Devotional Short Note to Psalm 22. What
people will think of Psalm 22 is the same as what scholars thought of it when
they encountered it until our time: it is Christ, it is the Messiah, it is
David, it is Israel during the time of Esther with Haman (Rabbi Kimchi based on
the Talmud), it is unknown who is speaking here and more. The words Aijeleth
Hashahar seem to indicate “upon The Help of the dawn/blackness”. Just when the
night is at its darkest the light breaks through. The context of Christ on the
cross meets us in Psalm 22:2 with the agony of Godforsakeness. It is not
humanity’s cry amid suffering, it is not Deism’ claims during the periods of
Rationalism both in Classical Greek times and in the periods after Orthodoxy
and Pietism. It is a human that is divine at the same time. God is far and why
is that since He is near and always help (22:5). He was not born separated from
God but had a God-given birth: 22:10-11 “You are My God from My mother’s womb”
and “for You are the One Who took Me out of the womb”. This is no ordinary
human. It is not us and not David. He is special. Despite the cross-words in
verse 2 the feeling of Godforsakeness was the whole Gethsemane prayer time at
night “and at night [I call = Christ call in His prayer to the Father] and
there is no answer” (22:3b). During Friday with the court-case and the
punishment by the crowds until nearly 3 o clock on Friday afternoon Jesus
experienced: “I will call by day but You will not answer”. David saw this in
vision in advance and the virtual reality was fastforwarded for him. David did
not mean himself and Christ plagiarized his words for Himself. Funny that there
are people talking this way even in the Adventist church sometimes. Christ knew
what was awaiting Him in future and He was with the Holy Spirit and David
making sure that David understood what is going to happen to the future Messiah
and signals of that experience was “parked” or embedded in the Psalms for that
purpose. That is why Jesus taught them all the passages that are related to Him
(because He parked it there in advance). An affirmation of trusted faith
follows in 22:4. God is holy, enthroned amidst the praises of the remnant of
Israel or spiritual Israel. Not ethnic, never has been. Affirmation again in
22:5 and in 22:6. In history the fathers trusted God. David wrote “our Fathers”
trusted God and He delivered them. David also affirms faith, the same as Christ
in 22:4 just giving evidence from his history in 22:5, almost David’s personal
footnote to the words of Christ in 22:2-4. David continued the affirmation of
faith statement with the belief of the fathers in 22:6 that they cried,
escaped, trust and were not ashamed. This luxury was not for the Son of Man.
The remnant yes, but Christ no. Christ is back speaking in 22:7 this time
explaining how as a Worm, and no man” (22:7a) He was “reproached by men and
despised by the people” (22:7b) and later this vision was also given to Isaiah
embedded in Isaiah 53. There was scorn for Christ and laughter at the cross
that He could save others but not Himself (22:8). Lucifer or Satan’s temptation
in the wilderness is in 22:9 that God should rescue Him. Christ explains His special
birth of the Incarnation in 22:10-11. From 22:12-19 is Christ on the cross
surrounded by humans acting as animals, bulls of Bashan, roaring lion [Satan]
(22:14b), water, wax, potsherd dryness, thirsty (22:16b) dogs (22:17a),
evil-doers (22:17b). They cast lots over His garments. Scholars of the
Rationalism, critical of God’s Word and miracles said that it has nothing to do
with Christ and is just a casual reference to clothing. As a man/woman thinks
in his/her heart, so is he/she. Somehow Christ knows the Father is near the
cross since that is what He prays for in 22:20 “Be You O Lord, be not far off”.
Ellen White says God the Father was at the cross when Christ suffered. It was
the most astounding moment in the Universe. Everything came to a halt those 24
hours since the Lord’s Supper. This is not the prayer of an atheist or
unbeliever or someone unable to know God’s will for him/her. “O Thou My
strength, hasten to help me” (22:20b). A very interesting phrase is “deliver My
soul from the sword, My only One from the hand/power of the dog”. If Satan is
the dog then the only One is Christ and My only one is the Lordship’s Son of
Man who is the “only child” of the Lord but part of the Trinity. It is a
functional essence that Christ took on in a mysterious fusion of human and
divine to be the one and yet not and to be the other and yet not only. He can
pray from the Trinity position and from the human position. This is not a
psychopath but a psycho-mystery. A splendid mystery. In 22:23-32 David saw
eschatological events of the End-time and the work of Christ even after the
cross. He wants to witness in the congregation (22:23). Praises should come,
David thinks, from the remnant seed which is in essence not by blood or ethnic
but by faith “you that fear the Lord” who is also the “seed of Jacob” and the “seed
of Israel”. This seed is seen in the far future (22:31) so also the “Gerhard
Hasel” of 1847, E. W. Hengstenberg of Berlin University who was sent there in
1825 to root out Word of God deniers or skew thinkers of Rationalism). David
witnessed the Resurrection of Christ in 22:25b-c since he said that “and not
did He hide His face from Him and in His cry unto Him, He heard”. Christ was
Resurrected and that is an answer to prayer. In 22:26 David is still talking
about the faithful of spiritual Israel which he knew, but in 22:27 David opens the
possibilities from a secluded few to a wider audience. “The humble eat and be
satisfied” (they enjoy the Lord’s Supper as memory of Christ’s death on the cross
and this is anyone who is humble, giving up self at the foot of the cross. In
22:28 David is global like the gospels “all the ends of the earth shall
remember and turn unto the Lord” and this theme is given in vision also to Joel
3:5 (in Hebrew) and 2:32 (English) where it is stated that “upon all flesh” (al
kal basar) shall the Latter Rain fall. Of course, not all will remain in the
Spirit since preparation or oil for their lamps were not prepared. But it is the
final call and final change for everyone. That is why all flesh receives
initially the Spirit. But if sins are not forsaken, the Spirit cannot remain
too long and cunning dubious ways cannot have success. A parting will finally
happen to culminate the sealing. The evil cannot be sealed. Also here David
says “and all the families of the nations will worship before You” (22:28b). It
is not one ethnic group or elitism at play here. It is the way God wanted it
from Adam’s time. All nations. By the time they worship here, the Door of Mercy
closed already since the “for” in 22:29 explains that Revelation 11:15 just
happened: “for the kingdom is the Lord’s”. Christ just received the Kingdom
from His Father. For Him to be ruler of the nations (22:29b) the Resurrection
took place. No longer will there be death for look at the three scenarios given
in 22:30a-c: Scene 1: “all the prosperous ones of the earth shall eat [the Lord’s
Supper] and worship [ in Heaven]. Scene 2: Those that die or go down to the
dust will kneel, why? They are resurrected. Scene 3: Those who cannot keep their
souls alive or who died will do the same. They are also resurrected. The
remnant seed (singular zerah) shall serve Him (22:31). They all will come and
declare His righteousness. Why declare? The Great Controversy in Heaven was an
attack on the justice of God and righteousness means that the Law of God can be
kept and Jesus proved that with His life. They shall declare “unto a people
that shall be born” that shall have received the new birth “that He has done”.
Done what? He has accomplished the great salvation and atonement is finally
completed. At the cross was completed only one aspect of atonement, the guilt
and punishment removal, the power of sin was to happen afterwards by the
atonement through intercession, then later at the Latter Rain event the
glorification or perfection of the saints atonement, and two more phases were
lined up but the Psalm did not mention them, namely, the drying of tears of
people who have questions of loved ones during the millennium which is also an
atonement and finally Hell, which is the final absolute eliminating atonement
phase of eradicating evil.