February 25 - Psalm 21-23
Psalm 22 is one of the most remarkable passages in all of Scripture. Written by David roughly one thousand years before the birth of Christ, it presents a vivid description of suffering that reaches far beyond David’s own life and finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The psalm moves from anguish to assurance, from suffering to salvation, and from apparent abandonment to global worship. It is both deeply personal and profoundly prophetic.
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?” (Psalm 22:1-2)
These words immediately stand out because they were spoken by Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:46). David experienced real suffering, but the language here surpasses any event recorded in his life.
The sufferer cries day and night without relief. This is not mild discomfort; it is spiritual agony. It pictures the pain of feeling abandoned by the very God one trusts. At Calvary, Christ bore the weight of human sin, and the fellowship He eternally enjoyed with the Father was judicially interrupted as He became the sin-bearer (2 Corinthians 5:21). Psalm 22 therefore gives us insight into the inner suffering of Christ, not just the physical pain of crucifixion.
“But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3)
In the midst of anguish, the sufferer recalls God’s holiness and past faithfulness. Faith does not deny pain; it remembers truth despite pain. This section teaches an essential spiritual principle: Faith anchors itself in God’s character when circumstances contradict experience. Jesus likewise trusted the Father even while suffering. The cross was not chaos; it was the fulfillment of a redemptive plan.
"But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” (Psalm 22:6-8)
Here the humiliation intensifies. The sufferer is despised, mocked, and ridiculed by spectators. This is recorded almost word-for-word at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:41–43). The religious leaders mocked Christ using the very language of Psalm 22.
The Messiah did not merely suffer physically, He also endured contempt. The Creator was mocked by His creation. The King was laughed at by rebels. The Holy One was treated as worthless.
“I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.” (Psalm 22:14-15)
This portion contains some of the most detailed prophetic descriptions of the crucifixion ever written. David penned these words centuries before crucifixion was even practiced in the Roman Empire.
David never experienced these events. The psalm moves beyond biography into prophecy. It is as though the Holy Spirit allowed David to stand at the foot of the cross a thousand years early and record what he saw.
“All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.” (Psalm 22:27)
The psalm ends not in personal relief but worldwide redemption. The suffering of the Messiah results in global worship. This anticipates the Great Commission and the spread of the gospel to every nation.
Even future generations are included: “They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this” The final phrase could be translated: “It is finished.” The psalm that began with abandonment ends with accomplishment.