Psalm22

HopeinAnguish
notDespairinDereliction

AnexerciseinBiblehandlingprinciples,
especiallythatofOTcontrolonNTtexts

VernonG.Wilkins

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Psalm22
17

Icancountallmybones
theystareandgloatoverme;

18

theydividemygarmentsamongthem,
andformyclothingtheycastlots.

19

Butyou,OLORD,donotbefaroff!
Oyoumyhelp,comequicklytomyaid!

OmyGod,Icrybyday,butyoudonotanswer,
andbynight,butIfindnorest.

20

Delivermysoulfromthesword,
mypreciouslifefromthepowerofthedog!

Yetyouareholy,
enthronedonthepraisesofIsrael.

21

Tothechoirmaster:
accordingtoTheDoeoftheDawn.
APsalmofDavid.
1

MyGod,myGod,whyhaveyouforsakenme?
Whyareyousofarfromsavingme,fromthe
wordsofmygroaning?

Savemefromthemouthofthelion!
Youhaverescuedmefromthehornsofthewild
oxen!

Inyouourfatherstrusted;
theytrusted,andyoudeliveredthem.

22

Toyoutheycriedandwererescued;
inyoutheytrustedandwerenotputtoshame.

Iwilltellofyournametomybrothers;
inthemidstofthecongregationIwillpraiseyou:

23

ButIamawormandnotaman,
scornedbymankindanddespisedbythepeople.

Allwhoseememockme;
theymakemouthsatme;theywagtheirheads;

YouwhofeartheLORD,praisehim!
AllyouoffspringofJacob,glorifyhim,
andstandinaweofhim,allyouoffspringof
Israel!

24

Forhehasnotdespisedorabhorred
theafflictionoftheafflicted,
andhehasnothiddenhisfacefromhim,
buthasheard,whenhecriedtohim.

25

Fromyoucomesmypraiseinthegreat
congregation;
myvowsIwillperformbeforethosewhofearhim.

26

Theafflictedshalleatandbesatisfied;
thosewhoseekhimshallpraisetheLORD!
Mayyourheartsliveforever!

27

Alltheendsoftheearthshallremember
andturntotheLORD,
andallthefamiliesofthenations
shallworshipbeforeyou.

28

ForkingshipbelongstotheLORD,
andherulesoverthenations.

29

Alltheprosperousoftheeartheatandworship;
beforehimshallbowallwhogodowntothedust,
eventheonewhocouldnotkeephimselfalive.

HetrustsintheLORD;lethimdeliverhim;
lethimrescuehim,forhedelightsinhim!

Yetyouarehewhotookmefromthewomb;
youmademetrustyouatmymother'sbreasts.

10

11

OnyouwasIcastfrommybirth,
andfrommymother'swombyouhavebeenmy
God.
Benotfarfromme,fortroubleisnear,
andthereisnonetohelp.

12

Manybullsencompassme;
strongbullsofBashansurroundme;

13

theyopenwidetheirmouthsatme,
likearaveningandroaringlion.

14

Iampouredoutlikewater,
andallmybonesareoutofjoint;
myheartislikewax;
itismeltedwithinmybreast;

15

mystrengthisdrieduplikeapotsherd,
andmytonguestickstomyjaws;
youlaymeinthedustofdeath.

30

Posterityshallservehim;
itshallbetoldoftheLordtothecoming
generation;

16

Fordogsencompassme;
acompanyofevildoersencirclesme;
theyhavepiercedmyhandsandfeet

31

theyshallcomeandproclaimhisrighteousnessto
apeopleyetunborn,
thathehasdoneit.

