PSALM 22
INTRODUCTION:
Psalm 22
is considered a Psalm of David, He knew suffering and pain. He
experienced loneliness and how it felt to be forsaken. This Psalm is
ultimately fulfilled in the Messiah.
BODY:
I.
His Rejection
Psalm 22:1-10
Psalm
22: 1-2
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from
helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in
the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am
not silent.”
NKJV
David feels that God has abandoned him in his time of suffering and
feels he is far away. He feels hopeless, continually crying out. (Psalm
6:6)
“I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I
drench my couch with my tears.”
NKJV
Jesus cries out on the cross. (Matthew
27:46) “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why
have You forsaken Me?’”
NKJV
The Father had to temporally turn his back on the Son. This was
demanded by the Father’s holiness. (2
Corinthians 5:21)
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him.”
NKJV
But Jesus knew the Father would not permanently forsake him. (John
16:32)
“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be
scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am
not alone, because the Father is with Me.”
NKJV
Psalm 22:3-5
“But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers
trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to
You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.”
NKJV
David reminds himself of God’s goodness in the past. When
delivering His people, He provided for and sustained them. We must
continually remind ourselves of God’s help for us in past
circumstances.
Psalm 22:6-8
“But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the
people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip,
they shake the head, saying, He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue
Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
NKJV
“Worm” shows the feeling of not having worth, of being lowly. Then
note the feelings of reproach, being despised, ridiculed. This was
how Christ was treated. (Matthew
27:39-44)
“And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and
saying, ‘You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save
yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and
elders, said, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is
the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we
will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He
will have Him; for he said, I am the Son of God.’ Even the robbers
who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.
NKJV
Psalm 22:9-10
“But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while
on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My
mother’s womb You have been My God.
NKJV
David knows his existence comes from God. God has been with him
since birth. Christians need to remember, especially in difficult
times, that they are new creatures in Christ with great worth in
God’s sight. Christians are special prized possessions.
II.
His Suffering
Psalm 22:11-18
Psalm 22:11-12
“Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to
help. Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have
encircled Me.”
NKJV
Bashan is rich pastures for strong bulls. Often we can feel
surrounded by brutish animals – our enemies. Our lord was
surrounded at his crucifixion. They were angry and ready to kill.
Psalm 22:13
“They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring
lion.”
NKJV
The crowd was ready to devour like vicious lions roaring at the
sight of their prey.
Psalm 22:14-15
“I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My
heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up
like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought
Me to the dust of death.”
NKJV
This
description is the
sad picture of Jesus on the cross. His life is ebbing away. His
heart is melting; His bones are out of joint. His mouth is parched
as He said, “I thirst.”
Psalm 22:16
“For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has
enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;”
NKJV
Enemies are seen as a pack of wild dogs. His hands and feet were
pierced.
Psalm 22:17-18
“I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide
My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”
NKJV
Jesus is described as getting weaker and weaker. One can see His
bones because he’s so thin. They cast lots for his clothes.
III.
His Plea
Psalm 22:19-21
“But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to
help Me! Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power
of the dog. Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the
wild oxen! You have answered Me.”
NKJV
The writer, David, pleads for help from God. He feels beaten and
broken. Christ knew the Father could deliver Him but He also knew
He had to die so we could live. (Hebrews
9:26-28)
“He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the
world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for
men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered
once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He
will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
NKJV
IV.
His Praise
Psalm
22:22-26
“I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the
assembly I will praise You. You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All
you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you
offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the
affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard. My praise shall be of You in
the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise
the Lord. Let your heart live forever!”
NKJV
“Declare your name” – While David declared God’s character and
nature, no one did it to the degree that Jesus did. He said, “He
came to reveal the Father.” Christ is telling us to glorify and
praise Jehovah. We must tell the world about Him. Also, God has
always been concerned with the afflicted, the poor, the needy. We
must be concerned as well. In addition, those in “the assembly,”
the kingdom, feast upon all spiritual blessings.
V.
His Prophecy
Psalm 22:27-31
“All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And
all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. For the
kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations. All the
prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down
to the dust shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself
alive. A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the
Lord to the next generation, They will come and declare His
righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.”NKJV
·
“King of Kings” The Lord’s Kingdom is the greatest of all
kingdoms. (Revelation
11:15)
“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in
heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms
of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’
”
NKJV
·
All kinds of men, rich and poor, healthy or sick, will worship the
Lord. They will praise Him for all their blessings.
·
Generation after generation will hear the gospel’s message and be
blessed. God’s righteousness will be declared by one generation to
another generation. (Isaiah12:4-5)
“And in that day you will say: Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is
exalted. Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This
is known in all the earth.”
NKJV
INVITATION:
All people will be blessed in this life and the next, if they will
come to Him in obedience, regardless of how difficult their life may
be.
Bobby Stafford
October 9, 2016
