Psalm 22- Afflictions of the Godly - Bible Baptist Church

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Afflictions of the Godly

Text: Psalm 22

The Spirit of Christ is so visible in David in this Psalm. David’s afflictions are related to Christ’s affliction on the cross in several ways. And to a greater degree any follower of Jesus Christ in whom is the Spirit of God.

Forsaken in the will of God (vss 1-11)

David complained that the Lord had not heard his prayer for salvation. He’s overwhelmed with grief and terror and calls again and again with no answer. My God, My God!
David compares himself to the faithful that went before him. The fathers trusted in the Lord and He answered (vss 3-5).
David confesses feelings of worthlessness because of abandonment (vss 6-8)
- Accusations fly against God!
  - Where is your God when babies get cancer?
  - If your God cared, why doesn’t he help Christians?
  - So Jesus Christ on the cross hears these accusations: (Matthew 27:41-43) The chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. Christ on the cross embodies this complaint toward the Father (Matthew 27:46).
- This is one of those things that make the God of the Bible real as opposed to other gods. He is not two-dimensional. He is not just a response to your emotions. God is a person with long-term plans and a good will of His own.
  - The Father has other plans than to satisfy the demands of the scoffers
  - Isaiah 53:3,10-11.
  - The Father doesn’t care what the unbelieving arguments are here. He doesn’t care about their demands. The Father must get to the point of death so Jesus Christ can represent all of mankind under the curse of sin
- The apostle Paul said, O that I would know Christ and the fellowship of HIS sufferings. Not just suffering, but the camaraderie of HIS sufferings.
  - That fellowship is where you find the most opposition to the Spirit of God and the will of God if the Lord is directing your life.
  - You’ll experience the wrath of people’s rebellion against God. You experience their pride and self-righteousness to the point of justifying destroying a life in the name of God.
- David says he was an Israelite from birth. He was a part of God’s work from the beginning, so he begs God to intervene on his behalf because the God of Israel was his God from his beginning (vss 9-11).

Surrounded by accusers (vss 12-21)

David was surrounded by hypocrites who are called by God’s name, but have an appetite for blood (vss 12-13).
- They bite and devour one another. Paul warned the Galatians that not everybody calling themselves Christian is Christian. Some of these people are so blood-thirsty, they’ll devour each other, wipe their mouths, and thank God for the meal.
- They’ll split a church a thank God for the blessing of church planting. They’ll trample on God’s law to love while they “pray and fast” about starting another church to get away from people they can’t get along with.
- The religious fundamentalists are the worst. They DEVOUR widows’ houses, Jesus said. They prey on the weak.
- So in David’s case, he is in a weak state, and the predators inch closer and hunt him. In Christ’s case, it’s the religious predators around the cross salivating over the blood of Christ. It SO satisfies them to see this nuisance put to rest. This one who disrupted their religion. This one who threatened their beliefs and more importantly, their money!
David has no strength left in him (vss 14-17)
- David has no access to food or water in the wilderness. He’s thirsty. He’s so hungry, his ribs are showing through his skin. The only strength he has to go on is the joy of the LORD’s plan for his life.
- Jesus through the trial and crucifixion has lost so much blood he’s dehydrated and thirsty. So Jesus says on the cross, I thirst! (John 19:28)
David’s property is sifted through in verse 18.
- These thieves devour what’s left of my property.
- Jesus Christ was stripped and hung on the cross. His clothes were sorted through and the highest bidder got whatever clothes Jesus Christ had (John 19:23-24).

Reward for the afflicted (vss 22-31)

David’s knows the LORD is in the affliction (19-24)
- Paul used Jesus Christ’s example to be a comfort and hope to God’s people suffering affliction like this in Romans 8:31-39.
- The answer from the Father wasn’t answering the demands of the hypocrites. The answer was in the Father’s plan from the beginning.
Meek inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5)
The kingdom is the LORD’s and he governs among the nations.
(vss 28-31) Christ is the seed and the generation in Christ is the church of God.
The psalm ends like Isaiah will record it in Isaiah 53:10-11. John records the cross in John 19:30.

Afflictions of the Godly