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Psalm22isalmostuniversallyknown,notsurprisingly,asthePsalmoftheCross,containing
asitdoesitsunmistakableintimationsofChristssufferinganddeath,1,000yearsaheadof
itsowntime.QuiteunderstandablyandentirelyprofitablyithasbeenthesubjectofGood
Fridaymeditationsforagespast.ItwouldbeafoolishBibleteacherindeedwhosoughtto
denytheproprietyorlegitimacyofreadingPsalm22aspropheticallylookingforwardtothe
passionofourLord.Godmostemphaticallyknew,whenKingDavidsangandpennedthese
verses, that Davids suffering would foreshadow Christs. God knew (and would keep) his
promisetobringgreatDavidsgreaterSonontotheworldstagetobringabouttheultimate
fulfilment of all David stood for in Gods great plan to redeem the fallen world. Psalm 22
looks forward to Gods great purposes reaching their goal in Christ and his cross. The
Reformer John Calvin agrees: In short, there is no doubt that Christ, in uttering this
exclamation upon the cross, manifestly showed, that although David here bewails his own
distresses,thispsalmwascomposedundertheinfluenceoftheSpiritofprophecyconcerning
DavidsKingandLord(CommentaryonPsalm22).
Nonetheless,wemustconcedewithCalvinthatDavidthoughthewaswritingabouthimself
andhisownlife.Hewaslamentinghisownsuffering,andstrugglingtomaintainpatientfaith
in the God he knew and had always trusted, in the face of some ghastly experience we
know not what it was that felt, for him, to be the suffering of a condemned man.
Hauntinglydescribedinsomegraphicdetail(thebonesoutofjoint,thepiercedhandsand
feet, the parched mouth, and much more), Davids anguished agonies lend the psalm a
sorrowfulair,andthishasledmanyBiblecommentatorsandpreacherstospeakofdespair
anddesolation.AndgiventhatChristinhisownagonyquotesv.1ofthepsalm,thiscryof
ourLordfromthecross,MyGod,myGod,whyhaveyouforsakenme?,hasbeendescribed
often and persuasively as his great cry of dereliction. And further, because this cry can
easilybetakenatfacevaluetoindicateanabandonmentofGodtheSonbyGodtheFather,
Christiancommentatorshavefrequentlydeducedthatthemomentofhiscrywasthepoint
atwhichChristboreoursinsandknewarealseparation(insomesense)fromhisheavenly
Father.
Itsdifficulttoarguewiththispointofview.Ratherdaringly,Imgoingto,though;oratleast
I wish to add a fresh perspective. If youre willing to stay with me, reader, then youll see
soonthatwefindhope,notdespairinPsalm22,andthus(ofcourse!)inourunderstanding
ofthecross;andweshallconcedethereiscertainlyanguishonDavidsandChristslips,but
notsocertainlydereliction.Andthiswithoutintheslightestbitweakeningorcompromising
ourdoctrineofthecross.InthepagesaheadweshallbestudyingPsalm22itself,hopingto
reach an understanding of whyChrist quoted this psalm, and to whatpurpose. Somewhat
tentatively, because its decidedly against the usual trend, I wish to raise a question mark
over the Biblehandling principles (the boffins would say hermeneutics) employed in the
usual quickandeasy interpretation of Christs cry which jumps straight to an unqualified
conclusion as to Christs dereliction by the Father without visiting the source of the
quotationinthepsalm(or,sometimes,withoutevenrecognisingthequotationatall).Here,
then,welookbrieflyattheNTquotation,andthenatlengthatitsOTsource,Psalm22.
AnexampleofghastlyBiblehandlinghappenedanumberofyearsagoinmyownhearing
when a certain UK DDO (Anglican Diocesan Director of Ordinands, meaning the diocesan
officer, an ordained clergyman in the Church of England, who looks after candidates for
ordination), later a bishop, was preaching just before Easter to a large number of
impressionableyoungteenagers,whowerehangingonhiseveryword.Hewas(supposedly)
exegeting the cry of Jesus on the cross, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,
Christssocalledcryofdereliction,andsaidwithgreatauthority,Isntitcomfortingthat
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evenJesuslosthisfaithonthecross?.Thisisthesortofcompleteliberalnincompoopery
that accrues from not taking Gods Word seriously. Its worse than that, actually its not
justverysilly,butdownrightdangerous(anddisingenuoustoo,forthespeakerknewfullwell
howthisverseisregardedintraditionalscholarship).WestudythiscryofJesusnow,butask
someseriousquestionsaboutthetraditionalwayofunderstandingit,ensuringthatwehave
donefulljusticetoitsOTcontrol.
Matthew 27:46 [A]bout the ninth hour Jesuscried out with a loud voice, saying,
Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?(parallelMark15:34)
Psalm22:1MyGod,myGod,whyhaveyouforsakenme?Whyareyousofarfrom
savingme,sofarfromthewordsofmygroaning?
TheDDO,laterbishop,whosaid,tohisdisgrace,IsntitcomfortingthatevenJesuslosthis
