This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of
Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just
mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
PSALM
CHAPTER 22
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
God is always with His people. He never forsakes us. But sometimes our emotions make us feel like God is not with us. David felt this way. Sometimes we feel like God has deserted us when we don't know why. Perhaps it is during a time of affliction, or maybe even during a time of God's displeasure due to our own sin.
For those who walk closely with God, and feel His presence day by day, the hardest times of our lives is when we feel the absence of God! We will find out WHY David felt this way in a moment. But first look at this prayer.
David doesn't cease to call upon God when he feels like God is not there (verse 2). He called to God in the daytime and at night.
David realized that God ALWAYS inhabits the praises of His saints. That means God is ALWAYS present when His people praise Him.
David also knew the past. God had shown and proven that He would be with His people and save them (verses 4-5).
Jesus felt the absence of God's presence when He was on the cross of Calvary dying for our sins. Jesus quoted this song.
Jesus, God in the flesh, felt the ABSENCE of God's presence, power, comfort, joy and peace when He was dying on that cross. But it was God's PERFECT WILL that it be so!
The Bible prophesied that God would allow Messiah to suffer at the hands of men (Isaiah 53:3-4). The Bible says it "pleased God" that Jesus should suffer so (Isaiah 53:10).
The purposes and plans of the Infinite God are far beyond the understanding of finite man. It was God's plan that Jesus suffer and die for the payment of our sins. He Who was sinless died for the sinful.
And Jesus FELT the ABSENCE of God as He died! But He never gave up the TRUST that God was WITH Him! For when He died, Jesus said, "Father, into THY hands I commend my Spirit" (Luke 23:46).
And this is the lesson we learn from this song. God is ALWAYS there, even when we don't feel His presence!
6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying,
8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
This song is a prophecy of the feelings of Christ as He suffered the agony of the cross. Written almost 1,000 years before Christ's birth, this song adequately describes the actual physical and emotional struggle of Christ at Calvary. And might I add also, the cross (as an instrument of punishment and death) was not even INVENTED when David wrote this song!
David was anointed to be king over all Israel; but he felt as a worm because he was despised, chased relentlessly by Saul and mocked by many of his own people.
Jesus is THE ANOINTED of God! He is King of kings and Lord of lords! Yet, on the cross, He felt the same agony of lowliness because His own people had rejected Him, and many mocked Him as He died on that cross.
Even those people who watched Jesus die, perhaps unwittingly quoted this song (see verse 8). They said, "He saved others, himself he cannot save" (Matthew 27:42).
But David and our Lord, Jesus knew and taught us that life begins at conception; and God is in CONTROL even from the moment of conception (verses 9-10).
11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
Here is a statement of faith and a request made with pure knowledge that the answer will come (verse 11). God is not "far off," rather He is NEAR! WE sometimes wander "far off" from God (Ephesians 2:13); but God is NEVER "far off" from us!
When trouble seemingly surrounds us, even when others mock and scorn us (verses 12-13), God is NEAR!
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
These words adequately describe the physical difficulty in an emotional struggle. When we are genuinely feeling depression and/or oppression, our bones hurt we feel weak and our mouth becomes dry.
These words also adequately describe the physical anguish of Jesus upon the cross. The arms were stretched out and nailed to a cross-beam. The feet were nailed together and became the only means for supporting the body. The muscles strained and stretched against the pain of the nails, lifting the body up in order to breathe. Soon, the muscles lost their strength, the tendons in the legs and arms began to stretch and snap. Then the bones would be "out of joint." Then the person could not breathe. And after suffering torment and agony, the crucified person would actually suffocate to death!
What an awful and cruel punishment! Jesus suffered that for you and me. The HOLY ONE dying for the UNholy, in order to make restitution for our sins against God.
All the while He was suffering, people were gathered 'round Him, mocking and scorning.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
And, at the foot of the cross, they GAMBLED for Jesus' clothing! Man! Oh, thou depraved soul! How dost thou treat thy Creator so?
The earth quaked, the sun went black, dead were resurrected and walked the streets, all visible evidences of God's intervention in the things of men. But man, depraved soul that he is, continued to sin at the foot of the cross!
One can readily see why gambling is such an AWFUL SIN!!
David felt this way! All Christians should feel this way!
We should also know that God WILL DELIVER!! Though our bodies may suffer sickness, disease, even torment from man, and ultimately, death; God will deliver our "darling" (verse 20), which is our SOUL!
YES! YES! YES!! One day, the "person" who has trusted in Christ, and is housed in the body shall be delivered unto God, the Creator.
Death, the "dog" and "lion" of our bodies CANNOT defeat God! And death cannot defeat those who have entrusted their lives to God!!
THEREFORE:
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
PRAISE GOD! The victory Jesus gained at the cross is transferrable by grace through faith to you and me! Satan is defeated, and death is defeated! And God wants to transfer that victory to you and me!
All "Ye that fear the LORD" (verse 23); all CHRISTIANS should PRAISE GOD for His victory!
24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
As human beings upon the earth, we may become rich and powerful; we may be physically strong and healthy. But we shall ALL suffer the "affliction" of DEATH!
God has NOT FORSAKEN US!!! (verse 24)
Instead He has DELIVERED US!! He has "heard" our cry for salvation!
Notice verse 26. It will be the "meek" who shall be satisfied with God and His salvation. The "meek" are those who are self-disciplined enough to surrender their beings into the hands of the Creator of all beings!
And even in the midst of suffering, they shall declare the GLORY OF GOD, because He has granted them ETERNAL LIFE!!
One day, ALL the world will come to know Jesus is God, Creator and Judge! EVERY knee shall bow, and EVERY tongue confess that He is LORD! (Philippians 2:11)
28 For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.
29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
The kingdom of God is become the kingdom of Jesus Who has CONQURED DEATH and gives ETERNAL LIFE! HE alone is the One Who determines who shall live with Him in glory!
Man, oh weak and frail, cannot keep even his own BODY alive; let alone his own "soul." (verse 29) We can diet and exercise and do all those things; but unless Christ comes before we die, we shall surely succomb to death! And unless Christ comes into our soul, we shall surely die ETERNALLY!
Let us then, make the commitment of David. Let us be a "seed" (verse 3) that will SERVE Christ during our lifetime on this earth.
THEN, then and ONLY then, shall we come and Christ shall declare us RIGHTEOUS before God (verse 31). That righteousness is declared ONLY for those who are "born" - born AGAIN, in the blood and Spirit of Christ!
Are you BORN AGAIN? Have you surrendered your life to Christ? If you died today, are you 100% certain that you would go to be with Jesus in eternity?
If not - PLEASE go to the home page and clik on the statement "LINK TO JESUS FOR REAL LIFE." Please continue in Bible Study with us.
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
Everything in the Bible is understood better when looking at it through the CROSS! Through the cross we can understand better the reason WHY we sometimes feel the ABSENCE of God.
"Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7)
The body of the saved person may suffer, but the "person" will be delivered safely to God immediately upon death!