Psalm 22, Part II
This Psalm is full of prophecy concerning the work of Christ. We shall look into the thoughts of the Holy Spirit. He is opening the door to our souls in three distinct views of the sufferings of Christ.
First in the garden, as the Son of God; the statement “glorify me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was,” this confirms His Divine Sonship, And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (John 17:5)
Secondly, Psalm 22 brings us His sufferings as the son of man, as He cried out “I am a worm, a no man,” then thirdly, at the place of death, through the view of the cross where His Deity and His Holy righteous flesh took on sin for us, and delivered us from both sin and death; marvelous mystery of grace. Psalm 22, like Isaiah 53 is full of His manhood, as the son of man. Isaiah 53:11 declares He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. How marvelous is this One who has a Holy Soul; a Divine Being, yet very man — that He could cry out to His Father, as a man, yet the Divine Son of God.
The 1st verse of Psalm 22 takes us right to the cross and His suffering. Outwardly His flesh is torn as Isaiah writes of His condition, that He was marred more than any man. Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. However the Spirit of God takes us to another suffering, the inward suffering as the Divine Son of the Father, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Here we see Christ as both the Divine Son, and the man of sorrows. Psalm 22:1 why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7)
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:8)
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9)
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)
The hymn declares “what was it blessed Lord, that led Thee to give thyself for us? For sinners undone, what led Thee to die for us?” Have you, dear reader, tasted the good fruit of God from the true vine of Jesus Christ? Have you tasted the sweetness of His love for you; He, the Son, is shut up away from His Father; only a true Son, and a true man could cry out like this. Verse 1 of Psalm 22 is a whirlpool of thoughts taking us deeper into the mind and sufferings of Christ. We need to take time for our own soul and meditate, or as the sweet psalmist of Israel declared, muse on the very words of God, and on His person. As we muse on the son of man, Son of God, think of being shut out of this world in darkness, and then to suffer the worst pain you have ever suffered. Over and over again, no one to help, no one to care, just darkness and death all around you.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4)
Deeper we go into this suffering, who was all this suffering for — who was it for? It was for you and for me. If your heart does not ache in love for Christ, or your tears are not real, please examine yourself and listen to Isaiah once again. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
It was for us that He died, it was for His beloved that the Son went into the darkness of death alone.
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. (Psalm 22:2) This is the cry of the son of man for God, His God, that He would cry in the daytime, yet God hears Him not. There is no Divine answer now, the heavens are not parted now, the Father has shut Him up. The voice that once proclaimed, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17) now is silent. The place of the Father’s bosom is now shadowed by the cross, how great the darkness, yet the Son continues to beseech His God.
Psalm 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Thou art the Holy One of Isarel, all Thou has done for the nation of Israel. It is He, through His Spirit who inhabits Israel, yet, O God, thou hearest me not. Thou art silent.
Now let us think of all the times God has comforted us, as a God of all comfort, yet for Him, His beloved Son, the heavens were silent, and there was no comfort. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. (Psalm 22:4) Our fathers trusted in Thee, what an identification that He has as the son of man with the nation of Israel; they did trust in Thee, and Thou didst deliver them. But there is no deliverance for His Son. He must taste the dregs of the cup which the Father gave unto Him. The people of Israel cried unto Thee, and God came down and delivered them in many diverse manners, yet His Son, on the cross is alone, away from His God.
They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. (Psalm 22:5) The people of Israel were delivered, yet there is no help for the Lamb of God. They were not confounded, yet He is confounded and alone. Paul wrote by the Holy Spirit that he had a desire to depart and to be with Christ, yet because of the divine determinate counsels of God it was needful for the Church that Paul should remain. Let us now think of the Son of God on the cross, He desired something far greater — the prize, the pearl of great price, the uncut diamond that He will fashion like unto Himself.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Isaiah 53:8) The Spirit of God affirms that it was “for my people that He was stricken,” a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, a people who did not exist on this earth before. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9) Notice that in Isaiah 53:8 and 1 Peter 2:9 the word ‘generation;’ in Isaiah 53:8, the ‘generation’ is His, it belongs to Him, He is the Author of it. In 1 Peter 2:9, it is addressed to us, as we are the chosen ‘generation’ in Christ. He is the Author and we are the partakers of His ‘generation.’ Now, if you will, turn to the Gospel of Matthew, verse 1, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, . . . It all starts here with the One who holds the praise of Israel — it is His ‘generation” bought not with silver nor gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.
