Praising Scripture - Dec 23

Introduction...

Psalm 22:1-2,9-10,18-31 Messianic Psalms
（Memorization Scripture: vv.25-26）
1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
……
9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts.
10I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God.
……
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.
22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s,
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.



[Sharing] Psalm 22 is a Messianic Psalm known as the Psalm of the Cross. Deeply lonely and helpless, in his struggle David questioned, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?” But then David remembered that the Lord is the one who brought him out of the womb, that he can trust in Him, and that his life was in God’s hand. He began to learn to praise the Lord, saying, “In the midst of the assembly I will praise You...My praise shall be of You in the great assembly...all the families of the nations shall worship before You.” When his eyes became fixed upon God, his spiritual life was transformed from lament to a song of praise.

As we know now, all the afflictions described by David here -- from being rejected by God and being scoffed, despised and shamed, to the bitterness that came from evil men piercing his hands and feet, dividing his garments among themselves, and casting lots his clothing -- were all fulfilled in Jesus. As written in Isaiah 53, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” So “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Hallelujah, praise the Lord! His cross is not only the way we should take but also the way out provided by the Lord.