A story from the Bible that resonates with me deeply is the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch found in Acts 8:26–40. The Bible only says the Ethiopian was in the service of his Queen, returning home from worshiping in Jerusalem, and reading the book of Isaiah. However, a brief introduction into the history of Ethiopia can enable us to see God’s love and faithfulness generation after generation.
The land of Cush, or modern day Ethiopia, is mentioned 37 times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament in Acts 8. The first mention of Ethiopia/Cush in the Bible is found in Genesis 2:13. “The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush.” From this, we can surmise that Ethiopia has been around since creation. It has gone by other names in history including the Kingdom of Aksum and Abyssinia.
1 Kings 10:1–13 and 2 Chronicles 9:1–12 recount the story of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (Saba) who was also known at the time as the Queen of Aksum, and her given name, Makeda. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ refers to her as the Queen of the South (Matthew 12:42, Luke 11:31). The Queen of Sheba sought King Solomon for his wisdom and became one of the earliest Gentile rulers who believed in the God of Israel. In gratitude, she gave Solomon a large fortune. The Bible tells us that in exchange for her gifts, King Solomon gave her all she desired.
Considering Solomon’s reputation with women, including women of foreign lands, it may come as no surprise that according to Ethiopian historical records, the Queen of Sheba gave birth to his son, whom she named Menyelek. The historical text, The Kebra Nagast (“Glory of the Kings”), tells of Solomon’s relationship with the Queen of Sheba and their son Menyelek, the first King of Ethiopia. Historical records point to this series of events as establishing the Solomonic bloodline of Ethiopian Kings that lasted from the time of King Solomon until 1974.
According to The Kebra Nagast, a wealthy Ethiopian merchant named Tamrin visited Solomon’s court first and told the Queen of Sheba about King Solomon. She went to meet Solomon herself and conceived a son. When their son Menyelek came of age, the Queen asked Tamrin to take Menyelek to Jerusalem to meet and learn from his father. Their journey took them the route through Gaza-most likely the same route taken by the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts. Upon hearing of her son’s return, the Queen of Sheba gave thanks and praised God for her son’s safe return. She then made the nobles of Ethiopia take an oath that only the male descendants of Solomon could rule Ethiopia. While the Bible only tells of the meeting of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Ethiopians would have learned of these events as later documented in The Kebra Nagast. As far as the Ethiopian mentioned in Acts was concerned, he was in service to a royal house that was a direct descendant of David through Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba’s return from Jerusalem marked the time when Ethiopia started to worship the God of Israel and turn away from paganism. As a result of this spiritual awakening, trade and pilgrimage between Ethiopia and Jerusalem became common. One can imagine that the route traveled by the Ethiopian in Acts 8 had been traveled countless times before by his countrymen. As a high-ranking member of the royal court of Ethiopia, going to Jerusalem to worship would not be unusual. However, this Ethiopian stands out in two ways. First, we know that he was in control of the vast wealth of the Queen’s treasury—he could afford to travel long distances by chariot, and could also afford the expense of a scrolled copy of the book of Isaiah. Second, he was a very learned man. In addition to speaking his native language, he also could read and understand Hebrew.
So… who is this man that Philip met? Without knowing some historical context, it is easy to see the Ethiopian as the object of Philip’s actions instead of the subject of God’s grace. Philip met an Ethiopian Eunuch, true. In that Ethiopian he met a wealthy, learned man, of high standing in society, who’s nation had a deep history with Jerusalem and God. A man who was a Gentile believer in God, who was returning from worshiping in Jerusalem. Even after worshiping in Jerusalem, the epicenter of Judaism; he still didn’t comprehend what he was reading. However, when asked that critical question by Philip as to whether he understood the book of Isaiah, the Ethiopian did not hesitate to say “No” and to ask for help. “How can I, unless someone guides me?…” Acts 8:31.
Just like the Queen of Sheba sought wisdom from Solomon and encountered God, so too did this Ethiopian seek a deeper understanding of scripture from Philip, encounter Christ, and become baptized. Neither the Bible nor The Kebra Nagast elaborate further on the life of this Ethiopian upon his return home. Many attribute the spread of Christianity in the region to him. What we do know from historical records is that the first Christian Emperor in the World was the Ethiopian, Negus Negaste Ezana, who reigned from 320–356 AD. He made Christianity the official religion of Ethiopia and Ethiopia was the first nation in the world to put the crucifix on its coin currency. For as it is written in Psalm 68:31 “…Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hand to God.”
End Note:
The flag of the Ethiopian Empire includes the Lion of Judah and a processional cross.
When the last of the Solomonic Kings of Ethiopia was killed in 1974, this flag was no longer used.
How Hebrew Poetry Works
Rhyming Thoughts
While Western poetry often relies on metered rhyme (similar-sounding words), ancient Israelite poetry doesn’t follow a master system of meter or sound. Instead, its primary organizing principle is the parallelism of lines—essentially, biblical poets “rhyme” thoughts and ideas rather than sounds.
