“My God, my God, why have thou forsaken me? Why are thou so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.” Psalm 22:1, 11
What do the paintings Mona Lisa by Da Vinci, Sunrise by Monet, and Starry Night by Van Gogh all have in common? They all started as a stark, blank, white canvas. Nothingness stretched upon a thin wooden frame. The beauty of the creation of art is that it originates solely from the mind of the creator. The difference between a masterpiece and merely another series of strokes upon a canvas is not simply the skill held within the hands, but the ability to move the pictures of the mind to a physical place. And for the art of writing and expression with words, the challenge parallels. To move the emotions and thoughts of the heart to a thin slice of blank paper. And as we look at Psalm 22, we see the grand master of wordsmithing, King David, take a blank sliver of papyrus and turn it into a masterpiece. A conflux of words that takes the reader on a beautiful yet heartbreaking journey into prophecy, passion, fire, and pain.
Psalm 22 is the story of a forsaken one. A Holy Spirit inspired David inked the words, yet there is no doubt that in certain stanzas, his words move far beyond himself and deep into a different realm. Yes, David suffered physically as he fled for his life from the countless enemies of God. Yes, David agonized in the depths of his soul as he questioned God’s plan of forcing His servant into exile as evil men ruled in his stead. And yes, David peered deeply into an uncertain future while searching for the certainty of God’s embrace. But in those stanzas where David’s words veer off into prophetic territory, we witness a heart-wrenching account of the crucifixion of Christ that is mirrored nowhere else in the Old Testament.
Psalm 22 vividly describes this Forsaken One. One that was forsaken by a God that had always been close, yet now seemed strangely absent. One that was once esteemed highly by many, yet now his soul told him he was as low and meaningless as a ground-crawling worm. Psalm 22 is a story of One that was surrounded by evil, One that sought to do God’s will, yet the world was allowed its way, seeing its evil prevail. The verses paint a story of One that suffered untold pain and humiliation, being stripped naked, having his ragged clothes auctioned off the to the highest roll of the dice. We read the Words of One that agonized through having His hands and feet pierced, ultimately dying of a broken heart as it melted within His flesh. As He struggled for His last words with a tongue that refused to operate in its dehydration, He simply declared that the painting was finished. Psalm 22 is a cry from the cross, a cry that is meant to echo throughout the world, even today…a cry to all hearts that are in need of a Savior. Jesus endured the cross for all sinners, for you, for me, for every heart beating around the globe. Today, see that message live, share the message that allows sinners to live. Tell the world the name of Jesus, the sweetest name to ever grace the lips. Jesus Christ…the name that will paint every life as a masterpiece through His glorious Salvation.
“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9
“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:28
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