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Psalm 22

DARK CALVARY

INTRO

1. No Old Testament individual suffered the agonies expressed in this psalm---certainly not

David. While David’s trials were great at times, they were not the magnitude of this

psalm.

2. It is very likely that this psalm was written by David when David was cornered by Saul

in the wilderness of Maon. Saul had been relentless in his pursuit of David, scrambling from cave to cave. It was a desperate time in David’s life. It is a time when a man may feel that God has abandoned him.

3. We can be sure of this: David is in the midst of a real battle in his life.

It must have been unlike any thing he had ever experienced up until this time.

It is a graphic description of a man being pinned to one spot, his enemies gathered

all around, deprived of his clothing, and subject to torture (his hands and feet have

been wounded). This is a picture of a man without friends; no one is standing by

him in his hour of need.

Yet, the chief pain seems to come from feeling abandoned by God.

4. Surely, we can see how this psalm is INSPIRED PROPHECY, as we can look back

on the realities of Calvary.

David is describing a crucifixion and it is most likely that he did not even know

that there was such a way to die.

5. All of this continues through verse 21:

a) Then there is a sudden silence.... as if death intervenes.

b) Then in verse 22, there is a shout of victory... as if a resurrection has taken place.

c) The psalm begins with a cry going down, down, down.

The psalm ends with the mood change going up, up, up.

From trial to triumph!

6. Notice the first verse:

“My, God. My God. Why hast thou forsaken me?”

Now notice the last four words in verse 31:

“...he hath done this.”

a) The English text doesn’t do this justice.

b) “...he hath done this” is one word in the Hebrew: asah

c) Asah means “finished.”

d) When Jesus died He said, “tetelestai,” which means “Finished!”

7. Do you think Jesus may have said this psalm while He hung on the cross?

8. Let’s approach this psalm like Moses approached the burning bush---feeling that we

should not be in this place, removing our shoes for the place is holy ground.

*******

I. THE TERRIBLE REALITY OF CALVARY (22:1-21)

• This psalm contains 33 distinct prophecies which were fulfilled at Calvary.

• Yet, it was written a thousand years before the birth of Christ.

• This chapter is a most convincing argument for the inspiration of Scripture.

We learn that Christ was to be:

A. Abandoned By God (v.1-6)

The great Sufferer realized that there was a gulf that isolated him.

#1. The Holiness of God (v.1-3)

1. Did you notice in verses 3 and 6 the word “but?”

2. The word “roaring” is associated with a lion or with the noise of thunder or the cry of an animal in distress.

3. When that midday-midnight cry came from Jesus, it swept over

the darkness. It was the cry of one abandoned by God.

4. He is saying, “I am abandoned...but Thou art holy.”

He was abandoned because of the holiness of God.

5. Wasn’t Jesus holy, too? Yes, but on the cross He was made

sin for us; that is, He took on our sins, took them on

himself...He was made sin.

This is not saying that Jesus was sinful, but that Jesus

was actual become sin... for us.

No wonder He roared. No wonder He was abandoned by

God. Jesus was tasting death for us, experiencing what

every lost soul will experience in Hell for all eternity.

6. It is a frightening thing to be abandoned in the dark.

#2. The Holiest of Men (v.4-6)

1. Others have cried to God in their distress:

a) Abraham cried.

b) David cried.

c) Jonah cried.

Jesus cried...and was unanswered.

(the 2nd “but”) 2. Here he is saying, “I cried, and You didn’t answer... but I am a worm.”

3. The word “worm” is used for crimson crocus. It is a worm that

was used to obtain a red color for the robes of kings. In order to yield that red color, the worm had to be crushed.

4. On the cross, Jesus died---was crushed under the weight of sin,

under the wrath and curse of God.

5. Jesus, lower than the angels, but wait! Also, now lower still.

He is referred to as a “worm.”

The One who created every star, every planet, every living

thing---not a man, but a worm.

So the Lord was to be abandoned by God.

B. Abhorred By Men (v.7-10)

1. The Contempt of Men

1. Read verses 7-8.

2. Amazing! This passage indicates not only what Jesus would say,

but also what His enemies would say!

You can see where a skeptic might argue that a person

would be tempted to manipulate prophecies to make them

a fulfillment.... but how does one manage to get his enemies

to utter prophecies too???

Jesus’ enemies used the very language of Psalm 22 when

taunting Jesus.

“He trusted on the Lord!”

(v.8)

3. There are seven distinct words in the Hebrew for the word

“trust.”

But the one used here occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew

Bible:

“Roll it on Jehovah!” they cried. “Roll it on Him!”

2. The Cruelty of Men

1. Read verses 11-12.

2. The Lord’s enemies were like the “bulls of Bashan.”

Bashan was a wide and fertile farming district stretching from the Jabbok to the spurs of Mount Hermon. It included Gilead and was famous for its pasturelands. Bulls will often gather in a circle around any new or unaccustomed object which they will charge upon the slightest provocation.