Psalm 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
‘He is a worm, a no man,’ could you say this of yourself? Has your heart ever been low enough to recognize yourself as a sinner, undone and standing before God’s judgment. We deserve to see ourselves like this, but Christ declares that He is a worm and a no man. This, to us, is Divine humility, something that the mind of man cannot comprehend.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5)
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (Philippians 2:6)
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:7)
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)
In Philippians 2:5-8 we have a path that leads Him down to earth, each step of His voyage leads Him to the death of the cross. How can we understand so great a love as this? He is a reproach of man and despised of the people.
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! (Matthew 27:29)
And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. (Matthew 27:30)
And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Matthew 27:31)
He was despised of the people, they mocked Him, and cried out against Him. There were no chants or mocking recorded about the two dying thieves; even one of the thieves said that they deserved that punishment, but this man has done nothing amiss. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, (Matthew 27:39) And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. (Matthew 27:40) Likewise, the chief men of the religious leaders, (these were political appointees, and by no means had any connection with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), they were void of all spiritual understanding. Their hearts were as hard as the heart of Nabal that had turned to stone. These were the chief men, religious leaders, mocking the Son of God. It is recorded that there was a set place set apart for the punishment of Judas; therefore, think how great the darkness is for these men who should have received Him, the Son of God, with hearts full of love, not hearts of enmity.
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, (Matthew 27:41)
He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. (Matthew 27:42)
He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. (Matthew 27:43)
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)
The world stood united in this wicked act of man. Only a few disciples, and those He loved were separated from this evil; yet, even they forsook Him, and there was no one to help. Peter had drawn his sword in the garden, and smote the ear of the servant of the high priest; but now, while warming himself by the fire, he denied the Lord Jesus thrice. The cock had crowed, and Peter left with a broken heart and his head hung low — there was no one to help.
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. (Psalm 22:6)
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, (Psalm 22:7)
He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. (Psalm 22:8)
In Psalm 22, verses 6, 7, and 8, we have prophetic value in the words recorded in Matthew 27. These words of Psalm 22 were penned by David, who was led by the Holy Spirit to see into the future spanning a period of over 1,050 years. This was, of course, long before the scene at the cross of Calvary. If man could only see the work of the Godhead through the whole of divine revelation; but, hopelessly, man wanders in blindness — reaching for the door but never opening the way of truth. Man can only receive God’s glorious revelation by being quickened by the Holy Spirit of God.
The Creator of all men is nailed to a cross. First, they laughed Him to scorn, they mocked Him, they shoot out the lip; what an evil heart is contained in the chest of man. All manner of evil spews out of his heart, for it is evil and desperately wicked. And no where is it more evident than at the cross of Christ. Think of the evil that is around us today — all manner of evil and atrocities — the world has gone mad; yet, not as mad as at the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The world, the flesh, and the devil spewed out all their venomous evil it could against the Son of God.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4)
The world esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth, He was a lamb led to the slaughter, pure, and without blemish, righteous and holy; yet they, the world afflicted Him. But let us not lift our heads high for it was our sin that nailed Him to that cross. We deserve to be stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. How much we would cry out to God, yet He opened not His mouth.
Has the world changed? Have we evolved into a world of goodness and love? No — it is the same world, and we are the same people. Our hearts need to be changed, and only the divine movement of the Spirit of God can change one’s heart. “A man must be born again.” Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3) The world has not changed, they still crucify Him in their hearts today, but thanks be to God, that the Lord Jesus on the cross declared “it is finished.” They can no longer put Him to an open shame, they can no longer afflict Him, for He “is sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.” Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3) This is the end of Part II of Psalm 22. Part III to follow soon.
© Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh
This article may be used, but not for gain. “Freely ye have received, freely give.”
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)