INTRODUCTION
I really love the psalms. Psalm after psalm we see the writers just pour out their hearts out to the Lord. No matter what their emotions and attitudes were, they approached their God with their concerns. We see psalms of praise glorifying the Lord for who He is and what He has done for his people, but we also see psalms with emotions and attitudes quite different from the psalms of praise; psalms of lament. In these psalms we see some of the darkest moments of the psalmists lives, where they were the most troubled; in the most despair.
Psalm 22 is classified as a psalm of lament, and it follows a common structure of this genre of psalms. It begins with a cry to the Lord, followed by a lament over whatever the psalmist is battling, followed by a confession of trust and a petition for the Lord’s help, and finishing with an exclamation of praise.
CONTENT: DAVID OR CHRIST?
One of the biggest debates surrounding this psalm is the question, “Who is it about?” What do we think about when we first read this psalm? The suffering of Christ on the cross. I believe it gives us an amazing picture of many things that happen at the crucifixion of our Lord. But we need to ask the question: “Does this psalm only apply to Jesus on the cross?”
On the subject of the Psalm itself, there is considerable diversity of opinion:
1. Some referring it all to David;
2. Others referring it all to Christ (Translators of NKJV; everything in Caps); and,
3. Some, because of the application of several verses of it to our Lord in his sufferings, take a middle way, and apply it primarily to David, and in a secondary or accommodated sense, to Christ.
I think this third way of looking at the psalm is the best of the three approaches. We should always try first to understand it within the historical context that it was written, which I believe when we do so we can get so much more out of our application of it to Christ and the crucifixion scene.
So we are going to first look at this psalm making applications to David, trying to keep in our minds what is going through David’s thoughts and emotions, so we can make an application to Jesus and the cross later.
VERSES 1-5
Psalms 22:1-5 1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. 2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. 3 Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 4 In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. 5 To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.
So we begin this psalm with 2 verses that many have struggled with in this psalm, and the Lord’s quoting of it in Matthew 27:46. It seems like David is saying that the Lord has just turned His back on him and is not listening to him when he calls to him in his distress. Is that what he is saying here? Did the Lord abandon David?
I don’t believe that the Lord turned His back to David and was not listening to him. The Lord doesn’t turn His back on a faithful servant, and as far as I can see concerning this psalm, there is nothing within it that would tell us that David had any sin in his life that was hindering his fellowship with God. I believe that David makes it clear that the Lord did not forsake him in verse 24:
Psalms 22:24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.
Within this psalm, we’re given a picture of David here concerning the context of (just as I believe the title suggests) a doe that is completely surrounded and stuck in a trap where there is no escape, groaning/ or roaring as the word in v2 literally means; roaring for help, but no one has come as yet to rescue.
David at this point was in great distress because his enemies were surrounding him and there was not yet any attempt by the Lord as he could see at delivering him. I think it is true to say that suffering is so much harder when you feel that there is no one there to help you through what you are going through. With David, his life at this present time is full of distress and gloom; full of darkness, which would give him the feeling that God was not near. He cried by day and by night, continually, without receiving any rest from his sufferings at the hands of his enemies.
It seems to me that David is relaying to the Lord exactly what his emotions at that time were; emotions of distress and loneliness.
In verses 3-5, David reflects on his God; His holiness and the praises that He has been so worthy to receive in the past by His people. David remembered the faithfulness of his God, how he had delivered those in the past that had called on Him for help. His God in the past always delivered those who trusted in Him. I’m sure David remembered how the Lord delivered his people from their bondage in Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land. So we see that David understands that God is ready and able to save.
VERSES 6-8
2206 The absence of salvation in this case seems to lead David to examine himself. He refers to himself as a worm and not a man. If we look at other instances that someone refers themselves or men to a worm (Job 17:14; 25:6; Isaiah 41:14), we see that this term is a symbol of the extreme weakness and helplessness of someone, where they are suffering and being trampled on. That’s exactly what David felt in the situation where he was.
2207-08 All who saw him were saying “If this man truly trusts in the Lord, why is he not being delivered,” not only mocking David’s faith, but also God’s power to deliver. Most believed, just as in the book of Job that if you were suffering, there was something wrong with you, either sin in your life, a lack of trust in the Lord; something was wrong with you! That is not the case as I see it in the scriptures. Innocent people suffer, and our God is able to deliver his people from their sufferings.
