Psalm 22 Devotional:

1 David complained because he was brought into such extremities that he was past all hope, but after he had rehearsed the sorrows and griefs, wherewith he was vexed. 10 He recovereth himself from the bottomless pit of tentations, and groweth in hope. And here under his own person he setteth forth the figure of Christ, whom he did foresee by the spirit of prophecy, that he should marvelously, and strangely be rejected, and abased, before his Father should raise and exalt him again.

To him that excelleth upon Aijeleth Hashahar. A Psalm of David.

1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

2 O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But thou art holy, and dost inhabit the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.

10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help me.

12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my desolate soul from the power of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

23 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the poor; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he ruleth among the nations.

29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

We saw previously the gracious manner in which God deals with His saints, even by appearing absent for a season, so that they might yearn for and groan for the return of His gracious presence. And in some measure we are sensibly forsaken so that we might cry out, “My God, My God”

And this to Martin Luther was an especial mark of Christianity. Even to call Jehovah, “My God” which argues true possession of righteousness, which those still terrified by the law cannot do. For those who cling to merit or good works, or free will must always be working for their salvation, for they can never know it is enough, whether one work or ten thousand works. And therefore only the believer can truly and sincerely make this plea, inasmuch as we possess righteousness through our Lord Jesus Christ, and seeing that in Him we have reconciliation with God, and the free forgiveness of sins, we can call upon Him in the time of trouble, yea He commands and urges us to it, as it is written in the Psalms, saying, “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Psalm 50:7-8, 14-15 Wherein we see that we are ofttimes brought into extreme calamity that we might call upon God who alone can save us, and be delivered by His omnipotent hand. And therefore we see why at the first David saith, “I cry…but thou hearest not.” Note, that this is part of the beginning of his prayer, when yet weak in faith and just beginning to stretch his wings, but had not as yet taken prayer to flight. Just as it is written of Hannah, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.” and again once she had prayed but not before, “So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad” and again in the Psalms, “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” Psalm 34:4-6 So although we may see in this Psalm a delay in the succor and comfort of the saint, yet the Psalm does not conclude with Him in grief or anguish of spirit. For to truly pray is to receive the blessing of God’s favor, inasmuch as God Himself must grant us the spirit of prayer, and the end of the spirit of prayer in the day of trouble is salvation, for God does not give except He intend to perform a marvelous work. And this is the experience of the saints in all ages, therefore David knowing this, immediately resorts to the holiness and faithfulness of God and saith boldly, even in great sorrow, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” And therefore may all of the people of God call upon Jehovah in like manner, knowing confidently that He will deliver us when we ask in faith and sincerity.

Calvin,
In this verse the Psalmist expresses the long continuance of his affliction, which increased his disquietude and weariness. It was a temptation even still more grievous, that his crying seemed only to be lost labor; for, as our only means of relief under our calamities is in calling upon God, if we derive no advantage from our prayers, what other remedy remains for us? David, therefore, complains that God is in a manner deaf to his prayers. When he says in the second clause, And there is no silence to me, the meaning is, that he experienced no comfort or solace, nothing which could impart tranquillity to his troubled mind. As long as affliction pressed upon him, his mind was so disquieted, that he was constrained to cry out. Here there is shown the constancy of faith, in that the long duration of calamities could neither overthrow it, nor interrupt its exercise. The true rule of praying is, therefore, this, that he who seems to have beaten the air to no purpose, or to have lost his labor in praying for a long time, should not, on that account, leave off, or desist from that duty. Meanwhile, there is this advantage which God in his fatherly kindness grants to his people, that if they have been disappointed at any time of their desires and expectations, they may make known to God their perplexities and distresses, and unburden them, as it were, into his bosom.

