Psalm 22 and the Sufferings of Christ

Ah, it worked. I'm going to ask you some questions. Please do not raise your hand. Please do not verbally respond. These are questions for you to ponder and to consider. Have you ever felt completely alone and that no one was there for you? It's going to be a little serious topic here today. Have you ever felt overwhelmed with no relief in sight?

Have you ever been betrayed by a close friend? Have you ever been laughed at, ridiculed, or called things? Has the word despair ever described you? Have you experienced times when it is as though a dark cloud just descends on you and pushes you in a corner? I was praying yesterday morning. Yes, I do that sometimes. I was praying and I was meditating. And a phrase came to my mind just out of the blue. Or was it? And it led to the sermon. The phrase was, the bulls of Baytion encircle me. Now, who knows where that comes from? Whoa! Give that man high five, low five, all of the above. Yes, it is Psalm 22. And that's where we're going to spend our time today. I'm going to talk about it a little bit first. There are at least two people in the Bible. One was the type and one was the antitype. But two men who, to all of those questions, could answer the word yes. I suspect there are a lot more of us seated here today who probably check for the... mentally check the box. Yes. We've been out in the depths. We've been pushed in a corner. We have felt so overwhelmed that we could do no more. David, the man who wrote this psalm, he knew what it felt like. We are not told at what point in David's life that he wrote psalm 22. We are merely told at the beginning that it's one of the psalms of David. And he wrote half the psalms. In fact, you can count them up sometime, but smarter people than us have already counted up for us. 73 we'll say at the beginning, a psalm of David. And then there are two more in the New Testament where a New Testament writer quotes from a psalm that when you go to that psalm, it is anonymous, but it says as David said, so you can add two more. 75. A full half we know are David's. But there's still a third here that aren't even... We don't know who the author is, so he could have written a lot of those. David went through something in his life. I mean, a lot of times he writes, and like with Psalm 51, right under it says it connects it to the time of the sin with Bathsheba. And he cries out to God about his own sin. And my sin is ever before me. But this psalm is unique. It doesn't address sin. And there's a very important reason. It's because whatever David went through and whatever he was inspired to write down, he is serving as a type of the One who would come a thousand years later who would live and He would give His life for sin. He would become sin for all humanity. David and Jesus understood. And they would answer, yes, to all of those questions.

All of those questions. In the New Testament, you're probably doing like I've been doing and from time to time going back and rereading some of the Gospel accounts of the culmination there of Christ's betrayal and all that He went through. Passover is just five weeks from tomorrow night. We'll be here before we know it. We reread those stories. But you know, it's interesting. You think of those stories of Christ's life or of sufferings and death. And those are news. The New Testament tells of Christ's sufferings as if it was news. Matthew and John were there as disciples. The others, Luke especially, is more a research paper at the behest of somebody else. But it tells the story like somebody's researching and writing a biography. The Old Testament, though, we have places. It's not just this psalm. Psalm 69 would be another one. You've got a number of places there. You have Isaiah 52, 53. Isaiah is called the Messianic prophet. You have places where God inspired the Old Testament writers not to write news items of what they saw and heard and experienced or what they heard from others, but to write down the very prophecies that gave us insight into what Jesus was seeing and feeling and saying as He was on the cross that day. This is a psalm that begins with the cry of agony. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? The Gospel writers can only repeat that. David nearly a thousand years earlier in their inspiration saw and felt and wrote down those words himself. If you look at commentaries, you will find different ways where they break psalm 22 into pieces. I've chosen one that breaks it into three parts. Part A is the appeal. Appeal. And that's verses 1 through 10. Part B is the prayer because it abruptly turns to a prayer. Verses 11 through 21. And then, part C is the hope. David does that in a lot of his psalms.

He certainly does it in this one. A lot of times, though, he's fleeing for his life. A lot of times, he's beset by enemies. And in 1, he says, the Lord breaks their teeth! But as it goes through the psalm, he comes to himself again and he ends on a high note. He ends with hope. And this one has the most agonizing beginning, and yet it ends with hope. When we come to the Passover, we begin our annual marching through of the plan of God.

It all begins with the Passover. The Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Anointed One, willingly gave His life. As Paul wrote to Corinth, He became sin for us. He bore our sins. He bore away the sins of the world in various ways that he's written. But that's why He came. The sinless One, the perfect One, the only perfect One ever woke this earth, became sin for all. Psalm 22. I think you're aware, we've mentioned this before, where you have, at least here in God's Word, this translation, the giant print translation, which is only bettered by the extra-giant print translation.

