Articles
Jesus and Psalm 22
Jesus and Psalm 22
Peter said that "David, being a prophet, .... spoke about the resurrection of the Christ" (Acts 2:30-31). In our reading today we get an interesting picture of the Christ.
Psalm 1 introduces a general concept of two types of people, two life styles, and two very different ends. The Messiah would be like the blessed man..
Psalm 23 is yet another picture of the man who would be blessed of God. God would be his shepherd and he would live his life in the very presence of God. Even 'walking through the valley of the shadow of death, he would do so with God.
It is then interesting to turn to Psalm 22! Derek Kidner noted that "A. Bentzen points out, it is ‘not a description of illness, but of an execution". Having walked with God all of his life (vs. 9-10), the Messiah now finds himself in the hands of an angry mob. One who had been declared to be the Son of God is not despised, rejected, reproached, and sneered at (vs. 6-7). The mob is described as wild animals that have gathered for the kill (vs. 12f).
He is pierced - vs. 16 / Matt 27:35; John 20:25
They divide up his garments as 'the spoils of war' - vs. 18 / Matt 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24.
Verse 21 comes to an almost startling end of this first section: "You answer me"! Rejected by men, He is glorified by God. God 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 was heard! (vs. 24).
Such deliverance brings forth confession of God as His God - vs. 22/ Ps 40:10; Heb. 2:12.
Such deliverance brings forth the call for people to "praise Him, glorify Him, stand in awe of Him" (vs. 23).
Through this deliverance, "all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD and all the families of the nations will worship" (vs. 27).
People have sought in vain to identify a time in David's life that this describes. The New Testament writers saw the death and glory of the Messiah.
