Psalm 22 - Echos of the Crucifixion

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David. Lament 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. 4 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Loyalty 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Fear 11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. 19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. 20 Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. 21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. Commitment 22 I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. 23 "You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help." 25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever! Finished 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him those who cannot keep themselves alive. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. 31 They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!

This Psalm is sung to a popular tune of the day, 'The Doe of the Morning.' We don't know the immediate context for this Psalm but interestingly both Jewish and Christian tradition see this as a prophetic psalm, though with differing events fulfilling the prophesy.  Jewish tradition sees this Psalm as David's lament over the future exile of his people and a foreshadowing of the events in the book of Esther, where the Jews are nearly wiped out completely. Christian's read this Psalm as a foreshadowing of Jesus' suffering on the cross in Matthew chapter 27. Lament. The Psalm starts with a cry of despair, the same cry used in Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ""Eloi, Eloi," "lama" "sabachthani?""--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The night before, in the Garden of Gethsemene, Jesus had been "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death". 3 times he prayed to His father, "if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me". My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. In the Lament, the suffer feels forsaken by God. The very foundation of his faith is God's active presence in his life, I call - You answer, this is how you are, this is how you have always been. I trust you. My people have always trusted you. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. Not only has God forsaken him, but mankind has too. scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. Back on the cross and Jesus is experiencing the self-same thing. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads. 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.  The people mock the sufferer's faith in God. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” These words are echoed back to Jesus on the cross. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself ! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " Loyalty 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Whilst Jesus is on the cross, I can imagine this Psalm going through his head as the events played out around him. As He ponders on his loyalty, from birth, to God, he looks down and sees His mother and His friend John. They hadn't deserted him. Mark 19:26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Fear In this section the phrase do not be far from me is repeated at the beginning and end. There is lots of threatening imagery of bulls, lions, dogs, villains and wild oxen. They surround , encircle and tear; the sufferer needs rescuing from their treating mouths and horns. Back to Jesus on the cross, John 19:28 Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; John 19:35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. Commitment Nearing the end, we have a commitment to complete the task.  I will declare. I will praise you. And a shout of thanksgiving because God has not abandoned him. For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but [he] has listened to his cry for help. Finished Mark 19:30 Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. With the task completed, All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, Everyone will turn to the Lord. all who go down to the dust will kneel before him those who cannot keep themselves alive. Even the dead will rise and kneel before him. future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: Even future generations. Because He has done it!

Psalm 16 - Hints of the Messiah

A miktam of David. 1 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord,  “You are my Lord; apart from you  I have no good thing.” 3 I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones  in whom is all my delight.” 4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods I will not take up their names on my lips. 5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;  even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.  With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and soul rejoices;  my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not leave my soul in the realm of the dead,  nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life;  you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

No one is really sure what miktam means.  It is used here and in Psalms 56,57,58,59 and 60.  It may be a musical term, but as all 6 of these Psalms are laments it probably means a type of psalm or lament. This Psalm continues the thread started in Psalm 1 comparing the godless man with the blessed man. There are many links back to previous Psalms. Psalm 7 - O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge Psalm 16 - Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. Again a picture of the refuge or stronghold of God is for the blessed man. 3 I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” In Psalm 16 we saw how one of the conditions for access to God was to 'honour those who fear the Lord'.  Here David is declaring his love for the holy people.  He takes delight in them.  One of the main requirements for a good pastor or king is to love his people. 4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. It is in mankind's nature to seek after God - this desire was put their by God himself. In Acts 17:27 Paul explains it like this, "His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him".  A common phrase is that people have a God-shaped hole, a deep seated need that people strive to satisfy. This picture by Tabitha Brett shows how people can 'run after other gods' to fill this emptiness, this need with relationships, money, drugs, alcohol, power or other religious experiences.  But, none of these things bring the satisfaction that a relationship with our Creator brings, in fact it brings the opposite, a dissatisfaction and a craving for more. There is an interesting article in the NY Times called For the love of money. Hence, David's phrase Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. David states his position:- I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods I will not take up their names on my lips. 5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;  God is enough. 7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;  even at night my heart instructs me. The word heart here is translated as heart, kidneys, conscience, inmost being or reigns.  This links back to the phrase in Psalm 1 on His law he meditates day and night. The blessed man who delights in and meditates on God's law will have it stored up in his heart, his conscience, his inmost being, so at night when he is reviewing the events of the day, relevant portions of that law will come to mind, leading to a pricking of the conscience or a confirming that what you did was right. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. King David had Abishai son of Zeruiah as his right hand man when he went into battle. One of his best and most trusted warriors took the position on his right to defend him and keep him safe during his many battles.  In 2 Samuel 21:15-17 David becomes exhausted in battle and Abishai saves his life. In the chapter about David's mighty men, Abishai is held in greater honour than even his top 3 mighty men. 2 Samuel 23:18-19  Another or David's right-hand men was Ahitophel, the king's counselor, the advice Ahitophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God.  But Abishai had wanted to kill King Saul and needed to be stopped by David 1 Samuel 26:9 and Ahitophel had defected to his son Absalom's side 2 Samuel 15:31.  Although they were the best right hand men available, they could leave David shaken and troubled.   With God at his right hand, David will not be shaken.  10 because you will not leave my soul in the realm of the dead,  nor will you let your faithful one see decay. David knows he is going to be with God when he dies, he states it most clearly at the end of Psalm 23, 'I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever'.  Here he states you will not leave my soul in the realm of the dead.  He knew he was going to die, and be buried, but he also knew he was not going to stay dead.  The next line seems to contract this thought, by saying God's faithful one will not see decay.  But clearly, David would die and be buried and his body would decay.  Then you realise that my soul and your faithful one are not talking about the same person.  David is prophesying about Jesus Christ when he says 'Your faithful one' not referring to himself. Peter picked up on this in his sermon in Acts 2:22-32 when he states:- 29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Paul also referred to it in his sermon in Acts 13:32-39 :- 35 So it is also stated elsewhere: “‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’ 36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. 38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

