30 When Jesus therefore had
received the vinegar, he said, It is finished:
and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30) 46 And when Jesus had cried with a
loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit:
and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (Luke 23:46)
Our devotions on Psalm 22 have been dreary and sorrowful thus far. We have
observed the treachery of both friend and foe in the close circle of disciples.
We have witnessed the cruel mocking and heartless beatings of our Lord who took
all of that abuse for us alone. We saw the agony of the cross – the humiliation
and shame of it – and the ridicule of those who should have hung there in the
place of our Lord. How sorrowful it all has been. But today I am so happy to
write a different record. Well, not a different one, but the continuation of
that record which began in sorrow and sacrifice, but now overflows into the
joys of the morning sunrise! 1 Arise, shine; for thy light is
come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall
cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon
thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. (Isaiah 60:1-2)
True to the prophecy, thick darkness covered the Place of the Skull (Golgotha)
where Jesus was crucified. The dark night of Eternal import was about to end.
The promises of God made to Eve in Eden, and confirmed to Abraham were being
consummated in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ which He willingly made,
for the Cross was the Crux of all time and Eternity – dividing, if it were
possible, Eternity Past from Eternity Future. But such a division is not
possible in view of the Role of our Lord as the Great I AM. He was I AM before
the foundation of the world; He was I AM on the cross; He was I AM in the Tomb,
He was I AM on resurrection morning; and He remains the Eternal I AM on the
throne with His Father. The intricately embroidered Temple Vail that separated
the common worshippers from the Most Holy Place was ruined in an instant at the
death of Christ. 50 Jesus, when he had cried again
with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake,
and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and
many bodies of the saints which slept arose. (Matt 27:50-52, Mark 15:38,
& Luke 23:45)
Jesus was never a welcome visitor in the undertaker’s business for no one would
remain dead in His Presence. Jesus had purchased our redemption, and our
privilege to carry our burdens directly to God without the necessity of an
intermediary save that of Himself!
As we noted at the beginning of this study of Psalms 22, the first 21 verses
describe the ordeal of Christ on the Cross at Calvary. But the last ten verses
gloriously reveal His joy of resurrection and victory! You will recall that
thick darkness that prevailed over the land from the sixth hour to the ninth
(12 noon until 3 PM) – the latter being the very moment of the death of Jesus.
Incidentally, 3 P.M. was also precisely the moment that the Passover Lamb was
to be sacrificed in the Temple at Jerusalem. Instead, the Lamb of God died at
that moment as an Eternal and once-for-all sacrifice of Passover! The Angel of
Death will see the Blood of Christ over the Doorposts and Lintels of the hearts
of believers, and pass over just as in old Egypt.
Beginning at Verse 22 of Psalm 22, the entire tone and tenor is reversed. His
final words prior to Verse 22 read a pitiful cry of hope and suffering: 20 Deliver my soul from the sword;
my darling from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion's mouth:
for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. (Psalms
22:20-21) The pain
was far greater than physical. Remember that God the Father cannot look upon
sin for its terrible repugnance to Him; yet, our Lord and Savior actually took
upon Himself the sins of the world on that terrible cross! Now, it is finished!
What glory and joy floods the soul of our Lord, and it should flood our own
souls as well.
The joyful notes of praise and victory commence now at Verse 22: 22 I will declare thy name
unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise
him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of
Israel. 24 For he hath not despised nor
abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him;
but when he cried unto him, he heard. Yes, the Lord is now exulting in a hard fought, but
certain, victory. He has overcome the devil, sin, and death. We are told that
nearby the place of crucifixion was a tomb belonging to the wealthy Joseph of
Arimathaea, and that the Tomb was in a Garden! Hint: a Garden is a
place of life – not death! The Tomb was a borrowed tomb in which no man had
ever lain! Sad, isn’t it, that Christ could only BORROW a Tomb! But consider
that He needed no permanent tomb, and neither do you or I need more than a
borrowed tomb – for His resurrection assures our own!
Please observe the gems of beauty contained in this text from the Gospel of St.
Matthew: 38 And after this Joseph of
Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews,
besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him
leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And
there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought
a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40 Then took they the body of
Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews
is to bury. 41 Now in the place where he was
crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was
never man yet laid. 42 There laid they Jesus therefore
because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. (John
19:38-42)
Yes, Joseph was a wealthy man and member of the Sanhedrin along with Nicodemus.
