PSALM 22
THE SUFFERING KING
INTRODUCTION:
YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THE OPENING WORDS OF THIS PSALM AS SOME OF THE WORDS THAT CHRIST CRIED WHEN HE WAS ON THE CROSS. IT COULD BE THAT BY REFERENCING THESE OPENING WORDS OF THE PSALM THAT JESUS WAS DIRECTING US TO STUDY THE WHOLE PSALM, AND TO APPLY IT TO THE CROSS.
THERE IS NO GREATER CRY OF DESOLATION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD’S GREAT LITERATURES, NOR IS THERE ANY GREATER INDICATION OF DIVINE GRACE FOR IN CHRIST’S DESOLATION IS OUR SALVATION.
WHAT IS THE OVERALL EFFECT OF THE PSALM – THE MACROCOSIM
PSALM 22 RUNS THE GAMUT OF EMOTIONS, FROM EXTREME DESOLATION TO PROFOUND JOY. IN MESSIANIC TERMS PSALM 22 EXPRESSES CHRIST’S AGONIZED SEPARATION FROM GOD WHEN THE FATHER POURS THE SIN OF THE WORLD ON CHRIST AT HIS CRUCIFIXION, AND THE PROFOUND JOY THAT COMES TO US FROM CHRIST’S SACRIFICE.
FOR DAVID, THE ANSWER LIES IN THE FACT THAT HE IS UNDER ATTACK ((V.6-8), YET HE IS ENCOURAGED BY GOD’S PAST FAITHFULNESS TO TRUST HIM AGAIN (V.3-5). FOR JESUS HIS GREATEST AGONY OF ALL IS HIS SEPARATION FROM GOD WHILE ON THE CROSS (V.1-2; 14-18), AND HIS GREATEST JOY IS THE ETERNAL KINGDOM THE FATHER PROVIDES BELIEVERS THROUGH HIS DEATH (V.22-31). MESSIAH IS BOTH THE SUFFERING SERVANT (V.1-21) AND THE GREAT KING OF AN ETERNAL KINGDOM (V.22-31). PSALM 22 BEGINS IN THE CDEPTHS OF DESPAIR AND ENDS IN THE GREATEST HOPE EVER OFFERED.
WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF THE PSALM?
PSALM 22 IS AN INDIVIDUAL LAMENT PSALM, FOR ITS PRIMARY EMPHASIS IS PETITION TO YAHWEH FOR BLESSINGS ONLY HE CAN BESTOW. IN THIS CASE IT’S RESCUE FROM ENEMIES AND SALVATION FOR THE LOST.
PSALM 22 DOESN’T FOLLOW THE TYPICAL PATTERN FOR A PSALM OF LAMENT. THERE ARE NO CURSES OR CONFESSIONS AS ARE IN TYPICAL LAMENT PSALMS. PSALM 22 ALTERNATES BETWEEN SECTIONS OF CONFIDENCE AND PETITION AND CONCLUDES WITH AN EXTENDED VOW TO PRAISE GOD THAT IS MUCH LONGER THAN THE CONCLUSION IN MANY LAMENT PSALMS.
PSALM 22 CAN BE BROKEN DOWN IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER:
VERSES 1-2: LAMENT ONE: THE SPEAKERS DESOLATION
VERSES 3-5 CONFIDENCE ONE: YAHWEH’S FAITHFULNESS IN THE PAST
VERSES 6-8 LAMENT TWO: THE ENEMIES’ ATTACKS
VERSES 9-10 CONFIDENCE TWO: YAHWEH’S CARE FOR THE SPEAKER
VERSE 11 PETITION ONE: A PLEA FOR DELIVERANCE
VERSES 12-18 LAMENT THREE: ATTACKERS ON ALL SIDES
VERSES 19 -21 PETITION TWO: A SECOND PLEA FOR DELIVERANCE
VERSES 22-31 VOW TO PRAISE YAHWEH: YAHWEH’S GRACIOUS SALVATION
THE STRUCTURE OF VERSES 1-21 ALTERNATING LAMENTS WITH STATEMENTS OF CONFIDENCE AND THEN WITH PETITIONS, SERVES TWO PURPOSES:
FIRST: IT INTENSIFIES THE EXTREMITY OF DAVID’S VULNERABLE POSITION BECAUSE HE KEEPS RETURNING TO THE OVERWEALMING FEAR HIS ENEMIES EVOKE IN HIM.
SECOND: IT SERVES TO KEEP A DOUBLE PERSPECTIVE BEFORE THE READER. THAT IS, AT THE SAME TIME WE EXPERIENCE DAVID’S FEAR, WE ARE REMINDED OF YAHWEH’S FAITHFULNESS AND SOVEREIGNTY. THE PATTERN KEEPS YAHWEH AND DAVID CENTRAL IN THE PSALM.
THE PSALM CONSTANTLY ASSURES US OF GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL CARE FOR DAVID AND IN MESSIANIC TERMS, FOR CHRIST, AND THROUGH HIM TO ALL BELIEVERS.
THE CONCLUDING VOW TO PRAISE YAHWEH BEGINS IN PRAISE FROM THE ISRAELITES OF OLD AND ENDS IN PRAISE FROM BELIEVERS OF ALL THE AGES, JEW AND GENTILE ALIKE.
THUS THE PSALM IS A CONSTANT PROGRESSION. IT BEGINS IN ABJECT REJECTION AND ISOLATION, PROGRESSES THROUGH THE SUFFERING OF MESSIAH FOR HIS PEOPLE ON THE CROSS, AND ENDS IN A GLORIOUS DOXOLOGY (HYMN OF PRAISE) FROM THOSE WHO BY FAITH ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
WHAT ARE THE FIGURES OF SPEECH IN THE PSALM AND WHAT EFFECTS DO THEY HAVE?
TWO FIGURES OF SPEECH DOMINATE THIS PSALM: PARALLELISM AND IRONY.
LOOK AT THE REPTITION IN VERSE ONE. IT BEGINS WITH MY GOD, MY GOD. WE SEE THIS PATTERN USED OFTEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT BY JESUS. WE HEAR THE TERMS “TRULY, TRULY” OR “VERILY VERILY”, USUALLY BEFORE ONE OF HIS SAYINGS IN WHICH HE WANTS TO EMPHASIZE A PARTICULAR POINT. I CAN REMEMBER MY MOTHER USING THIS PATTERN WHEN SHE WAS CALLING ME. I WOULD HEAR “DOUG” IN A SOFT VOICE, IF I DIDN’T RESPOND IT WAS “DOUG” !!!!! I MADE SURE I RESPONDED TO THE FIRST.
1. HE ALSO USES WHAT IS CALLED CLIMATIC PARALLELISM HERE. CLIMATIC PARALLELISM SOME OTHER NAMES FOR THIS TYPE OF PARALLELISM ARE “STEPLADDER, STAIRCASE, OR REPEDITIVE” PARALLELISM. IN THIS TYPE OF PARALLELISM THE SECOND COLON REPEATS PART OF THE FIRST AND THEN ADDS SOMETHING TO IT.
HE STARTS OUT BY SAYING “WHY ARE YOU SO FAR FROM SAVING ME”; THE SECOND COLON IS “WHY SO FAR FROM THE WORDS OF MY GROANING.” THE SPEAKER IS USING THIS PATTERN TO SHOW HOW UTTERLY ISOLATED HE IS, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT HE FEELS GOD HAS DESERTED HIM.
HE FURTHER INTENSIFIES THIS IN V. 2 STATING THAT HE CALLS ON GOD DAY AND NIGHT, BUT TO NO AVAIL.
THESE OPENING VERSES EXPRESS A DESOLATION, ISOLATION AND ANGUISH THAT ONLY THOSE DESERTED BY GOD CAN FEEL
NOW NOTE WHAT THE WRITER DOES. IN V.3 HE ANNOUNCES HIS CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S SOVEREIGN RULE AS THE “HOLY ONE”, ON THE “THRONE” OF ISEAEL.
DAVID USES ANTITHETIC PARALLELISM HERE TO AFFIRM HIS TRUST IN GOD’S CARE AND LOVE. HE STATES POSITIVELY IN (V.4) THEY “WERE SAVED, AND NEGATIVELY IN (V.5) “THEY WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED” V.5 IS ALSO PROPHETIC IN THAT THE PSALMIST LOOKS FORWARD TO THE CRIES FROM THE CROSS BY CHRIST..
IN V.3 DAVID ALSO TURNS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION FROM HIMSELF AND UNTO GOD. THE PSALMS WILL ALWAYS FOCUS ON GOD. HE DOES THIS ALSO IN V.9.
DAVID ALSO USES STRONG IMAGERY IN THIS PSALM BEGINNING AT VERSE 6. HERE DAVID BEGINS HIS SECOND LAMENT WITH THE GRAPHIC IMAGE OF A WORM TRODDEN UNDERFOOT. HOW ABSOLUTELY REJECTED HE IS FEELING. LOOK AT VERSE 7.
WHEN WE APPLU THIS TO THE CROSS, THE IMAGE OF THE WORM UNDERSCORES THE IRONY OF THE CRUCIFIXION; IT IS HARD TO THINK OF THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE IN SUCH A LOW WAY. THEY ARE TAUNTED BY JEERING AT THEIR TRUST IN GOD, WHICH THEIR ENEMIES TAKE TO BE IN VAIN.
