PSALM 22

THE SUFFERINGS AND GLORY OF CHRIST - A Messianic Prophesy

Learning to Praise Him

Suffering is never popular in today’s society.  But if we can understand why we must, and the benefit we receive by trusting in the work of Christ--it sheds whole new light on suffering.  

This Psalm is remarkable prophesy.  The New Testament had yet to written, yet David’s revelation of the One who would come to save the world from sin, was entrenched in his own heart at this present time of trouble in his life.   

The Psalm has two parts—  There is a type of complaining to God:  Where was God when he was needed—and not to be found...

       The second half of the psalm is the return of God to His people brings with him much

       love and spiritual blessing.  In spite of life’s difficulties—learn to praise Him. 

       The Lord delights in the praises of his people!    

      I will praise you among your assembled people. 
      Praise the LORD, all you who fear him!

    Psalm 22

      A Psalm of David

¹      My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

                               Why are you so far away when I groan for help?

²      Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.

                                            Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.

³      Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

⁴      Our ancestors trusted in you,  and you rescued them.

⁵      They cried out to you and were saved.

        They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

⁶      But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all!

⁷      Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying,

⁸      “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him!

        If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”

⁹      Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb

and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.

¹⁰      I was thrust into your arms at my birth.

You have been my God from the moment I was born.

¹¹      Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me.

¹²      My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls.

Fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!

¹³      Like lions they open their jaws against me,

roaring and tearing into their prey.

¹⁴      My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.

               My heart is like wax, melting within me.

¹⁵      My strength has dried up like sun baked clay.

My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.

¹⁶      My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs—

an evil gang closes in on me.  They have pierced my hands and feet.

¹⁷      I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat.

¹⁸      They divide my garments among themselves

and throw dice for my clothing.

¹⁹      O Lord, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!

²⁰      Save me from the sword. Spare my precious life from these dogs.

²¹      Snatch me from the lion’s jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen.

²²      I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.

I will praise you among your assembled people.

²³      Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!

Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence,

all you descendants of Israel!

²⁴      For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.

He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.

²⁵      I will praise you in the great assembly.

I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.

²⁶      The poor will eat and be satisfied.  All who seek the Lord will praise him.

Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.

²⁷      The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.

All the families of the nations will bow down before him.

²⁸      For royal power belongs to the Lord.

He rules all the nations.

²⁹      Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.

Bow before him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust.

³⁰      Our children will also serve him.

Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.

³¹      His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.

They will hear about everything he has done.

This is a picture of Christ’s sufferings that go far beyond anything we can ever comprehend— the only proper response is to bow in worship and to submit ourselves afresh to do the will of Him who loved us and give Himself for us.

HE WAS THE FORSAKEN OF GOD

When Jesus was crucified, darkness fell upon the land from about noon until 3 p.m., when Jesus cried out the haunting words of Psalm 22:1: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”

We know that Jesus bore God’s curse upon the world’s sin and God for a time in His holiness was forced to turn His back upon His Son.  Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf us. (2 Corinthians 5:21. Gal. 3:13).

We can’t begin to understand how Christ felt, because we have not enjoyed perfect fellowship with the Father as Jesus had.

HE WAS DESPISED AND MOCKED (verse 22:6‑8)

A worm is an object of weakness and scorn.   There is also a worm in the east called “The Cochineal” worm.  It produces a scarlet color used as a dye when it was crushed. It was used in the Tabernacle as a dye.  Jesus was crushed so that His blood might cover our sins.

His enemies were likened to ferocious animals—bulls, lions, and dogs, while the Jewish rulers snorted their ridicule and false accusations. Even though He could have called 10,000 legions of angels, the Savior chose to suffer.

THE AGONY OF CRUCIFIXION (verse 22:14‑18)

Verses 14‑18 are amazing prophecies of Christ’s crucifixion. Crucifixion was a means of torture in some places in the East.  The psalmist’s description goes far beyond his own experience in suffering. He was:

“Poured out like water”  points to the excessive thirst and a sword being trust into his side—His life slowly being ebbed away.

“Bones out of joint” of being stretched out by the arms as He hung on the cross.

“Heart turned to wax and melted” we can not begin to imagine the brokenness he felt as He was forsaken by the Father.   

“Pierced hands and feet”  Two other Old Testament passages (Isaiah 53:5and Zechariah 12:10) refer to Messiah being pierced.

“Count all my bones” from being stretched out naked on the cross.

“My enemies stare at me and gloat” this was a public crucifixion, the people looked upon him with satisfaction.

            “Divide my garments and cast lots for my clothing” the activity of the soldiers around the cross.  They desired to have a “part of him” for being a part of this act and having a memento [found “treasure”].         

That’s just a glimpse of Christ’s suffering as seen prophetically by David 1,000 years before Christ. His great suffering shows us the opportunity of salvation and how we should respond.

My sin put Jesus on the cross. His love made Him willing to go there. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).