Psalm 22
Notes
Transcript
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Intro
Kids, how many of you like Disney movies?
What’s your favorite Disney movie?
Do you like Disney movies where they sing? Musicals?
What are some of your favorite Disney songs?
When you watch a Disney musical, do you skip the songs?
Do you just skip ahead to the part where they start fighting or talking?
No, you want to watch!
Why?
The songs are really fun!
They’re also really important to the story.
Elsa in Let it Go decides to embrace her powers, Moana becomes brave, things happen in the story during the song.
Without the songs, we wouldn’t understand the story.
In some sense, the Bible is a musical.
Throughout the story, at key points, characters stop and sing.
And in the book of Psalms, God’s people stop for 150 chapters and do nothing but sing.
The Psalms are the songs of God’s people.
These songs help us know the story of the Bible. They help us know the God of the Bible. They help us understand our own story and how it fits into the bigger story.
Kailee read Psalm 22 for us.
It’s a song about suffering. About pain.
What do we do when our story gets rocky? What do we do when God feels absent? When it seems like he’s abandoned us?
Parents, it’s one of our great fears to forget our kid at Costco, right?
What happens when in life it feels like God is the kind of parent who does that on purpose?
Psalm 22 is like the song when it feels like God left us on our own and drove off.
We live in a world full of Disney songs that say if you just look inside yourself you’ll find hope. Well, what about when you look inside yourself and you feel less than human, or in the words of Psalm 22, you feel like a worm or a slug and not a person? I’m looking inside myself, and I’m not liking what I’m seeing and feeling.
Is the story over?
Psalm 22 is often called the Psalm of the Cross.
Jesus sang this song.
He sang many songs. As we read our Bibles we’ll see Jesus sings more Psalms than anyone else. But this one, he says, is mine.
And so that means it’s ours, too.
We’re going to very simply break this song into two parts: Pain in verses 1-21 and Praise in verses 22-31.
Pain (v. 1-21)
Psalm 22 begins with a title -
To the Choirmaster, according to the Doe of the Dawn, a Psalm of David
It’s to the Choirmaster. The chief musician. We don’t know who that person is, but we do know God himself is the Chief Musician who composed all that exists when he made the world and the Bible is His Word, so these songs are his songs.
The Doe of the Dawn must have been some ancient song and it’s tune was the one this song was sung to.
Kids, you’ve been reading through the Old Testament so you know David was the best king.
He wasn’t a perfect king, the only hero in the Bible is Jesus.
But David was a godly man. And he also had a lot of pain in his life.
Psalm 22 is a song, and it’s poetry.
One of the reasons I struggle with poetry is I want to read quickly for information.
I enjoy ChatGPT because it’s fast.
We can’t enjoy the Psalms if we go too fast.
They’re meant to be chewed on.
Kids you know how a cow chews on it’s food over and over. That’s us with the Bible. We think about it, mull it over, work it over in our minds until it sinks further and further into our souls.
Let’s look at the first part of verse 1, slowly.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
My God, My God
It’s a plea.
David says My God not just once but twice.
An urgent request.
When you cry out for help, you don’t just say, “Help!” you say, “Help, help!” You don’t just say, “Mama!” you say, “MAMA, MAMA!”
David is groaning, crying, yelling, “My God, My God!”
This is a painful Psalm but also a personal Psalm. Which is why it’s more painful.
Why
Why is a painful question.
When was a time in your life, you asked, “Why?”
Why did I lose my job? Why did they have to die? Why am I feeling this way? Why does everything seem to be going wrong?
Why? It’s a painful question and it’s a helpless question.
Have
Something has happened, we don’t know what. This Psalm doesn’t given a particular event. But something has occurred for David to now be in this state of suffering.
You
It’s like David is singing and pointing his finger at God.
He’s not asking, “Why has this happened?” Or “Why has this person hurt me?”
He’s saying, “My God, why have you done this?”
Of all people, you?
I would expect this from my enemies, but you?
As Jesus died on the cross in Matthew and Mark, he sang these words.
My God, I would expect this from Judas or the weak disciples, but you?
What has God done?
Forsaken
To forsake something is to leave it behind.
It’s leaving your kid at Costco and not realizing it until you’ve pulled into the garage.
Why have you deserted me? Abandoned me? Thrown me out of the car like some piece of trash? Tossed me into the garbage like a piece of moldy bread? Given me away like a ratty old pair of jeans? Left me like an neglectful parent?
Why are you so far away? As it says later in verse 1.
Me
Psalm 22 is a personal song of suffering. It’s not why have you hurt us, why you left them, but why have you done this to me?
It’s a David song. But it’s for all of God’s people when we individually experience great pain.
After the death of his wife, CS Lewis published a series of his journal entries which he titled, A Grief Observed. It’s a Psalm 22 kind of book. In it, he writes.
Meanwhile, where is God? This is one of the most disquieting symptoms. When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him, so happy that you are tempted to feel His claims upon you as an interruption, if you remember yourself and turn to Him with gratitude and praise, you will be—or so it feels—welcomed with open arms. But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will be come. There are no lights in the windows. It might be an empty house. Was it ever inhabited? It seemed so once. And that seeming was as strong as this. What can this mean? Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble? - CS Lewis, A Grief Observed, 16-17
Verses 1-21 are full of images of pain and also a patchwork of hope.
First, there are many images of pain in this Psalm.
David feels forsaken.
Perhaps as he’s on the run from Saul and feeling like God isn’t there to help him.
Verse 2 he’s crying and he’s experiencing insomnia.
Verse 6 his pain is so bad it’s dehumanizing.
I’m not a man. I’m a worm.
This is the same David who in Psalm 21 said, “My glory is great and I have a crown of life on my head!”
Now he says, I’m less than human. I’m full of shame.
Verse 7, it’s not just internal pain it’s the fact that people are mocking me. They’re laughing at me because I’m trusting you!
Verse 11 sound like the words of a dying man - come quickly, there is no one to help me!
Verses 12-21 use images of animals attacking David.
It’s like he’s been thrown into the lions den and now all the fierce beasts are coming after him.
But it’s not just pain, it’s also this patchwork of hope.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
David is calling to mind truths about God in the middle of his pain.
Even though it feels like you have walked out on me, you are holy. Others have trusted you and you did not let them down.
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
God, you are my God. You’ve been my God. You’re the one I’m calling to.
David’s pain is not only complaint, but it’s also a patchwork of hope because he knows God is to be trusted, even when it feels like that isn’t true.
This is a David Psalm, and it’s a Jesus Psalm.
Kids - the Bible is one big story about Jesus. And so even in Psalm 22, we see him.
Jesus prayed, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? As he died on the cross. He knew his Bible.
Jesus, like David, was God’s king and he was suffering because God made him suffer.
Look at all the other connections in this Psalm.
7 All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
18 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.
Songs help us understand the story.
This song helps us understand the cross.
The cross was a moment of immense pain beyond anything we can imagine.
But there was also a patchwork of hope because in the middle of the pain, God was doing something beyond anything we can imagine.
This song helps us understand our story.
David suffered. CS Lewis suffered. Jesus suffered.
We will suffer. And it’s not a sign that something is wrong, but that we are a part of God’s story.
Transition - This Psalm begins with pain. 21 verses of it. A lot of pain. But does it end there?
Praise (v. 22-31)
If verses 1-21 were personal pain and a patchwork of hope, verses 22 are about people and praise.
First, People
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
There is a hard transition from pain to praise and from personal suffering to hope for all people.
We don’t know what happened, but it seems like David has been saved from whatever suffering he was experiencing.
This happened numerous times in his life.
David began the Psalm crying out to God because of his personal pain and the feeling that God had abandoned him.
But now he is praying and praising God and it is affecting his own brothers. Namely, the Jewish people.
David was the king of Israel, and for God to save the king of Israel, it meant something for the people of Israel.
But his praise goes beyond just the Jewish people.
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
David may be the king of Israel, but God is the king of Egypt and Babylon and Assyria and everywhere.
Psalm 22 is not just a Psalm for Jews, but for Americans, Ukrainians, Mexicans.
Because God saved David, it means something for all people.
Because David worships God, all people will worship God.
And it’s not just people who lived back then.
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.
Because God saved his king from suffering, all people for all time will worship God.
This Psalm went from personal to peoples and it went from pain to praise.
Praise
Just as there were numerous images of pain in verses 1-21, there are numerous images of praise in the second section.
