Please explain Psalm 22.
The key to understanding this Psalm is in verse 1 which says, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (NKJV) Though David is the WRITER of the Psalm, we know from Matthew 27:46 that the Lord Jesus is the SPEAKER in this verse, and we know that He spoke these solemn words from the cross. What was it that brought forth this cry? Ah, dear friends, it is because OUR SINS were placed on Him and because God is holy He had to forsake His Son! In verse 3 Jesus acknowledges this with these words, “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” So, this precious Psalm foretold the death and judgment that the Lord Jesus would bear for sinners, but it also testified of the glory He would receive as a result of His sufferings and death. The apostle Peter had this portion (and others) in mind when he wrote the words of 1st Peter 1:10-11, “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you…the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST AND THE GLORIES THAT WOULD FOLLOW.” In verses 1-21 we have “the sufferings of Christ” and in verses 22-31 we have “the glories that would follow.”
If one compares this Psalm with the Gospel accounts of Christ’s death at Calvary it is clear that David spoke prophetically. Besides what we saw from verse 1, consider the following:
*Verse 2 speaks of crying in “the night season,” which answers to “the darkness” in Matthew 27:45.
*Verses 6-8 describe the “ridicule of the people” and this was fulfilled perfectly in Matthew 27:39-43.
*Verse 15 says, “My tongue clings to My jaws” and thus Jesus cried out “I thirst” in John 19:28.
*Verse 16 states, “They pierced My hands and My feet.” Compare that with John 19:37 & 20:20. (It is also remarkable that David spoke with amazing accuracy about CRUCIFIXION, which had not yet been invented as a form of capital punishment.)
*Verse 18 declares, “They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” You can read of the fulfillment of this verse in John 19:23-24.
In verse 21 we read, “Save Me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.” After Jesus exhausted God’s judgment for our sins, His prayer to be saved WAS ANSWERED. This surely implies THE RESURRECTION that followed three days after Jesus died. And then from verses 22-31 we have the blessed results of His finished work at the cross.
*Verse 22 reads, “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.” I would encourage you to read Matthew 18:20 and Hebrews 2:11-12 to see that Jesus has indeed taken His place “in the midst of the assembly” of God’s people to lead them in praises to the Father. And a day is coming where He will also lead His earthly people Israel in praises to God. This is borne out in verses 23-26.
*Verse 27 declares, “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You.” World-wide conversion will lead to universal praise to God!
*Verses 30-31 ends the Psalm on this lofty note, “A posterity shall serve Him…they will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born.” During the Millennial reign of Christ His people will declare to those who are born the truth that we have seen in verses 1:21. They will gladly testify of the Savior who FINISHED THE WORK OF ATONEMENT ON THE CROSS and in doing so they will be declaring God’s righteousness, of how God can righteously save the sinner who puts their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Every sinner that has believed on Christ can rejoice in 1st Peter 2:24, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree…by whose stripes you were healed.” (203.5) (DO)