#701 A Very Bright Candle Part 2

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4 In you our fathers trusted;

they trusted, and you delivered them.

5 To you they cried and were rescued;

in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 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!”

9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.

10 On you was I cast from my birth,

and from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11 Be not far from me,

for trouble is near,

and there is none to help.

12 Many bulls encompass me;

strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

13 they open wide their mouths at me,

like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 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.

16 For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands 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.

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!

O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

20 Deliver my soul from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dog!

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!

You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

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.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

May your hearts live forever!

27 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. Psalm 22 ESV

Out of the womb - Like the baby Moses hidden in his little cradle of an ark, so God stayed the hand of Herod away from His Son. He, who was miraculously placed inside the virgin womb, was protected by God from jealous rulers, had a relationship with God from early on. He did not suffer the same infirmity of being spiritually dead as the first Adam became and every human born of Eve was. This is that which consoles Him, that God was with Him from the first, that He caused Christ to trust Him from a babe. This is what Satan must attack, where he tells his minions to chip and tear away, but the Perseverance of the saints is marked and secured well before the devil's time. Make those who trust in God doubt, and those who trust in all else, let them believe without question, let the whole world console them, agree with them, reassure them, but the man who refuses to bow to the system or idols of the day, then let him be given to the lions. 

Be not far from me - Stripped of recognizable features, having your humanity torn from you, lonely as the soul could ever know, and though He must endure this for a little while, it is all infinitely greater than I can put forth in words. This separation from the sense of God's presence is the hell reserved for sin, and for those who cling to sin here, to life now only, with no respect unto eternity, then the worst day here will be like heaven in their thoughts then. He has been abandoned by all his friends, and though God has turned His back in justice, it is only God Who can deliver, no one else can save, and let this be to you an example, no man, no priest can give you assurance, no one can deliver but God. 

Strong bulls of Bashan - Those who should have known him, who should have rejoiced with the Magi, those most learned of Israel, the Pharisees, elders and priests, they would snort from the nostrils, and with wide, open mouths, they would declare Jesus a heretic. The place where all men would need to look for salvation, acknowledging the necessity of this payment for their sin, that this was eternity's Kinsman Redeemer, would be a place despised by the Jewish elite, for "cursed is everyone who hangs from a tree." They saw no victory for God's people here, they wanted His name to be a byword, a curse and struck from the pages of history. He was not a respecter of persons, he did not pay homage to their positions, and though the Scriptures spoke of Him, called for Him, they could not accept Him when He appeared. 

Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “You know Me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on My own accord, but He who sent Me is true. You do not know Him, 29 but I know Him, because I am from Him and He sent Me.” 30 So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.…John 7: 28-30

I am poured out like water - Completely spent, I am giving down to my last. This is the way of obedience unmatched, every ounce of His life, but He still prays. The Psalmist may have related to this as humans do, on some blurred level of what is anxiety, what is pain, but Christ willingly came to this place, wanting to give all to the glory of God. 

Out of joint - David never felt the pain of being nailed to a cross, nor the jarring agony of being lifted into it's base. How unnatural a position to place one's weight upon a nail through your feet. Now to breathe you must feel every pull upon the hands, and every cramp that begs the legs to straighten out must cause the head to spin. I would think this is more than I could do to my worst enemy, yet I know men become so hard of heart. There is nothing that surprises me about men here, only that God would agree to this, that is the puzzle and the beauty of this. My pride could not handle their taunting, my ego would not have lasted through their kangaroo court. Every movement, involuntary or intentional would be horrendous, and topped with undeserved rebuke.  

My heart is like wax - How close He must be, and the two thieves that suffered beside Him, they felt all the physical pain, but knew nothing of His loss. They knew yet nothing of the wrath of God that fell upon Him, or that all consuming fire from heaven that melted Him to the core. 

My tongue sticks to my jaws - He is spent, thirsty, and earlier they had offered Him wine, but He had spit it out. His body is locking up on Him, the dust is beckoning Him, though He did not come from it. Like an old, baked, broken piece of pottery, He is without moisture.

For dogs encompass me - There were the religious leaders, the bulls, but now as the deer panteth for the water, it is surrounded by the pack. There are those who call themselves members of the body that are quick to tear down. He is surrounded by a howling mass, eager for His blood, not comprehending the significance of what is happening before them. Salvation is near, but they can only mock it. The soldiers now cast lots for His garments. He is only worth that much to them.

they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified Him,they divided up His garments by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.…Matthew 27: 34-36

When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”…Luke 23: 33-35