faith on the cross?, evidently didnt know his Bible, or he did know it, but purposely did
violencetogoodBiblehandlingprinciples.ApparentlyhewasntawareofPsalm22;orifhe
was,hehadntacluehowtoreadtheBible(orhewasdeliberatelyobfuscatingthetruth)
eitherthat,orhedlongsince,astheliberalscepticthathewasandstillis,beenblindedto
theWordofGod.Tosaywhathesaidistodobiblicalinterpretationbyguess(atbest).And
guess,atthat,foundedonalreadyfirmlyentrenchedprejudice.Forthismanalmostcertainly
knewthehistoricallyunderstooddoctrineofsubstitutionaryatonement;almostcertainlyhe
had long ago given up believing in the reality of sin and judgement; almost certainly hed
longsince,therefore,deniedthesinbearingdeathofChrist;almostcertainlyheknewthat
the standard interpretation of My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? has to do
with the traditional doctrine of the cross as historically understood by all Biblebelieving
Christians; and almost certainly, therefore, he had deliberately set his face against it and
dreamtuphisownunderstandingoftheverse(incommonwithallotherliberals).Hewasa
liberal who denied the truth and rejected the traditional view, and who wouldnt even
acknowledgewhatthelatteris.
Interestingly,otherliberalshavemorecourage;forinstance,afewliberalshavethehonesty
toadmitthattheBibleclearlyteachessubstitution,andthatthiscryfromthecrossispartof
thebiblicalevidenceforsubstitution,buttheyareopenindeclaringthattheyareunableto
believe the Bible (the liberal scholar Maurice Wiles, I believe, in admirable fairness says
exactlythis).Thatpositionatleasthasintegrity.
We,ontheotherhandwillnotgiveuponsin,judgementorthesinbearingdeathofChrist.
However,wetoomustnotbringourownpresuppositionstotheBiblewhenweareseeking
tounderstandit,particularlyatpointswherethereisntimmediateclarity.Sowecantsay,
WebelieveinthesinbearingsubstitutionaryatonementofChrist;thereforeMyGod,my
God,whyhaveyouforsakenme?mustmeansubstitutionaryatonement.Thatisacircular
argument,andisjustasguiltyofdoinginterpretationbyguessorbypreconceivednotions.
We do, fully and absolutely, believe in substitutionary atonement, but that doctrine is the
cumulative result of an analysis of the entire biblical witness to the matter (a corporate
witnessandconsensusamongstBiblehonouringChristianteachersdownthroughtheages)
itcantjustbeprooftextedoutofasingleverse;rather,MyGod,myGodmustbe
exegetedincontext,including(andespecially)inthecontextofitsOTcontrol.
The point of what were doing here is to learn what to do when we encounter a NT text
whichquotesorclearlyalludestotheOT(orwhichquotesoralludestoanearlierNTtext
e.g.totheteachingofJesus).Here,aNTtext(asayingofChrist)quotestheOT(Psalm22).
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And the first lesson is that we must take note of the quotation we cant ignore it and
simplyinterpretthelatertextasifitisnotcontrolledbytheearliertextbeingquotedor
alludedto.Ifwemakethismistakethenweshallalmostcertainlybedoinginterpretationby
guess(atbest)orinterpretationbyprejudice(worse).TheerrantDDOwasdoingthelatter.
Butsupposewetooresortsimplytoguesswork.Inthecaseinpointweshallobservethecry
ofJesusonthecross,MyGod,myGod,whyhaveyouforsakenme?,andourfirstguesswill
likely be that its just what its usually known as, namely a cry of dereliction, by which is
usuallymeantthatonthecrossJesus(onthisview)wasseparatedfromhisFatherinsome
sense;andthisseparation,ordereliction,orabandonment(tousevarioustermscommonly
used)wasthedirectresultofhissinbearingdeath.Andnotonlywasthisobjectivelytrue,it
is supposed, but subjectively also in the conscious experience of Jesus as he hung on the
cross,sothathe(onthisanalysis)feltabandonedbyhisFatherasheboretheshameand
guilt and punishment of our sins, and cried out accordingly. (Note, I am peppering the
foregoingwithdisclaimerssuchasonthisanalysisandonthisviewanditissupposed,
not because I am about to declare the standard view incorrect, but because its not
legitimatetostartwithanassumptionoftheviewwearecommittedtorather,wemust
establishitbyhonourableBiblehandling.)
Nowtheremaywellbesometruthinthisconclusionaboutthecryofderelictionperhapsa
lotbutwemustbeverycareful.First,evenifbythisinterpretativemethod(i.e.,guess)we
do arrive at the correct interpretation, it is still nonetheless inexcusable to bypass the OT
control,asweshallseebelow.Butsecondly,isthistherightinterpretation(thatJesusfelt
abandoned)? It is far from necessarily so. We really must be very careful not to make the
Biblesaymorethanitdoes.AndoneareawheretheBibleisfarmoresilentthanisusually
acknowledgedistheexactnatureoftheconsciousrelationshipbetweentheincarnateSon
and his Father in heaven, from his birth through to his ascension. There are some clues,
