The Two Who Sang Psalm 22

God not only made a covenant with Abraham, but He also made one with David. “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16) David was God’s anointed king of His people and God had promised him that the throne would never be taken away from him. In fact, this promise ensured that his kingdom would last forever, and his sons would always sit upon the throne. This was in stark contrast to what happened to King Saul who came before David. Kingdoms come and go, but David’s kingdom would last forever through his offspring. This covenant was connected to the Abrahamic covenant and to the promise made to Eve about her seed. Through David, the Messiah would come, and the promises to Eve and Abraham would also be fulfilled. This is why Matthew and Luke took the time to include a genealogy in the beginning of their gospel accounts. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”(Matthew 1:1) Jesus is the promised son of David who would sit on that throne forever. This is why the resurrection and the second coming are so important. They are how God fulfills the covenant with David. 

            David is known as the “great psalmist of Israel.” He wrote 75 out of the 150 Psalms which were sung as the ancient hymn book of Israel. These songs, which also serve as majestic poetry, are balms to the human soul. They are raw with great expressions of emotion and display the great heartache and praise of the King of Israel. David was a man who loved the Lord and music, and we are blessed that the Holy Spirit has preserved and inspired these words for us today. Some of the Psalms that David wrote were Messianic. That is, they looked forward to what this “Son of David” would do. Some of the Messianic Psalms are Psalms 2, 22, 69, 72, and 100. 

            Psalm 22 is one of those honest accounts of David. He speaks very openly and plainly about his experience. For example, he writes, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (22:1) Also, “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;” (22:6-7). And also, “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.” (22:14-15) He also wrote about the anguish that his oppressors lavished upon him, “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. (22:16-18).  This is an honest and raw cry from the heart of David’s soul. He is praying to God in the midst of a tumultuous time. 

            If you read those words from Psalm 22 and thought they sounded familiar, it is because they should be familiar. For these same words were uttered by the Lord Jesus while He was on the cross. While He was on the cross dying, Jesus reflected upon these words. He even quotes Psalm 22:1. Matthew writes for us, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus was experiencing the wrath of God in that moment for sinners.

            David said he was thirsty, and so did Jesus, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. (John 19:28–29) 

            David wrote that he was mocked and scorned and so was Jesus, “and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.” (Matthew 27:29–31) 

            David said he was so weakened that his strength left him, and the same happened to Jesus so that Simon of Cyrene had to help him carry his cross. (See Luke 23:26) 

David said that his hands and feet were pierced, and so were Jesus’ hands and feet. (See John 20:25) 

            David said that they divided his garments and cast lots; the same happened to Jesus. “…so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” (John 19:24)

            There have been many who have sung Psalm 22 over the years. However, there were only two whose significance mattered more than any other. In Psalm 22 David is a shadow of what Jesus was to endure on the cross. Psalm 22 was on Jesus’ mind while He was dying on the cross. As He was approaching His final breaths, His heart was focused on Scripture. He was the fulfillment of THE SON OF DAVID who would bring all the promises of God to Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all those who believe upon Him. 

This is the two. This is the gospel.

Jesus died and rose again!