Psalm 22 — Has God Forsaken Me?
Introduction: Some portions of Psalm 22 are quoted in the New Testament gospels which identifies them as prophetic about the sacrificial death of Christ. Even though David is not primarily thought of as a prophet, Psalm 22 could not have drawn from prophecies written about the Christ some centuries later by authors such as Isaiah. Some of the verses in Psalm 22 describe experiences in the life of David. Others were directed by the Holy Spirit to describe the sacrifice of the promised Messiah who was a very unique descendent of David in the flesh. Some verses might apply to Israel in general, and also to all people who would desire to follow the LORD in any generation. Believers can trust the content of scripture, even though sometimes it may be difficult to fully understand. 2 Timothy 3 “16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
NOTE: Scripture passages are from the 1769 King James Bible.
A — Why Is My Cry Not Heard?
Psalm 22 “1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.”
Comments: In these first two verses only singular pronouns are used, and there are other psalms of David wherein he cried out to the LORD; but this one has the strongest expression of David feeling completely forsaken. This inspired scripture was directed by the Holy Spirit to make the overall content applicable in other ways. The plea within verse one is prophetic about the Christ in his suffering. Matthew 27 “45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
B — God Dwells within the Praises of Israel
Psalm 22 “3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.”
Comments: In these three verses the pronouns are all plural as David’s words describe what the LORD had done for the people of Israel over the centuries even before he was born. David used the expression that God inhabited (or dwelt) with them in the midst of their praises and adoration to a holy God. When they trusted in the LORD, he delivered them from their enemies. When the LORD called Israel out of bondage in Egypt, he said he would dwell with them. Exodus 29 “45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.” David said the LORD dwells within the praises of believers, and Psalm 90 provides another perspective. Psalm 90 “1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” When a person has the Spirit of Christ within, that person has the double blessing of also being part of Christ, never to be separated. Hebrews 13 “5 He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
C — Despised and Scorned by the People
Psalm 22 “6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.”
Comments: In terms of prophecy, the Lord Jesus experienced the sort of treatment described in these verses when he was taken to be crucified. Matthew 27 “39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.” Luke 1 “31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” This is the hope of every one who believes in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”
D — Be Not Far from Me
Psalm 22 “11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.”
Comments: David may have used “strong bulls of Bashan” as a metaphor for ominous danger. The open mouths of roaring lions provides a fairly common mental picture of life threatening violence. In verse 14 David used an expression that he was (or prophetically, Jesus was) being poured out like water and would not be recoverable in any ordinary manner. David used other symbolic figures of speech to describe this utterly helpless situation. Another psalm also attributed to David speaks of extreme thirst. Psalm 69 “21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” The gospel of John recorded: John 19 “28 Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
E — Come Quickly to Help Me Lord
Psalm 22 “16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.”
Comments: It would be difficult to find even the most remote reference to David about his hands and feet being pierced or his garments being divided among his captors. But the Holy Spirit guided David to write prophetically about his promised descendent who would suffer in this manner. Matthew 27 “35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.” It is interesting to note that the passage from Matthew contains “which was spoken by the prophet,” in reference to David.
F — I Will Praise You Lord in the Great Congregation
Psalm 22 “20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.”
Comments: The tone in the text of Psalm 22 seems to have changed now to more of expectation than of abandonment as he said God has heard him. He believed the “horns of the unicorn” would overpower the sword, the dogs, and the lion’s mouth. There is a clear call to praise the LORD in verses 22 to 25 because he has not ignored the afflicted or hidden his face from the cry for help. Praise will be offered openly in the congregation of those who fear the LORD. Psalm 35 “17 Lord, rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. 18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.”
G — The Kingdom Belongs to the Lord
Psalm 22 “26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations. 29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.”
Comments: These last seven verses look ahead to the final disposition of God’s predetermined plan to offer freedom from sin to all who will receive it. Those who are meek and humble before the LORD shall be fully satisfied. For only such people will seek the LORD to praise him by their trust and obedience, and their soul shall live forever by the mercy of the God who gives life eternal. John 6 “50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” If anyone refuses to believe that the Holy Scriptures identify Jesus Christ as God, they will not receive eternal life. John 5 “39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” The eternal kingdom is the LORD’S and those who have placed full trust in the LORD already have their place secured in that kingdom. Isaiah 45 “22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” Matthew 25 “34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Reflections in Prayer
I thank you, LORD, that I can look to David as he wrote often about extreme difficulties, because I know he experienced such things even though he was a man after God’s own heart. Help me to have the depth of faith that he had in you, when I go through my own trials. I want to have a commitment to praise your name during such times even if they seem too difficult to endure. I believe that you, LORD, are in the midst of the praises of believers today, as you were for Israel when they honored your name. I thank you that you have provided some family and friends around me who know Christ Jesus as the risen Savior. May we continually welcome you into our midst by our praise especially for the sacrifice of Christ for us. Jesus was despised and scorned in our place and allowed himself to be found helpless as he went to the cross even though there was no fault in him. All who trust in Christ were chosen by grace before the foundation of the world as part of the eternal plan of the only true God.
Thank you, LORD, for the prophetic verses in Psalm 22 about the son of David who is the eternal Son of God. The accuracy of those prophecies already fulfilled by Christ Jesus adds to the confidence believers have in the promises yet to come. The Word of the LORD will continue to be spread around the world in many nations and languages until the time has come for the everlasting kingdom to be established. My praise will forever be to the KING of kings and LORD of lords for the unsearchable riches of the gift of grace that has made me a citizen of heaven. Hallelujah and Amen!
Published 15 September 2016