Today
we will finish our study on Psalm 22. Remember when we started looking at Psalm
22, we said that Psalms 22, 23, and 24 form a trilogy on Christ the Shepherd.
In Psalm 22, the Good Shepherd dies for the sheep (John 10:1-18). In Psalm 23, the Great Shepherd lives for the
sheep and cares for them (Heb. 13:20-21). And in Psalm 24, the Chief Shepherd returns in
glory to reward His sheep for their service (1 Peter 5:4).
Psalm
22:1-21 gives us a powerful prophecy of the Good Shepherd suffering for the
sheep! In those verses we can clearly see the physical, mental, emotional, and
spiritual suffering of Jesus as He hung on the cross from 9am in the morning
until 3pm in the afternoon. It was
during the last three hours of darkness that Jesus experienced His own Father
forsaking Him as the wrath of God was poured out on Him for our sins!
Psalm
22:22-25 takes us from the suffering and prayer of the Lord on the cross to the
praise and glory of His resurrection. Now in verses 26-29, we move forward in
prophecy to a view of the Messiah’s glorious kingdom! The image here in these
verses is that of a feast, which was a familiar picture to the Jews of the
anticipated Messianic kingdom (Isa. 25:6-9; Matt. 8:10-12; Luke 13:29; 14:15).
When a Jewish worshiper brought a peace offering to the Lord, he retained part
of it to use for a feast for himself, his family, and any friends he wanted to
invite (Lev. 3; 7:15); and this tradition became a picture of the future
glorious kingdom.
But
believing Gentiles will be also included in this feast (v. 27), and Messiah
will reign over all the earth. God promised Abraham that his descendants would
bring blessing to the whole world (Gen. 12:1-3). This has been fulfilled in the
coming of Christ to die for the world, but when He comes again, it will have a
glorious fulfillment in the establishing of His glorious kingdom.
Both
the poor and the prosperous will submit to Him and eat and drink at His table
in the Kingdom (vv. 26 & 29), and find their satisfaction in His grace
alone. “All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him…”. I
can’t help but think of Philippians 2:8-11, “And being found in appearance
as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even
the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him
the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father.”
This
chapter ends speaking of the generations to come (vv. 30-31). The blessings of
the atonement and the kingdom will not be temporary but perpetual, from one
generation to another. Three generations are listed here: Those who saw and
experienced the cross physically and personally. They shared the good news of
the cross and resurrection with “The next generation”. And finally, and
inclusively, “a people that shall be born”. This is speaking of us
today!!!!! We are the “other sheep which were not of this fold” (John
10:16).
But
the emphasis isn't on what God's children have done but on the fact that the
Lord did it all: "That He has done this" (v. 31). "It
is finished" is what Jesus cried from the cross (John 19:30).
I
highly recommend every year at Easter time, on Good Friday, that you take the
time to read and meditate on Psalm 22.
Also, you should read the fulfillment of this chapter in Matthew 27-28,
Mark 15-16, Luke 23-24, and John 19-20. Your heart will be prepared to worship
the crucified and risen Lord Jesus in a very special way during Passion Week if
you will do this!
God
bless!
