08/27/2020 – Day 053 – Psalms 21 -23 – Another episode of: “I don’t have nearly enough faith to be an atheist!”
“As Christians, we accept one foundational truth — God — and everything else makes sense. (Jimmy note: A comprehensive , cohesive biblical worldview) An atheist denies God and has to accept incredible explanations for everything else. It takes more faith to deny God than to believe in Him.” John MacArthur
This reading was actually scheduled five weeks ago on our year-long Thursday read of the Book of Psalm. Ok, brothers, read through this Chapter 22 and tell me that this does not describe a crucifixtion scene. So, I have to ask how David wrote this Psalm in 1000 b.c., roughly 700+ years before crucifixtion was even so sadistically introduced to the world by the Greeks in small part, followed by a proliferation by the Romans. So, was David on a bad lsd trip, or what?
Beyond the general scene, as my bible footnote outlines, look at the specific fulfillment of the crucifixtion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. See John 19: 28:37, Luke 23 – 35, and Matthew 27:35. Take a look at the specific passages that parallel the OT and NT accounts: “He was aware of their ridicule (vv7); He would hear the mocking words (v8); He was praying (vv 9-13); the stain of crucifixion pulled His bones out of joint (v. 14); loss of blood made His heart feel as though it were melting (v. 14); His strength completely left Him (v. 15); thirst caused His tongue to adhere to His mouth (v. 15); they pierced His hands and feet (v. 16); and He could see them gambling for His clothes (v. 18).”
And from Matthew Henry’s commentary:
“Five things are here spoken of the satisfaction and triumph of Christ in his sufferings: —
- That he should have a church in the world. This is implied here; that he should see his seed, Isaiah 53:10… Those who are thus called in should be brought into a a very near and dear relation to him as his brethren, not the believing Jews only, but those of the Gentiles also who became fellow heirs of the same body… These should be accounted the seed of Jacob and Israel (v. 23), that on them, though Gentiles, the blessing of Abraham might come (Galations 3:14). The gospel church is called the Israel of God (Galations 6:16)….
- All our praises must centre in the work of redemption.
- That all humble gracious souls should have a full satisfaction and happiness in him, v 26. Those that are much in praying shall be much in thanksgiving: Those shall praise the Lord that seek him, because through Christ, they are sure of finding him in the hopes of which they have reason to praise him, in the hopes of which they have reason to praise him even while they are seeking him. The souls that are devoted to him shall be for ever happey with him: “your heart shall live for ever.”
- That the church of Christ, and with it the kingdom of God among men, should extend itself to all corners of the earth (v 27,28)….. The souls that are devoted to him shall be for ever happy with him: ‘Your heart shall live for ever.’
- That the church of Christ, and with it the kingdom of God among men, should continue through all the ages of time. A seed shall serve him; there shall be a remnant, enough to preserve the entail. They shall be accounted to him for a generation; who went before them. They shall come, shall rise up in their day, not only to keep up the virtue of the generation that is past, but to serve the welfare of souls in the generation to come; they shall transmit to them the gospel of Christ.“
Soli Deo Gloria!