{"id":1852,"date":"2015-12-24T15:15:19","date_gmt":"2015-12-24T15:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christian-gospel.info\/?p=1852"},"modified":"2015-12-24T15:15:19","modified_gmt":"2015-12-24T15:15:19","slug":"psalm-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/?p=1852","title":{"rendered":"Psalm 22"},"content":{"rendered":"

THOUGHTS ON PSALM 22<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Survey of the psalm<\/strong> <\/span>
The first part of this psalm gives us a little insight into the feelings of the Lord Jesus as He hung upon the cross of Calvary.\u00a0 We are privileged to learn somewhat of what He was thinking during the hours of darkness, over which the gospel writers pass in silence.\u00a0 We know the psalm is about Him because He spoke the words of verse 1 about Himself, Matthew 27:46.\u00a0 The psalmist said elsewhere that “The Lord forsaketh not His saints”, Psalm 37:28, so of none in the Old Testament can Psalm 22 be written; it is unique to God’s Son.\u00a0 <\/span>
In the second half of the psalm we are given insight into the ever expanding glories that result from His death\u00a0 So the psalm can be seen as an illustration of the apostle Peter’s words when he wrote about “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow”, 1 Peter 1:11.\u00a0 The expression “the sufferings of Christ” does not just mean the sufferings that Christ endured, but more than this, the sufferings that He was appointed to endure, for they pertained to Him and no other.\u00a0 It was God’s purpose that the Christ, or Messiah, should suffer in a certain way, and so it came to pass.\u00a0 His unique person gives character to His unique sufferings.\u00a0 And they yield unique results. <\/span>
These sufferings were testified beforehand by the Holy Spirit, the apostle assures us, so we learn they were set out in the Old Testament.\u00a0 In the books of Moses we find the foreshadowing of the sufferings in the sacrifices that were offered, whether it be the sacrifice in Eden, Genesis 3; Abel’s, Genesis 4; Abraham’s, Genesis 12, 15, 22; or the offerings upon the altar in the court of the tabernacle and outside the camp as detailed in the book of Leviticus.\u00a0 In the Psalms we have the feelings of the sufferings, as in poetic form the trauma of Calvary is expressed.\u00a0 In the prophets we have the foretelling of the sufferings, in such passages as Isaiah 53.\u00a0 When we come to the New Testament, we have the fact of the sufferings in the accounts in the four Gospels, and then the forth-telling of the meaning of it all in the Epistles.\u00a0 <\/span>
Thus it is no surprise that when He was telling the meaning of Calvary to the two on the Emmaus Road, the Saviour “beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself”, Luke 24:27.\u00a0 And later on that day He said, “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day”, verse 46.\u00a0 He also asked in verse 26, “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and enter into His glory?”\u00a0 Many Jews only believed the prophecies about the glory of the Messiah, and ignored the sufferings, hence they did not believe all the prophets had spoken, only some.\u00a0 The Lord Jesus explained in verse 46 that the Messiah ought to suffer, (meaning He was under obligation to suffer), and only after that to enter into the glory of His kingdom.\u00a0 What put Him under obligation was the determinate will and counsel of God, Acts 2:23. <\/span>
It is important to notice that there is no specific notice of the death of the Saviour in this psalm.\u00a0 It is everywhere implied, but is not mentioned.\u00a0 It is true He speaks of being brought to the dust of death, but as we shall see when we look at verse 15, that does not refer to His actual death.\u00a0 The emphasis throughout is on that which prevented Him from giving up His life in the way His Father had commanded.\u00a0 His appeal for help is not so as to avoid death, but to die in the required way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Structure of the psalm<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The psalm is divided in general terms into two sections, verse 1-21, His sufferings on the cross during the three hours of darkness, and then verses 22-31, His glories, as known by an ever-increasing circle of people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verse 1(a)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The defining statement from Christ Himself.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 1(b)-10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cry for help on the basis of four things: <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
“Why art Thou so far from helping Me?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
(i)<\/span><\/td>\nVerses 2,3<\/span><\/td>\nThe constancy of His praying.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(ii)<\/span><\/td>\nVerses 4-5<\/span><\/td>\nThe history of Israel at the Passover. <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(iii)<\/span><\/td>\nVerses 6-8<\/span><\/td>\nThe mockery of the bystanders.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(iv)\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n Verses 9-9,10<\/span><\/td>\n The dependency on God He showed from the beginning.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Verses 11-18\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cry for help because of nine things. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
“Be not far from Me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
(i)<\/span><\/td>\nVerses 12-13<\/span><\/td>\nStrong bulls have compassed Him.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(ii)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 14(a)<\/span><\/td>\nHe is poured out like water.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(iii)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 14(b)<\/span><\/td>\nAll His bones are out of joint.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(iv)\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 14(c)<\/span><\/td>\nHis heart is like wax.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(v)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse15(a)<\/span><\/td>\nHis strength is dried up.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(vi)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 15(b)<\/span><\/td>\nHis tongue cleaves to His jaws.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(vii)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 15(c)<\/span><\/td>\nHe is brought to the dust of death.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(viii)<\/span><\/td>\n Verse 16<\/span><\/td>\nHis hands and feet have been pierced.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(ix)<\/span><\/td>\nVerses 17-18<\/span><\/td>\nHe is stripped of His clothing.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0Verses 19-21\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cry for help to overcome four things. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
“But be not Thou far from Me, O Lord: O My strength, haste Thee to help Me”.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
(i)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 20(a)<\/span><\/td>\nThe sword.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(ii)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 20(b)<\/span><\/td>\nThe power of the dog.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(iii)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 21(a)<\/span><\/td>\nThe lion’s mouth. <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(iv)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 21(b)\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nThe horns of the unicorns.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Verses 22-31\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The glories that follow His sufferings.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN PSALM 22, VERSES 1 TO 10:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:1\u00a0 My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? why art Thou so far from helping Me, and from the words of My roaring? <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:2\u00a0 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:3\u00a0 But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:4\u00a0 Our fathers trusted in Thee: they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:5\u00a0 They cried unto Thee, and were delivered: they trusted in Thee, and were not confounded. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:6\u00a0 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:7\u00a0 All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:8\u00a0 He trusted on the LORD that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:9\u00a0 But thou art He that took Me out of the womb: Thou didst make Me hope when I was upon My mother’s breasts. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:10\u00a0 I was cast upon Thee from the womb: Thou art My God from My mother’s belly.\u00a0<\/span> <\/strong>
<\/span><\/p>\n

With these things in mind, let us, with “unshod feet”, reverently consider the words of this psalm.<\/span><\/p>\n