NOTE THE RHYME SCHEME IN VERSE 8. IT IS A,B,B,A. A: CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD
B. LET THE LORD RESCUE HIM
B. LET THE LORD DELIVER HIM
A. FOR HE DELIGHTS IN HIM.
IN THE THIRD LAMENT V. 12-18 THE WRITER COMBINES DAVID’S FEAR OF DEATH WITH CHRIST’S MORTAL SUFFERING ON THE CROSS. DAVID DEPICTS THOSE WHO ATTACK HIM AS “THE BULLS OF BASHAN (V.12)”. HE THEN USES THE AGGRESSIVE ATTACK OF LIONS WITH OPEN MOUTHS READY TO DEVOUR (V.13) DAVID’S NEXT IMAGE OF HIS ENEMIES IS THAT OF DOGS (V.16A). FINALLY HE SPEAKS OF THE ATTACK IN MILITARY TERMS USING THE IMAGFE OF THE SWORD (V.16B).
THE EFFECT OF THESE ENEMIES IS TO PARALYZE DAVID WITH FEAR (V.14-15). THE IMAGE OF MELTING WAX IS AN IMAGE OF DAVID’S COURAGE FAILING HIM, HIS TONGUE STICKING TO HIS MOUTH DEPICTS THE FEAR HE FEELS.
SEEN IN THE LIGHT OF THE MESSIAH’S SUFFERING ON THE CROSS, VERSES 14 AND 15 ARE EVEN MORE PROFOUND. THEY DEMONSTRATE THE CRUELTY OF THE CROSS THAT PULLS LIMBS OUT OF JOINT, THE THIRST THAT THE SLOW DEATH CAUSES, AND THE EXCRUCIATING SUFFERING AS THE VICTIM HAS HOURS AND SOMETIMES DAYS TO CONTEMPLATE HIS DEATH.
TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE INTENSE LOOK AT VERSES 16-18. IN SIMPLE DECLARATIVE STATEMENTS, THE WRITER DESCRIBES THE PIERCED HANDS AND FEET, THE BODY CONTORTED ON THE TREE, AND THE DESPICABLE GAMBLING GOING ON AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS. THE WRITER GIVES A SIMPLE STATEMENT OF THE FACTS SHOWING THEIR HORROR ALL THE MORE.
THE THIRD LAMENT SHOWS THE DEEP SUFFERING DAVID AND CHRIST EXPERIENCE. FOLLOWING THE THIRD LAMENT DAVID ONCE AGAIN ASKS THE LORD TO RESCUE HIM.
HE DOES THIS BY REVERSEING THE THREATS LISTED IN THE EARLIER LAMENT. FIRST HE ASKS TO BE DELIVERED FROM THE SWORD(V.20), PERHAPS AN IMAGE TO PARALLEL THE PIERCED HANDS AND FEET OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS. THEN HE ASKS FOR DELIVERANCE FROM DOGS (V.20, LIONS, AND WILD OXEN (V.21), REMINISCENT OF THE BULLS OF BASHAN.
REPEATING THE LIST OF THREATS IN REVERSE ORDER SERVES TO EMPHASIZE THE LORD’S POWER OVER HIS ENEMIES AND THE ENEMIES OF HIS PEOPLE. IT PRESUMES GOD’S SOVEREIGN POWER OVER EVERYTHING.
THE CONCLUDING VOW TO PRAISE YAHWEH (V.22-31) AMOUNTS TO A DOXOLOGY OR HYMN OF PRAISE TO YAHWEH FOR HIS LOVE AND PROTECTION. DAVID USES ANOTHER RHYME SCHEME TO INTRODUCE THIS THEME OF PRAISE A,B,B,A.
A: I WILL DECLARE YOUR NAME
B: TO MY BROTHERS
B: IN THE CONGREGATION
A. I WILL PRAISE YOU.
DAVID STILL KNOWS THAT HE CAN TRUST YAHWEH, AND WILL THEREFORE PRAISE HIM PUBLICLY. HE CALLS ON THE COVENANT COMMUNITY TO PRAISE HIM (V.23). LIKE A MUSICAL CRESCENDO DAVID BUILD TOWARD THE CLIMAX OF THE PSALM.
THESE VERSES DEMONSTRATE THE “CALL – AND – ANSWER” MOTIF COMMON TO THE SCRIPTURES. (JER. 33:3; IS. 58:9). DAVID IS ENCOURAGED IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YAHWEH WILL ANSWER HIS CALL AND RELIEVE HIM IN HIS DISTRESS.
IN THE REMAINING VERSES OF THE PSALM DAVID SHOWS THE EXTENT OF CHRIST’S KINGDOM. (V.24) THE NEEDY
(V.26) THE POOR
(V.27-28) ALL NATIONS
(V.29) THE RICH
(V.30) THE YDET TO BE BORN WHO WILL BELIEVE.