especially in Johns gospel, but it has not been given to us to know just how Jesus of
NazarethrelatedinhisownconsciousnesstotheFatheratanystageofhislife(ordeath).
We must not make dogmatic assertions, therefore, that claim too much about how Jesus
felt.
Inanycase,althoughfromthecumulativebiblicalwitnessweconclude(yes,indeed,wedo)
that the death of Christ on the cross was a sacrificial, penal, sinbearing, substitutionary,
atoningdeath,weshalldowellnottotrytopinthisdowntoaspecificmomentorperiodof
timeatCalvary.Suppose,forinstance,thatwedecide(i.e.,guess)thatthesocalledcryof
derelictionmarkstheactualmoment,ortheconclusionoftheperiod,whenJesusboreour
sins.Weshallgetintotroubleifwedo.ForwasitnotthedeathofChristonthecrossthat
takesawayoursin?Yes.ButifthewrathofGodandhisjudgementonoursinfellfullyand
finallyandeffectivelyonChrist beforehisdeath,sothatitwasallaccomplished beforehe
died,howcanitbehisdeathwhichsavesus?Isthisjustasemanticquibble?Ithinknot.The
Bible makes much of the death of our Saviour. Its his death which is effective to save us.
And although Christs death might be a comprehensive term that includes his prior
suffering, it can hardly be held that his death is only that prior suffering and excludes his
actualdying!
Wereallymustnotdissectthiseventwhichtakeshoursintoindividualmomentsandthink
to know exactly what happened in the divine economy at each one. Even if there was a
separationinsomesense(andIbelievetherewasindeed,insomesense),nonethelessJesus
isstilladdressinghisFatherasFatherafterhiscryofderelictionandbeforehisactualdeath
(Father,intoyourhandsIcommitmyspirit!,Luke23:46).AndwhatofChristsdescentinto
hell?EarliergenerationsofBibleteachersmademuchofthisasanessentialpart(atleast)
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oftheatonementsomepeoplesay(rathercrudelyandsimplistically)thatJesustookour
sinstohellandleftthemthere;Idontgowiththismyself,asittooisexcessivelyanalytical
andunsubstantiatedanyway,andindeeditsmybeliefthatwecantdeduceanydoctrineof
Christs postdeath ministry in hell or wherever, and that the alleged 1Peter 3:19
conundrumisonadifferentsubjectaltogether(butthisisnotfornowifinterestedseea
secondpaperaddressingthisissue);thesesupposeddoctrines(guesses)claimmorethanthe
Biblesays.Itsnotappropriateforustopretendtoknowindetailjustwhathappenedinthe
divine economy at every moment of Christs passion, in a way that goes beyond the Bible
itself.Arewetosay,withtheseoveranalysers,thatpartoftheatonementhappenedonthe
cross,evokingthecriesthenandthere,Itisfinished(John19:30)andMyGod,myGod
,andparthappenedatandaftertheactualdeath(thedescentintohell),butwithJesus
beinginsomesortoffellowshipwithhisFatherinbetweenasheconfidentlysaysFather,
intoyourhandsIcommitmyspirit!?
Please, reader, do not mishear me here: Im not saying its not true that Jesus felt
abandonedatthisparticularmoment(myconclusionbelowisthathefeltabandonedjustas
Davidfeltabandonedqualitativelyandquantitativelynomore,noless;butweregoing
tohavetovisitPsalm22ifweretoknowhowDavidfelt,andthushowJesusfelt);rather,
Im saying we simply cannot pin down each moment and think to know the conscious
experience of Jesus in more detail than is given to us. Its actually much better to view
variousofthesayingsofJesusonthecrossIthirst(John19:28);MyGod,myGod;It
isfinished;andFather,intoyourhandsascommentariesontheentireevent,andnot
justonthevariousexperiencesandobjectiverealitiesoftherelevantimmediatemoment.
SoratherthantakeastabataguessastowhatChristscryinMatthew27:46orMark15:34
means,wellgonowtoPsalm22.Thisisimportant.When,intheNT,weencounteradirect
orindirectquotationorclearallusiontoanOTscripture,wegostraightthere.Quiteoften
therewillbenodirectclueintheNTpassageastoexactlywhatthequotationmeansthere
in the NT, or itll at least be ambiguous sometimes (another example would be by his
wounds you have been healed in 1Peter2:24, which has been taken by some to mean
physical healing as one benefit of the cross, but by others as spiritual healing; a question
onlyresolvablebyrecoursetoitsOTcontrolinIsaiah53:5forwhichseethepostscriptto
thisstudy).ButthecluetodiscoveringitsmeaningintheNTpassageistofinditsmeaningin
theOTpassagewhereitsquotedfrom.
SowhatdoesMyGod,myGod,whyhaveyouforsakenme?meanonthelipsofJesuson
thecross?Answer:itmeansthereintheNTwhatitmeansintheOT,inPsalm22,though
nuancedbyitsfulfilmentinChristandthegospel.Thisverylastpointisimportant:wegoto
Psalm22,andworkoutwhatthequotationmeantthereonthelipsofDavid.Thenonthe
lipsofJesusitmeansnotarerunofDavid,butafulfilmentofDavid,becauseChristandthe
gospel of Christ in the NT brings the OT (in general), and the role of King David (here in
particular),andtheOTpromiseofanewDavidicKing,tofulfilmenttheOTisincomplete
