PSALM 22:1–15 Forsaken
READ: PSALM 22:1–15
v. 1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”
The specific occasion that led David to write Psalm 22 is not known. David described a situation of great stress and misery for himself. At the outset of the psalm he expressed his need to God. He did not understand why God allowed him to be in this situation.
Many believers today can relate to various aspects of David’s suffering. David was mocked and despised by people around him (v. 6). He was abused and beaten by his enemies (v. 13). He felt fear (v. 14) and weakness (v. 15). These experiences are common in this broken world. Like David, believers turn to God with their pain and need. Please help. Please rescue me.
David prayed for God to rescue him. God proved in the past that he cared about the pain of his people. He did great acts of deliverance. David personally knew of God’s power to save. But David, like many others, was overwhelmed by his suffering. Suffering sometimes feels like it will never end. A person can become desperate to escape their plight. Then David’s words in Psalm 22 come to mind: “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
The Lord Jesus took the words of Psalm 22 on his lips when he hung on the cross during the hours of darkness. This was the moment when the Lord’s suffering was at its most intense. This was the moment that he felt the full weight of the punishment that the cross represented. Jesus endured the cross not as a punishment for his own crimes, but for ours. God laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:6).
The Lord’s quotation of Psalm 22 was a signal that he allowed himself to be forsaken by his Father. He was forsaken so that we might be accepted. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was a payment to remove the sin that stands between us and God. Our sin is paid for, and we are reconciled to the Father. Therefore, even in our darkest hours we are confident of God’s grace and love to us. While we may feel forsaken for a moment, we are certain of God’s deliverance.
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