WE SHOULD NOT MISS THE IRONY OF THE CONCLUDING VOW TO PRAISE YAHWEH FOR THE KINGDOM OF HIS SON. DAVID WAS THREATENED BY ENEMIES AND JESUS CHRIST WAS NAILED TO A TREE, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRES THE PSALMIST TO SING OF A POSTERITY FOR DAVID AND AN ETERNAL KINGDOM FOR JEW AND GENTILE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST. DEATH IS NOT THE END.
WHAT ARE THE THEMES AND THEOLOGY OF THE PSALM?
THE THEOLOGY OF PSALM 22 IS ROOTED IN THE SITUATIONS IN WHICH DAVID AND JESUS CHRIST ARE DEPICTED IN THE PSALM. DAVID SAW NO ESCAPE FROM HIS ENEMIES AND JESUS CHRIST WAS NAILED TO A CROSS, FORSAKEN BY GOD. IT LOOKED HOPELESS.
PSALM 22 BRINGS HOPE OUT OF DESPAIR THOUGH AND IT DOES SO BY PROCLAIMING GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE DARKEST MOMENT OF ALL HISTORY – THE CRUCIFIXION OF HIS SON.
THERE ARE THREE THEMES IN THIS PSALM:
1. JESUS CHRIST HAD TO SUFFER AND DIE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR SIN. (ISAIAH 53) GOD DID NOT DISPENSE WITH HIS JUSTICVE AND SIDESTEP THE PUNISHMENT FOR SIN WHEN CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS. HE POURED OUT HIS OWN WRATH AGAINST SIN ON HIS OWN SON SO THAT THE PRICE WOULD BE PAID IN FULL. (2 COR. 5:21).
THOUGH CHRIST QUOTES PSALM 22 IN HIS CRUCIFIXION AND AGONY, WE HEAR IN THE WORDS THE MOST GRACIOUS NEWS OF ALL: CHRIST DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE.
2. GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES. DAVID TAKES HIS FIRST COMFORT IN GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO HIS FOREFATHERS (V.3-5). GOD’S PAST LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE IS A GUARANTEE OF HIS PRESENT LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE TODAY. PSALM 22 REMINDS US OF THE DAVIDIC COVENANT IN WHICH GOD PROMISED DAVID A KINGDOM FOREVER AND RULER ON HIS THRONE FOREVER ( 2 SAMUEL 7). WHILE THE KINGDOM FELL IN 70 A.D. WITH THE FALL OF JERUSALEM, GOD FULFILLED HIS PROMISE OF A DAVIDIC KING IN JESUS CHRIST RULING OVER ALL WHO BELIEVE IN HIM.
3. THE THIRD THEME RELATES TO CHRIST’S FUTURE KINGDOM. THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN EVERY KNEE WILL BOW TO CHRIST (Phil. 2:10-11). UNTIL THAT TIME WE AWAIT A FUTURE KINGDOM AS DAVID DID. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE HOPE OF PSALM 22, A PSALM THAT BEGINS IN GOD FORSAKING HIS SON AS HE BECOMES SIN FOR US (REV. 15:4).
SEPARATED FROM GOD WHEN THE PUNISHMENT OF OUR SIN WAS POURED ON HIM AT CALVARY, JESUS CHRIST DIED THAT GOD’S GRACE MIGHT BE OURS. PSALM 22 REMINDS US THAT GOD PLANNED CALVARY BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN. IT WITNESSES TO THE ATONIND DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST AND WAS PENNED 900 YEARS BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION AND REMINDS US HOW EXPENSIVE GOD’S FREE GRACE TO BELIEVERS IS.
APPLICATION:
1. AS WE CONTEMPLATE PSALM 22, WE SHOULD BE AMAZED AGAIN AT THE GRACE OF GOD THAT JESUS CHRIST WOULD DIE FOR US. WHEN WE CONSIDER THAT CHRIST WENT TO THE CROSS WILLINGLY (JOHN 10:15), KNOWING THAT HE WOULD BECOME SIN FOR US AND BE SEPARATED FROM GOD ON THAT TREE, WE SHOULD BE MOVED TO PRAISE FOR OUR SAVIOR.
2. WHEN WE SUFFER THROUGH NO FAULT OF OUR OWN, SUCH AS SLANDER IN THE WORKPLACE, WE CAN TAKE COMFORT IN DAVID’S REALIZATION THAT GOD KNOWS OUR SUFFERING AND, IN HIS PROVIDENCE WILL CARE FOR US AS HE HAS SINCE OUR BIRTH (22:9-10). DAVID’S CONFIDENCE OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS DURING HIS TIME OF TRIAL ASSURES CHRISTIANS OF GOD’S LOVE.
3. CHRIST DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE.