without the NT, but the NT is incomprehensible without the OT. Of course, in the NT the
quotationwillacquireadditionalfacetsandnuancessuppliedbyitsowncontextthere;but
ignoring(orbeingignorantof)theOTcontrolwillseriouslyimpoverishourunderstandingof
thescriptureinquestionindeed,wecanhardlybeginwithoutit.
Giventheaboveremarks,wemustinsistthatwecannotknowwhatMyGod,myGod
meansonthelipsofJesusonlybyconsideringtheMatthew27orMark15passage;atleast
wewontfullyunderstandwhatMyGod,myGodmeansonthelipsofJesusunlesswe
turntoPsalm22anddiscoverwhatitmeansonthelipsofDavid.GiventhatDavidisatype
ofChrist,thatis,giventhatDavid,theSonofGod(Psalm2:7,YouaremySon,saidby
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GodofDavid),theanointedsaviourkingofGodspeople(i.e.messiahoranointedone),is
theforerunnerwhowillbefullyfulfilledinChrist(theultimatemessiah,andtheultimate
Son of God), our conclusion will be that the meaning of the cry on Jesus lips must be
soughtinitsmeaningonDavidslips.
So to the remarkable Psalm22 we turn. Spurgeon writes lyrically of Psalm22, It is the
photographofourLordssaddesthours,therecordofhisdyingwords,thelachrymatoryof
his last tears, the memorial of his expiring joys. Known sometimes as the Psalm of the
Cross,itaboundsinphraseologyuncannilyreminiscentoftheeventsofthecrossofChrist.
Indeed,commentatorsagreethatsomeofitsphrasesandclausesdefyinterpretationofany
sortuntilChristfulfilsthemonthecross(e.g.{i}thepiercingofthehandsandfeetinv.16;
interestingly,butperhapsunsurprisingly,themedievalMasoretes[Jewishcustodiansofthe
Hebrewscriptures,whopointediti.e.,suppliedthevowelstothepreviouslyunpointed,
solely consonantal text] appear to have challenged this translation, evidently to avoid the
Christian fulfilment motif, by pointing the Hebrew text differently from how the LXX
understoodit;likewise{ii}thecastingoflotsfortheclothinginv.18isfulfilledatCalvary,as
also{iii}theparchedmouth,and{iv}thebonesoutofjoint).
WhenChrist,hangingonthecrossattheninthhour,uttersthesocalledcryofdereliction
of Psalm 22:1, he is crying out to the listening world (including us, listening 20 centuries
later),theprophecyofPsalm22isbeingfulfilled,here,now,inme!IamthenewDavid(as
youalreadyknowfrommyministryorshoulddo),andDavidscryinthepsalmfindsitsfull
and final fulfilment here, now, in me. Spurgeon was right, not simply because certain
aspectsofPsalm22bearanuncannyresemblancetodetailsofCalvary,butbecauseChrist
himselfopenlydeclaredinhiscrythatPsalm22wasallabouthimandnotsimplyabout
himinsomegeneralisedsense,butallabouthimthenandthereashehungonthecross.
ThatiswhatPsalm22:1isdoingonthelipsofJesus.
Which brings us to another important point: if the NT quotes the OT, then generally we
understandtheintentiontobetodrawthehearers(andlaterreaders)attentionnotjustto
the single verse or short passage being quoted, but to the whole unit (one or more
paragraphs,perhaps,ormaybeawholechapterormore,accordingtocontext)ofwhichits
part.Wego,therefore,totheversebeingquoted,andlookathowitinturnfitsintoitsown
context we widen our gaze to the whole passage it falls in. Here this means the whole
psalmofcourseindirectlyquotingv.1theintentionofJesusismostlikelytosaythatthe
wholeofPsalm22isbeingfulfilledonthecross,notjustthatv.1isbeingfulfilled.
Soisv.1acryofderelictiononDavidspart?Well,Yes,andNo!First,Yes,Davidfeelshes
beenprovidentiallyabandoned,atleastinthesenseofgivenover,byGodtohispresent
predicament; he has asked to be spared it, but God has not delivered him from it as
requested(see,e.g.,v.2,OmyGod,Icrybyday,butyoudonotanswer,andbynight,butI
find no rest). Its interesting to note that the verb translated answer (most English
versions) in v.2 is the same as the verb translated rescued (saved in some versions) in
v.21.Theusualtranslationoftheverbisanswer.Butinv.21thetranslatorsrightlyinterpret
this in a fuller sense (rescued), though we wonder why they didnt do likewise in v.2,
renderingityoudonotsaveme.
Thisbrings ustoanimportantBiblehandlingprinciple:verbs intheHebrewmindsetvery
often carry far more meaning than they do to the western mind. So to hear doesnt just
mean that the sound waves have reached a pair of eardrums rather, it means that the
hearer hasheard and also taken due notice and has responded appropriately. To answer
meansmorethantojustgiveaverbalresponse;indeed,ashere,theremayhavebeenno
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verbal response at all but here, David is not complaining about silence from God; he is
prayingabouthisdismayandperplexitythatGodhasnot(yet)takenactiontosavehimon
thisoccasion.Hebrewverbsshouldveryfrequentlybeaffordedfargreaterdepthofmeaning
thanawesternmindisnaturaldisposedto.
