A Response to Iain Murray’s The Psalter—The Only Hymnal?  (James Beggs Society)

Prayer brings us into God’s sanctuary. True prayer has requirements and Jesus has given one model for all our prayers. Line by line, Hoeksema analyses, explains and applies the principles found in Jesus’ perfect model prayer. The reader is taught that prayer is given by the Spirit of God and that he must pray in a God-honouring way. The author stresses how prayer is thanksgiving to God, reflecting fellowship with our heavenly Father.

“I must know him, the only true God, in order to be able to pray at all. But I cannot know him out of myself, I cannot find him out … Only he can make known to me who he is, and what he is. Hence I must begin to let him speak to me before I can even begin to speak to him. This he does in his word, in the holy scriptures,” writes Rev. Hoeksema. As readers, we are compelled to exclaim, “Lord, so teach me always to pray in accordance with Thy will!”

“This book contains eleven expository sermons on the Lord’s Prayer, preached by Herman Hoeksema, the founding father of the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. These sermons were first preached as a series over the radio in the early 1940s and because of their popularity they were later published in book form. Let me quote a portion from the first petition in order to whet your spiritual appetite to want to read this book for yourselves. ‘Hallowed be thy name’ is concerned with the glory of God. Hoeksema writes, ‘We must not overlook this position: for it teaches us at once that the chief and only purpose of all things is the glory of God, and that the desire for the realisation of this purpose should be uppermost in our hearts and minds and should occupy, therefore, the first place in all our prayers’ (p. 37). Hoeksema also explains the spiritual disposition necessary in the heart of the believer in order to make these petitions, which makes these sermons also very devotional.” – Singapore

“When reading the treatment of the address, ‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ I could not believe how deep it is … absolutely amazing!” – Co. Antrim

“My daughter is loving the book. It has been an eye opener for both of us. She was saying that the way she feels about praying the Lord’s prayer is now completely different from before she read the book.” – Co. Antrim

REVIEW

IN THE SANCTUARY, Expository Sermons on the Lord’s Prayer, by Herman Hoeksema; Reformed Free Publishing Association, 1982; 116 pages (paperback). (Reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko).

Many of our readers will know that this book is a reprint of a book which first appeared in the Forties, but has long been out of print. It was published soon after Rev. Hoeksema delivered a series of radio sermons on this subject. The book is a published form of those radio messages. 

I wish that there was some way in which this book could be put in the home of every Christian family to be read and studied. I say this because the book speaks of prayer, and God’s people today are badly in need of instruction concerning prayer. Not only is this true because of the sorry corruptions of prayer which are so common in our day; nor is this true only because God’s people do not pray as much as they ought; but it is also true because prayer is a holy art, and God’s people themselves know how much they need to be instructed in it. This book is admirably suited to this purpose. 

The book has an introductory chapter on prayer and a chapter on the general principles of the Lord’s Prayer; these are followed by an exposition of the address, the six petitions, and the doxology with which the Lord’s prayer closes. It is an incisive exposition of each part in which the petition itself is explained and the spiritual disposition of the heart necessary to pray is set forth. Rev. Hoeksema, as all who knew him know, had the ability to make the profound clear, and the clear interesting and gripping. These things come through in this book. 

In expounding the Lord’s Prayer the author has the opportunity to discuss all the principles which underlie true prayer, to warn against evils in prayer, and to point out repeatedly the deepest truth that God is God. 

The book can be read as meditative readings, and this is indeed a thoroughly enjoyable way to read the book. But, more importantly, any child of God who takes seriously the petition, “Lord, teach us to pray. . .” must get this book. It will be an answer to his prayer.

6 sermons on Psalms 120-125 on CD or DVD

Each of Psalms 120-134 is titled “A Song of degrees” or ascents, referring to OT saints going up to Jerusalem on pilgrimage to keep the feasts or festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. These fifteen Psalms are a little Psalter within the Psalter, with vital lessons for Christian pilgrims today who go up to God in private and public worship by faith. Listen to the first volume on Psalms 120-125 to help you in ascending to our heavenly Father in prayer and praise.

(1) The Saint Setting Out (Ps. 120)
(2) The Saint on His Way (Ps. 121)
(3) The Saint at His Arrival (Ps. 122)
(4) Looking to the Lord (Ps. 123)
(5) If It Had Not Been for the Lord! (Ps. 124)
(6) The Church’s Security (Ps. 125)

10 sermons on Psalms 126-134 on CD or DVD

Psalms 126-134 are pilgrim Psalms, referring to OT saints going up to Jerusalem to keep the feasts or festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, and containing vital lessons for Christian pilgrims today who go up to God in private and public worship by faith. Listen to or watch the second volume on Psalms 126-134 to help you in ascending to our heavenly Father in prayer and praise. (It is not necessary to listen to the first volume beforehand.)

(1) Returning From Captivity (Ps. 126)
(2) The Necessity of God’s Blessing (Ps. 127)
(3) The Blessed God-Fearer (Ps. 128)
(4) Afflicted Israel Sings (Ps. 129)
(5) Out of the Depths (Ps. 130)
(6) The Saint as a Weaned Child (I) (Ps. 131:1)
(7) The Saint as a Weaned Child (II) (Ps. 131:2-3)
(8) Pleading the Davidic Covenant (Ps. 132)
(9) The Blessedness of Church Unity (Ps. 133)
(10) Many Blessings in the Church! (Ps. 134)

Showing Christ in the Psalms & looking at a consensus of opinions on Psalms & instrumental music in worship

“Revs. Kerr and McDonald ably represent the robust, vibrant teaching of historic Presbyterianism in defence of exclusive, unaccompanied Psalmody. The articles are relevant, challenging and eminently biblical; and the supporting consensus of opinion, from apostolic times down, shows that to contend for exclusive, unaccompanied Psalmody is neither unnecessary, nor divisive”  (Rev. Chris Conners, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia).