03-28-2024, 06:07 PM
We are told that shortly before his death on the Cross Jesus cried aloud, quoting the first line of Psalm 22; “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark ch15 v34).
Taken in isolation, this looks like a cry of despair. Indeed David C.K. Watson, in his evangelistic book “My God is Real”, asserts that Jesus did indeed experience a loss of contact with his Father, for the first time in his life, because he was overwhelmed by the burden of “the sin of the world”, which he was now taking on. I remember that argument well, because that page was a key factor in my own conversion to the Christian faith, one night in May 1972. The impact of that concept won me over (intellectually, rather than emotionally).
However, there’s also a lot to be said for not taking that cry in isolation. Another angle worth considering is that quoting the first line of the psalm was a shorthand way of quoting the whole psalm, and the whole psalm should be taken into account as an expression of his meaning.
Psalm 22 can be divided into sections in which “I need God’s help” alternates with “God must help me, God will help me, God has helped me”.
Vv1-2 “I need God’s help.” The speaker cries to God day and night, but finds no rest because God does not respond.
Vv3-5 Yet God ought to help because he has helped Israel in the past. This may be one of the many psalms in which the troubled “I” is actually Israel, speaking as a community, making a corporate appeal in times of national danger. “Our fathers” trusted him and were not disappointed, because he saved them. That is why he remains “holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel”.
Vv6-8 But the speaker’s life is currently in a very depressed state. “I am a worm and no man.” “All who see me mock at me.” They say “He committed his cause to the Lord; let him [the Lord] deliver him.” In fact that is exactly what “they” say in Matthew; “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now” (Matthew ch27 v43). And the gospel narratives describe other forms of mockery around the Cross.
Vv9-10 On the other hand, again, the speaker has been committed to the Lord all his life, from the time of his birth.
Vv11-18 The speaker describes the trouble that is surrounding him, when there is apparently nobody near to help.
He is surrounded by a menacing herd of “bulls of Bashan”. Bashan is a region north-east of the Sea of Galilee. High elevation, presumably good pasture land, and therefore famous as a cattle area. The bulls would be well-fed and strong. The imperious high-born wives of Israel are called “cows of Bashan” in Amos ch4 v1.
Alternatively, he is surrounded by a pack of wild dogs. All dogs are comparatively wild in this culture, which is why the word is an insult. Or, dropping the metaphors, “a company of evildoers”.
“I am poured out like water”. All the strength and energy has gone out of him.
“All my bones are out of joint… my tongue cleaves to my jaws”. This could be a literal description of the experience of crucifixion, in which the actual cause of death is slow strangulation caused by the posture in which the victim is suspended.
“Thou dost lay me in the dust of death”.
“I can count all my bones.” In the psalm, this is probably meant to portray the effects of starvation during a period of famine. No flesh left.
“They divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots.” This is echoed in the gospel narratives and actually quoted in John ch19 v24.
Vv19-21 On the dual basis of his need to be helped and his right to be helped, the speaker makes his appeal for the protection of his life.
We are told that Jesus “made prayers and supplications… to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear” (Hebrews ch5 v7). Someone might ask “How was he heard and saved, since he died on the Cross?” The answer is that his faith was preserved unto the point of death, and he was raised from the dead. He passed through death and came out on the other side.
That is the promise of “salvation” made for us regarding the tribulation. There is no guarantee whatever that God’s faithful people will escape suffering or even death in the tribulation, but their faith will be preserved and they will be raised from the dead. That is what “coming out of the tribulation” means (Revelation ch7 v14). It means passing through the tribulation and coming out the other side, like canoeing through the rapids instead of by-passing them.
Vv22-31 All this is leading up to the triumphant message that God will be praised. Christ has been raised from the dead.
The speaker will praise him and urges others to praise him, because he has heard the cries of appeal.
This will go out to “the ends of the earth”, because the Lord has dominion over all the nations. All the proud men of the earth will bow down. This is not just for the present but will continue into the future.
“Men shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn.”