To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar-<\/strong> the title of the psalm may not be inspired, (although we should remember that the title of Psalm 18 is, see 2 Samuel 22:1,2), but it is instructive.\u00a0 We might be surprised to find it is dedicated to the chief musician, who was no doubt in overall control of the temple-music.\u00a0 But there are sad songs and there are joyful songs, and this is both, for verses 1 to 21 tell of unparalleled sadness, whereas the remainder of the psalm is full of rejoicing. <\/span>
Aijeleth Shahar is probably the tune to which the psalmist, (who himself was a skilled musician), wished the psalm to be set when it was sung in the temple services.\u00a0 It is important to sing hymns to an appropriate tune.\u00a0 A sad hymn to a happy tune is to be avoided, if at all possible.\u00a0 We are to sing and make melody, Ephesians 5:19, so the tune is important.\u00a0 <\/span>
It is said that Aijeleth Shahar means “Hind of the dawn”, and this is fitting.\u00a0 For in the psalm the gentle hind, (a clean animal, according to Deuteronomy 14:5, and therefore suitable to be used as an illustration of Christ), is hunted to the death, but then emerges into the dawn of resurrection.\u00a0 It was indeed a new day that dawned when Christ rose from the dead, His sufferings for ever over.\u00a0 (It is interesting to note that John writes, “The first day of the week, cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre”, John 20:1.\u00a0 Then he refers to “the same day at evening, being the first day of the week”, verse 19.\u00a0 So he reverses the natural order, for when God created the earth the order was “the evening and the morning”, Genesis 1:5, etc).\u00a0 The Lord Jesus is the true Naphtali, of whom it is said that he was “a hind let loose”, Genesis 49:21, and God has loosed the pains of death for Christ, Acts 2:24, and He is set free, never to be hunted or bound again.\u00a0 Jacob also said that Naphtali “giveth goodly words”, and this was true of Christ as He preached before the cross.\u00a0 But our psalm says He will declare God’s name to His brethren, verse 22, so the goodly words continue in resurrection.\u00a0 We remember that the Book of Acts speaks of all that Jesus began to do and teach in His public ministry amongst Israel, Acts 1:1, implying that He continued to do and teach through the apostles as they taught and wrote of Him. <\/span>
A psalm of David- this means he was the inspired author of it, the Spirit of God using him to tell beforehand the sufferings of Christ.\u00a0 We should remember that David was not only a king, but a prophet, Acts 2:29,30, and so is enabled to infallibly tell things that would come to pass. <\/span>
There are some psalms that are of David in the sense that they pertain to David, being his personal experiences.\u00a0 This one is not, for it concerns sufferings that pertained to Christ alone, as we have already noted from 1 Peter 1:11.\u00a0 In confirmation of this, we find no confession of sin in the psalm, thus reminding us of one who is completely free of sin in word and deed, 1 Peter 2:22, in thought, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and in nature, 1 John 3:5. <\/span>
But is also “pertaining to Christ” in a further way, for it is full of personal and possessive pronouns relating to Himself.\u00a0 There are 52 in the first 21 verses.\u00a0 So the psalm is intensely personal, the unique feelings of Christ on the cross are being expressed.\u00a0 Whilst the main part of the sin offering was wholly burnt up, the fat covering the inward parts of the animal were burnt as incense on the altar of burnt offering.\u00a0 This would represent the strong heart-feelings of the Lord Jesus that He had even as He suffered the wrath of God upon the cross.\u00a0 He did not complain or rebel, but His trust and confidence in God remained intact. <\/span>
Psalm 22 emphasises the experiences of Christ as He endured the wrath of God against sin in the three hours of darkness upon the cross.\u00a0 As He hangs there, His mind ranges over things that were brought to His remembrance by the surrounding circumstances.\u00a0 He is hanging there at Passover time; during the hour of prayer in the temple; whilst the choirs are singing the praise of God in the temple courts; having been mocked and reviled by those around Him, including the chief priests; having committed His mother to John’s care; guarded by the Roman soldiery; having experienced the piercing of His hands and feet; conscious that the final battle was yet to be fought against the one who had the power of death.\u00a0 All these things were on His mind, and they find mention is some way or other in the psalm. <\/span>
He ponders these things with His senses fully alert.\u00a0 He was offered something to drink on three occasions whilst on the cross.\u00a0 First, He was offered the drugged drink that the daughters of Jerusalem provided out of pity for those who were crucified, Matthew 27:34.\u00a0 He refused this, after He had sipped it and found it was stupifying.\u00a0 He would go into the experience of the cross with every sense alert.\u00a0 His faculties were not dulled at all by sin, as with us, and He would endure the cross in all its horror without any relief from man. <\/span>
He was offered drink again in mockery, as the soldiers held it near to His lips, and then withdrew it; repeating this many times to tease and taunt Him, Luke 23:36.\u00a0 Then He was offered drink that He accepted, John 19:28-30, for His throat was dried, as our psalm describes, and He needs a clear voice by which to shout “It is finished” in triumph, and also to commit His spirit to God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verse 1(a)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The defining statement from Christ Himself.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:1\u00a0 My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me? why art Thou so far from helping Me, and from the words of My roaring?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My God, My God-<\/span><\/strong> this is a declaration of dependence, as He endures the wrath of God in the hours of darkness.\u00a0 God had always been His Father, for He was “that eternal life, which was with the Father”, 1 John 1:2.\u00a0 He had become His God, however, when He was conceived.\u00a0 Verse 10 of this psalm says this, for it reads “Thou art My God from My mother’s belly”.\u00a0 It was when He became incarnate at His conception that His relationship with the Father was given a new dimension, and He can now begin to address His Father as His God, the one on whom He depended as a man.\u00a0 Now that dependence is being shown to its greatest degree. <\/span>
This expression is also one of submission.\u00a0 When He came into manhood, Christ accepted the headship of God, 1 Corinthians 11:3, a relationship involving subjection.\u00a0 Under the supreme trial of the wrath-bearing, will His submission falter?\u00a0 The fact that it did not is clear from this verse, for twice over He affirms that God is still His God, and He recognises His claims over Him as His Son in manhood.\u00a0 Adam in ideal circumstances was found to rebel and be insubject.\u00a0 Not so the Last Adam. <\/span>
Why hast thou forsaken Me?<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 Is there any final answer to this question?\u00a0 Who can ever understand why it was the will of God that the Son of God should be abandoned of His God?\u00a0 How can He who is “in the bosom of the Father”, John 1:18 be said to be forsaken?\u00a0 Especially as the “is” of that quotation has the force of “ever is”.\u00a0 It is a position that cannot be given up.\u00a0 At whatever point we view Christ, whether in eternity or time, and even upon the cross, He is in the bosom of the Father, for this is an expression that tells of the unique relationship He has with the Father as His Only-begotten Son. <\/span>
Psalm 22 presents to us the sin-offering aspect of the work of Christ at Calvary, beginning as it does with this cry as one forsaken of God.\u00a0 Something of great moment must have happened if the Son of God’s love, His only-begotten, was caused to ask why He had been forsaken.\u00a0 And indeed it had, for He had been “made sin”, as 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares.\u00a0 <\/span>
We are helped to understand this a little by reference to what happened when a sin-offering was brought in tabernacle days.\u00a0 The sinner brought his animal, and laid his hands upon it, thus identifying himself with it, and acknowledging that he indeed was a sinner.\u00a0 From then on, the animal was reckoned to stand in the stead of the sinner, and the man’s sin was attributed to it.\u00a0 Whatever the sin deserved is inflicted upon the animal, and not on the man.\u00a0 So it was that the offering is killed beside the altar of burnt offering, but is not laid upon it.\u00a0 Its blood having been shed, and poured out at the base of the altar, it is taken outside the camp and burnt on the ground.\u00a0 The fire of God’s wrath consumed it, so that in figure the sin was no more.\u00a0 <\/span>
Each of the vessels of the tabernacle was the support for something else.\u00a0 The ark supported the mercy-seat; the lamp-stand supported the lamps; the altar of incense supported the censer; the table supported the loaves; the laver supported the water, and finally, the altar supported the sacrifices laid upon it.\u00a0 So it is that the person of Christ is the support of His work, whether it be in the past, or now.\u00a0 So the altar represents the person of Christ as the one who is able to undertake the work of sacrifice.\u00a0 And the bringing of the sin-offering to that altar to be killed recognised that fact.\u00a0 <\/span>
But as we have noticed, the major part of the sin-offering was burnt on the ground, and not on the altar at all.\u00a0 So the offering is disconnected from the altar, suggesting to us that in His sin-offering work Christ is dealt with as if He is not the person He is, for He is standing in as the substitute for others, and has been made sin.\u00a0 He does not confess those sins as if they were His own, but He does have attributed to Him that which is totally contrary to Himself personally.\u00a0 But since God is “of purer eyes that to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity”, Habakkuk 1:13, He had to turn away.\u00a0 God says, “But your\u00a0 iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear”, Isaiah 59:2, hence He must distance Himself from His own Son. <\/span>
However, He is still the person He ever was, for the apostle Paul, when speaking of the purpose of God to bless us, spoke of Him as “He who spared not His own Son, but freely delivered Him up for us all”, Romans 8:32, so He was still His own Son, even though, as the sinner’s representative, and made sin, He was abandoned by God.\u00a0 But it only lasted as long as the three hours of darkness, for after they were ended, He then said, “Father”.\u00a0 The sense of desertion was over, for the sins had been borne.\u00a0 It only remained for Him to die, and rise again, so as to introduce those who believe into the good of His death, in association with Him in resurrection.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 1(b)-10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cry for help on the basis of four things:<\/strong> <\/span>
“Why art Thou so far from helping Me?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Why art Thou so far from helping Me-<\/span><\/strong> as a dependent man, the Lord Jesus could always count on the support of His Father.\u00a0 The promise of the Father to Him was “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”, Hebrews 1:5.\u00a0 These were words originally spoken about Solomon, 2 Samuel 7:14, but “a greater than Solomon is here”, Matthew 12:42; if the words were true of Solomon, how much more so of Christ.\u00a0 In other words, in the world of natural relationships, all that a dutiful son may expect his father to be, in terms of support and resources, God had been to Him.\u00a0 God had been His God, as He moved in lowly dependence before Him.\u00a0 But He had been a true Son to His Father, and that gave great pleasure to God.\u00a0 <\/span>
We are often reminded of the contrast between God’s words to Israel in Malachi’s day, and His word to Christ on the banks of the Jordan.\u00a0 In Malachi we read of God saying, “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: If I then be a Father, where is mine honour?\u00a0 And if I be a Master, where is My fear?”\u00a0 Malachi 1:6.\u00a0 As a result of Israel’s failure as a nation in this regard, (and remember it was God’s national son, Exodus 4:22), God went on to say, “I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts”, verse 10.\u00a0 How different was the scene at Jordan, when the word came, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased”, Matthew 3:17.\u00a0 And He would go on to honour Him and serve Him faithfully.\u00a0 <\/span>
At the end of Malachi’s prophecy, God promises to spare Israel, “as a father spareth his own son that serveth him”, 3:17.\u00a0 Yet we have already noticed the language of Romans 8:32, “He that spared not His own Son\u2026” What has happened?\u00a0 Certainly not a breakdown of the relationship between Father and Son; that could never be.\u00a0 But a new situation has arisen, where the Son is standing in the place of sinners as the one made sin, and God’s attitude must necessarily take account of that.\u00a0 So it is that the Divine help He was afforded during His life, seems now to be withdrawn.\u00a0 That it is only temporary will be seen when we consider verses19-21.\u00a0 <\/span>
And from the words of My roaring?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong> We read of God that His arm is “not shortened that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy that it cannot hear”, Isaiah 59:1.\u00a0 But now it seems that in relation to His own Son, His arm is not stretched out to save when He calls for help; nor does His ear seem to be open to His cry.\u00a0 It is not that His prayer is not fervent enough, for the expressive term “My roaring” tells of the most intense of cries.\u00a0 If it were not be the fact that He has been made sin, His prayer would have been answered long before.\u00a0 The writer to the Hebrews speaks of the strong crying and tears of the Saviour, Hebrews 5:7, and this is a prime example.<\/span><\/p>\n

(i)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verses 2,3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The constancy of His praying.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:2\u00a0 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

