Psalm 22 – My God, My God
On the cross, Jesus cries out the words from Psalm 22 – My God, my God. He then goes on to ask, “Why have you forsaken me?” Is it a cry of abandonment or the ultimate statement of faith?
Psalm 22:1-21
In the first verses we hear the writer crying out to God in despair:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.” (1-2)
In response he answers:
“Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” (3-5)
There is a back and forth in the first part of Psalm 22. The writer cries out in despair, then he remembers God’s faithfulness of old. This continues in verses 6-11. He despairs:
“But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.” (6-8)
Then he speaks about how God has been with him since before he was born:
“Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.” (9-10)
Imagery of Psalm 22
Verses 12-18 are even more desperate as the writer describes his torment as being surrounded by bulls, lions, and dogs. His body is being poured out like water, his bones are out of joint, his heart is like wax. His mouth is so dry that his tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth. And he is so emaciated that people can see his bones. The final insult is that people cast lots for his clothing. The imagery used by the poet is compelling.
“Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce my hands and my feet.
All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.” (12-18)
But even with all of this, the psalmist cries out in confidence to God:
“But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.” (19-22)
Psalm 22:22-31
The second part of Psalm 22 gives way to words of praise and thanksgiving:
“I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.” (22-24)
The psalm continues with words of profuse praise of God who heard the psalmist’s prayers and answered them. All generations on earth, all nations, will bow down before the Lord.
“All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.” (27-28)
Psalm 22 – My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
One commentary entitled this Psalm “The Prayer of a Lonely Soul.” Recently, in one of her more lucid moments, my 93-year-old mother stated, “I think God has forgotten me.”
Hers is the prayer of a lonely soul. She has outlived two husbands and desperately wants someone who will spend every day with her to fill in the lonely hours.
I assured her that God hasn’t forgotten her. God is just taking his time. But she has a point. Why is God taking so long? I’ve heard that question many times in my years as a chaplain. I have no better answer for my mom than I had for them. Yet, like the psalmist, I believe. I believe that God cares, that God never abandons God’s children.
There are many people in our world who feel abandoned: victims of war and violence, prisoners, residents of nursing homes, those who have lost loved ones. Many of us experience this feeling. This is a prayer for all who feel alone and abandoned.
Still, wouldn’t it be nice if God operated on our timeline?
Psalm 22 – My God, My God
Even in his words of despair, the psalmist never gives up on God. The opening words speak of the intimacy of the speaker with their God. God isn’t far away but “my” God.
Jesus was well aware of the words of this psalm. He cries out to his father, confident that God hears him. The concluding words of praise are also well-known and implied in the opening phrase. These aren’t words of despair, but words of confidence in a God who loves him and who will save him.
Psalm 22 reminds me, not only do we have a God who knows what it is to be human and suffer, Jesus, but that God never abandons us in times of trouble. We have a God we can claim as our own – my God.
Have you ever felt abandoned by God? What were the circumstances? What helped? Are there people in your life who are lonely and feel forgotten? How might you bring God’s love to them?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 22: Moving From Despair to Hope! – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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