Simon Vibert

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John Piper Book Reviews

Reflections on the Psalms

C.S. Lewis
Fontana Books 1958

This is a book designed to supplement the Book of Common Prayer lectionary of Psalms. Lewis covers key themes in the Psalms such as judgement, curses and death; the meaning of nature, the meaning of praise and other literary features found in the Psalms.

He admits that it is not a scholarly book, rather a book of reflections designed for devotional use.

The two chapters I found most illuminating were the one on Nature and the one on Praise. In a characteristically incisive way Lewis brings literary and philosophical insights which make his reading very refreshing for evangelicals (whom C.S. Lewis would have probably disdained as being ‘Fundamentalists’!).

It is Lewis’ chapter on ‘A word about Praising’ which has been most influential on Piper. Here Lewis makes the point that praise is not something purely commanded by God as lawgiver - which of course God does - but praise is something natural to us. It is not merely a compliment or approval, but the natural expression of one’s enjoyment and appreciation of something.

Here amongst other things is a clue as to the benefit of corporate worship. When we meet together it is to share our natural delight in the God whom we esteem to be eminently worthy of our praise, and such a corporate experience is mutually edifying.

"I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise......The world rings with praise – lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game..... I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation." (p.80.)