May 9th - A Revelation of Redemption

A Revelation of Redemption

(Psalm 2; 22; 27)

Jesus at the Cross

Artist Unknown

Tomorrow marks the last day of our journey through the Psalms, as part of our year-long chronological study of the Bible.

Several of today’s readings point clearly to a Savior yet to come, who was greatly anticipated by the psalmist writers. The prophetic pointers are unmistakable, as these Psalms (and many others) include specific details, which were later fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 22, in particular, offers a compelling description of capital execution by crucifixion. Intriguingly, however, crucifixion was devised by the Persians about 350 years before the birth of Christ. The Hebrew psalmists penned the psalms a few thousand years before that time. They could not possibly have seen or heard about such an occurrence.

Regardless of this historical phenomenon, the Lord impressed David to write down Psalm 22:

¹ My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
² O My God,

I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
³ But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
⁴ Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
⁵ They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
⁶ 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!”
⁹ But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
¹⁰ I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
¹¹ Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
¹² Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
¹³ They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
¹⁴ 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.
¹⁶ For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced^c]"> My hands and My feet;
¹⁷ I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
¹⁸ They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
¹⁹ But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
²⁰ Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
²¹ Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.
²² I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
²³ You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴ For He has not despised nor abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
²⁵ My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
²⁶ The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
²⁷ All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
²⁸ For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.
²⁹ All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
³⁰ A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
³¹ They will come and declare His righteousness

to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.”

(Psalm 22, NKJV – emphasis added)

What a picture of the suffering of our Lord and Savior. This Old Testament passage clearly delineates the physical and spiritual experience of the Messiah upon the cross of Calvary, when he bore the punishment for our sins. If you have a study Bible, you can find specific New Testament references that correspond to the highlighted portions of Psalm 22.

Hallelujah. What a Savior. How can we but love and serve Him? Could God be calling us to be the generation that declares His righteousness to a dark world that desperately need His grace?

Will you pray with me?

Almighty God,

You set the planets in motion

With Your Word.

Your plan is infinite and eternal,

And You know the end from the beginning,

Surely, nothing is hidden from You.

We are stunned to see

How You described in detail

Your plan of redemption,

Which cost You Your own Son’s life.

Hallelujah. You raise Him from the dead.

We eagerly and confidently await

Everlasting life in Him

With You.

Thank You for the cross.

Thank You for Jesus’ willingness

To lay down His own life

For ours.

Thank You for Your mighty resurrection power,

Blasting through death’s door

And claiming victory forever.

We praise You.

Amen.