Victory Through Sorrow’s Deep Sea – Easter Message From A Poem – Part 2 Series

VICTORY THROUGH SORROW’S DEEP SEA – EASTER MESSAGE FROM A POEM – PART 2

We will continue this three Part series on the Easter Message from a poem of mine. Today we will look at the thoughts derived from the next 10 stanzas. The material in the poem comes from the following scriptures –

Psalm 22

Psalm 69

Isaiah 52 and 53

The Gospel accounts of the betrayal night and the crucifixion.

[[“Dangerous bulls have surrounded me. 12

Bashan bulls circle, and I’m trapped.

Like gaping lions they snarl in glee;

Satan’s dogs at the cross have lapped.”]]

Psalm 22 is a remarkable prophetic Psalm of the Messiah. It contains a number of references the Gospel writers used when writing about Calvary and the Psalm itself has description, but mainly the utterances of the Lord on the cross along and His inaudible prayers. This section was used for the poem –

{{Psalm 22:10-12 “Upon You I was cast from birth. You have been my God from my mother’s womb. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded me, strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.”}}

This heartfelt request from David saw him in deep trouble, probably from enemies, and there was no one to turn to except the Lord. Verse 10 is reminding God/Father that there has been a lifetime relationship (actually an eternal existence) and that is the basis for trusting again for that help. The reference to bulls is that these are wild bulls and powerful and will readily attack and gore the person to death. That is how it was for the Lord on the cross. The pressures were all around. Jesus prayed from the depths of His being. The Psalm adds this, speaking of these bulls – {{Psalm 22:13 “They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion.”}} What a wall of terror was before David, and before the Lord. Jesus was in the place of darkest rejection when He was made sin for each one of us = our sins were laid on Him.

The last stanza line mentions dogs – {{Psalm 22:19-21 “But You, O LORD, be not far off. O You my help, hasten to my assistance. Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.”}} NEVER let your heart and mind ever forget what the Lord did for you.

[[“Like wax, My heart within melts away,

And My bones are out of joint.

Dogs are all around. I’m in dismay.

Encircling evildoers point.”]]

Who of the human race can ever understand these words. Jeremiah experienced such sorrow and pain – {{Lamentations 1:12 “Is it nothing to all you who pass this way? Look and see if there is any pain like my pain, which was severely dealt out to me, which the LORD inflicted on the day of His fierce anger.”}} The AV used “sorrow” in place of the NASB’s “pain” but we can apply that verse to the Lord on the cross. We will never know what the Lord went through to rescue the lost sheep on that day when the Father inflicted such pain on the Son.

[[“But none of the ransomed ever knew

How deep were the waters crossed;

Nor how dark was the night which the Lord passed through

Ere He found His sheep that was lost.”]]

Think for a minute what it’s like to have a heart melted like wax, and poured out like water – {{Psalm 22:14 “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within me.”}} Such a happening is devastating to the human body, beyond any experience we would ever have. Such was the devastating results of your sin and what had to happen to gain your salvation.

Again, imagine a body where no bones are broken but they are all out of joint. The verse says ALL my bones. People might have a shoulder that goes out of joint and it is so painful, but what if every joint and bone was out of joint? Do you know who should have suffered that? You and me! That is what substitution is. He did it all in MY place. Why do we love our Lord Jesus? Because He first loved us!

[[Soldiers, let us divide His garments;

For His clothing, lots we will cast.”

Then they gambled over His vestments,

Joyously, in a scene so aghast.]]

The inspiration of the Holy Spirit gave us this – {{Psalm 22:18 “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”}} And the same inspired writings say this (very similar in Matthew, Mark, and Luke – {{Matthew 27:35 “When they had crucified Him they divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots.”}}