I will tell of your name
I will preach the good news of your character - your compassion, grace, patience, faithfulness, and love
I will praise you - when we praise something we are admiring it, loving it, worshiping it
I will glorify you - to glorify is to make something heavy. Significant. It matters.
I will stand in awe of him - my jaw will drop as I consider you, My God.
I will worship you
I will bow down to you
I will proclaim your righteousness to a people yet unborn.
Why?
Because you saved the king from the depths of suffering! You abandoned me, but you never left me. You have forsaken me, but you did not leave me forever. I will praise you, everyone will praise you!
The first words of Psalm 22 are very famous because Jesus sang them on the cross.
Did you notice how it ends?
I’d never seen this before.
He has done it.
What’s another way we could say that?
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Is it any wonder this is called the Psalm of the Cross?
It’s very likely, that as Jesus was dying on the cross, he was reciting all 31 verses of Psalm 31.
Verse 1 is very famous because we read in Matthew and Mark Jesus crying out “My GOd, my God, why have you forsaken me!”
But we also see that he got all the way to verse 31!
So what does that mean?
It means that even in Jesus’ suffering he knew his pain would lead to praise for all people, including us.
It is finished!
This song reminds us that pain is not the end of the story.
Conclusion
How can this song help us understand not just the story of the Bible, but our little stories in life?
Maybe you are in pain, or are trying to reconcile some pain in your life from the past.
Or kids maybe you’re wondering, my life isn’t that painful, what is everyone complaining about?
Life is painful.
Being a Christian doesn’t avoid that.
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Kids - next Sunday we’ll study Psalm 23. It’s a peaceful Psalm. Life is not all Psalm 23. You will go through Psalm 22 stuff that is really painful, even if you read your Bible and pray and love Jesus and love your parents and your siblings.
I remember about 8 years ago when I learned that lesson. And I prayed, “God, why?”
I’m still learning that lesson. I wish life were easier. But it’s a reminder that I need to sing these songs and know the story better.
And when you feel that way, it’s okay to say that to God. It’s a good thing, because Jesus did.
David felt abandoned. Jesus was abandoned. We may feel abandoned by God.
Life is painful. Jesus will come and make all things new but in the meantime, life is hard. Don’t let Disney songs fool you into thinking you can avoid pain. It’s part of God’s story.
Because Jesus was forsaken, we will never be.
David, a man, suffered and God saved him.
Jesus was not just a man. He was the God-man.
His suffering meant something for us.
Jesus was literally forsaken by God. Separated in some mystical sense from God in that moment on the cross.
God put all our sin and suffering and shame on him on the cross. He paid the cost of all that is wrong in the world and all that we have done.
Jesus experienced Psalm 22 more fully than anyone who has ever lived.
But if we believe in Jesus and turn from our sin, God promises to never forsake us.
So while life may be painful, and we may sing this song, we can remember Jesus. And know that he was forsaken so that we will never be.
Does that mean we shouldn’t cry? Absolutely not. Life is painful, but Jesus’ pain means that God will never ever ever leave you.
Jesus’ pain leads to our praise.
Jesus beat pain. He rose from the grave.
The songs help us understand the story. Pain leads to praise. Death leads to life. Groaning leads to glory.
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
If you are suffering this morning, let is bring you joy! Why? Because it means you are on the way to glory. You are closer today than you were yesterday.
Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life.
What way did Jesus take to life? Death!
So that means when we die and suffer and experience pain, we can remember that we are on the path to glory!
As Christians, we will suffer. Heartache. Pain. Fear. Abandonment. Criticism.
Is it any wonder James said
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
If you are suffering this morning, let Psalm 22 be your song and stay faithful to God even in the pain. Keep the conversation going.
So Kids, everyone, let’s put it plainly
This song in Psalm 22 is more important than any Disney song. Singing Let it Go will not change your life.
Singing this song with your heart, will.
The Bible says all we have to do is repent and believe. Repent just means change your mind. If you say to God, I’m sorry for all I’ve done and for living only for myself, I’m changing my mind, I want to live for you.
Believe - believe that Jesus was the son of God sent to save you.
If you believe that, not just say it because your parents told you to, but you really believe that, God will change your life in a way that no Disney song can.
And then the rest of your life, when life is painful, you can sing this song and know the final note that Jesus sang was “It is finished.”
