ANSWERING THE PSALMIST’S PERPLEXITY:
New-Covenant Newness in the Book
of Psalms
By James Hely Hutchinson
IVP Apollos. 243 pages. £14.99
ISBN 978 1 789 740 981
In this new entry in IVP’s ‘New Studies in Biblical Theology’ series, Hely Hutchinson has done a superlative job in showing how the Psalter is a veritable Biblical theology in its own right, demonstrating thoroughgoing interconnectedness (‘intertextuality’) both amongst the Psalms themselves and between the Psalms and the rest of Scripture.
Biblical theology searches out how any and all of the great themes of Scripture are developed across all genres, consistently applying the Reformation principle of ‘Scripture interprets Scripture’, all through the Biblical narrative, finding fulfilment in Christ, the gospel and future consummation in glory.
Concentrating on the Biblical theology of ‘covenant’, Hely Hutchinson finds that the Psalter is not only consciously aware of all the Biblical covenants, even including the lesser-known Levitical covenant and (as he avers it to be) the Adamic covenant; and not only that the five Books of the Psalms have a distinctive emphasis in this regard, but also that there is development in this awareness from Book I through to Book V, heading towards and culminating in a decisive New Covenant anticipation which answers the question of the Psalmist’s perplexity and addresses what is new in the New Covenant.
After two chapters declaring his methodology and purpose, our author’s next chapter takes representative Psalms from Books I–III, finding a New Covenant agenda evoked throughout, even as early as Psalm 2 with its echoes of 2 Samuel 7 and Micah 5, after which these Books build up to the great question posed in the final Psalm of those Books, Psalm 89. The Psalmist is convinced that his God, utterly faithful thus far to the Davidic covenant, cannot break that covenant. Why, then, is the Davidic throne empty?
Our author finds that Psalms Book IV provides the building blocks for the answer to this perplexity. Comprehensively, and with impressive attention to detail, he shows how in these Psalms the prophesied New Covenant (as per Isaiah and many other OT intertextual referents), and it alone, must, and will, prove to be the fulfilment of all the OT covenants, including the Adamic and Noahic. Finally, in Book V: the new David, the eschatological King, the suffering servant – He will provide the solution, and vindicate and fulfil God’s ‘covenant loyalty’. All the covenants, including Moses’ and Mosaic law, converge on Him.
It is abundantly clear that the author has lived in the Psalms for decades, and is absolutely convinced that the book of Psalms is not a haphazard collection of one-offs, but has a determined, progressive purpose to chart the way towards the coming Messiah. This book is not one to be read casually – a mind in gear and an open Bible are required; but it’s a thoroughly rewarding read. At the end, Hely Hutchinson declares where he stands on the wide spectrum of Protestant ‘covenant paradigms’, between Presbyterian and Dispensational at either end – but I won’t give that game away here; read it!