The cry certainly is true anguish the suffering described resembles an execution, not an
illnessorotheraffliction.Butalso,No,thereisnosensethatDavidfeelsoutoftouchwithhis
God,oroutoffellowshipwithhim;heistalkingtohisGod,andalthoughhisprayerisacryof
anguish,itisnotacryofdespair.ThewholepsalmisladenwithexpressionsoftrustinGod
to work it all out some way its a psalm of hope! Indeed the portions of the psalm
describingtheanguishofDavidssufferingandexecutionareeasilymatchedinquantityand
emphasis by the notes of hope and confidence. Why? Because of Gods praiseworthiness.
See, e.g., v.3, you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. And why is this so?
Because,v.45,Godhasaconsistent,proventrackrecordofrescuinghispeople:Inyouour
fatherstrusted;theytrusted,andyoudeliveredthem.Toyoutheycriedandwererescued;in
youtheytrustedandwerenotputtoshame.David,too, hadconsistentlytrustedinGod:
v.8,HetrustsintheLORD,andv.910,Yetyouarehewhotookmefromthewomb;you
mademetrustyouatmymothersbreasts.OnyouwasIcastfrommybirth,andfrommy
motherswombyouhavebeenmyGod.
OnthestrengthofthislifelongtrustinGodscertainfaithfulnesshecontinuestoappealto
his God to deliver him (v.1921, But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come
quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the
dog! Save me ! You have rescued me !), even though up until this point God has not
answeredthatprayer(v.12,MyGod,myGod,whyhaveyouforsakenme?Whyareyouso
farfromsavingme,sofarfromthewordsofmygroaning?OmyGod,Icryoutbyday,but
you do not answer). And the continued appeal is a confident one, despite the earlier
frustration at Gods having declined thus far to answer David is confident that God will
rescue him, so much so that he puts his certain future deliverance in the past tense (a
literarydeviceknownsometimesastheprolepticpast)inv.21b,whichactually(wordby
word translation) reads you have heard me (NIV margin; NIV text saved me, ESV text
rescued me) from the horns of the wild oxen! and in v.24, For he has not despised or
abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has
heard, when he cried to him. This Hebrew literary device, the proleptic past, putting a
futurecertaineventinthepasttensetoimplyconfidence,isprominentheretheHebrews
canuseitthusbecausetheyhaveagreatGodofwhosereliabilityandcovenantfaithfulness
andmercytheycanbecompletelysureandtheyknowit;andhereDavidknowsit,evenin
his ghastly predicament where God keeps him waiting and trusting. Hope is all over the
placeinthispsalmandisthepsalmsfinalacclamation:itresoundinglyendsthepsalm,as
weshallsee.
This is anticipatory trust. David is utterly confident that God is completely praiseworthy
(v.2223,Iwilltellofyournametomybrothers;inthemidstofthecongregationIwillpraise
you:YouwhofeartheLORD,praisehim!AllyouoffspringofJacob,glorifyhim,andstandin
aweofhim,allyouoffspringofIsrael!).Godultimatelywillbeseentobegood,andtobe
absolutely committed to his own, as in v.2531, From you comes my praise in the great
congregation;myvowsIwillperformbeforethosewhofearhim.Theafflictedshalleatand
besatisfied;thosewhoseekhimshallpraisetheLORD!Mayyourheartsliveforever!Allthe
ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations
shallworshipbeforeyou.ForkingshipbelongstotheLORD,andherulesoverthenations.All
theprosperousoftheeartheatandworship;beforehimshallbowallwhogodowntothe
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dust,eventheonewhocouldnotkeephimselfalive.Posterityshallservehim;itshallbetold
of the Lordto the coming generation; they shall come and proclaimhis righteousness to a
peopleyetunborn,thathehasdoneit.
Despitehisperplexity(andanguishbutnotdereliction,notderelictioninthepsalmtaken
asawhole,atleast)thatGodisnotrescuinghimnow,hereatthepointwhenhewritesthis
psalm David knows that God will vindicate his name ultimately by a deliverance from his
affliction (even though his affliction looks like it entails death!). This is, again, hope! The
afflictionmustbeinthepurposesofGod,butsoalsoiseventualrescuefromit(v.24,Forhe
has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face
fromhim,buthasheard,whenhecriedtohim).Bywhatevermeansthisshouldeventually
cometopass,Davidpropheticallyproclaimsthatsuchwillthisvindicationbethatnotonly
willhebealiveandpraisingGodforit(v.22,Iwilltellofyournametomybrothers;inthe
midstofthecongregationIwillpraiseyou),andnotonlywillallIsrael,presentandfuture
generations, come to praise their God (v.23, You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you
offspringofJacob,glorifyhim),butthewholeearthtoothisvindicationofthesufferingof
David will have a thoroughgoing evangelistic thrust! (v.27, All the ends of the earth shall
