The Suffering King

INTRODUCTION: This psalm gives a graphic picture of the suffering King. It is likely that David initially spoke/penned these words to describe a personal affliction. Yet, the Lord gave him the words in such a way that it would be a prophetic explanation of the physical and spiritual sufferings that would be endured by the Son of God.

1. THE CRY OF THE KING (Psalm 22:1-5)
1. The Despair of the King (Psalm 22:1-2)
1. The Kings cry (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46)
1. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
2. Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2. The Lords silence (Psalm 22:2)
1. I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not.
2. I cry in the night season, and am not silent.
2. The Holiness of God (Psalm 22:3)
1. God is holy despite His silence.
2. God inhabits the praises of Israel.
3. The Hope of the Fathers (Psalm 22:4-5)
1. The past trust of the fathers (Psalm 22:4)
1. They trusted.
2. God delivered them.
2. The past cry of the fathers (Psalm 22:5)
1. They cried unto God, and were delivered.
2. They trusted God, and were not confounded.
2. THE REPROACH OF THE KING (Psalm 22:6-13)
1. The Mocking of the King (Psalm 22:6-8)
1. The humbling of the King (Psalm 22:6; Job 25:6; Mark 9:44, 46, 48)
1. I am a worm.
2. And no man
2. The reproach of the King (Psalm 22:6; Isaiah 53:3; Luke 10:16)
1. I am a reproach of men.
2. I am despised of the people.
3. The scorning of the King (Psalm 22:7; Matthew 9:24)
1. All they that see me laugh me to scorn.
2. They shoot out the lip.
3. They shake the head.
4. The jeers toward the King (Psalm 22:8; Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:20)
1. He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him.
2. Let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
2. The Hope of the King (Psalm 22:9-11)
1. The God from his mothers belly (Psalm 22:9-10)
1. God took him out of the womb (Psalm 22:9). Note: According to the wording, he was in existence before exiting the womb.
2. God made him to hope when he was upon his mothers breast (Psalm 22:9).
3. God was his God from the womb, the mothers belly (Psalm 22:10).
2. The God for times of trouble (Psalm 22:11)
1. Be not far from me; for trouble is near.
2. There is none to help.
3. The Attack of the King (Psalm 22:12-13)
1. The bulls of Bashan (Psalm 22:12)
1. Bashan was located east of the Jordan and was excellent pastureland for cattle. The breed of cattle from Bashan was bigger and stronger than other cattle (Deuteronomy 32:14).
2. The bulls of Bashan became a picture of those who oppress (Ezekiel 39:18; Amos 4:1).
2. The attack (Psalm 22:12-13)
1. They have compassed me (Psalm 22:12).
2. They have beset me round about (Psalm 22:12).
3. They gaped upon me, as a ravening and a roaring lion (Psalm 22:13; Psalm 7:2; Psalm 17:11-12; 1 Peter 5:8).
3. THE SUFFERING OF THE KING (Psalm 22:14-18)
1. His Bones Were Out of Joint (Psalm 22:14).
1. He was poured out like water (John 19:34-35).
2. All His bones were out of joint, but not a bone was broken (John 19:36).
2. His Heart Melted like Wax (Psalm 22:14; John 19:34).
3. His Tongue Cleaved to His Mouth (Psalm 22:15).
1. His strength dried up like a potsherd (Psalm 32:3-4).
2. His tongue cleaveth to His jaws (Lamentation 4:4; John 19:28).
3. He is brought to the dust of death (Genesis 3:19).
4. They Pierced His Hands and Feet (Psalm 22:16).
1. Dogs compassed Him (Matthew 7:6; Philippians 3:2; Revelation 22:15).
2. The assembly of the wicked inclosed Him (Luke 22:63-71; Luke 23:10-11).
3. They pierced His hands and feet (Zechariah 12:10; John 20:25).
5. He Could See All His Bones (Psalm 22:17; Isaiah 52:14).
1. He could tell all His bones. Note: The word tell here means to count (see Genesis 15:5). Consider the work of a bank teller.
2. The people looked and stared upon Him (Matthew 27:36, 39-41).
6. They Gambled for His Garments (Psalm 22:18; Matthew 27:35; John 19:23-24).
1. They parted His garments among them.
2. They cast lots upon His vesture.
4. THE DELIVERANCE OF THE KING (Psalm 22:19-21)
1. The Prayer for Help (Psalm 22:19; Psalm 22:11)
1. Be not thou far from me, O LORD.
2. O my strength, haste thee to help me.
2. The Prayer for Deliverance (Psalm 22:20; Psalm 22:16)
1. Deliver my soul from the sword.
2. Deliver my darling from the power of the dog.
3. The soul is also called mans darling in Psalm 35:17. This indicates that mans most prized possession is his soul. This would make perfect sense in that it will be the part of man that will dwell eternally with the Lord or in hell and eventually, the lake of fire.
3. The Prayer of Faith (Psalm 22:21; Psalm 22:13)
1. Save me from the lions mouth.
2. Thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
5. THE SEED OF THE KING (Psalm 22:22-31)
1. His Praise of the Father (Psalm 22:22-25)
1. His praise to the brethren (Psalm 22:22; Hebrews 2:11-12)
1. Declaring Gods name unto His brethren
2. Praising God in the midst of the congregation; Note: This is a perfect place to show that the Bible defines church as a congregation.
2. His challenge to His brethren (Psalm 22:23)
1. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him.
2. Ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him.
3. Ye the seed of Israel, fear him.
3. His testimony of the Father (Psalm 22:24)
1. He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted.
2. He hath not hid his face from the afflicted.
3. When the afflicted cried unto God, he heard.
4. His openness of praise (Psalm 22:25)
1. In the great congregation (Psalm 35:18; Psalm 40:9-10); certainly, this could be a future reference to the great congregation assembled in heaven (Hebrews 12:22-23).
2. Before them that fear him
2. His Conquest of the World (Psalm 22:26-28)
1. Gods blessings on the meek (Psalm 22:26; Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5)
1. To eat and be satisfied
2. To praise the Lord
3. To live forever
2. Gods blessings on the world (Psalm 22:27)
1. To turn unto the Lord
2. To worship before Him
3. Gods establishment of His kingdom (Psalm 22:28)
1. The kingdom is the LORDS.
2. He is the governor among the nations.
3. The Righteousness to Come (Psalm 22:29-31)
1. Dependence upon the Lord (Psalm 22:29)
2. Service to the Lord (Psalm 22:30)
3. Declaring the righteousness of God (Psalm 22:31)

CONCLUSION: Though David likely did not understand the depth of the words God gave him, those words yielded a vivid description of the work of Christ. Nothing Christ endured on the cross was because of His own sins. There was no sin in Him. Yet, He took the sins of the world on Him so that others might receive of His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour?