April 7, 2020 – Psalm 22
Today we look at Psalm 22 which talks of the Messiah being pierced. Due to time and size of discussion on this classic psalm, I will skip the verse-by-verse and instead give an overview. Much has already been said about this psalm in detail that we will skip here. There are a few verses that I want to touch on, but this is really a general overview about this classic psalm.
General Overview:
David apparently felt forsaken by God, as he was surrounded by his enemies’ scornful persecution. He lamented his tremendous suffering and his desperate struggle with death, pleading with God to deliver him from such a horrible end. Apparently, his prayer was answered, for he was able to declare to the elect and to the world that the Lord answered his prayer.
Although this psalm speaks of David’s own distress and the Lord’s deliverance of him, it also prophetically describes in remarkable detail Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. No known incident in the life of David fits the details of this psalm. The expressions describe an execution, not an illness; yet that execution is more appropriate to Jesus’ crucifixion than David’s experience.[1] The Gospel writers also saw connections between some of the words in this psalm (vv. 8, 16, 18) and other events in Christ’s Passion. Also, Hebrews 2:12 quotes Psalm 22:22. Thus the church has understood this psalm to be typological of the death of Jesus Christ. This means that David used many poetic expressions to portray his immense sufferings, but these poetic words became literally true of the suffering of Jesus Christ at His enemies’ hands. The interesting feature of this psalm is that it does not include one word of confession of sin, and no cursing against enemies. It is primarily the account of a righteous man who was being put to death by wicked men.
Psalm 22 is a profound lament psalm that concludes as a triumphant psalm of praise. The language David uses to describe his own predicament is prompted by the Holy Spirit. Thus it could span a thousand years to describe precisely the experiences of the Messiah Jesus—both His excruciating death and victorious resurrection. Psalm 69 also describes the emotional and spiritual suffering of Jesus. This lengthy poem has two main sections: (1) a description of the agony of impending death—an interplay of lament, confession, and petition (vv 1-21); (2) an ecstatic celebration of great victory—a series of vows to praise God in the congregation (vv. 22-31).
David, apparently feeling forsaken by God and scoffed at by his enemies, was confident that God would not fully abandon him. Verses 1–10 form the psalmist’s general introductory cry out of distress; they include two cycles, one of lament (vv. 1–5) and one of confidence (vv. 6–10).
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
17 I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it. (ESV)
Key Takeaways:
- Psalm 22 prophetically describes in remarkable detail Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection
- God will not abandon us and will continue to be faithful to us
- David, apparently feeling forsaken by God and scoffed at by his enemies, was confident that God would not fully abandon him
- David’s response to difficulties
- Instead of doubting God’s goodness, David reaffirms his lifelong faith in the Almighty. And, without God’s help, we cannot endure the suffering.
Brief Verse Outline:
Verses 1-3: With the words “My God, My God”, David expresses a painful sense of separation from God at a time of great trouble (Ps 38:21). These words were quoted by Jesus while in agony on the Cross (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34).
Verse 4: Even in the midst of great pain, David confesses His faith in the God of his fathers. God has been faithful to earlier generations; surely He will continue to be faithful to those who call upon Him (v. 21 for God’s faithful answer).
Verses 5-8: David’s suffering makes him feel as though he were no longer human–instead he feels like a worm. When David was at his lowest, his enemies ridiculed his faith in the Lord. These words also describe the experience of the Savior who endured the verbal abuse of His tormentors (Matt 27:27-31, 39-44).
Verses 9-10: With troubles and taunts swirling around him, David places his trust in the Lord–the One he has trusted throughout his whole life. David’s response to difficult circumstances is instructive. Instead of doubting God’s goodness, David reaffirms his lifelong faith in the Almighty.
Verse 11: The phrase “Be not far from me” reiterates David’s original plea in verse 1 for emphasis. He cannot endure His suffering without divine support.
Verses 12-15: Again in two cycles (vv. 12–15 and 16–18) David described his enemies and his sufferings. David uses striking imagery to describe his distress in vv. 12-15. He is surrounded by animals—bulls and lions. Moreover, David’s distress is so profound that he feels as if his life has been drained from him, as one might empty a jug of water. These words become even more poignant when they are applied to the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross (Jn 19:34). Jesus’ words “I thirst” (Jn 19:28) expressed the pain of terrible thirst (“my tongue sticks to my jaws”). For David, death would be avoided at this time (“the dust of death”); but for the Savior, however, there was no reprieve.
Verses 16-17: THe word “dogs” is the third animal portrayal of the psalmist’s enemies (vv 12, 13). “They pierced My hands and My feet” explicitly predicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The words are merely a figure of speech for the terrifying experiences of David; but as a prophet (Acts 2:30), David spoke accurately of the sufferings of Jesus.
Verse 18: The soldiers at Jesus’ crucifixion gambled for His garments, in direct fulfillment of verse 18.
Verses 19-21: Up to this point, the focus of this psalm had been on the suffering of the psalmist. The Lord God, who seemed so distant, is now petitioned to draw near, to help, deliver, and save. The Lord is the only source of Strength to help David fight off all the attacks of his tormentors. The use of animal imagery is now given in reverse order: dog, lion, and wild oxen – in contrast to bulls (v. 12), a lion (v. 13), and dogs (v. 16).
Verses 22-24: Not only does the psalm describe David’s pain and prophetically Jesus’ suffering on the cross, but it also depicts God’s deliverance. The Lord has answered and David who has suffered so much promises to sing the praises of the Lord, his Deliverer. The psalm begins with a sense of desperation based on a feeling of separation from God (v. 1). The psalm ends with praise and gratitude as God is near in all reality, He has answered, and He does save. David’s hope has not been misplaced.
Verses 25-26: David promises to praise the Lord for His miraculous salvation among other believers– in the great assembly at the temple. This public proclamation would encourage others to place their trust in the faithful Lord who rescues His people.
Verses 27-30 (specifically “all the ends of the earth/world”): For David, these words refer to the spread of the news of his deliverance to places far outside of Judah. For Jesus, these words speak of the eventual spread of the gospel of redemption to all the families of the nations, a fulfillment of God’s promise that He would bless all nations through Abraham’s descendants (Gen 12:3).
Verse 31 shows the gospel message of death and resurrection of Jesus will spread not only geographically but also throughout all time. All people will hear the clear message of what God has done.
[1] Allen P. Ross, “Psalm,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 809.