VERSES 9-11
2209-11 David moves his thoughts away from the mockers that troubled him to the God who he trusted in. What a lesson we need to learn on how we should respond to suffering ridicule and mocking! He takes note of his enemies, and then appeals to the goodness of God.
David saw his need for God. It was God that gave him life, God who created the processes to sustain him as a baby. And He realized that he needed the Lord just as much now as he did then. He saw that there was no one near to help him and that he needed the Lord to be the one who delivered him.
VERSES 12-18
2212 David turns to figurative language, referring to his enemies as bulls, which are animals of that area that are known as being fierce animals; wild and ferocious. From what I have read, they would have the habit of encircling any possible threat or enemy, and would be easily instigated to charge with their horns to kill. David was surrounded by bulls that were ready to attack!
2213 Then David turns to another illustration; comparing his enemies to lions. They were ready to come upon David and devour him. They were trying to make David fear, but we see in verse 21 that David does not fear, but pleas to the Lord to deliver him from the lions and the oxen/bulls that are surrounding him.
22:14-15 Here David makes some statements that are difficult to know the exact meaning, but it seems to me that he is continuing to tell the Lord how helpless and without strength he is at this time. He as a cup of water is being spilled out and is near empty. He feels nearly exhausted and near death, which is the statement that he makes in verse 15. Because of his continual suffering and pain, and the mocking from those around him, he felt like he was without strength, and was unable to go on any longer on his own. He was surrounded by his enemies, and he had no more strength to run. He was trapped.
In verse 16 we see him once again continue with using figurative language, referring to his enemies as dogs. Dogs at that time and in the time of the Lord were known for their disgusting habits and carrying of disease. Dogs at that time prowled around while snarling looking for food. David uses this same description of his enemies in psalm 59 when Saul sent men to look for him and kill him:
Psalms 59:14-15 14 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. 15 They wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill.
In 1 Kings 11, during a prophecy against Jereboam, the Lord states in v11, “Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat.”
There were not many things that dogs were not willing to attack and feed upon. David calls his enemies dogs, and says that they pierced his hand and his feet. This is how helpless and trapped that David feels. He is totally surrounded. There does not seem like there is any hope of deliverance for him. The exhaustion and pain that he is feeling is rendering him helpless. He cannot run and he cannot fight. He needs the Lord!
Verse 18 is probably the hardest verse to make an application to David. Some commentators say that there is no application with this verse and that David is only prophesying about the Lord. But I disagree concerning the context. It seems to me that he is continuing on what he says at the end of verse 15, where he is so exhausted and feels like he is near death, that his enemies are already dividing their garments between them and casting lots to see who would get the best of his clothing. At that time, the garments of an individual were divided up sometimes just as the spoils of battle. His enemies saw him as being as good as dead
So with all that David is feeling at this time physically and emotionally, we can learn a great lesson from him. He, in his greatest times of distress and suffering calls on the Lord, no matter how helpless the situation.
VERSES 19-21
In verses 19-21 David pleas to the Lord once again:
Psalms 22:19-21 19 But You, O Lord, be not far off; O You my help (OR MY STRENGTH), hasten to my assistance. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion's mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.
David, even though he has not yet been delivered, is still confident that his God is able. He continues his pleas by praying that the Lord would deliver him from the dogs, the lions, and the oxen/bulls that surround him. He saw that he had no strength remaining. He needed the Lord, HIS true STRENGTH, to come to his assistance.
VERSES 22-31
Psalms 22:22-31--- 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! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; 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. 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 Shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord's, And He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive. A posterity shall serve Him. 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.
The second half of this psalm has almost a completely different attitude, which has led many to think that David wrote this half of the psalm after the Lord had delivered him. That is a possibility. The 2nd possibility is that David was so confident that the Lord would deliver him that he ahead of time wrote this hymn of praise at the end of the psalm. He begins at this point the second half of the psalm which is a hymn of praise to the Lord. He tells the people of his God. He confesses the Lord before them, and he calls those who fear the Lord to praise Him for He is the God that delivers the righteous that fear Him. He also calls the people to stand in awe of the Lord. To know what God offers and the mercy that He has should lead us to stand in awe of Him!
This is how David would react to receiving the salvation of the Lord! How about us? Do we react to the salvation we have received by living lives that glorify God and sharing the name of God with others?