His tomb was no shabby place of burial. This was the fulfillment of the
prophecy of Isaiah some 700 years earlier: And he made his grave with the
wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah
53:9) That is one
wonderful gem of truth; but there is still another that leaps out to the
discerning reader. Can you guess it? It involves Nicodemus. When Nicodemus
first approached Christ under cover of darkness in John, Chapter 3, he came
bearing only a tiny candle of faith, but each time Nicodemus is mentioned after
that encounter, the reminder is made “which at first came to Jesus by
night.” Why do you suppose that reminder is remarked at every mention of
Nicodemus after that midnight encounter? It is to demonstrate that Nicodemus
now carries, not a candle of faith, but a burning TORCH! He sought, with
Joseph, to take the body of Jesus above the boisterous objections of those whom
he at first feared before he gained a more intimate relationship (in faith)
with Christ. He now comes, not only in broad daylight, but to the very halls of
the secular power in the face of the Jewish rulers! That is what courage faith
in Christ instills in men and women!
Jesus, having paid the price, and won the crowns of glory and of all nations,
reaffirms His love and devotion to His Father’s will – nothing has changed in
that unchangeable Heart of Love and Grace! 25 My praise shall be of thee
in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. Jesus has won the Hand of His
Bride, the Church, to whom He will pay His vows. His Spirit has been
surrendered in victory to the good Hands of the Father. “Into thy hands I commend my Spirit!” Need
I remind you that there are no better hands? One day, my dear friends, we, too,
shall commend our spirits to that good keeping of the Father until our borrowed
tombs are emptied at the resurrection. I am both thrilled and overjoyed at the
writing of today’s devotion after such a long drought of darkness and sorrow! . . . . weeping may endure for a
night, but joy cometh in the morning. (Psalms
30:5b) It is an
honor and a privilege to be able to read, and understand, this beautiful Psalm.
But there is such a greater reward remaining for the reader of today’s text!
The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek
him: your heart shall live for ever.
(Psalms 22:26)
I see in a casual review of my calendar that “FOREVER’ does not appear in the
annals of mankind; but it certainly is a benefit and reward of Heaven to those
whose Love for Christ is an overflowing love that spills over to all around
that Heart which “shall live FOREVER!” The Wise Man sought Him, and
FOUND Him and that joy of the heart. All wise men and women seek Him and, if
they do, they shall FIND Him!
The Heart of Jesus is an infinite Heart, and it is able to bear all who enter
into His Heart and become One with Him!
It is such a joy to know that the treasures of our Hearts shall survive as well
as our spirits. The little loves and likes of childhood, of good old friends,
of those of the family hearth, and of the beauty of Creation – all these shall
live forever with our hearts. For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matt
6:21)
Tomorrow, we will conclude our study of this magnificent
Psalm! In the meantime, bask in the comforting glow of love and delight that is
revealed in today’s text.
PSALM 22
To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A
Psalm of David.
1
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why
art thou so far from helping me, and
from the words of my roaring?
2
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season,
and am not silent.
3
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of
Israel.
4
Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5
They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not
confounded.
6
But I am a worm, and no man; a
reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the
head, saying,
8
He trusted on the LORD that he would
deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9
But thou art he that took me out of
the womb: thou didst make me hope when I
was upon my mother's breasts.
10
I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art
my God from my mother's belly.
11
Be not far from me; for trouble is
near; for there is none to help.
12
Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls
of Bashan have beset me round.
13
They gaped upon me with their mouths,
as a ravening and a roaring lion.
14
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like
wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15
My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and
thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they
pierced my hands and my feet.
17
I may tell all my bones: they look and
stare upon me.
18
They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
19
But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20
Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21
Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the
unicorns.
22
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will
I praise thee.
23
Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and
fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24
For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither
hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
25
My praise shall be of thee in the
great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
26
The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him:
your heart shall live for ever.
27
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds
of the nations shall worship before thee.
28
For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he
is the governor among the nations.
29
All they that be fat upon earth shall
eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and
none can keep alive his own soul.
30
A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31
They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall
be born, that he hath done this.