Psalm 2 - Conversations on loyalty and betrayal

Poet 1 Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? 2 They stand together, the kings of the earth; The leaders conspire against the Lord and his Anointed, saying, Kings of the Earth 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart , Let us cast away their cords.” Poet 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; The Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then He will speak to them in his anger, and He will terrify them in his wrath, saying, God 6 “As for me, I have set my King, on Zion, my holy hill.” Messiah 7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord: The Lord said to me, God “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will bequeath you the nations, and put the ends of the earth in your possession. 9 With an iron rod you will break them and shatter them in pieces like a potter’s jar.” Poet 10 Now, O Kings, understand be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear and trembling 12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry and [you] perish, For suddenly his anger will blaze. Listener Blessed are they who trust in God.

This poem is a conversation between the poet, the Kings of the earth, God, the Messiah and you the listener.  Once you realise this the pronouns make sense.                  ~    ~ The poem starts with a couple of parallelisms - a repetition of ideas in the same order. the nations - rage the people  - plot they      - stand together    - the kings of the earth leaders - conspire against - the Lord + his anointed                  ~    ~ There are a few examples of alliteration - consonant repetition. People  Plot Break    Bonds Cast off Cords                  ~    ~ There is a Progression in God’s mood from amusement to wrath: sits              - laughs  Stage 1  - passive amusement holds them - derision  Stage 2 - amusement turns to disgust will speak   - anger  Stage 3 - anger and verbal action will terrify   - wrath   Stage 4 - ..Not a good place to be…                  ~    ~ God reveals that he has installed His King the Messiah and a conversation ensues between God and Jesus with a chiasmus repetition and a lot of confusing pronouns. I               -  tell    - the Lord - Jesus tells of God A1               B1         C1 the Lord -  said  - to Me       - God said to Jesus C2               B2           A2 God talking to Jesus You                   -     are My Son  A1                                 B1 have begotten  - You          B2               A2                  ~    ~ God sets forth his plan with repetitions. I shall bequeath             - the nations put in your possession - the ends of the earth iron rod          - break them shatter them - potters jar                  ~    ~ A final chiasmus warning from the poet, with a bit of alliteration. O Kings                     -       understand be wise; be warned    - O rulers of the earth.                  ~    ~ What you should do about - Serve God, Kiss the Son. Serve the Lord    -  fear and trembling Kiss the Son       -  lest angry and [you] perish, Kissing on the cheek has the same conetations as a handshake - we are comrades, on the same side.  Judas may have ‘kissed the Son’ but his motives were more in line with the first 2 verses.                  ~    ~ For suddenly his anger will blaze. The pronoun in ‘his anger’ could be God or the Messiah or the God-head but it reminds the listener not to wait or put it off, God’s patience can run out and his mood suddenly change from passive amusment with your antics to anger.                  ~    ~ And finally the listener understands what the first 2 Psalms are teaching him and responds: Blessed are they who trust in God