rememberandturntotheLORD,andallthefamiliesofthenationsshallworshipbeforeyou.
ForkingshipbelongstotheLORD,andherulesoverthenations).Andthisspreadingofthe
gospel of God will continue down through the generations (v.3031, Posterity shall serve
him;itshallbetoldoftheLordtothecominggeneration;theyshallcomeandproclaimhis
righteousnesstoapeopleyetunborn,thathehasdoneit).
SoweseeindeedthatthispsalmisremarkablypropheticinitsdepictionofDavidsaffliction
atGodshand.Thesufferingking,werememberisGodsviceregentonearth,Godsright
handmansee,e.g.,Psalm80:17,Butletyourhandbeonthemanofyourrighthand,the
sonofmanwhomyouhavemadestrongforyourself!;Psalm110:1,TheLORDsaystomy
Lord:Sitatmyrighthand,quotedintheNT,ofcourse,asbeingfulfilledinChrist(which
isthewholepointofourstudyofPsalm22):Luke20:42,ForDavidhimselfsaysintheBook
ofPsalms,TheLordsaidtomyLord,Sitatmyrighthand,cf.Luke22:69,Butfromnow
ontheSonofManshallbeseatedattherighthandofthepowerofGod.He,thesuffering
kinginPsalm22,isprovidentiallyconsignedbyhisGodtoahorribleexecutionbydreadful
enemiesfromwhichthereisnoimmediatedeliverance,butultimatelythereisavindication
ofsuchgloriousnessthatthewholeworldistohearofit!In themidstofhissufferingthe
kingisabletodeclarethathisGodwillbringitallright,andtheworldmustknow!Isnotthis
fulfilledinthedeathandresurrectionofChrist?Ofcourseitis!Inthemidstofhissuffering
our Lord knows the full burden of his crucifixion just as David had known the burden and
distressofhissuffering,buteveninhisanguishChristisabletodeclare,byborrowingthe
words of this psalm, that God is going to vindicate his name; or to put it into a modern
idiom,Christissayingfromthecross,Myenemiesthinktheyreriddingtheworldofme
butyou:justwatchthisspace!
Jesuscryisacryofanguish(butnotacryofdereliction,asalreadyargued,becauseitwasnt
suchforDavid),in,butonlyin,thatheknowshisFatherisconsigninghimtothissufferingin
the divine purpose (Luke 22:42, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.
Nevertheless,notmywill,butyours,bedone).Therewillbenorescuethereandthen(but
justwaitawhileandseewhathappens!).Butitcannotbelegitimatetoextrapolatethisina
way that the Bible will not allow we simply cannot conclude unequivocally that the
moment of Jesus cry was the moment he bore our sins (as some do say, doing biblical
interpretationbyguess).Wetrulydobelieveheboreoursinsmakenomistakeaboutit!
But this is not spelt out in Psalm 22. Elsewhere, yes, in the total witness of scripture, we
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believethatpenalsubstitutionistaught,andthoroughgoinglyso.Butwecantlegitimately
wrestthisoutofanyscripturethatseemsconvenienttous.Psalm22iscontenttoproclaim
simply but firmly an affliction (an execution) suffered in anguish in Gods purpose by the
king,butwithagloriousoutcomewheretheexecutedkinglivesagaintodeclarethepraise
ofYahweh!Thisishope!Hopepiledhighuponhope!HopelikeAbrahamsinRomans4:18,
which actually reads in hope upon hope, and not ESVs hope against hope, this later
naveandtooeasilyacceptedrenderingconnotingnotconfidenthopebutdesperatehope.
InthelightofourdelvingintoPsalm22,itsinterestingtowonderwhattherelationshipis
betweenthispsalmandthemuchmorewellknownPsalm23thatfollowsit.Psalm23isof
course almost universally used in a distinctly pietistic sense to give great comfort to
struggling Christians. In other words the voice of David in Psalm23 becomes, in our own
oftenindividualisedinterpretationofit,thevoiceofme.ButthevoiceofDavidinPsalm22
mostcertainlycantinthefirstinstance,bethevoiceofmeitsthevoiceofmySaviour!If
it is also true of me, this will be because I am in Christ sharing in his sufferings in a
subsidiary and subsequent sense. Perhaps this should cause us to have another look at
Psalm23!Indeed,butthatsforanotheroccasionsavetonotethat,yes,ofcourseitcanbe
appliedtome,butagain,onlybecauseIaminChrist.
Ihaverecently(attimeofwritingthis)heardaradiodiscussionprogrammeabouttheDead
Sea scrolls in which one participant (a renowned Jewish scholar) advanced his belief that
Jesusdidntrealisehewasgoingtobecrucified.Andhisreasonforthinkingthat?Answer,
yes, youve guessed it, it was Jesus cry on the cross, My God, my God, why have you
forsakenme?!Thisscholar,havingrejectedtheconceptthatJesusofNazarethwasthetrue
divinemessiah,andthushavingrejectedJesusasthegreatfulfilmentofallthecovenantal
promises of the OT, had no other explanation for this quotation from Psalm22. This
renownedscholarthoughtthecrossofChristtookhimbysurprise.Thereyougo!Hangyour
heads in shame, you renowned scholar, and you, the liberal bishop, once DDO, whom we
metearlier!
Inconclusion,althoughweaffirmindeedthatChristonthecrossborethefullweightofthe
curseofsininhimself,dyinginourplaceasourpenalsubstitute,andthatthisiscertainly