O My God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not-<\/span><\/strong> notice the deep feeling expressed in the “O”; He is directly addressing His God, and pleading, not so much with the intensity of prayer as in verse 1, but the constancy of it.\u00a0 As far as the clock was concerned, it was daytime, and He constantly appealed to His God, such is the reality of His need, and His confidence that His need could be met.\u00a0 He is not asking to be delivered from the experience He was going through, but to be enabled to endure it.\u00a0 He had said to His disciples, “The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?” John 18:11, so He was not desiring to be relieved of the suffering, but to be enable to pass through it with spiritual success.\u00a0 And even though His prayer seemingly met no response, in reality it was otherwise, for He can say in verse 21 “Thou hast heard Me”.\u00a0 So we are to understand “Thou hearest not”, as meaning “Thou gavest Me no indication that Thou wast hearing Me”. <\/span>
And in the night season, and am not silent-<\/span><\/strong> although it was day as far as the clock was concerned, it was night as far as the supernatural darkness was concerned.\u00a0 Scripture tells us of great darkness that came over the earth when the Saviour was hanging upon the cross.\u00a0 Darkness within strictly confined limits, (from the sixth to the ninth hour, Luke 23:44), and therefore Divinely sent and controlled.\u00a0 As a result, the sun was darkened, verse 45.\u00a0 So the darkness was not that of an eclipse, (which cannot occur at full moon anyway), but was brought about by heaven’s intervention.\u00a0 The sun was still shining, but the darkness intervened.\u00a0 Is this not a parable?\u00a0 The Sun of Righteousness was still shining in all the brightness of His glory, but the thick darkness of our sins clothed Him in sackcloth. <\/span>
Whilst the Saviour was on the cross in the darkness, the priests were preparing to offer the incense at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour, Acts 3:1.\u00a0 This incense was unique, for no man was to make its like, Exodus 30:38.\u00a0 Yet this was only a symbol.\u00a0 The true incense of prayer was offered on the cross, and there is no prayer like His.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:3\u00a0 But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

But Thou art holy-<\/span> <\/strong>here we have the first of several “buts” in the psalm.\u00a0 Each has its own shade of meaning.\u00a0 They are as follows: <\/span>
Verse 3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The “but” of the refusal of an unspoken, unacceptable alternative. <\/span>
Verse 6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The “but” of contrast, for Israel had been delivered and He has not been, thus far. <\/span>
Verse 9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The “but” of faithfulness, even though as yet not delivered, He continues on with undiminished trust in His God. <\/span>
Verse 19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The “but” of an appeal.\u00a0 Even though mine enemies are near, be not far. <\/span>
Verse 24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The “but” of recompense, “when He cried unto Him, He heard”.<\/span><\/p>\n

This “but”, therefore, is that of an unspoken and unacceptable alternative.\u00a0 Faced with a situation of extreme trauma, when earnest prayers seem to go unanswered, many a saint might, if only for a fleeting moment, entertain wrong thoughts of God.\u00a0 Not so this Holy Sufferer.\u00a0 He banishes the thoughts before they arise.\u00a0 For Him, to sin is not an option, and to doubt the goodness of God, even when passing through this situation, would be to sin.\u00a0 But His holy mind will have none of it, and He immediately ascribes holiness to God.\u00a0 By saying this He is safeguarding God’s honour, seeking God’s interests, and securing God’s praise, as the next phrase goes on to indicate.\u00a0 After all, how can it be proper to praise a God whose dealings are less than holy? <\/span>
O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel-<\/span><\/strong> the blood of atonement enabled God to dwell amongst His people for a further year, even though they in many senses were unclean, Leviticus 16:16.\u00a0 Christ is conscious that His blood is that which will enable God to dwell with His people for ever, so He must go through with the work.\u00a0 But there is more than that.\u00a0 What if He failed God by attributing to Him wrong motives, or failure to help those in need?\u00a0 How that would spoil the praises of the righteous, for as they were rejoicing in the righteous dealings of their God, doubt would be cast upon it if His own Son thought Him to be less than righteous.\u00a0 Perhaps even as He hung upon the cross, the voices of the temple-choir drifted across the air.\u00a0 How He would feel the fact that even whilst the worshippers were rejoicing in the courts of the Lord, He Himself was consigned to the desolation and loneliness of Calvary.\u00a0 Their joy tried His soul in His sorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

(ii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verses 4-5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The history of Israel at the Passover.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:4\u00a0 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Our fathers trusted in thee-<\/span><\/strong> as He thinks of the praises of Israel, He remembers it is Passover time, the celebration of the great deliverance from Egypt, when God had heard the groanings of the children and had come down to deliver them, Exodus 3:7,8.\u00a0 How they had sung on the banks of the Red Sea!\u00a0 That first recorded song in the Bible is testimony to the saving power of God when He delivers His helpless people.\u00a0 And He is part of that people, a True Israelite, for He says “our” fathers, thus associating Himself with them.\u00a0 Yet He is seemingly forgotten. <\/span>
The fathers showed they trusted in God when they sprinkled the blood of the lamb in obedience to His word.\u00a0 They had faith that God would protect them from the destroying angel of death, and rescue them from their situation.\u00a0 But Christ trusts His God!\u00a0 Yet He has no sense of being delivered. <\/span>
They trusted, and Thou didst deliver them-<\/span><\/strong> note in these two verse the repetition, as if the matter is constantly occupying His mind.\u00a0 Their trust was not misplaced, for deliverance came.\u00a0 He is sure that His confidence is not misplaced, (for to think otherwise would be to sin), but it does not meet with the same response as Israel’s trust did.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:5\u00a0 They cried unto Thee, and were delivered: they trusted in Thee, and were not confounded.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

They cried unto Thee, and were delivered-<\/span><\/strong> now the emphasis is on their cry, as before it was upon their trust.\u00a0 They cried because they trusted, and they received the answer to their cry.\u00a0 God said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them”, Exodus 3:7,8.\u00a0 “Affliction\u2026heard their cry\u2026their sorrows\u2026am come down to deliver them”.\u00a0 Yet what of His affliction, His cry, His sorrows?\u00a0 Where was the “come down to deliver” for Him? <\/span>
They trusted in Thee, and were not confounded-<\/span><\/strong> their trust in God was rewarded, and they were not embarrassed by any delay in the deliverance.\u00a0 Yet His deliverance was seemingly not at hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

(iii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verses 6-8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The mockery of the bystanders.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:6\u00a0 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

But-<\/span><\/strong> here is the second “but”, the “but” of contrast to the nation of Israel who had been delivered, and whose deliverance they were celebrating at that very moment. <\/span>
I am a worm, and no man-<\/span><\/strong> thoroughly downcast, He thinks of Himself as worthless.\u00a0 How can it be otherwise if God does not answer Him?\u00a0 Do worms pray to God and get an answer?\u00a0 He is no different to them.\u00a0 He feels Himself to be like a senseless and low creature that no-one cares about, and which is trodden under foot of man without a second thought.\u00a0 God gave Adam dominion over the creeping things, Genesis 1:26, yet here is the Last Adam likening Himself to a worm.\u00a0 He has taken “made Himself of no reputation” to the ultimate degree.\u00a0 He can surely go no lower than this.\u00a0 <\/span>
A reproach of men, and despised of the people-<\/span><\/strong> He was an embarrassment to the nation, and on that account despised.\u00a0 But He was only these things because of their faulty view of Him.\u00a0 If they only understood that He came to manifest God, and their reaction to Him was their reaction to God.\u00a0 As He Himself said, “Now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father”, John 15:24.\u00a0 And when He was reproached, it was that “the reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon Me”, Romans 15:3.\u00a0 That they did indeed reproach and despise Him is seen in the next verses. <\/span>
\u00a0 <\/span>
22:7\u00a0 All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn-<\/span><\/strong> this is the general summary of their attitude as expressed in the next phrases.\u00a0 The Holy Sufferer thinks back to before the darkness came, and the way insults were hurled at Him.\u00a0 The supernatural darkness had silenced them, but their words still hurt. <\/span>
We are familiar with the cries of the Lord Jesus from the cross, but what of the cries to Him on the cross?\u00a0 They are as follows: <\/span>
“And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads, and saying, ‘Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save Thyself.\u00a0 If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross'”, Matthew 27:39,40.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
“Likewise also the chief priests, mocking Him, with the scribes and elders said, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save.\u00a0 If He be the king of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.\u00a0 He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said ‘I am the Son of God’.\u00a0 The thieves also, which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth”, verses 41-44.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
“likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save.\u00a0 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe'”, Mark 15:31,32. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
“And the people stood beholding.\u00a0 And the rulers also with them derided Him, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God’.\u00a0 And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering Him vinegar, and saying, ‘If Thou be the King of the Jews, save Thyself'”, Luke 23:35-37.<\/span> <\/strong><\/span>
There are no accounts of these things in John’s gospel.\u00a0 It is as if John, who was present, could not bring Himself to relive the mockery of the one he loved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Putting these things together we can see that the mockery concerned His claim to be:<\/span><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Able to rebuild a destroyed temple.<\/em>\u00a0 This was a misunderstanding, for He had referred to the temple of His body, John 2:19-21.\u00a0 They destroyed the temple of His body, and He raised it again in three days, for He had power to take His life again, John 10:18. <\/span>
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Son of God.<\/em>\u00a0 Because He was truly the Son, He only did His Father’s will, for Divine persons do not act contrary to one another, John 5:19.\u00a0 It was His Father’s will that He remain on the cross, so that is what He did. <\/span>
3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Saviour.<\/em>\u00a0 He had worked many miracles to save people from their diseases and their despair, but He never worked a miracle for His own benefit. <\/span>
4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Christ.<\/em>\u00a0 He had given every proof that He was the promised Messiah, as predicted in the Old Testament. <\/span>
5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One whose trust was in God.\u00a0<\/em> This is clearly the case, for He was the man of prayer, the sign of reliance upon God.\u00a0 Luke’s gospel emphasises this. <\/span>
6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 King of Israel.<\/em>\u00a0 Matthew’s gospel especially gives His credentials as the rightful King of Israel.\u00a0 The title is used sarcastically here, however. <\/span>
7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 King of the Jews.<\/em>\u00a0 This is how the Gentile soldiers referred to Him.\u00a0 The implication being that it was not worth being the king of such down-trodden and fanatical people.\u00a0 What sort of nation is it that condemns its king to a cross?\u00a0 The name Jew was only used after the nation had gone into captivity; it is a title of disgrace.\u00a0 <\/span>
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying-<\/span><\/strong> they add to their scornful laughter the barbed words of sarcasm recorded in the gospels, and the exaggerated wagging of the head as if bewildered by the claims He had made in His life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

22:8\u00a0 He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him-<\/span><\/strong> what made them think this?\u00a0 Perhaps His prediction before Caiaphas that He would come in the clouds with great glory.\u00a0 Perhaps they thought He meant that was immediate.\u00a0 When He cried “Eli” they thought He was calling for Elijah to help Him, Matthew 27:47. <\/span>
These are almost the same words as were actually used by those who mocked Him at the cross, over a thousand years later.\u00a0 They are heavy with sarcasm, for those who spoke them, the chief priests, elders and scribes, did not believe they were true.\u00a0 They are words of malicious intent, designed to add to His sufferings.\u00a0 The believer knows they are gloriously true, however.\u00a0 He did trust in God; He was delivered, but not in the way the mockers thought; He did delight in Him.<\/span><\/p>\n

(iv)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verses 9-10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The dependency on God He showed from the beginning.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:9\u00a0 But Thou art He that took Me out of the womb: Thou didst make Me hope when I was upon My mother’s breasts.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

But Thou art He that took Me out of the womb-<\/span><\/strong> far from causing Him to recant, and renounce His trust in God, their words of mockery only serve to lead Him to muse upon His trust in God, and reaffirm it.\u00a0 His trust had been steadfast from the outset of His life in the flesh, and He is clearly resolved that it would continue.\u00a0 He had been able to count on God when a helpless babe, and He can count on Him now that He is nailed to the cross in weakness, 2 Corinthians 13:4.\u00a0 He is reminded of these things, for just a little while before He had made provision for the care of His mother, and now muses on the care she had showed to Him, as she served God by bearing and nurturing Him.\u00a0 She was the means at that time of the Father expressing His care for Him. <\/span>
Not only was the conception of the Lord Jesus unique, His birth was, too.\u00a0 For no-one before or since has been born of a virgin.\u00a0 That has great spiritual implications, of course, but it has physical ones as well.\u00a0 In the wise providence of God the manner of conception ensures that birth is facilitated.\u00a0 This was not the case with Christ, for He was conceived of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 He needed help in this, therefore, and that help was forthcoming.\u00a0 It did not come from Joseph, attentive to Mary as he no doubt was.\u00a0 He had no authority to step in here.\u00a0 Not only must the virgin conceive, the virgin must bear a son, according to Isaiah 7:14.\u00a0 She must be a virgin at both events.\u00a0 So it is that by Divine power He had been conceived; by Divine power He was delivered out of the womb of the virgin. <\/span>
Thou didst make Me hope when I was upon My mother’s breasts-<\/span><\/strong> He needed help after He was born, for Herod and his sword were ready.\u00a0 The arrival of the wise men from the east was ordered of God so that by the time they arrived He had been presented in the temple, and was developed enough to be able to travel with Mary and Joseph to Egypt.\u00a0 (Notice that the wise men come to “the house”, not the inn or the stable.\u00a0 We are not told they came to Bethlehem.\u00a0 Herod sent them to Bethlehem, it is true, for that was where Messiah was to be born, but that does not mean He was in Bethlehem when the wise men came, for God is preserving His Son from harm, Matthew 2:7-12).\u00a0 <\/span>
And even the expense of that journey into Egypt was defrayed by God.\u00a0 When Mary’s child was forty days old, she brought the poor person’s offering to the temple, Luke 2:24.\u00a0 After the wise men had visited, however, she had gold, frankincense and myrrh, just the very things that would fetch a good price in Egypt.\u00a0 So it was that all the time the Saviour was preserved of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:10\u00a0 I was cast upon Thee from the womb: Thou art My God from My mother’s belly.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I was cast upon Thee from the womb-<\/span><\/strong> Christ’s trust went back further, even to before He was born.\u00a0 We know from the account in Luke 1:41,44 that unborn children can respond to circumstances, and so it is here.\u00a0 We know that Christ was confident that God would take care of Him when He was dead in the tomb, Psalm 16:9, and now the other extreme of His earthly experience is in view.\u00a0 He trusted in God wholly, when He was unable to help Himself, either in the womb or the tomb. <\/span>
(It is important to bear in mind that Scripture never makes a distinction between what we are before and after birth as regards whether we are alive.\u00a0 The message Bathsheba sent to David said, “I am with child”.\u00a0 She did not write, “I am with embryo”, or “I am with foetus”.\u00a0 That an unborn child is alive is seen from Job 3:11, “Why died I not from the womb?”.\u00a0 See also Exodus 21:22,23, where a woman with child is injured so that she miscarries.\u00a0 If there is harm to the child so that he dies, then the penalty is death, so it is “life for life”, just as in conventional murder cases, verse 12). <\/span>
Thou art My God from My mother’s belly-<\/span><\/strong> this defines the point at which God became His God.\u00a0 He had always been able to say “My Father”, but to say “My God” He must become flesh, for this is an expression of dependence and trust.\u00a0 This is not to imply that the Lord Jesus consciously prayed to God from the moment of His conception, for He was not in any way a prodigy, (for that would mean reputation, and He made Himself of no reputation), but it does assure us that in His nature there was no hint of independence.\u00a0 Nothing of Adam’s self-sufficiency marked Him, for His nature was totally free from sin.\u00a0 This had been ensured by the manner of His conception, so is relevant to the matters at issue here.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 11-18\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cry for help because of nine things. <\/strong><\/span>
“Be not far from Me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN PSALM 22, VERSES 11 TO 18:<\/span> <\/strong><\/span>
22:11\u00a0 Be not far from Me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:12\u00a0 Many bulls have compassed Me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset Me round. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:13\u00a0 They gaped upon Me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:14\u00a0 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. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:15\u00a0 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. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:16\u00a0 For dogs have compassed Me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me: they pierced My hands and My feet. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:17\u00a0 I may tell all My bones: they look and stare upon me. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:18\u00a0 They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:11\u00a0 Be not far from Me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Be not far from Me-<\/span><\/strong> having considered the total trust He has had in God from the very outset, He appeals to God for help in His current dire circumstances.\u00a0 The climax of His cross-experience is about to come, and He seeks the help of God to pass through it with dignity.\u00a0 He continues to pray to God even though, so far, He has had no response; such is His trust.\u00a0 <\/span>
For trouble is near-<\/span><\/strong> He appeals to God to draw near to Him, for two reasons- trouble is near, and His friends are absent.\u00a0 His God seems so far away, but trouble is really near, represented by the forces of evil arrayed against Him around the cross.\u00a0 They were the princes of this world, who crucified the Lord of glory in ignorance, 1 Corinthians 2:8.\u00a0 But behind them all was the prince of this world, he who had the power of death, and who was present, for the Saviour had said, “the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me”, John 14:30.\u00a0 He had found nothing that corresponded to him when he had tempted Christ in the wilderness, and had to leave, defeated.\u00a0 But now he has come again, to seek to take advantage of the fact that the Lord is at His lowest point.\u00a0 It is help in this situation that Christ is pleading for now. <\/span>
For there is none to help-<\/span><\/strong> even if His disciples had all assembled around the cross, they could not have helped Him in His time of need.\u00a0 He had prophesied that they would leave Him alone, John 16:32, and so it came to pass.\u00a0 This was God’s will for Him, for the prophet predicted that lover and friend would be put far from Him, and His acquaintance into darkness, Psalm 88:18.\u00a0 Even those who stood faithfully by the cross have been obscured by the darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

(i)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verses 12-13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Strong bulls have compassed Him.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:12\u00a0 Many bulls have compassed Me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset Me round.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Many bulls have compassed Me-<\/span><\/strong> there is now an enumeration of those that represented trouble.\u00a0 The bull is a clean animal, suitable to be used in the service of God.\u00a0 This is a figure for the priesthood, who had clamoured for His death before Pilate.\u00a0 They were ceremonially clean, but morally unfit for their office.\u00a0 The one who was both clean and fit, was the one who was hanging on the cross as a sacrifice.\u00a0 The Hebrew alphabet has symbols associated with each letter.\u00a0 The symbol of the first letter, Aleph, is an ox, whilst the symbol of the last letter, Tau, is a cross.\u00a0 We are reminded of the words of the Lord Jesus, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many”, Matthew 20:28.\u00a0 The ox serves its master in its life, and then may be offered as a sacrifice upon the altar, provided it had not been blemished in any way.\u00a0 So it was with Christ; He served His Father well in life, and served Him well in death.\u00a0 These bulls, however, are serving their own interests, for they have delivered Him to Pilate because of their envy, and Pilate knows that, Matthew 27:18.\u00a0 They had seen Christ as a threat to their position and prestige, and now they surround Him to ensure that He does not escape. <\/span>
Strong bulls of Bashan have beset Me round-<\/span><\/strong> the priesthood had great power and influence as leaders of the people in the absence of a proper king.\u00a0 They were certainly strong.\u00a0 As another psalm says, “they that would destroy me, being My enemies wrongfully, are mighty”, Psalm 69:4.\u00a0 Bashan was a region to the east of the Jordan, where the two and a half tribes lived who had rejected the land.\u00a0 It is a place of compromise, being outside of Egypt, outside of the wilderness, but not in Canaan.\u00a0 It was a place of lush <\/span>
pastures, with its consequent fat cattle.\u00a0 The priesthood had certainly grown fat.\u00a0 They owned the stalls in the temple market, and profited from the sale of animals for sacrifice, and the exchange of money.\u00a0 When the Lord Jesus purged the temple courts at the start and end of His ministry, He was striking at the heart of the centre of power in the nation, and exposing its hypocrisy.\u00a0 No wonder they schemed for His death, and now think they have achieved it.\u00a0 They have beset Him round, thinking they have cornered Him.\u00a0 He is about to out-manoeuvre them however, for He will lay down His own life; none shall take it from Him, for He will lay it down of Himself, John 10:18.\u00a0 This has not happened yet, so He stands in need of help.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:13\u00a0 They gaped upon Me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

They gaped upon Me with their mouths-<\/span><\/strong> they did not have the authority to put Him death, so having handed Him over to those who would be able to do this, they have to be content with slaying His good name with their words.\u00a0 <\/span>
As a ravening and a roaring lion-<\/span><\/strong> the princes of the world are acting like the prince of this world, doing his work for him.\u00a0 The Devil goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Peter 5:8.\u00a0 He seeks to intimidate with his roar, and impress with his strength and ferocity.\u00a0 He is ravening, too, seeking to tear to shreds the character of those he opposes.\u00a0 He has met his match, however, for it the Lion of the tribe of Judah that is going to prevail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(ii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 14(a)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He is poured out like water.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:14\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I am poured out like water-<\/span><\/strong> we are now told of the things that render Him unable to help Himself, and why He must rely on His God.\u00a0 To be poured out like water is to be near death. When the Israelites were oppressed by the Philistines, they expressed their helplessness by pouring water out before the Lord, 1 Samuel 7:6.\u00a0 The wise woman of Tekoa said, “We must needs die, and are as water spilled upon the ground”, 2 Samuel 14:14.. <\/span>
Even in Gethsemane the Saviour said that His soul was sorrowful, “even unto death”, Matthew 26:38.\u00a0 How much more so now, after the ill-treatment He has received, including the scourging, which was called “the first death”, and which some did not survive.\u00a0 He feels that life is coming to an end, and yet it is not God’s will that men should take it from Him.\u00a0 He needs help.<\/span><\/p>\n

(iii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 14(b)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 All His bones are out of joint.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And all My bones are out of joint-<\/span><\/strong> here is another sign of helplessness, for every bone has been dislocated, causing intense suffering, and rendering any movement full of pain.\u00a0 His bones may be out of joint, but they are not broken, for that would mean Scripture was not fulfilled.\u00a0 John is careful to tell us about the soldier that broke the legs of the two thieves to hasten their death so that their bodies could be taken down before the end of the day.\u00a0 But when he came to Jesus he saw that He was dead already, and so brake not His legs.\u00a0 John assures us he saw these things happen, “And he that saw it bear record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.\u00a0 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, ‘A bone of Him shall not be broken'”, John 19:35,36.\u00a0 This implies that His legs were not broken before, either.\u00a0 The pathway of the Lord Jesus was intensely precious to God, and He ensures that it is preserved even down to the symbolism.\u00a0 <\/span>
As a shepherd, David had sometimes had to break the leg of a rebellious lamb that insisted on wandering away into danger.\u00a0 After it had been kept close by the shepherd for a while, however, its bones would heal, and it could be given its freedom again, the discipline over.\u00a0 David himself had been like that.\u00a0 He had strayed into danger in the matter of Bathsheba.\u00a0 But the Lord was his shepherd, and He brought him under discipline, so that in one of his repentance psalms David asks God to “make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones Thou hast broken may rejoice”, Psalm 51:8.\u00a0 No such discipline was needed by the Lamb of God, whose walk so impressed John the Baptist, John 1:36.<\/span><\/p>\n

(iv)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 14(c)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His heart is like wax.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels-<\/span><\/strong> this is a serious matter, for His heart-resolve is in danger of being affected.\u00a0 The heat of Divine anger is reaching His innermost being.\u00a0 Scripture says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”, Proverbs 4:23.\u00a0 <\/span>
Notice that the anger is softening Him, not hardening Him, as was the case with Pharoah.\u00a0 When God afflicted him, it only served to make him harden his heart, Exodus 9:34.\u00a0 The reaction of Christ is the opposite.\u00a0 Yet He fears lest the end may come without Him having full control of His affections.\u00a0 He had said, “That the world may know that I love the Father; and as He hath given Me commandment, even so I do.\u00a0 Arise, let us go hence”, John 14:31.\u00a0 <\/span>
The Hebrews believed that the internal organs, (the bowels), were the seat of the emotions, and here the Sufferer is concerned, because His melting heart, (that is, His heart-feelings) is affecting His emotions, (His heart-responses).\u00a0 He strongly desires to continue in undiminished affection to the end, that His laying down of His life may be an expression of that great love.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(v)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 15(a)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His strength is dried up.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:15\u00a0 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My strength is dried up like a potsherd-<\/span> <\/strong>we have in this verse three more causes of helplessness.\u00a0 This, is near-total exhaustion.\u00a0 The harrowing and terrible pains of scourging and crucifixion have taken their toll, and the energy to survive is ebbing away.\u00a0 The potter places his products in the oven to dry every drop of moisture from them.\u00a0 Christ is in the oven too, the fierce heat of God’s anger against sin is directed at Him relentlessly, and it has taken its toll of Him.\u00a0 But a potsherd is a piece of broken pottery, serviceable at one time, but now discarded as useless.\u00a0 The Saviour is fighting against beginning to react as if He is past His usefulness.\u00a0 In fact, He has a most important work yet to do, even the laying down of His life, and He longs to be strengthened for it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(vi)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 15(b)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His tongue cleaves to His jaws.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And My tongue cleaveth to My jaws-<\/span><\/strong> His act of dying will be the act of triumph over all the forces of evil.\u00a0 He will cry with a loud voice, “It is finished”, and He will commit His spirit to God audibly.\u00a0 The centurion is going to be impressed with the way He cried out, for he is used to victims either dying in silence, or else with cursings on their lips.\u00a0 This man is so different, even to His last act.\u00a0 But if He is going to cry out in this way, His throat must be clear, His tongue flexible and moist.\u00a0 This is why He asked for a drink, so that His final words might be distinct and unmistakeable.\u00a0 But would His request be granted?\u00a0 He has already been taunted by the soldiers, as we have noticed, offering Him a drink and then pulling it away at the last moment.\u00a0 His trust is that God will intervene and He will be given a drink.<\/span><\/p>\n

(vii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 15(c)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He is brought to the dust of death.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death-<\/span><\/strong> it is God’s determinate will that He die, He knows that, but it is also His commandment to Him to lay down His life, and He is appealing to be able to obey that on His own initiative.\u00a0 He is so near death that He is almost on the edge of the grave.\u00a0 Help needs to come very soon.\u00a0 <\/span>
Of course, as God’s Holy One He would not see corruption, Acts 2:27, but He will certainly “fall into the ground”, figuratively, John 12:24, and be “in the heart of the earth”, Matthew 12:40.\u00a0 <\/span>
It was customary for the crucified to be flung without ceremony into a pit dug at the foot of the cross.\u00a0 Perhaps the soldiers are even now digging the pit, despite the darkness.\u00a0 If so, dust fills the air.\u00a0 But the prophet foretold that even though the Saviour’s grave would be appointed by men to be with the wicked men who were crucified with Him, Isaiah 53:9, in the event, by God’s appointing, He would be with the rich in His death, in a fresh clean rock-hewn tomb,.\u00a0 By this means the burial place of Christ would be well-marked, and separate.\u00a0 So since only one person was put in the tomb, only one person could come out.\u00a0 The grave of Moses is unknown, but it is vital that the grave of Christ should be well-known.<\/span><\/p>\n

(viii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 16\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His hands and feet have been pierced.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:16\u00a0 For dogs have compassed Me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me: they pierced My hands and My feet.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For dogs have compassed Me-<\/span><\/strong> here is another cause of concern, the encircling Roman soldiers, for they are in control of the situation, humanly speaking.\u00a0 He is surrounded by Roman soldiers, standing guard over Him, such is the idea behind the expression “and sitting down they watched Him there”, Matthew 27:36.\u00a0 He will ask to be delivered from the power of the dog in verse 20, for in a sense He is at their mercy.\u00a0 During His ministry the Lord showed that He was ready to bless Gentile dogs, for the Syro-Phoenecian woman appealed to Him on that basis, and her request was granted, Mark 7:24-30.\u00a0 But these are not humble suppliants; they are cruel executioners, charged with the duty of making their victim a public example.\u00a0 We know that the centurion in charge of them was impressed with what happened when the Lord Jesus gave up His spirit, but that stage is not quite reached yet. <\/span>
The dogs that roamed the streets in those times were untamed, unclean, and unrestrained, fit symbol of the soldiers as they callously went about their duties at the foot of the cross.\u00a0 This reflects so very badly on the Jewish authorities who handed Him over to them.\u00a0 As Peter charged them on the Day of Pentecost that they had taken Him and “by wicked hands have crucified and slain” Him, Acts 2:23.\u00a0 They allowed the Gentiles free rein, knowing that their hands were lawless.\u00a0 The restraints of the Law of Moses were nothing to these Gentiles.\u00a0 No wonder the Lord told Pilate that “he that hath delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin”, John 19:11.\u00a0 In other words, Caiaphas the High Priest was more guilty than Pilate, for as High Priest he was supposed to be in touch with God, making decisions in His fear, and ensuring that accused persons were given a scrupulously fair trial, but it was far otherwise.\u00a0 <\/span>
The assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me-<\/span><\/strong> it was the chief priests, scribes and elders who were amongst those who mocked Him whilst He was on the cross, Matthew 27:41.\u00a0 They should have been in the temple courts, occupied with the praises of Israel, verse 3, but they prefer to mock the Son of God. <\/span>
Jacob had prophesied of what would befall the tribes in the last days.\u00a0 When he addressed Simeon and Levi he said, “Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.\u00a0 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall.\u00a0 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel:\u00a0 I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel”, Genesis 49:5-7.\u00a0 The matter which Jacob refers to in the past tense was the avenging by Simeon and Levi of the defiling of their sister Dinah by Shechem, a Gentile, as detailed in Genesis 34.\u00a0 Simeon and Levi took it upon themselves to avenge this wrong, yet Jacob curses them for it.\u00a0 He disassociates himself from their secret plan, and also their conference, as they planned the raid on the Shechemites.\u00a0 Simeon’s name means “hearing”, and Jacob does not want to hear their plotting.\u00a0 Levi means “joined”, and he does not wish to join them in their scheme.\u00a0 He condemns them for having instruments of cruelty in their houses, ready to use against Shechem.\u00a0 He condemns also their fierce anger and their cruel wrath.\u00a0 They had slain a man, Shechem, and digged down a wall, for the protection afforded Jacob by his good behaviour had been destroyed, and he was at the mercy of his enemies.\u00a0 As a result he predicts that they will be divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel.\u00a0 And this came to pass, for Levi was allotted cities throughout the land of Canaan, and Simeon was given territory surrounded by the inheritance of Judah, thus cutting him off from his brother. <\/span>
But these things have a more sinister side, for it is the descendants of Levi, and those who “heard” them, the unthinking multitude, who are angry and cruel again in relation to the Lord Jesus.\u00a0 The priests and the Sanhedrin had plotted and schemed for years to put Him to death, and now they think they have achieved their aim.\u00a0 They hold their secret and illegal counsel in the darkness of the night, and condemn Him to death.\u00a0 In their anger against Christ they seek to ensure His death, and the apostle Peter accused them of doing it, for he said, they “killed the Prince of Life”, Acts 3:14,15.\u00a0 Unwittingly, they digged down the walls of Jerusalem, so to speak, for some forty years after the crucifixion the city of Jerusalem was destroyed.\u00a0 The Lord Jesus had linked what would happen to His body when they destroyed Him at Calvary, with what would happen to the temple, John 2:18-22.\u00a0 Their treatment of Him would be matched by God’s treatment of their temple.\u00a0 They gave Him over to the Romans to crucify; God gave their city to the Romans to destroy, and in the process, crucify many thousands of Jews outside the city walls. <\/span>
So it is that at the cross the instigators of the death of Christ assembled, and they are rightly called the assembly of the wicked.\u00a0 <\/span>
They pierced My hands and My feet-<\/span><\/strong> the “instruments of cruelty” have been brought out, the cross, the hammer, the nails, the club and the spear, and they have sanctioned the Romans to kill Him on their behalf.\u00a0 Instead of handling the holy instruments as they attended at the altar, they minister in a most unholy way.\u00a0 Crucifixion was a Gentile mode of execution, designed to inflict the maximum amount of pain.\u00a0 One Roman orator said that it was the most degraded death that could be meted out to any man.\u00a0 The Jewish way of capital punishment was by stoning, with the accuser casting the first stone, the rest of the people joining in, and then when the guilty person was fully dead, the stones heaped upon the victim as a testimony and warning to others.\u00a0 The problem with this was that it was likely that the victim’s bones would be broken, and God was concerned that the body of His Son should not be fractured, in order that the completeness of His person and character might be preserved, in this way as in all others.\u00a0 John is careful to tell us that not one of His bones was broken. <\/span>
It is true that sometimes especially wicked criminals were hanged on a tree as an example.\u00a0 But this was after they had been stoned, see Deuteronomy 21:21-23: Galatians 3:13.\u00a0 So stoning was not an option.\u00a0 He must be executed in some other way.\u00a0 So it was that a few years before the crucifixion the right to capitally punish was taken away from the Jews by the Roman overlords.\u00a0 (There was with one significant exception, for they were allowed to keep the right to execute a person who crossed the middle wall of partition in the temple courts, even if that person was a Roman.\u00a0 This is why the apostle Paul was in such danger in Acts 21:29-31, even though he had Roman citizenship).\u00a0 Thus God saw to it that the Scripture, “neither shall ye break a bone thereof”, Exodus 12:46, and “they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced”, Zechariah 13:12:10, would both be fulfilled.\u00a0 <\/span>
The words of this phrase may have also the sense “they are piercing My hands and My feet”, as if the Saviour is reliving, near the end of the hours of darkness, what had happened some six hours before.\u00a0 <\/span>
\u00a0 <\/span>
(ix)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verses 17-18\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He is stripped of His clothing.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:17\u00a0 I may tell all My bones: they look and stare upon Me.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I may tell all My bones-<\/span><\/strong> we may be sure that, even though His hands and feet were pierced, His God had ensured that no bone had been broken in the process.\u00a0 So it is that He is able to recount that fact in relation to every bone.\u00a0 It is true that the word “tell” may be translated to number, but its main meaning is to recount.\u00a0 Here the Holy Sufferer is able to recount that He had been preserved as to His bones.\u00a0 <\/span>
They look and stare upon Me-<\/span><\/strong> whilst the foregoing is gloriously true, it is also true that even whilst He considers the fact that His bones have been preserved, those same bones stare back at him, exposed as they are, not just by the removal of His clothes as detailed in the next verse, but also because He has been so fastened to the cross that His bones protrude, and can be seen through His skin.\u00a0 Their very unbrokenness only serves to highlight their grotesqueness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2:18\u00a0 They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

They part My garments among them-<\/span><\/strong> reliving the experience again, the Saviour recalls that His garments had been shared out between the four soldiers.\u00a0 This verse is quoted by Matthew and John, and alluded to by Mark and Luke, as having been fulfilled at the cross, but it is John that gives us the most detail.\u00a0 He writes, “Then 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.\u00a0 They 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’.\u00a0 These things therefore the soldiers did”, John 19:23,24.\u00a0 His own raiment had been put back on Him after He had been mocked by the soldiers, Matthew 27:31, so the first action of the soldiers must have been to take off His garments in order to nail Him to the tree.\u00a0 As soon as He was born, Mary with loving hands wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.\u00a0 Now it is the day of His death, and rough hands strip Him, and lay Him cruelly on a cross.\u00a0 As Job said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return thither”, Job 1:21. <\/span>
But whilst men may deprive Him of His clothing, they cannot rob Him of His character.\u00a0 Joseph’s brothers stripped him of his coat of many colours, dipped it in the blood of a goat and showed it to his father, deceiving him into thinking Joseph was dead.\u00a0 But it was not so, for Joseph lived on, and the character which his coat symbolised continued.\u00a0 So it is with Christ.\u00a0 His garments, stained by His own blood, passed into the hands of sinners, but the value of His person, and His blood, endures.\u00a0 His Father is not deceived, and fully appreciates what His Son did at Calvary in love for Him and His interests.\u00a0 <\/span>
And cast lots upon My vesture-<\/span><\/strong> special attention is paid to this item.\u00a0 The four other pieces, the head-covering, outer tunic, girdle and sandals, were easily distributed between the four soldiers, but there remained one item over, His inner tunic.\u00a0 Not knowing they were fulfilling Scripture, the soldiers cast lots for it to determine who would have it.\u00a0 <\/span>
And so it came to pass, and His last earthly possession was gambled for, and passed into the hands of His executioners.\u00a0 When John writes “that the Scripture might be fulfilled”, we are not to think of that as meaning the soldiers did it so as to fulfil Scripture.\u00a0 The point is they gambled for His coat to the fulfilling of Scripture.\u00a0 <\/span>
There were several things rent at the time of Christ’s crucifixion.\u00a0 The high priest had rent his clothes when the Lord Jesus had asserted His Deity, Matthew 26:65.\u00a0 This is the sign of the end of the Aaronic priesthood.\u00a0 Then the veil in the temple was rent, verse 51. This is the sign of the end of the temple system. The rocks were rent, too, signifying the end of the old creation, verse 51 again.\u00a0 The graves were opened, so they were virtually rent, too, for His death signalled the end of death for those who believe.\u00a0 But His clothes were not rent, for His character lives on, and His blood-stained garments tell us that His character is forever associated with His sacrifice, and in eternity He will be known as the lamb once slain. <\/span>
So comes to the end the survey of things that He needs to be saved from if He is to bring the work to an end in God’s appointed way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 19-21\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cry for help to overcome four things. <\/strong><\/span>
“But be not Thou far from Me, O Lord: O My strength, haste Thee to help Me”.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN PSALM 22, VERSES 19 TO 21:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:19\u00a0 But be not Thou far from Me, O Lord: O My strength, haste Thee to help Me. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:20\u00a0 Deliver My soul from the sword; My darling from the power of the dog. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:21\u00a0 Save Me from the lion’s mouth: for Thou hast heard Me from the horns of the unicorns.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:19\u00a0 But be not thou far from Me, O Lord: O My strength, haste Thee to help Me.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

But be not thou far from Me, O Lord-<\/span><\/strong> here is the fourth “but” of the psalm, that of faithfulness.\u00a0 Even though as yet not delivered, He continues on with undiminished trust in His God.\u00a0 He is making His final appeal for help, in order that He may keep the initiative, and not allow wicked men to triumph.\u00a0 Notice that the title He uses is “Lord”, whereas previously in the psalm it has always been “God”.\u00a0 This is a name of God which tells of His constancy and faithfulness.\u00a0 The word “Jehovah” which it translates, is said to be a combination of “He will be”, and “being”, and “He was”, thus indicating His unchangeable presence.\u00a0 See Revelation 1:4.\u00a0 So by using the name Lord, the Saviour is asserting His confidence that God’s faithfulness to His promises will be sustained.\u00a0 He has been deprived of the enjoyment of that faithfulness, because our sins have interrupted it, but now the moment is coming when He will emerge out of the darkness into a full sense of the fact that the Lord is true to His promises.\u00a0 When Eve was tempted, she began to use the word God, and abandoned the name Lord that she would have learned from Adam.\u00a0 This was because she listened to the tempter, and he would not use the word Lord, being rebellious.\u00a0 This tempted one is resolute, and He maintains His trust in the one who is Lord. <\/span>
O My strength, haste Thee to help Me-<\/span><\/strong> His life had been lived in reliance on the strong God of Israel.\u00a0 Even though He was Son, yet He, in dependent manhood, relied entirely on His God as His strength.\u00a0 Never did He need that strength more, and He pleads that He may know it for the final conflict.\u00a0 It is clear that He believes the end is near, and His physical strength is failing fast, and therefore asks for speedy help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 20 and 21 are the climax to the first half of the psalm, and explain to us what it is that caused the Saviour to pray for help.\u00a0 What does He need help to do?\u00a0 These two verses tell us.\u00a0 They centre around the sword, the power of the dog, the lion’s mouth, and the horns of the unicorns.<\/span><\/p>\n

(i)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 20(a)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The sword.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:20\u00a0 Deliver My soul from the sword; My darling from the power of the dog.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Deliver My soul from the sword-<\/span><\/strong> God has put a sword into the hand of those who rule.\u00a0 When God made a covenant with the earth after the flood, one of the terms was, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man”, Genesis 9:6.\u00a0 The apostle Paul also spoke of these things when he wrote, “Let every soul be subject to the higher powers.\u00a0 For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.\u00a0 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.\u00a0 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.\u00a0 Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?\u00a0 Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good.\u00a0 But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil,” Romans 13:1-4.\u00a0 <\/span>
So power has been given to rulers to do three things: To execute those who murder; to punish those who resist their authority, (for those who do this resist God); to execute wrath upon the evil-doer.\u00a0 <\/span>
Now Pilate, representative of the power of Caesar as he was, had made decisions about two men.\u00a0 He had convicted Barabbas of murder, insurrection, and robbery, Mark 15:7; John 18:40, yet he released him.\u00a0 And he had, (against his better judgement, John 18:38), convicted Jesus Christ of insurrection, for this was what the Jews accused Him of before Pilate, with the words, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ a King”, Luke 23:2.\u00a0 It was also the implication behind the accusation over the cross, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews”.\u00a0 <\/span>
Now if the death of Christ is the direct result of Pilate using the “sword”, then it will go down in the record books that He was an evil-doer and an insurrectionist.\u00a0 The only way of avoiding this is for Christ to lay down His own life, thus keeping the initiative.\u00a0 It was His soul that was delivered from the sword, for His soul-longing was to obey the command of His Father to lay down His own life.\u00a0 He is not asking to be delivered from the sword of Divine Justice spoken of in Zechariah 13:7, for He was already suffering because that had been used against Him by God.<\/span><\/p>\n

(ii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 20(b)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The power of the dog.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My darling from the power of the dog-<\/span><\/strong> we have been told of the dogs in verse 16, and here we meet them again.\u00a0 There it was in connection with Him being crucified, as they pierced His hands and His feet, and gambled for His clothes.\u00a0 Now they have power of a different sort.\u00a0 The Jewish authorities would soon ask Pilate that the legs of the victims be broken to hasten their death, because the next day, that began at 6pm, was drawing near.\u00a0 These Gentile dogs have the power to wield the club that will break Christ’s legs, and cause His almost immediate death, for He will no longer be able to push Himself up so as to breathe. <\/span>
My darling is a translation of the word which is rendered “only-begotten” elsewhere, Genesis 22:2 for instance.\u00a0 The word literally means “to unite”, reminding us of the Lord’s words, “I and My Father are one”, John 10:30.\u00a0 Is this the Son calling Himself by a name which He knows His Father knows Him by?\u00a0 And does that mean that the enjoyment of the Father\/Son relationship is about to be resumed?\u00a0 The relationship has been there all along, but the joy of it was withheld whilst Christ was made sin.\u00a0 He is now anticipating the imminent resumption of that joy.<\/span><\/p>\n

(iii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 21(a)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The lion’s mouth.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:21\u00a0 Save Me from the lion’s mouth: for Thou hast heard Me from the horns of the unicorns.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Save Me from the lion’s mouth-<\/span><\/strong> we have been told of those who were lion-like, in verse 13, the princes of this world.\u00a0 But now the prince of this world is mentioned, the one who the Lord Jesus prophesied would come.\u00a0 We know from Hebrews 2:14,14 that this one had the power of death in Old Testament times.\u00a0 This was because men had a sinful nature, and as such were in the domain of Satan, for the wages of sin is death, and they were in bondage to him because of their fear of death.\u00a0 This is not true of Christ personally, but He is acting as representative of sinful men, and has been made sin.\u00a0 Satan thinks he has power over Him, and asserts that power with his mouth.\u00a0 In other words, accuses Him before God.\u00a0 He is the accuser of the brethren, Revelation 12:10, and uses every opportunity and excuse to do so.\u00a0 That Satan has not the power of death over Christ is true, but the impression will be given that it is so, unless Christ keeps the initiative, and is strengthened to lay down His life of Himself, and not through external pressure.<\/span><\/p>\n

(iv)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 21(b)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The horns of the unicorns.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For Thou hast heard Me from the horns of the unicorns-<\/span><\/strong> despite not having received any answer to His pleadings thus far, the Lord Jesus is confident that His God has heard, and will answer at the moment of His choosing.\u00a0 That moment is about to come.\u00a0 The unicorn was a wild ox, and a group of such animals are here pictured as lowering their heads for the final charge at their victim.\u00a0 We read of bulls of Bashan in verse 12, symbolising, we suggested, the ceremonially clean but morally unfit priesthood.\u00a0 Here they are again, but this time they are exposed in their true character as wild, fierce and vicious.\u00a0 They had already shown that to be the case, for we read that the chief priests “were the more fierce”, as they accused Him before Pilate, Luke 23:5.\u00a0 Their fierceness is coming to a climax, for they are concerned lest the bodies hang on the cross after the end of the day, at the twelfth hour.\u00a0 So they “besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away”, John 19:31.\u00a0 Their request was granted, and the soldiers brake the legs of the malefactors, “but when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs”, verse 33.\u00a0 <\/span>
Unknown to the priests, the request of Christ had been granted, strength had been given Him, and He had not only cried “It is finished”, but had given up His spirit to God, John 19:30.\u00a0 <\/span>
So it was that He did not die by the sword of Caesar as if He was a malefactor; His death was not hastened by the Roman club; He was delivered from the mouth of the lion, and the horns of the unicorns did not impale Him and cause His death.\u00a0 His trust in God had been vindicated, His work had been completed, and the sin-bearing was over. <\/span>
The gospel writers are careful to document the time at which things happened at Calvary, so we know that the time from His crucifixion to the end of the hours of darkness was six hours, from the third hour to the ninth, Mark 15:25,33,34.\u00a0 It was during this period, from the offering of incense at the third hour, to the offering of it again at the ninth hour, that the worshippers would be bringing their sacrifices, whether they be burnt offerings, meal offerings, peace offerings, or sin offerings.\u00a0 Yet at the end of it all, there sounds out a loud cry across the temple courts, and amazingly, it comes from the Man on the central cross.\u00a0 “It is finished”, He declares, or “It is fulfilled”.\u00a0 The will of God expressed in sacrifices and offerings has been brought to its climax, and now, with a word, He “taketh away the first, that He may establish the second”, Hebrews 10:9.\u00a0 And it is by that will that believers have been perfected by His one offering.\u00a0 We see how important it is, then, for Him to have strength, not only to cry this cry with loud voice so as to reach the temple courts, but also to commit His spirit to God, laying down His life in wholehearted surrender to His Father’s will.<\/span><\/p>\n

At this point the psalm divides, and the results of the work of Christ reach an ever-widening circle.\u00a0 If the previous verses depict Christ being surrounded, and compassed about, encircled by the assembly of the wicked, the next verses show Him surrounded by those who love Him and trust Him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 22-31\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The glories that follow His sufferings.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN PSALM 22, VERSES 22 TO 31:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:22\u00a0 I will declare Thy name unto My brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:23\u00a0 Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; and fear Him, all ye the seed of Israel. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:24\u00a0 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. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:25\u00a0 My praise shall be of Thee in the great congregation: I will pay My vows before them that fear Him. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:26\u00a0 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek Him: your heart shall live for ever. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:27\u00a0 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:28\u00a0 For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and He is the governor among the nations. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:29\u00a0 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. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:30\u00a0 A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. <\/span><\/strong><\/span>
22:31\u00a0 They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