“Why hast thou forsaken me” is not a cry of despair. It is the heading and prelude of a triumphant message about the resurrection of the dead and the proclamation of the gospel.
Taken in isolation, this looks like a cry of despair. Indeed David C.K. Watson, in his evangelistic book “My God is Real”, asserts that Jesus did indeed experience a loss of contact with his Father, for the first time in his life, because he was overwhelmed by the burden of “the sin of the world”, which he was now taking on. I remember that argument well, because that page was a key factor in my own conversion to the Christian faith, one night in May 1972. The impact of that concept won me over (intellectually, rather than emotionally).
However, there’s also a lot to be said for not taking that cry in isolation. Another angle worth considering is that quoting the first line of the psalm was a shorthand way of quoting the whole psalm, and the whole psalm should be taken into account as an expression of his meaning.
Psalm 22 can be divided into sections in which “I need God’s help” alternates with “God must help me, God will help me, God has helped me”.
Vv1-2 “I need God’s help.” The speaker cries to God day and night, but finds no rest because God does not respond.
Vv3-5 Yet God ought to help because he has helped Israel in the past. This may be one of the many psalms in which the troubled “I” is actually Israel, speaking as a community, making a corporate appeal in times of national danger. “Our fathers” trusted him and were not disappointed, because he saved them. That is why he remains “holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel”.
Vv6-8 But the speaker’s life is currently in a very depressed state. “I am a worm and no man.” “All who see me mock at me.” They say “He committed his cause to the Lord; let him [the Lord] deliver him.” In fact that is exactly what “they” say in Matthew; “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now” (Matthew ch27 v43). And the gospel narratives describe other forms of mockery around the Cross.
Vv9-10 On the other hand, again, the speaker has been committed to the Lord all his life, from the time of his birth.
Vv11-18 The speaker describes the trouble that is surrounding him, when there is apparently nobody near to help.
He is surrounded by a menacing herd of “bulls of Bashan”. Bashan is a region north-east of the Sea of Galilee. High elevation, presumably good pasture land, and therefore famous as a cattle area. The bulls would be well-fed and strong. The imperious high-born wives of Israel are called “cows of Bashan” in Amos ch4 v1.
Alternatively, he is surrounded by a pack of wild dogs. All dogs are comparatively wild in this culture, which is why the word is an insult. Or, dropping the metaphors, “a company of evildoers”.
“I am poured out like water”. All the strength and energy has gone out of him.
“All my bones are out of joint… my tongue cleaves to my jaws”. This could be a literal description of the experience of crucifixion, in which the actual cause of death is slow strangulation caused by the posture in which the victim is suspended.
“Thou dost lay me in the dust of death”.
“I can count all my bones.” In the psalm, this is probably meant to portray the effects of starvation during a period of famine. No flesh left.
“They divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots.” This is echoed in the gospel narratives and actually quoted in John ch19 v24.
Vv19-21 On the dual basis of his need to be helped and his right to be helped, the speaker makes his appeal for the protection of his life.
We are told that Jesus “made prayers and supplications… to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear” (Hebrews ch5 v7). Someone might ask “How was he heard and saved, since he died on the Cross?” The answer is that his faith was preserved unto the point of death, and he was raised from the dead. He passed through death and came out on the other side.
That is the promise of “salvation” made for us regarding the tribulation. There is no guarantee whatever that God’s faithful people will escape suffering or even death in the tribulation, but their faith will be preserved and they will be raised from the dead. That is what “coming out of the tribulation” means (Revelation ch7 v14). It means passing through the tribulation and coming out the other side, like canoeing through the rapids instead of by-passing them.
Vv22-31 All this is leading up to the triumphant message that God will be praised. Christ has been raised from the dead.
The speaker will praise him and urges others to praise him, because he has heard the cries of appeal.
This will go out to “the ends of the earth”, because the Lord has dominion over all the nations. All the proud men of the earth will bow down. This is not just for the present but will continue into the future.
“Men shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn.”
“Why hast thou forsaken me” is not a cry of despair. It is the heading and prelude of a triumphant message about the resurrection of the dead and the proclamation of the gospel.
