Psalms 102–150 Part 1 • Dr. Michael Ballam • Aug 31 - Sept 6 • Come, Follow Me

August 26, 2026

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5 min read

Psalms 102–150 Part 1 • Dr. Michael Ballam

When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1956, one cave yielded forty-one new psalms—including a 151st Psalm of David that never made it into the Old Testament. In that psalm, David writes about being called as a boy: "My hands made a harp, my fingers fashioned a lyre." He describes how Samuel came to anoint him king, passed over his taller, handsomer brothers, and chose him because he had music. This detail captures something essential about the Psalms that Dr. Michael Ballam, opera singer and founder of the Utah Festival Opera, wants listeners to understand: these are not poems. They are lyrics, meant to be sung.

What the Psalms Actually Are

The traditional Jewish name for the Book of Psalms is Tehillim, a Hebrew word meaning "praises"—related to "hallelujah" (praise Jehovah). David wrote roughly four thousand psalms; the Old Testament preserves about 150 of them. But Ballam emphasizes that God's word was always sung in ancient Israel, and for good reason. "Music causes us to remember," he explains. You can teach a child the alphabet in forty minutes with a song; try teaching it by rote and they will never remember it.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Introduction & The Power of Sung Scripture** - Dr. Michael Ballam joins the hosts to discuss Psalms 102–150 as an ancient hymn book.
2 (09:09) **Praise in Music & David’s Temple Musicians** - The discussion focuses on Psalm 150 and the historical role of professional musicians in temple worship.
3 (12:34) **The Healing Power of Music** - Ballam shares personal stories demonstrating music’s ability to heal, reformat the mind, and reach people in comas.
4 (21:57) **The Messiah Sing-Along & Collective Praise** - The conversation turns to the communal experience of singing Handel’s *Messiah* and the concept of praise.
5 (23:26) **Psalm 23 & Psalms of Hope** - The hosts and Ballam discuss the world’s favorite psalm and its role in times of deep trial.
6 (27:23) **Psalm 119 & The Lamp of God’s Word** - Ballam recites and reflects on Psalm 119, focusing on the light scripture provides.
7 (30:44) **Psalm 121 & Looking Up** - A discussion of the psalm that inspired President Uchtdorf’s talk "It’s Better to Look Up."

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

What if the Psalms were not only meant to be read but sung aloud? Dr. Michael Ballam explores the Psalms as ancient Israel’s hymnbook, sharing personal stories of music’s healing power, from a memory-care patient’s return to lucidity to a final blessing for a dying father.

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Part 1 -
0:00 - Part 1 - Dr. Michael Ballam
1:23 Getting reacquainted with the Psalms
2:48 Israel’s hymnbook
4:00 Elohim and reading the Hebrew text
5:32 Introducing Dr. Michael Ballam
8:43 Come, Follow Me Manual
9:09 Psalm 150 and instruments of praise
11:33 Music in Jesus’s final hours
12:34 Psalm 151 and the Dead Sea Scrolls
15:36 A memory care story: music restoring memory
16:49 Singing for prophets and apostles
20:10 “Sing and pray more, talk less”
23:35 Turning to favorite Psalms
26:37 Psalm 119 and “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet”
30:38 Poetry in Isaiah
33:00 The story behind “How Great Thou Art”
35:02 Elder Cook’s funeral
38:02 Psalm 130 “Out of the depths”
43:08 The story behind “Lead, Kindly Light”
44:38 “Amazing Grace” and a testimony
45:38 Humor in the Psalms
47:18 “The stone the builders refused”
49:09 A film project
53:38 A Marine’s pilot’s hymn-singing story
54:14 Amanda Barnes Smith and Haun’s Mill
55:38 Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s final months
58:09 Music heals and interesting roles
1:00:47 Playing the Apostle Paul
1:04:21 End of Part 1 - Dr. Michael Ballam

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