That's the New King James. The New King James, at least, puts it in a larger font, but if you happen to have the Old King James, right below Psalm 22, it has this little print. And that's what we have here, as it appears in mind. To the chief musician, apparently, the notation, you find it through so many of the Psalms, apparently there was a body who worked together on approving and setting apart, putting a stamp of authority upon certain music, which, again, sadly, we've lost the music.

We've lost so much. We have the words, and that's enough. But one day, maybe we'll have the music again. And then it says, Set to the deer of the dawn. The marginal note. The Hebrew words. Ejoret ha-shahar. Ejoret speaking of a deer. Afon. A heart. H-A-R-T. Of the dawn. Shahar. Sometimes it's suggested it means the day dawn, or the beginning of the day. Basically, we don't know what that meant to the audience at that time. But I do put on my pondering hat from time to time, and I read that, and I scratch my head, and I wonder, could this tell us about what's to follow?

Is it painting a picture, as it were, here out in a meadow, as the light is beginning to come, as the sun is moving toward rising? And does that picture the fact that the light, because of what is going to be portrayed in this psalm, that the light of God's way will begin to shine forth to the world? Well, that's 1st Thompson 2.19, but I do wonder that. I puzzle over that. Psalm of David 1.

Verse 1, again, we go to the appeal in verse 1 through verse 10. The author makes it abundantly clear that he is crying to one he calls repeatedly, My God. He makes it clear that My God is holy. He also makes it clear that he understands that his express purpose is to die for the sins of humanity. I may shift a little between David and Christ, but the primary focus, David the writer, but the primary focus is on Christ. So many places, and late in Matthew and other Gospels, there'll be a quotation, and it comes from right here several times.

And then one time it's quoted in Hebrews, and we'll close with that sometime in the next couple of hours. No, this won't be long. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me and from the words of My groaning? The words that are written are the words of a child lost from parents. They are the words of a boy who's lost his father. You can't rear children without having had the horrifying experience of being in a public place, and then you start trying to count heads and, okay, where is he?

Where is he? Usually it's a he. Sorry about that. It's been our experience. Where is he? The panic. But the panic is worse with the child. It begins to wonder. We laugh once upon a time. Our daughter was what, 11? The trip, the feast, the Scotland? 12. She went with her grandparents, Denise's parents, to Scotland for the feast.

And as they traveled around, sometimes they'd get on a roundabout going the other way, and they'd go around the roundabout two or three times, and each time they'd realize, okay, that's the one we want next time around, and then they'd finally take it. One time they pulled over, they were counting their... it was British pounds at the time, counting their money. Well, it's still that way there. Counting their money. And Jenny started crying in the back seat because she thought number one, we're lost.

Number two, we're broke. And number three, I'll never see my parents again. It was real to her. But these are the words of a child. Sheer dread, will I ever see my father again? Those words, if you go and check the Gospel accounts, those words cried out from the darkness. Remember the time after the crucifixion, after a lot of things, and then darkness covered the earth. And from the darkness, those words were heard. And the child gets even more distraught when it's dark. Verse 2, Oh my God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear. And in the night season, and am not silent. Again, we think of the panicked words of a child who was lost.

There is one who gets a taste of what it's like to be separated from his God. There are times when we feel alone, and there are times when we feel the darkness descends upon us. But we have a high priest who's been there, done that. I don't know if he's bought the t-shirt, but he's been there. He's done it. We have a high priest who knows, who understands.

Verse 3, But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. David writes, You're holy. You never cease to be holy. In fact, when this nation was established in a covenant with You, You are the one that somewhere in Leviticus 19, He said, Be You holy, for I am holy. You recognize nothing has changed. You are right. You are holy. Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Here we are, the laughter of 1000 B.C.

and the nation of Israel had been around for more than four centuries. We could go back into the patriarchal age as well, but all the stories that they would tell, the time when they came to water and it was bitter and how it was healed, the time when from a rock, or times, plural, from a rock, water came, or time when food was sent, or time when waters of a sea were parted, or the time when waters of a river or flood stage were held back so they could walk across on dry land. Yes, the Israelites had sung the praises of this holy God for a long, long time.

Nothing has changed at all. Verse 4, our fathers trusted in you, they trusted and you delivered them. And so in the appeal, He's making His case. Why have you forsaken Me? Especially since throughout history our people have cried out to you, you have heard and you have delivered. There were times in the era of the Judges when the people of Israel would be oppressed, say, by the Philistines, and they would cry out to God from their oppression, and God would raise up Othnal, Caleb's little brother. He'd raise up Deborah and Abbaach. He would raise up Samson and Gideon and deliver them. There were times in war. Remember the time that as long as Moses held up his hands, Israel was given the victory, but then he had to have help when others held up his hands for him.