Henry,
Encouragement taken, in reference hereunto, Psalms 22:3-5. Though God did not hear him, did not help him, yet, 1. He will think well of God: “But thou art holy, not unjust, untrue, nor unkind, in any of thy dispensations. Though thou dost not immediately come in to the relief of thy afflicted people, yet though lovest them, art true to thy covenant with them, and dost not countenance the iniquity of their persecutors, Habakkuk 1:13. And, as thou art infinitely pure and upright thyself, so thou delightest in the services of thy upright people: Thou inhabitest the praises of Israel; thou art pleased to manifest thy glory, and grace, and special presence with thy people, in the sanctuary, where they attend thee with their praises. There thou art always ready to receive their homage, and of the tabernacle of meeting thou hast said, This is my rest for ever.” This bespeaks God’s wonderful condescension to his faithful worshippers–(that, though he is attended with the praises of angels, yet he is pleased to inhabit the praises of Israel), and it may comfort us in all our complaints–that, though God seem, for a while, to turn a deaf ear to them, yet he is so well pleased with his people’s praises that he will, in due time, give them cause to change their note: Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him. Our Lord Jesus, in his sufferings, had an eye to the holiness of God, to preserve and advance the honour of that, and of his grace in inhabiting the praises of Israel notwithstanding the iniquities of their holy things. 2. He will take comfort from the experiences which the saints in former ages had of the benefit of faith and prayer (Psalms 22:4,5): “Our fathers trusted in thee, cried unto thee, and thou didst deliver them; therefore thou wilt, in due time, deliver me, for never any that hoped in thee were made ashamed of their hope, never any that sought thee sought thee in vain. And thou art still the same in thyself and the same to thy people that ever thou wast. They were our fathers, and thy people are beloved for the fathers’ sake,” Romans 11:28. The entail of the covenant is designed for the support of the seed of the faithful. He that was our fathers’ God must be ours, and will therefore be ours. Our Lord Jesus, in his sufferings, supported himself with this–that all the fathers who were types of him in his sufferings, Noah, Joseph, David, Jonah, and others, were in due time delivered and were types of his exaltation too; therefore he knew that he also should not be confounded, Isaiah 50:7.” Therefore coming unto God with a pure heart, without hypocrisy or dissimulation, let us confess our sins freely unto Him and call upon Him in the day of trouble, for God is good to all who call upon Him in faith.

Opening Prayer.

Intro.

Lesson 29.
The necessity of understanding the historical and religious atmosphere in which we live. Part 10. An introduction to Foxe’s Acts and Monuments. [5]

Intro. Review.

(Foxe’s Utility)
1. The superfluous degree of books, not a reason to dissuade him from writing.
(though impudence and pride was the cause for most)

2. His own perception of lack of skill on his part was not a reason to dissuade him from writing. (though his knowledge and skill is certainly not lacking)

3. The heroic deeds of the martyrs inspired him to write of these acts of heroism.

4. Inaction on his part might have resulted in the burying of these deeds in darkness.

5. Their lives were testaments of the grace of God, and inspire us also, two chief reasons why they should be recorded.

6. Christian history is the history of suffering affliction without seeing present victory, than political uprisings and wars and great conquests. (the doctrine of providence)

7. The history of the church shows us the necessity of faith, seeing the wicked so often flourish, and the righteous are driven to suffering.

8. The true character of the Christian is exercised, tested and manifested in suffering.

9. Good doctrine that promotes peace towards God naturally produces peace towards man even amidst their rage.

10. The true spiritual conquest consists in that which is often most successful under affliction. Mortification and hope for resurrection. Heb. 11.

11. It is incumbent upon us to study the lives of those who by the Spirit of God gave up their lives unto death for the gospel. Yes to be intimately acquainted with their names and deeds. As the scripture is a history of these worthies, so this work is following that pattern, as Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Nathan, Gad, Ezra, Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John…

12. Wisdom makes us to reign like kings, where even the most powerful cannot bend our conscience or disturb our peace. But we have an invincible fortitude by grace.

13. Christ is the true example of Christian manhood and did suffer grievous affliction at the hands of man.

14. We follow the path of the godly ancient fathers when we honor and follow the example of the faithful martyrs.
i. The identity of the church.
ii. Large churches and denominations, or a small flock unheard of by the world? Isa. 1:7-9

15. Reading the courageous acts of the Martyrs encourages us to be bold in the faith in the face of the opposition of heretics.
i. The martyrs believed sound doctrine unto death. See Dan. 3, Isa. 43:1-7
ii. The martyrs defended sound doctrine unto death.
iii. Compromise is the path to perdition.
iv. The true church does not sell doctrine for comfort or influence.

16. It is incumbent upon us to diligently study the martyrs as we are of their stripe, if we ever hope to be called Christian.
i. By forgiving injury.
ii. By mortifying the flesh.
iii. By holding true to the gospel.
iv. These are necessary qualifications. Martyrdom is circumstantial.

17. The publishing the acts of the Martyrs would much promote the public good. (not necessarily and absolutely, but relatively and consequently)
i. The negative influence of media.
ii. The necessity of godly books to be promoted.
iii. A true record of Christianity.
iv. The glory of God.

Conclusion.

Closing Prayer.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/4fpK60R8pAo