reflectedsomehowinhisconsciousexperienceashehungthereanddied,andinhiswords
from the cross, we cannot go further than the Bible goes and declare unequivocally that
Christ felt estranged from his Father at any particular point (let alone draw conclusions
about objective realities to do with the relationship between the Father and the Son then
andthereoratanyothertimeofChristssojournonearth).Rather,wereadChristsalleged
cryofderelictionasaconfidentbutanguishedassertionthatinhim,thereandthenashe
hungonthecross,Psalm22wasbeingfulfilled.Hiscryamountstotheclaim,inme,here,
now,Psalm22ishappening.ButPsalm22isapsalmofhope,albeitacryofanguish,andis
prayedinconfidencetoDavidsGodwhomhetrustssoChristscryofanguishmustbein
hope and trust too! See Hebrews 12:2, Jesus who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of
God.Tocapitall,observehowPsalm22endstriumphantlyatv.31:Theywillproclaimhis
righteousnesstoapeopleyetunbornforhehasdoneit.Hehasdoneit!Anotheruseof
theHebrewprolepticpasttense.Hehasdoneit!NowjusthowreminiscentisthatofChrists
other cry from the cross, It is finished!?!! Both Davids psalm and Christs life end in
supreme hope! Hope upon hope! Hope in anguish, but most definitely not despair in
dereliction.Hopepiledhighuponhope!
ooOoo
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Postscript
1Peter2:2425Hehimselfboreoursinsinhisbodyonthetree,sothatwemight
dietosinsandliveforrighteousness;byhiswoundsyouhavebeenhealed. 25For
youwerelikesheepgoingastray,butnowyouhavereturnedtotheShepherdand
Overseerofyoursouls.
Isaiah 53:56 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities;thepunishmentthatbroughtuspeacewasuponhim,andbyhiswounds
wearehealed. 6Weall,likesheep,havegoneastray,eachofushasturnedtohis
ownway;andtheLORDhaslaidonhimtheiniquityofusall.
In exactly the same way as with Christs cry of anguish on the cross, 1Peter 2:2425 can
onlybeinterpretedinthelightofitsOTcontrol,whichisIsaiah53:56(andbyextension,the
whole of the OT context this appears in, namely the 4th Servant Song, or, even wider, the
whole servant section of Isaiah, or the whole of Isaiah). In particular, the healing motif of
1Peter 2:24, by his wounds you have been healed, must be understood in the same
mannerashealedisunderstoodinIsaiah53namely,asthehealingofthenationofIsrael
beingpromisedbytheprophets.Toreducehealingin1Peter2:24tophysicalhealingisto
dointerpretationbyguess,orbyprejudice.Itseisegesis(readingpreconceivednotionsinto
the text), not exegesis (reading Gods thoughts out of the text). Rather, healing in 1Peter
2:24meanswhatitmeansinIsaiah53:5.
Justaswiththecryofanguish,soherein1Peter,wemustreadtheseversesasaconfident
assertion that in Christ, Isaiah 53 has been fulfilled. Note the has been here, as Peter
changesthepresenttenseofIsaiah53:5d,wearehealed,tothepasttense,youhavebeen
healed, in order (I suggest) to make a vital point: it is (i.e., has been) accomplished, it is
finished,itisnowfulfilledinChristandhiscross.Peterhasalsochangedthe weofIsaiah
53:56 (who, there, are the people of God) into you, emphasising (I suggest) that you,
Christianbelievers,arethenewpeopleofGod(astrongthemeof1Petergenerally).
Thisisonlyaverybrieflookatthesegreatverses,inordertogiveafurtherillustrationof
howtheOTcontrolmoderatesourhandlingoftheNTitpreservesusherefromflightsof
fancywhichthemselvesaredeterminednotbyhonestBiblehandling,butbypreconceived
notions about Christian expectation of physical healing. This brief study in this NT verse is
justoneaspectofafullstudy.Butwellleavethatforanothertime.

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Acknowledgement
This paper has been peerreviewed by a variety of colleagues. The finished result owes much to these
contributors,andIhumblyacknowledgewithgratitudetheirhelp.Nonetheless,theviewsexpressedinthispaper
arethoseoftheauthor,andheandhealoneacceptsresponsibilityforthemparticularlyforanythinginexactor
unclear,anyobviousomissions,faultylogicandotherfolliesanddefects.AllBiblequotationsarefromtheEnglish
StandardVersionexceptwherenoted.
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forusualsafeguardingreasons.
Disclaimer
This paper is entirely the work of the creator/author. If atanystageI haveexpressed any ideain a way closely
similartothewayanyoneelsehasexpressedasimilaridea,thenthisisentirelycoincidentalandunknowntome
attimeofwriting.
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TheAuthor
Theauthor,VernonG.Wilkins,MA(Hons)Cantab(Mathematics),MA(Hons)Oxon(Theology),isBritish,livesin
Dorset,England(in2010);heshadacareerbothasamathematicsteacherandasaBibleteacher/churchpastor.

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