2226 David ends this hymn of praise to God with the outcome of those who seek the Lord and receive His deliverance. Those who seek the Lord will be filled and sustained by Him. The rule and the dominion of the Lord will lead the nations of the earth to praise and worship. The salvation that Lord offers will be for not only the Jews, but for all the nations.
God said to Abraham,
Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Because of the rule and dominion of the Lord, the Lord will be praised throughout the generations. This psalm ends by David saying that the righteousness of the Lord will be shared to a people who will be born. The righteousness of the Lord deserves to be shared with all who will hear, including our children.
Our God has done, or accomplished something great for us. He has given us a great hope. We need to share it.
A VALUABLE LESSON!
I think the lesson from what David goes through in this psalm that we really need to remember; if you don’t remember anything but this one thing, remember this. If you get to a point in your life that it seems like everything is against you; that there is no hope of getting out of the situation that you may be in, REMEMBER THAT THE LORD DOES NOT FORSAKE HIS FAITHFUL ONES THAT TRUST IN HIM. It may seem as far as men are concerned and can see that God has left you alone, but you need to realize just as David did in verse 24:
He has not hidden his face from you. He hears when you cry out for help. (paraphrase)
The question that we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we are being faithful, and if so, do we truly believe that the Lord is able to deliver us out of the circumstances that we are in?
MESSIANIC APPLICATIONS
This psalm begins by portraying to us One who in one of the darkest and most painful hours cries out to God, which we see Jesus quote in Matthew 27.
Matthew 27:45-46 45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Our Lord obviously could empathize with the words of David. When you read psalm 22 knowing the sufferings of Christ, and the things that happened at the cross, we can see how Jesus felt exactly how David felt in his circumstances. This psalm, I believe, gives us but a glimpse at the agony of the Lord on the cross.
Jesus was rejected and despised by the people as David was in verse 6. Their hatred towards Jesus would not allow anything to happen to Him but death. He was a man that was being hunted.
Jesus knew very well that His suffering would end, but unlike David, we see that His suffering ended with His giving up of His spirit.
Jesus in John 16:32 said to His disciples,
John 16:32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
Jesus witnessed at His arrest the scattering of His disciples. They all abandoned Him in His greatest hour of need. He was alone just as David was, in the darkest moment of his life, with no one to comfort Him physically, though He knew His Father would still be with Him
Over the next few hours we would see this psalm come alive as Jesus endured the sufferings that psalm 22 spoke of.
In Psalm 22:16, we see just part of the pain that Jesus suffered. Being surrounded by the Gentiles, the dogs at his death, they crucified Him, piercing His hands and His feet with nails. Then the bulls surrounded Him, mocking Him, as Psalm 22:7-8 portrays.
Matthew 27:39-43 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' "
And the truth is Jesus very well could have done so. He could have in an instant at any time call on the angels of God to deliver Him, but He did not. Unlike David in psalm 22, Jesus was trapped here among these bulls and dogs by choice, in obedience to the Father’s will.
Psalms 22:18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.
•Fulfillment- Matthew 27:35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet (David): "They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots."
Psalms 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. (cf. Psalm 69:21)
Our Lord knew that His death was near. He was exhausted, becoming weaker and weaker as the minutes passed as his enemies stared at him. His physical pain and loss of blood led to His experiencing great thirst.
•Fulfillment- John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst."
After this statement, the book of John states that Jesus’ said, “It is finished,” or “It is accomplished,” then he died, committing His spirit into the hands of the Father, where He found relief from His suffering on the cross.
HIS DELIVERANCE (PSALM 22:22-25)
Jesus may not have been delivered from death, but he indeed was delivered. But this is only half of the psalm. There would indeed be deliverance for our Lord. The Lord was delivered from the darkness of His tomb! Because of His willingness to humble Himself to the point of death, He was delivered from His tomb and given His position on His throne
Jesus had a much greater deliverance from death than David experienced!
OUR DELIVERANCE (PSALM 22:26-31)
The nations would indeed be blessed by our Lord. All have the hope of salvation before them because of Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross and His deliverance from the darkness of His tomb. He has declared the Father to us, and He is not ashamed to call us who have obeyed the gospel “brethren,” which is the point that the Hebrews writer makes in quoting Psalm 22:22:
Psalms 22:22 I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
Hallelujah, What a Savior. What a God of Deliverance! Knowing what we know of this great God, we need to be led to stand in awe of Him and to give Him the honor that He is due, and we need to declare the name of Christ to the nations.