22:22\u00a0 I will declare Thy name unto My brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I will declare Thy name unto My brethren-<\/span><\/strong> in the context here, the name of God is His reputation for having delivered His Son from the power of the enemy.\u00a0 In a wider sense, the idea is of Christ continuing to expound the name of His Father to those who are His brethren.\u00a0 He said in His prayer in John 17, “I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them”, verse 26.\u00a0 The apostles had beheld His glory, and that glory was that of the only-begotten of the Father, John 11:14.\u00a0 By His coming into the world, the Lord Jesus secured a company of born-again ones, who had the capacity to appreciate Him in His relationship with the Father, John 1:12,13.\u00a0 They were privileged to see that relationship worked out, and by this the name of the Father was expressed.\u00a0 But there is more to tell, and there are others to tell, so the exposition continues, so that those who believe might have an appreciation of the relationship between the Father and the Son, which is one of intense love, and so they will appreciate that love better.\u00a0 As that happens, the characteristics of the Son will be reflected in their lives, and the Lord will be able to say, “I in them”, for the Father will see in His children some likeness to His Son. <\/span>
In the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee-<\/span><\/strong> these words are quoted in Hebrews 2:11,12, which reads, “For both He that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I will declare Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee'”.\u00a0 He that sanctifieth is the Lord Jesus, who has separated His people from Adam’s world, and brought them over into association with Himself in resurrection.\u00a0 They are His brethren, and He is not ashamed to call them such.\u00a0 They all issue forth out of a pathway of suffering, and meet together in heaven, where He leads the praise of His people.\u00a0 This was anticipated when the Lord Jesus met with His own in the upper room after His resurrection.\u00a0 So the declaring of the name takes place now, the praising which comes from knowing the Father, awaits in heaven.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:23\u00a0 Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; and fear Him, all ye the seed of Israel.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him-<\/span><\/strong> here, God-fearers are exhorted to praise the Father.\u00a0 This is the fear of reverence.\u00a0 Those who sought after God from among the Gentiles, “whosoever among you that feareth God”, Acts 13:16, are encouraged to have the name of the Father expounded to them by Christ, so that they might meaningfully and intelligently praise him.\u00a0 They will move from simply being God-fearing seekers after God, to being His children, able to worship Him as their Father. <\/span>
All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him-<\/span><\/strong> the nation of Israel is assured of the opportunity to praise God, instead of clamouring for the death of His Son.\u00a0 The gospel was preached first in Jerusalem, Luke 24:47. <\/span>
And fear Him, all ye the seed of Israel-<\/span><\/strong> this is the fear of dread, the fear of those who “look upon Him whom they pierced”, in a day to come, and weep and wail because of Him, Revelation 1:7.\u00a0 Even for them there is forgiveness, if they come God’s way.\u00a0 The expression “seed of Jacob” indicates the crooked and perverse nature of the nation that crucified its Messiah.\u00a0 Jacob” means “crooked”, and Peter exhorted his audience to save themselves from this “perverse generation”, Acts 2:40.\u00a0 “Seed of Israel” anticipates the future days of glory for them, as their Messiah gives them dignity as the foremost nation in the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:24\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted-<\/span><\/strong> the sufferings of Christ on the cross were not a cause of the Father personally rejecting Him.\u00a0 On the contrary, what He suffered, and the laying down of His own life in holy surrender to His Father’s will, have given the Father fresh cause to love Him.\u00a0 As He Himself said, “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life that I might take it again”, John 10:17.\u00a0 If verses 1-21 are the record of the words of Christ on the cross, these remaining verses of tghe psalm are His words in resurrection.<\/span>
Neither hath He hid His face from Him-<\/span><\/strong> the meaning is, surely, that His turning away from His Son made sin, was not a permanent thing.\u00a0 As God said to Israel, “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee”, Isaiah 54:7.\u00a0 So in the future the remnant of Israel will realise their Messiah has solidarity with them, for this, in principle, (but not for the same reason), was His experience too. <\/span>
But when He cried unto Him, He heard-<\/span><\/strong> whilst it did not seem like this at the time, it is now very evident that God heard His every pleading, and answered Him at the moment when His love and trust had been tested to the utmost. <\/span>
These are reasons why the call can go out to men to fear and praise God, hence the “for” at the beginning of the verse.\u00a0 Faith in God is well placed, since He has kept faith with His Son.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:25\u00a0 My praise shall be of Thee in the great congregation: I will pay My vows before them that fear Him.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My praise shall be of Thee in the great congregation-<\/span><\/strong> having secured a born-again nation for Himself, He can now celebrate with them in Millenial blessedness.\u00a0 <\/span>
I will pay My vows before them that fear Him-<\/span><\/strong> the Lord Jesus will be careful to discharge all His responsibilities God-ward, in gratitude for His deliverance from all that were against Him.\u00a0 Jonah vowed to God during his experience of suffering, and pledged to pay those vows afterwards, “But I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed.\u00a0 Salvation is of the Lord”, Jonah 2:9.\u00a0 So does Messiah here.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:26\u00a0 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek Him: your heart shall live for ever.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The meek shall eat and be satisfied-<\/span><\/strong> that which the Lord Jesus did when He fed the five thousand, and when He fed the four thousand, is but a foretaste of His abundant provision for men, both physically and spiritually, when He reigns on the earth.\u00a0 There shall be no hunger or any sort of want then.\u00a0 Of course, what He did when He brake the bread and fed the multitude He does in another sense now, as He makes known the truth of His person to those who believe.\u00a0 It is they who eat the flesh of the Son of Man, (take in truth about His life), and drink His blood, (take in truth about His death), John 6:55,56. <\/span>
They shall praise the Lord that seek Him-<\/span><\/strong> the Lord had to say to the people He fed, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled”, John 6:26.\u00a0 Their seeking was merely carnal.\u00a0 They needed to come in faith, or the real blessing would be lost.\u00a0 As a result of seeking and finding, Peter is able to say at the end of that day, “And we believe that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God”, verse 69.\u00a0 The seeking was followed by praising, as always must be the case. <\/span>
Your heart shall live for ever-<\/span><\/strong> those who seek and find the living bread, have eternal life, and shall never perish.\u00a0 As the Lord Himself said, “And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one that seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise Him up at the last day”, John 6:40. Here is the confirmation of that, for believers in the Millenial Age, having been raised from the dead, enjoy the richness of eternal life.\u00a0 <\/span>
\u00a0 <\/span>
22:27\u00a0 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord-<\/span><\/strong> Calvary shall never be forgotten, and during the reign of Christ many of those who are born during that time shall turn to the Lord in genuine faith, as they are told of what the King did when He was on earth before. <\/span>
And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee-<\/span><\/strong> there will be a great pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and the nations shall come to worship the King, Zechariah 14:16.\u00a0 Instead of seeing Him upon a cross of shame, they shall come before the throne of His glory, Matthew 25:31.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:28\u00a0 For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and He is the governor among the nations.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For the kingdom is the Lord’s-<\/span><\/strong> there will be no doubt as the right of the Lord Jesus to reign.\u00a0 Men put Him upon a cross because He claimed to be Israel’s King, and also the Son of man, with rights over all the earth.\u00a0 At last His claim will have been vindicated. No doubt Matthew’s gospel will help them greatly in this regard. <\/span>
And He is the governor among the nations-<\/span><\/strong> in Pilate’s judgement hall, Pilate the governor sat, and Christ stood.\u00a0 In the future the roles will be reversed, and Christ will sit on His throne of impeccable righteousness, and kings shall rise up from their thrones to fall down before Him, Isaiah 49:7.\u00a0 He who “before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession”, 1 Timothy 6:13, will one day “show who is that blessed and only potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords”, verse 15.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:29\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship-<\/span><\/strong> those who prosper from His beneficent reign will worship Him in gratitude for His goodness.\u00a0 <\/span>
All they that go down to the dust shall bow before Him-<\/span><\/strong> at the great white throne, all those who have gone to the grave unrepentant, shall be forced to bow before Him, and reluctantly acknowledge that He is indeed who He claimed to be.\u00a0 As the apostle Paul put it, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory olf God the Father”, Philippians 2:9-11. <\/span>
And none can keep alive his own soul-<\/span><\/strong> believers will gladly agree that they depend wholly upon Christ for their maintenance in blessedness.\u00a0 Unbelievers will find to their cost they cannot escape death if unrepentant.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:30\u00a0 A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation<\/span><\/strong>– the question was asked by the prophet, “Who shall declare His generation, for He was cut off out of the land of the living”, Isaiah 53:8.\u00a0 It was considered a disaster to die without descendants, as Abraham expressed, Genesis 15:2.\u00a0 Such was the experience of Christ.\u00a0 Yet in resurrection He addressed His disciples as “children”, John 20:5, and He will say at last, “Behold I and the children that God hath given Me”, Hebrews 2:13.\u00a0 These are a spiritual posterity, to whom He has given the life of His Father, eternal life. <\/span>
With that life in their souls, they are strengthened to serve Him, in gratitude for what He has brought them into.<\/span><\/p>\n

22:31\u00a0 They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born-<\/span><\/strong> the seed He has produced will serve Him by telling forth His righteousness, not only of His person, but His righteous act of dying upon the cross, Romans 5:18. <\/span>
That He hath done this-<\/span><\/strong> these last words are said to be the direct equivalent of the Saviour’s words on the cross, “It is finished”.\u00a0 But they are reserved for this place at the end of the psalm, perhaps to emphasise that the ever expanding and far-reaching influence of the one who suffered on the cross, is based entirely on His finished work.\u00a0 It is because His work is finished that His righteousness can be declared.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THOUGHTS ON PSALM 22 Survey of the psalm The first part of this psalm gives us a little insight into the feelings of the Lord Jesus as He hung upon the cross of Calvary.\u00a0 We are privileged to learn somewhat of what He was thinking during the hours of darkness, over which the gospel writers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":3,"footnotes":""},"categories":[169],"tags":[337,589,667,708,796],"class_list":["post-1852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-psalm-22","tag-calvary","tag-messiah","tag-resurrection","tag-sin-offering","tag-wrath-of-god"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1852\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}