm. While dominant note is dark and sad, the final note (usually) is upbeat (except 44 and 88). Laments typically ask three questions: Who will hear the psalmist's prayer? Why am I experiencing trouble? What does the psalmist want God to do? Futato offers analysis of Psalm 13.
Psalms of Thanksgiving: 18, 30, 34, 40, 41, 66, 92, 116, 118, 124, 138
Songs of Thanksgiving: thanksgiving is basic content of these psalms. Futato gives treatment of Psalm 30.
February 5, 2016
A mix of theoretical and exegetical. Futato spends part of the time teaching a framework for reading and understanding the Psalms as they were intended. He emphasizes the proper importance of literary genre and context as well as the three primary types of Psalms (praise, lament, and thanksgiving)...otherwise labeled as orientation, disorientation, and reorientation.
A little more than half the book is then spent exegetically teaching through one prime example of each type of Psalm, showing both the consistent pattern and style of the genre as well as preaching and applying the content to the Christian life.
A little more than half the book is then spent exegetically teaching through one prime example of each type of Psalm, showing both the consistent pattern and style of the genre as well as preaching and applying the content to the Christian life.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews