Summer of Psalms: Psalm 21-22

Discussion Questions:

What do you think it would be like to sing Psalm 21 at a coronation service for king? (first as a normal Israelite, second as a king).

<note—is there pressure on you, reliance upon God, focus on self, focus on others, how would you feel there?>

What do you think Psalm 22 might have to do with Psalm 23?

“The Lord is my shepherd...”

How could Psalm 22 be useful when struggling with suffering in life?

How can we (how can you*) celebrate God’s victory in Jesus daily? What are some ways to remind ourselves of his victory and take joy in it?

Tonight, do you feel more like the beginning of Psalm 22 or the end? (abandoned and struggling vs reveling in God’s answer). Pray together as a group that you would be able to celebrate God’s victory and promises even in the midst of not feeling them.

Intro

We all know I am a little bit long-winded, so let’s go ahead and jump right in to Psalm 21 and 22. But first let’s pray.

Psalm 21

Psalm 21 is a song of victory for the king of Israel, thought by some to be related to the coronation of the king in David’s line.

21:2-7—In that stream of thought, these verses talk about what God has blessed the king with: They celebrate and declare dependence upon God in the past. They speak of the steadfastness of God’s faithful love; it is truly amazing. This section of the psalm is set up to show that God has given his presence, material blessings, and glory (or reputation) to the king. Verse 2 outright answers a prayer from Psalm 20:4. God has blessed the king of Israel.

21:8-12: Naturally, if this is a coronation song, there has to be something said by the king and to him, right? Verse 7 is the king’s short response in the middle of everything, but then verse 8-12 talk about the expectations for the king by Israel: victory over evil in future, the evil ones. Verses 8-10 speak of how the king of Israel is the Lord’s hand to distribute wrath; God is the one judging here (verse. 9). Verses 11-12 say that those who plot against the anointed king (the one appointed by YHWH), are included among the wicked planners. Closing out this section though, the point is that no-one can stand against the Lord or his anointed king, who will distribute justice under YHWH’s sovereign will.

21:1&13—At the beginning of this Psalm, you may have noticed I skipped verse 1. This is because verse 1&13 are an inclusio (like bookends for the song). And both of them constitute a response to God’s victory and faithful love. They root the victory of the king in YHWH’s greatness and show the submission of the king to the LORD’s victory. And what is the method of communicating this: rejoicing, singing, and praising. God’s victory is not boring; this is a song of celebration! May we never become bored with God’s victory or the victory of his anointed king… not just the ancient kings of Israel but ultimately in Jesus… As Calvin wrote during the 1600s:

“What is here stated was only fully accomplished in Christ, who was appointed by the heavenly Father to be King over us, and who is at the same time God manifest in the flesh. As his divine power ought justly to strike terror into the wicked, so it is described as full of the sweetest consolation to us, which ought to inspire us with joy, and incite us to celebrate it with songs of praise and thanksgivings.”

This connection to Jesus brings us to Psalm 22, which is most famously known as the Psalm Jesus quotes on the cross…—>

Psalm 22

Jesus quotes this psalm on the cross but what is it? It is a psalm of anguish and joy: “No Christian can read this psalm without being vividly confronted with the crucifixion,” says one commentator. BUT lets not be too hasty. This song was being sung by people 600 years before Jesus… so what did it have to say to them? If it is the word of God now, it was the word of God then, so we need to understand it in the right context.

So verse 1-2: God’s providence seems far away: suffering is being endured. It is supposedly being sung from the perspective of David, but it is a communal psalm which all of Israel could sing. It even has a note with it telling people the tune “The Deer of the Dawn...” (seems interesting; wish I knew that one). BUT, regardless of the name attached to the psalm, the speaker is crying out that they feel that God has abandoned them and is not listening… that they are without rest… <Have you ever felt this way? I have… Let’s see how the psalm continues>.

22:3-5—The speaker looks to how God has rescued in the past and is a holy God. He also speaks of the blessedness of Israel in trusting God. They were not disgraced, but freed, rescued, and honored.

22:6-18—Here the psalmist breaks down the situation. He has been disgraced, seen as a worm, sneered at, mocked (v.8), encircled by enemies of great power (12-13), weak, scared (14), without water (15), ganged up on (16), brutalized (17), and stolen from, made ashamed (18)... It seems as though all that God has promised to Israel is no more. Where is the blessing, the deliverance, the security?

22:19-21a—The psalmist turns again to the LORD. This is a cry of dependence, a crying out to YHWH for deliverance and no-one else.

22:21b-31—Response: God answered; He listened! Praising God and calling others in to worship him in word and deed, trusting that every knee will bow before Him (Israel and outside) and declare his righteousness. The oppressed are cared for, the humble are satisfied, the LORD listens and will deliver.

The Gospel in These Psalms?

(Gospel landing pad of Psalm 22, landing with Jesus as the perfect victorious King of Psalm 21. )

Now we can turn to the interpretation of this in light of Jesus, who (just a reminder) quotes it on the cross.

He is the one who suffered unjustly.

He is the one who had no rest.

He is the one who recognized the Father as holy and trusted his will.

He is the one who was scorned, mocked, stolen from.

He is the one to whom verse 8 was almost directly quoted while he was on the cross. (ref).

He was the one truly brought forth by God from the womb.

He was surrounded by enemies.

He was the one who was beaten and from whom water poured out (John’s Gospel account).

He was weary and had nothing to drink on the cross; they gave him only sour wine after hours of suffering.

His feet and hands were pierced.

His clothing was cast lots for…

BUT He is the one through whom the victory of YHWH is accomplished. The oppressed are delivered through him. Because of him, we can be satisfied, with eternal life in our hearts, and can declare to those around us what he has done… Only Jesus could be the fulfillment of this psalm, and only he could bring about its joys.

Application/ So what?

There will be an end to suffering, but we are allowed in the Psalms to cry out to God and ask questions, seek deliverance. BUT this is not despair, but hope-filled sorrow (22:24). Trust in God’s faithfulness in the midst of doubt/ lack of faith.

“We too can learn to cry out to God (1–8, 11–18), to find comfort and assurance in what is true about us (9) and what we have learned of the truth (10), and to face the future with confidence (22–31) because he will prove himself faithful. The whole gamut of our experiences is here: desolation, hostility, pain, death” —Motyer

21:8—God’s enemies will not escape…All will bow, prosperous or dying. This is not just a declaration of judgment but a call to bend the knee now, to declare the Lord’s righteousness NOW! Which leads to a proper response—>

Our response! Jesus: praising and trusting him for what he has done, our victorious king at the right hand of the Father. 22:30—We are to serve Him and tell the next generation of the Lord.

So, as we wrap up tonight, I want us to mediate on what the LORD has promised us in these psalms; pray with me as we thank him for what he has said and done. *prayer rehashing all the promises of these passages, landing ultimately in the sacrifice and victory of Christ* Amen.