Friday 13th March ~ Psalm 22~ Psaumes 22

Jeremiah 15.10-end ~ Jérémie 15.10-end
Hebrews 7.11-end ~ Hébruex 7.11- end
John 8.48-end ~ Jean 8.48- end

Psalm 22 ~ Psaumes 22

~~

"My God, my god why have you forsaken me?"- sound familiar? That's just

verse 1 of Psalm 22. How about verse 18 "they divide my garments among 

them and cast lots for my clothing" and verse 8 "He trusts in the Lord, let the 

Lord rescue him".

The New Testament writers must have been very familiar with these verses

and this psalm must have helped them see Jesus as a fulfilment of Old 

Testament prophesy. This son of David was not going to lead them to victory 

in battle like his ancestor but through suffering.

And there is plenty of suffering in the passage, described in the most poetic of

terms - "I am poured out like water", "my heart has turned to wax" and one 

for the real depressives “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and 

despised by the people".

And yet. And yet amidst all this misery and sense of abandonment there is the 

wonder that God is there – has been there from the beginning “Yet you 

brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's 

breast". It is this knowledge that keeps us going through the long, cold nights 

of winter.

And the psalm ends with a message of hope. Not only has the psalmist been

saved but others he has told – and others still to come. "They will proclaim his 

righteousness to a people yet unborn- for he has done it". Yes he has!! 

Richard Steel