“AIJELETH-SHAHAR" in the heading of the psalm means "according to the hind of the morning," which may be the name of the tune to which it was sung, though some have thought it has a spiritual meaning connected with the subject of this psalm. "On the cross, alone, forsaken, Where no pitying eye was found," the Holy sufferer hung. Hear His lips pronounce those words of Matthew 27:46 with which the psalm begins:
"My God, My God why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Why was He forsaken by His God? Isaiah 53 answers:
"He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed."
"All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and Jehovah hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all."
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of Man be lifted up: that every one who believes on Him, may not perish, but have life eternal. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him may not perish, but have life eternal." John 3:14-16.
"Who (Christ) Himself, bore our sins in His body on the tree." 1 Peter 2:24.
He was forsaken by God, that we who believe, might never be punished for our Sins. Here is the work which is the foundation of every blessing, now and eternally, for Jew, Gentile and Church of God.
He bore in His soul all that God is against evil. What it was, in its depths, no human heart can ever measure or know.
Only He could ask "Why," for He was the one righteous Person who had glorified God in all His ways. But He is not answered.
O, those fearful three hours of darkness on the cross! (Mark 15:33, 34). He is yet to see of the fruit of the travail of His soul (Isaiah 53:11).
He speaks as a Jew (the Psalms, we have noted, are Jewish, throughout, written for Jews),
"Our fathers confided in Thee and Thou didst deliver them" (verse 4). Others had suffered, and known small parts of the path which He trod: it was their privilege: but with Him it was willingness, His own grace. They were delivered, but for Him there was no deliverance.
Solitary in its awfulness, through time and eternity, stands that hour when The Righteous One was forsaken of God. By His death, God was perfectly glorified about evil, and that substitutional death was once for all, that all may believe and be saved.
When the work of atonement was completed, He was heard from the horns of the unicorns, or buffaloes (verse 21), that is, from the point of death. At this time, John 19:30 records His words "It is finished," and Luke 23:46 shows in this last utterance, that then all His suffering for our sins was past.
"Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit."
He had secured the glory of God; had glorified Him when He (Jesus) could not be heard, and now He was heard, for He had emptied the cup of woe. He goes down into the grave, which witnesses that all was closed, but rises again the Victorious One.
"I will declare Thy name unto My brethren" (verse 22). (See John 20:17).
In this 22nd Psalm there is no word of judgment on man; it could not be, where the whole theme is of Him who bore God's judgment. But let none deceive himself; he that believes on the Son has life eternal, and he that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).