Making 'Psense' of Psalms--Psalm 22: Holy Ground

Part of a continuing series on selected Psalms.
When God got Moses’ attention via a strange burning bush, He called out, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are sanding is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Psalm 22 is one scripture portion that treats things so holy that it’s a “sandals-off” time, at least in our hearts.  Fourteen psalms have some sort of prophetic reference to Christ, but this one is remarkable—no, amazing—in its prophetic picture of the crucifixion of our Lord.
 

Prophetic?  Wasn’t David just a music-loving warrior king? Did he write of more than he realized? The answer is yes. In his first post-Pentecost sermon, Peter quoted David and declared, “he was a prophet” (Acts 2:30). Unlike many of David’s psalms, which describe in the heading or within the psalm what occasion or difficulty inspired it, this one holds no clues to any particular event. There’s no record of God deserting David, plus he always had friends to help him when difficulties came. Yet the psalm deals with those very woes. It also describes the unique torture associated with Christ’s crucifixion, hundreds of years before that mode of excruciating death came into use. In its prophecy of Christ’s horrible death, it is holy ground to be read in tandem with accounts of the crucifixion.

The thought lines of Psalm 22 seem to divide these ways:

1-21: Prayer of a suffering person.
22-31: Praise for victory.
They parallel the life of Christ in that His unspeakable suffering resulted in His victory over sin and the realm of Satan, making it possible for us to live in fellowship with God.

THE SUFFERING PERSON SPEAKS

There’s no mistaking the prophecy of the first verse: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ The exact same words came from Jesus’ parched lips as His execution progressed (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34). Our Lord was forsaken by His Father as He, who knew no sin, took on the penalty for our sins. During that time, the countryside was plunged into an otherworldly darkness—not an eclipse, for it lasted for hours—as a physical manifestation of the holy war going on with Satan’s realm. In verses 3-5 David asks why God came through for the Israelites during the history, but right now, not for him. He’s an object of scorn and derision (vv. 6-9), which had prophetic fulfillment as unbelievers taunted Christ on the cross (Matt. 27:39-44, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:35-39). David felt all alone—“there is no one to help” (v. 11)—surely what Christ felt, too.

David felt endangered as one might when faced by raging bulls (Bashan, east of the Jordan, was known for its cattle pastures), roaring lions, wild scavenger dogs, and wild oxen. In describing the wounds of attacks from such animals, he used language that detailed a crucifixion: weakness, disjointed limbs, failing heart, dry mouth, and pierced hands and feet. Then comes the remarkable curtain call: “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garments” (v. 18). The soldiers who gambled for Jesus’ clothes surely didn’t fulfill this on purpose (John 19:23-24)!

PRAISE FOR VICTORY

At verse 22, Psalm 22 changes in tone to a praise for victory. After crying out that God doesn’t see his need, the psalmist changes his tune and declares, “He has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” The psalmist describes peace and bounty, even for the poor. As his praise broadens, he envisions a time when “all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord.” The whole world, rich and poor, will know God and worship Him. Could David, in these verses, be describing the worldwide, Millennial reign of Christ? Sometimes, in realizing what a mess the world has become, we forget that the rest of the story has already been predicted, and it will happen!

 “He has done it!” David declares in conclusion (Psalm 22:31). Essentially, it’s “It is finished!”—the same words Christ choked out as death neared (John 19:30). His task of dying for the sins of the world was done. That’s when I stop and say again, “This is holy ground.” It’s our faith-focus: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

How can we respond to such an amazing act of love?  I like how Jennie Hussey put it in the hymn we’ve come to know as “Lead Me to Calvary.” In contrast to the widely-lauded King David, Hussey was a little-known woman of a hundred years ago who cared for an invalid sister nearly all her life. During all her care-giving she wrote many poems, including this one that shows her understanding of what it means to walk on holy ground, and embrace the call of the cross to obedience and surrender:

            King of my life I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be;
            Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.

            May I be willing, Lord, to bear daily my cross for Thee;

            Even thy cup of grief to share, Thou hast borne all for me.

            Chorus:

            Lest I forget Gethsemane; lest I forget Thine agony;
            Lest I forget Thy love for me; lead me to Calvary.

 Can you take off your shoes and sing this song to the Lord? If you do, you may find it a humbling experience, your own “burning bush” of a word from God.

Next: Psalm 23