Psalm 22

I recently officiated a Celebration of Life service for a man whom Genesis would describe as “old and full of years.” Family and friends filled the room. During the service, three hymns were played through a speaker. No words were projected on a screen or written in the program, yet almost everyone there joined in the singing of each song. They knew the lyrics of the hymns by heart.

The Book of Psalms serves as the worship and prayer manual of the Old Testament and is the most frequently quoted book in the New Testament. These psalms proclaim God’s power and protection, as well as his intimacy and judgment. Some of them express gratitude and praise, while others cry out to God for comfort and help. Like the believers who were with me at the Celebration of Life service, the Old Testament worshipers would have known these words by heart.

Today, we will reflect on Psalm 22. David composed it for the “choirmaster,” who would perform it to the melody of “The Doe of the Dawn,” a popular tune of the time. David was experiencing a difficult period when he wrote this song. He faced persecution from his enemies and felt as if God had forsaken him. David conveys his personal anguish, but his words also transcend his own struggles to describe the suffering of Jesus. This psalm is recognized as typological-prophetic and connects us back to Genesis 3:15.

After Adam and Eve sinned, God pronounced consequences for the man, woman, and Satan. God’s punishment for the serpent was to crawl on its belly and eat the dust kicked up by all the other animals. Then God spoke to Satan, who had inhabited the serpent.

Genesis 3:15
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

This verse is known as the Protoevangelium, or the first mention of the Good News. Here, we see the curse placed on humanity due to sin and the promise of a Savior. We inherit our sinful nature from Adam, and we continually suffer because of it. Both Satan and humankind are destined for ongoing hostility and hatred. This verse foretold that one day Eve’s offspring would bruise or crush Satan’s head, delivering a fatal blow. That’s exactly what Jesus accomplished! He came to conquer death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57) and to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). In the process, Satan would bruise the heel of one of Eve’s descendants, inflicting significant pain. We now understand that the pain referenced in this verse took place on the cross.

Psalm 22 foretells Jesus’ work on the cross. It is the psalm that Jesus cried out while suspended between heaven and earth. Let’s examine this psalm as it reveals the suffering Jesus endured.

Psalm 22:1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross around 9:00 am. At 3:00 pm, he cried out the first words of Psalm 22 in Aramaic: Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani—My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? In the New Testament, part of an Old Testament passage is often cited to prompt the reader to consider the entire passage. For instance, if I say “9-11,” you wouldn’t think of the numbers, but of a terrorist attack and all it entailed. I believe that’s what Jesus is doing here. He feels abandoned and forsaken and cries out the psalm’s opening words to introduce the rest of the psalm, which describes the pain Satan is inflicting, the bruising of Jesus’ heel.

Let’s consider several parts of this psalm that describe the ordeal of the cross.

Psalm 22:6-8
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. ⁷ All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; ⁸ “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

As Jesus hung on the cross, people walked by and mocked him. Matthew 27:39-40 states that they wagged their heads at Jesus, saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” The chief priests, scribes, and elders understood that Jesus referenced this psalm when he exclaimed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” They ridiculed Jesus and quoted Psalm 22:8, saying, “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.'” (Matt. 27:41-43).

Psalm 22:11
Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

The cross was the one thing Jesus had to face on his own. There was no one to help him. He alone was the perfect sacrifice.

Psalm 22:14-15
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; ¹⁵ my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

The cross lay on the ground when Jesus was nailed to it, and the beam was then raised to an upright position and secured in a deep hole to keep it steady. When the cross jolted into the hole and came to an abrupt stop, Jesus’ shoulders would have pulled apart, and his bones would have been dislocated. In his final hours, his strength faded, and his heart melted like hot wax. That is, he lost his will to resist. When Jesus realized “that all was now finished, he said (to fulfill Scripture), ‘I thirst'” (John 19:28). His tongue clung to the roof of his mouth (Ps. 22:15 NIV). He understood that his life was nearing its end and that he would be laid in the “dust of death.”

Psalm 22:16-18
For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hand and feet— ¹⁷ I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; ¹⁸ they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

The hands and feet of Jesus were pierced, nailed to the cross. Hanging on the cross for over six hours would have caused his bones to protrude from his skin. Also, when Jesus was crucified, the soldiers took his garments and divided them into four parts, “one part for each soldier” (John 19:23). One of the garments was a seamless tunic, “woven in one piece from top to bottom” (John 19:23). The soldiers said, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be” (John 19:24). John explains this was to fulfill the prophecy of Psalm 22:18: “This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, ‘They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots'” (John 19:24).

But the grave could not hold our Savior! Satan bruised Jesus’ heel, causing great pain, but Jesus crushed Satan’s head, conquering death forever! The Promised One of Genesis 3:15 put death to death. And the Promised One rose from the dead. Paul wrote, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:55-57). King David prophesied it this way:

Psalm 22:27-31
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. ²⁸ For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. ²⁹ All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. ³⁰ Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; ³¹ they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Psalm 22. As you read Psalm 22, reflect on this prophecy fulfilled 1,000 years after David penned it. The Promised One of Genesis 3:15 put death to death and rose back to life!

Talking to God
Thank God that his promises are always fulfilled. Thank God for the work of Jesus. Death has been defeated!

Have Questions?
Our team would love to discuss the crucial theological truth of Jesus’ death on the cross. Maybe you have questions about it or would like to know more about what it means to trust him. Submit your question below, and we’ll get back to you soon.

Two more things:

1. Visit ronmoore.org/lifemap for an exercise that will help you discover how God is writing his story in you. I have included a life map of Joseph that will serve as an example.
2. On February 25 at 7:00 pm, we will meet on a Zoom call to review what we have learned in Genesis and answer questions. A link to the call will be provided if you wish to participate.