The Lord’s enemies were like those bulls, standing strong

and menacing around His cross. They are pictured not only

as bulls, but also as roaring lions (v.13), tearing, rending, devouring. Then in verse 16 we see the imagery of dogs. These dogs are not household pets, but ravenous, unclean packs of dogs that would roam the streets of eastern cities.

Bulls! Lions! Dogs!

v.12 The bulls - show the enemies’ strength

v.13 The lions - show the enemies’ self-sufficiency

v.16 The dogs - show the enemies’ savagery

3. The Callousness of Man

1. Read verse 18.

2. The Roman soldiers fulfilled this prophecy of casting lots for

Jesus’ vesture.

Jesus is dying for the sins of the world, and it meant nothing

to them.

3. Read verses 14-17.

• Verse 17 - “tell” means count. Indicates intense pain.

• Verse 17 - “stare” means to gaze with contempt and

malicious delight...the priests, the scribes,

the elders.

“Come down from the cross if you really are the Messiah.”

So, Jesus was

#1. ABANDONED by God...

#2. ABHORRED by men...

C. Abused By Satan (v.19-21)

1. Read verses 19-21.

a) This is no longer physical suffering, but now it is soul-suffering.

b) The lion is there... That roaring lion who goes about seeking

whom he may devour. You can be sure that the prince of

darkness with all of his demons is at the cross of Christ.

All hell is gathered around the cross to gloat.

2. One commentator put it this way regarding these verses:

“O Thou Eternal. O Strength of mine...save my life from these curs, pluck me from the lion’s jaws, pluck my unhappy soul from these wild oxen’s horns.”

3. Jesus said it this way in Luke 22:53 when speaking to the priests

and the elders...

“This is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

This concludes the first section of the psalm... The Terrible Reality of Calvary.

*******

II. THE TREMENDOUS RESULTS OF CALVARY (22:22-31)

• Suddenly the “music” changes dramatically---it is lifted an octave higher.

• The whole mood changes.

• There was a silence following this death, but now the psalm begins anew on resurrection ground.

• Notice we are watching Jesus in this psalm in three roles:

#1. As Prophet

a) This is how we have seen Him so far.

b) This is the role He was in when they crucified Him.

c) He was a rejected, suffering Prophet.

d) This was YESTERDAY.

#2. As Priest

a) Jesus is seated at the right hand of God.

b) Jesus ministers on our behalf in Heaven.

c) This is Jesus TODAY.

#3. As Prince

a) Jesus is coming again to earth to reign.

b) Jesus will be King.

c) This is TOMORROW.

• We’ve seen Jesus as Prophet; now let’s see him as Priest and Prince!

A. The Lord As Priest (22:22-26)

1. His Resurrection

1. Read verse 22.

2. “My brethren” - David knew nothing about the coming institution of the church.

But we can plainly see what Jesus is doing in praising God

to us, “His brethren.”

2. His Return

1. The thought is still upon the priesthood, but the focus is upon

the return.

Three Classes of People Affected By Jesus’ Return:

#1. The Nation of Israel

a) Read verses 23-24.

b) Israel will come to understand and fully accept

who Jesus is one day. It will come at the

end of the great tribulation.

c) Jesus does have a coming ministry with Israel.

And He will gather Israel to Himself.

#2. The Church (read v.25)

a) God has many congregations:

1) The angelic host

2) The nation of Israel

3) The 144,000 saved, sealed & ministering

during the great tribulation

b) God has one “great congregation:” The Church!

• Unique/Special destiny in all eternity.

c) God vows here to show her off!

#3. The Nations (read v.26)

a) There is coming a day when all the meek will

praise God---Old Testament saints, New

Testament saints, and those saved during the

millennial reign of Christ.

B. The Lord As Prince (22:27-29)

• Calvary has insured that the Lord Jesus will not only be a REDEEMER;

He will also be a RULER, too.

• When Jesus returns to earth, He will do THREE things:

#1. Jesus Is Acclaimed As King:

#1. He will CONVERT the nations.

1. Read verse 27.

#2. He will CONTROL the nations.

1. Read verse 28.

#3. He will CONTENT the nations.

1. Read verse 29.

The very ones who stood on the edge of the grave, about to

die from starvation, now gain NEW LIFE.

Also, they are God’s GUESTS! ...guests of The King!

#2. Jesus Is Proclaimed As King

1. Read verses 30-31.

2. As the golden years of the millennium unfold, the story of the Lord’s work will be told from generation to generation.

3. People will remind each other just how much we owe Him.

4. Look at the last four words of this chapter:

“He hath done this!”

a) In II Chronicles 4:11 it says that Huram FINISHED

the work (the building of the Temple).

FINISHED!

b) You know the joy of finishing a project:

1) Around the house

2) At work

3) The end of a school year