Israel has told those stories. They trusted you delivered them. Verse 5, they cried to you and were delivered. They trusted in you and were not ashamed. Verse 6, But I am warm and no man. A reproach of men and despised by the people. The word worm. Sometimes it's used of ancient Israel. You can make a note of Isaiah 41, verse 14. God called Israel a worm, but He said, I'll help you, said the Redeemer of hosts. The word worm referred to Israel as being poor and weak and insignificant.

And here, through David's writing, again, we're having an insight into the thoughts of our Savior that day on the cross. We hear His words. We read of His actions. We read of His feelings, His thoughts that day. And surely from the cross, He could turn His head somewhat and see blood dripping and skin hanging down. I'm not going to be graphic today. Everyone prepares for the Passover in a different way. I know some who will watch Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ every year. It's something they do, and if you do it, enjoy it. I've watched it twice. All at one time. The first time and the last time.

Too much for me. Too much for me. I think we're given enough in print to envision. But He's hanging there that day. I'm a worm. And there were those who had been jeering and ridiculing and calling to Him. He said, it'll build the temple in three days. Save yourself. Verse 7, all those who see Me ridicule Me. They shoot out the lip. They shake the head, saying, He trusted in the Lord. Let Him rescue Him. Let Him deliver to Him since He delights in Him. The crowd that day at Golgotha yapped at His heels like a pack of bloodthirsty hounds.

They hounded Him. They scoffed at Him. Late in Matthew 27, it'll quote from this Scripture as far as the very words that were used in ridicule of Christ that day as they stepped across the line and committed blasphemy repeatedly. Verse 9, But you are He who took Me out of the womb. It goes back to when it all began in the day of David when He was conceived in the day of Christ. When God the Father threw the power of His Spirit through whatever means, however that was done, I think it's one of those things that's too wonderful for Me, for us. But Mary, as a virgin, this egg was impregnated in a most remarkable way.

And life began. And that was Immanuel. God with us. That was God in the flesh. And so, when I was in my mother's womb, and then He said, you made Me trust while on My mother's breasts. Well, this God that He's crying out to was there as Mary nursed Him. This God was there as, in short order, not far down the line, He sent an angel saying, get your wife and son, go to Egypt, because Herod was killing the male children in that region.

He was there with them some time later after Herod the Great died, and it was revealed, come on back up to the land of Israel. That's when they ended up in Nazareth. This God was there when the family didn't count heads closely enough to lift the young Jesus behind it, Jerusalem when He was 12. He had been there from His conception, from the time He nursed on His mother.

Verse 10, I was cast upon you from birth, from my mother's womb, you have been my God. My father was involved all along from conception to this point. With verse 11, we shift to the prayer. He begins speaking a bit more directly. The verses focus on the impending peril. It was more than pain and ridicule. It was more than, well, you or I would have felt humiliation. I don't think Jesus felt humiliation because it would take a degree of pride to feel that. His life was just about to end. Hours earlier at Gethsemane, He had cried, Father, if there's any way, let this cup pass from me as far as is there another way we can pay this price.

But then He said nevertheless, not my will but your will be done. And He was still saying that. Be not far from me, for trouble is near. For there is none to help. Again, if you've ever felt completely, totally alone that there is no one there for you. We have a high priest who's been there.

He knows what it feels like. Geth is near. He knows it. But He asks God, beseeches His God to come be close. There are a lot of unanswered questions that we all have. If you read the Bible, you're going to come up with questions. And that's one that I still have.

From the darkness covered the earth that day which represented the Father turning away from Jesus. So that He had to go through those last steps completely, totally on His own volition. His own choice. His own will.

Did He know? Did He fully know that was coming? That's something I'll keep percolating up in there. But if you cried out, don't be far. It's about over. And I want you here. There's no one else. Verses 12 and 13 really give me lots to ponder as well. Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bayton have encircled me. They gape at me with their mouths like a raging and roaring lion. David paints the picture as though there are these huge powerful bulls out pawing the earth, maybe bowing their challenge.

If you've ever seen bulls go at each other, he paints the picture of a lion roaring over its prey. Oblique picture that he's about to be mauled, rammed, butted to death. They gape at me with their mouths. Now, Bayton. Look at your Bible map. Remember, on the other side, the east side of the Jordan. You had certain tribes, and up north, you had half the tribe of Manasseh.

And that's the area of Bayton. Modern area would be called the Golan Heights. Marvelous pastures, fertile area. There were raised a lot of cattle there. Is it possible that bulls and lions, as they're used here, could refer to something else? This isn't doctrine. Make this one 2nd Doppson, 219. How many faces does a carob have? Four. A man. A lion. What else?

