Psalm 22
The music for this psalm must have been in slow, solemn tones, for it tells the grief of One in very great trouble. David wrote this psalm and had many times been in much sorrow, but not like this One, for David had always been comforted and helped by God, so had Elijah, Job and all others who trusted in God, But the cry of this One, given in the first verse is,
“My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
Forsaken means to be left alone. This person had prayed to God day and night, yet was left to suffer without the comfort of God, as no one else ever had.
In the New Testament we read of One who lived long after David who cried out those same words in Hebrew while suffering it cruel death on a cross outside the city of Jerusalem. This One was Jesus of Nazareth, who was hated by the leaders. of the Jews because He told them that He was the Son of God. And to please those leaders He was crucified by Roman soldiers.
Things which took place at that time were the same as told of in this psalm: the suffering One says,
“All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn” (Verse 7).
Would men laugh at one in pain and sorrow? Yes, that was what the soldiers and others did while they watched Jesus suffer. The psalm also told the words some would say about this One: “He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him” (Verse 8), Those very words were said by the Jewish priests and scribes about Jesus, as He hung on the cross. Those men used the words of this psalm, but they did not believe the One God sent to deliver or them from their enemies and from their own sins.
The soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross divided His garments, a part for each soldier, excepting His cloak, which was woven in one piece; so they drew lots to see which one should have that. Now notice what had been written in this psalm, verse 18,
“‘They parted My garments. among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.”
The Roman soldiers did not know the psalms, but God knew what they would do, and told David long years before to write it.
The answer to the question, “My God My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” seems to be in the words of verse 3, “Thou art holy.” Because God, the Father, was holy He could not comfort His Son when He was taking the punishment for sin.
There is more in the psalm of how that One would suffer; we cannot explain or understand such sorrow; we can only believe that the Lord had these words written that His people should, honor the One who so suffered. The people of Jerusalem must often have read this psalm yet who Jesus said the same words on the cross, and was so despised, only a few believe Him to be the Son of God.
We very much wish that each boy and girl who now reads this psalm may believe honor the Lord Jesus who suffered for sin, “the Just for the unjust.”
The prophet Isaiah also wrote of a “Man of sorrows” and said,
David was called a prophet, one who told events before they happened (See Acts 2:3030Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; (Acts 2:30)), For the account of Jesus on the cross read Matthew 27:26-5126Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 28And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 32And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. 33And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 35And 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. 36And sitting down they watched him there; 37And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40And 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. 41Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42He 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. 43He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46And 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? 47Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; (Matthew 27:26‑51), also John 19:23,2423Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. (John 19:23‑24).
ML 07/21/1940