- The Heartbeat: Parallelism Parallelism is an “associative mode of thought” where two things are placed next to each other to show their relation. It assumes that to truly understand an idea, you need to grasp another idea that is both similar and distinct. There are three main types:
- Synonymous: The second line repeats the first using different words (e.g., “The heavens declare the glory of God; / the skies proclaim the work of his hands”).
- Antithetical: The second line contrasts the first, often using the word “but” (e.g., “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, / but the way of the wicked leads to destruction”).
- Synthetic (Progressive): The lines build on each other to tell a developing story or narrative.
- The Color: Imagery & Metaphor Biblical poems are “terseness” personified—they use fewer words than normal speech to communicate rich, imaginative experiences. To understand them, we must understand the ancient Israelite worldview. Common metaphors include:
- The Shepherd: Signifying God’s care, provision, and leadership.
- The Rock/Fortress: Representing stability, safety, and refuge.
- Unsafe Landscapes: Using deserts, storms, or waves to signify fear or tests of faith.
The Architecture: Structural Glue
The psalmists didn’t just write individual lines; they used sophisticated “structural glue” to organize their prayers into larger units.
- Stanzas: Groups of lines that form a distinct “paragraph” or unit of thought.
- Refrains: A phrase repeated at intervals, like a musical chorus, grounding the reader in a recurring truth during shifts in mood.
- Inclusio (The Envelope): This is when a poem begins and ends with the same phrase. These “bookends” signal that everything in the middle should be interpreted through that specific frame.
- Chiasm (Symmetry): A pattern where themes are repeated in reverse order (A-B-C-B-A). In a Chiasm, the “C” (the center) is the “hinge”—it is the most important point the author wants to make.
Our Language of Faith
Themes to Look For
As we dive into the Psalms together, use your reading guide to look for these six specific themes. These aren’t just categories; they are the “language of faith” that helps us trust in Jesus, become like Jesus, and do as Jesus did.
- Praise & Hymns (The Language of Adoration) These are songs of “orientation”—they recognize the right order of the world with God at the center. This language is used to express direct worship for who God is, not just what He has done. When we pray these, we align our hearts with the truth of His character.
- Lament (The Language of Raw Honesty) About one-third of the Psalms are laments—cries of pain, protest, and confusion. This is the language of “disorientation.” These psalms give us permission to bring our grief and anger to God. They remind us that God welcomes our honesty, and bringing our pain to Him is actually a profound act of faith because it assumes He is listening and He is the only one who can help.
- Petition (The Language of Asking) Petition often goes hand-in-hand with lament. It is the specific cry for help, protection, or intervention. Whether asking God to “wake up” or to “be a shield,” this theme gives us the words to express our total dependence on Him when we are in distress or facing injustice.
- Thanksgiving (The Language of Rescue) This is the language of “new orientation.” These psalms are the “before and after” stories of the Bible. They are prayed after God has delivered or rescued the psalmist. They move beyond general praise to specific gratitude for a concrete act of God’s faithfulness in time and space.
- Wisdom (The Language of Reflection) Wisdom psalms (like Psalm 1 or 119) invite us to reflect on how to live life well. They often contrast “two ways” of living—the way of the righteous who meditate (hagah) on God’s Word and the way of those who ignore it. This language helps us navigate the complexities of life in light of God’s instructions.
- Royal (The Language of Hope) Royal psalms focus on the King or the promised “Anointed One.” While they originally spoke of the Davidic kings, they point us toward the ultimate King, Jesus. This is the language of waiting and hope, looking forward to the day when God’s Kingdom fully arrives on earth as it is in heaven.
Reflect & Apply:
The 150-Day Challenge
Our challenge to you is to read one Psalm a day over the next 150 days.
Choose Your Journey
- The 150-Day Challenge: Read one Psalm a day for a steady, transformative experience.
As you read, use these three questions from your bookmark to guide your meditation:
- How should this psalm make you feel? Notice the psalmist’s raw honesty. What emotion is it designed to help you express to God right now?
- Where is Jesus? Many psalms come from someone waiting on God. What is this psalm waiting for? Does Jesus answer that wait, or did He experience that same wait Himself?
- Can you use this psalm to talk to God right now? If so, pray it! If not, “hide it in your heart”—you may need it soon.
Happy meditating (hagah-ing)!
Dive Deeper
Recommended Resources
If you want to go even further in your study of biblical poetry and the Psalms, here are some excellent resources compiled from our class:
Watch & Learn
The BibleProject has created several incredible video series that bring these concepts to life. We highly recommend checking out:
How to Read the Bible series: Includes specific videos on Poetry, Poetic Metaphor, and The Book of Psalms.
Read & Explore