An eagle and a bull. I said lamb, didn't I? A man and eagle. A lion and a bull. And we just read of bulls of Bayton as a roaring lion. What does it say of Satan in Ezekiel 28? In one phrase, you were the anointed carob who covered. And as Moses was given a blueprint on building the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat on top, there were carob beans spreading out their wings.

Those carob beans, apparently Lucifer was one of them once upon a time. Is it possible that David is indicating verses 12 and 13, that as Christ was hanging there on the cross that day, the thieves could look out and see people. They could see places. They could see each other. They could see Christ. They could see with human eyes. But Jesus was more than just another human being. Is it possible that he could look and in circling the events of that day, were Satan the devil, the fallen former carob, with a face of a bull and the face of a lion, with his cronies, the rebellious evil spirits who once upon a time rebelled? Perhaps some others were carobs and had faces of bulls and lions. Is it possible that as he was hanging there that day, he not only saw the scene around him, but he also saw the wicked spirits in high and heavenly places who felt their ridicule and jeering as they probably had no earthly idea. It's just about over for them. That with the culmination, with the conclusion with the death of Christ and then the resurrection of Christ, well, like Paul told Rome, told the church at Rome, somewhere in Romans 16, the God of peace will bruise Satan under your feet shortly. Is it possible that Jesus looked out and He saw evil spirit beings rejoicing over His suffering having no idea that they were just about done for? I wonder. Verse 14, I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. You read through the Gospel accounts. Driving of spikes, nails, between bones, the wrist, between through bones of feet or ankles. Of course, this was the Lamb of God and the little Passover lands from Exodus 12 foreshadowed Him, and of the Passover lands, not a bone was to be broken. But how many bones would have been out of joint as He has nailed to a post, a cross, whatever. However, people debate what it was, how it was formed. Stood upright and dropped and thudded to the bottom of the hole that had been dug. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It has melted within me. Verse 15, my strength has dried up like a pottery, thrown out in the sun that just slowly, completely dries. My tongue clings to my jaws. You have brought me to the dust of death. Again, from the cross that day, He cried out seven times. One of the times He said, I thirst! And remember how the soldier took a sponge and the Roman practice was to offer some drugged vinegar or wine and offer it.

But it was drugged to ease to relieve a bit of the suffering. And Jesus turned it down because He wanted to go through with a clear head. He wanted nothing to dull the pain, to dull the experience, because He was giving Himself. As Paul wrote to Rome again, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Verse 16, For dogs have surrounded me, and the congregation of the wicked have enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lumps. Yes, the gathered crowd, the soldiers, the religious leaders, He is surrounded by evil. He has been earlier that day before Pilate, before religious leaders, soldiers, commoners, and He looks. You can see the nails that hold Him. The Roman scourging would shred the flesh to ribbons. He could count his bones.

He could see his bones. He could look, and He could see a gambling taking place among soldiers. Gambling over who would have what must have been very expensive garments that He had once upon a time worn. Verse 19, But you, O Lord, do not be far from Me. O my strength, hasten to help Me. He realizes it is almost over. Deliver Me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog. Save Me from the lion's mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen. And then He simply says, You have answered Me.

It is as though there was a certain point. And I wonder if it was just before He cried again from the cross that day. Only it was the last time when He said, It is finished. It is accomplished. And then, the old King James says, He gave up the ghost. And it was over. God finally answered Him. And the answer was no. Has God ever cried out with your heart to God for something? And you find out later on, sometimes it takes time to realize what the answer was that was given.

And God told you no. Paul knew what that was like. He besought God for whatever that thorn in flesh was. And God said no. My grace is enough. Out of weakness, you'll be strong. And there are times we're told no. It strengthens us through the process. We shift in verse 22 to the hope. The final verses. The hope. It abruptly transitions to a message of hope. An answer has come at His greatest distress.

He now has peace. The die is cast. And it's okay because there's an eternal purpose being worked out here. Because human beings, male and female, created He them. But the voice said, let us make man in our image after our likeness. And those words speak of a family that God is building. A family for all time. God is building a family with which to share with whom He will share eternity.

Verse 22, I will declare your name to my brethren. In the midst of the assembly, I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise Him. All you descendants of Jacob glorify Him and fear Him. All you offspring of Israel. The realization came that yes, it's about over. But He knew He would live again. He told the disciples, I'm going to go before you to Galilee. And then we read early in Acts that He was with them for that several weeks. Forty days He was with them. Appeared to one time 500 people, but He was speaking the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God as a picture of the eternal family that God is building. 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted. The realization came upon David. The realization then must have come upon Christ. And the peace came with it. I have not been forsaken. I have not. God has not been hiding from me. He has not been despised because of His afflictions. Nor has He hidden His face from Him. But when He cried to Him, He heard, My praise shall be of You in the great assembly. I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.

