Read Psalm 22

A Declaration Of Praise

Have you ever gone through a time in your life in which it seemed nothing could go right? You felt like you were losing at every turn, and even spiritually, it appeared that the God had turned His back on you, too? These emotions surfaced in David’s writing of the twenty-second Psalm.

This passage is what is called a “Messianic Psalm.” While David reflected on his own life, the Holy Spirit inspired the poet to write things that would also be applicable to the Son of God when He came to save man. What is stated in hyperbolic fashion about David’s tribulations are fulfilled to the letter in the sacrifice of the Suffering Servant. In fact, the first line of this Psalm is quoted by Jesus from the cross: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46).

David writes, “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” (Psalm 22:6-8). Is this not precisely what happened, as passersby “blasphemed Him, wagging their heads” (Matthew 26:39ff)? They mocked Him, saying, “He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God’” (Matthew 27:43).

David prophesied about the Son of God’s thirst (Psalm 22:15; John 19:28-29), the piercing of Jesus’ hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; John 20:25), the spectacle of His public crucifixion (Psalm 22:17; Luke 23:27, 35), the division of His garments (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24), the declaration and praise of His name “in the midst of the assembly” (Psalm 22:22; Hebrews 2:12).

James Burton Coffman points out one more marvelous fact about this inspired poem: “The words here are free of any consciousness whatever of sin; there is no hint of confessing wrongs; there is no call for vengeance against enemies, only unfaltering trust and faith in God. This is utterly unlike David or any other human being who ever lived. The spiritual state of the Sufferer indicates no human being whatever, but the Lord Jesus Christ.”