You read those words. What a stark contrast to the way the Psalm began in verses 1 and 2. God hears the cries of the afflicted. God does not hide His face from the afflicted. It is only natural to respond with the deepest praise of God when we look at what He has orchestrated from the foundation of the world. That one would die so that we may live forever.

But He said, I will pay My vows. This actually harkens back to the peace offering of old. If you go back sometime to Leviticus 7, but there's a first section about one offering, then it shifts to the peace offering. With the peace offering, there's not really the connection with sin as there is with some of the others, the sin, the trespass offerings. The peace offering, the one bringing the offering just simply wants to bring something as an act of worship to give to His God. And through the process, not only the one who brings the offering, but also the priest and God Himself, as it were, eat of that offering.

And He says, I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. There are others who fear You that He will share. So show them the way. Verse 26, The poor shall eat and be satisfied. Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord.

And all the families of the nations that shall worship before You for the Kingdom is the Lord's. And He rules over the nations. That sounds kind of like some of Daniel's prophecies of the time is coming when the Kingdom will be given to the saints of the Most High. Or Isaiah's prophecy of that child that was to be born. And it says of the increase of His government and peace, there should be no end. All peoples will be welcome to come and enjoy this great coming peace.

In fact, Jesus, that night of giving the new symbols for the Passover, He said, I won't drink of the fruit of the vine until I drink it with you, and you are my Father's Kingdom. Verse 30, A posterity shall serve Him. We know what a posterity is. You have a next generation. The younger generation has another one. We call them kids and grandkids and great grandkids. There'll be more who follow. There'll be more generations. God will work among certain peoples, and the elect will sign forth His praises and others will come. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation. They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born that He has done this.

Yes, the Passover starts our annual trip through the steps of God's plan. It begins with the payment of the price of sin. It will end this fall not only with tabernacles, but a one-day, eighth day that looks at a time when as Jesus said, the time is coming, and now is when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth.

Or as John wrote at the end of Romans 20, the graves will be open, and they'll stand small and great before God and be judged from the books. And so I again ask you, have you ever felt completely alone, overwhelmed, overburdened, betrayed, ridiculed, or rejected has the word despair ever described you? Have you felt the times that this darkest cloud descends on you? Turn to Hebrews 2 and take heart. Let us be encouraged because all of this was for an express purpose. Because we need someone fighting on our behalf. We need someone interceding who knows what we're going through.

Hebrews 2, let's start in v. 9. You could make a note of verses 9 through 18, the end of the chapter, but we'll just notice some highlights. He has discussed the fact that there were promises to the Son that were never made to angels. They were ministering servants of the heirs of salvation. And then he shifts to this Jesus. Verse 9, but we see Jesus.

Who was made a little lower than the angels. Yes, He came as flesh and blood. He was God with us. He was God in the flesh. For the suffering of death, that's why He came. It's the only reason He came and went through what He went through. Crowned with glory and honor that He by the grace of God might taste death for everyone.

For it was fitting for Him for whom are all things and by whom are all things. And that's one of many places where it speaks to the pre-incarnate Christ being the Creator God, the One whose voice said, let there be light. The One whose voice said, let us make man our image after our likeness. The One who walked with Adam and Eve in the garden and walked with Enoch and spoke to His friend Moses face to face. The One who came as flesh. In bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. How many times do we puzzle when we ponder and we wonder why?

Why am I suffering? And it's written all through the Bible. All who live godly shall suffer persecution. All will be tried. Through many tribulations, we'll enter the kingdom. And the reason is there are things we cannot and do not see until we hurt. For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one. For which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying.

And then he quotes from Psalm 22. I will declare your name to my brethren. In the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you. A couple of other quotes are listed. Let's go to verse 14. And as much then as the children have become or have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death, he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage.

For indeed, he does not give aid to angels, he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things, he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest and things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 5, and we close here. Hebrews 5, you can just make a note of verses 5 through 9. Verse 5, he quotes from Psalm 2, You are my son, today I have begotten you.

Verse 6, he quotes from Psalm 110, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Verse 7, Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to Him, who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.

And to that I would add, yes, and He heard the answer, no. We have to go through the way we planned it. Though He was a son, yet He learned obedience by the things that He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Happy Sabbath to all of you, and enjoy the meal and the social tonight.