Psalm 22: David’s “defeat”

We saw in Psalm 3 that “of David” refers to the Davidic kings who were God’s anointed throughout the generations (not just the individual from the tenth century BC). Now we’re ready to approach Psalm 22.

The opening words may sound familiar: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These were the words on Jesus’ lips at his crucifixion (Matthew 27:46 || Mark 15:34).

But before we ask why Jesus reused the opening words of Psalm 22, what did those words mean in their Old Testament setting?

Psalm 22:title-2 (NIV)
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.
¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
² My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.

There were many times in the history of Israel when the Davidic king lost a battle. His return to Jerusalem was not the procession of a conquering lion; it was the bleating of a timid doe.

In his defeat, David turns to the authority he represents. He complains to the God who forsook him, despite his cries of anguish as he prayed for God to save him (verse 1).

But his present disaster is not the only thing David knows. He knows this enduring reality too:

Psalm 22:3-5 (NIV)
³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.
⁴ In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
⁵ To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

God’s eternal sovereignty remains intact, even in the face of David’s present pain.

Meditate on that for a moment. What will you do when you’re suffering?
Will you open up to God about how you feel, like David did in the first two verses? Will you recognize God’s enduring authority as David did in verses 3-5?

How does this lament help shape your response when life is bad and your prayers have not been answered?

We think life is made up of happy times versus sad times. Truth is, we often feel both at once. Trauma and trust run side by side, like two rails of a train track.

That’s how Psalm 22 is structured, interweaving two truths:

Tragedy	Trust
David is defeated (vv. 1-2),	but God is reigning (vv. 3-5).
David’s agony consumes him (vv. 6-8),	but his life is God-given (vv. 9-10).
David feels like he’s dying (vv. 11-18),	but he trusts God to rescue him (vv. 19-31).

The lament psalms ask us to honestly voice both the trauma of our tragedy, and our trust in God’s faithfulness. Can you do both at once? What’s your experience?

David uses poetic imagery to voice the tragedy of his defeat. His enemies are beasts: bulls surrounding him (verse 12), lions ready to have him for dinner (verse 13), a pack of dogs that have pinned him down (verse 16).

The language of crucifixion (22:14-18)

But in the words David uses to voice his agony, we can hear a bigger story.

Psalm 22:14-15 (NIV)
¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.
¹⁵ My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

Crucifixion had not been invented yet, but it’s hard to imagine a more apt description:

• The bones of a man hanging on a cross are literally out of joint.
• Gasping for air, thirst takes over and the tongue sticks to the roof of the mouth.

Did the Holy Spirit give David words that meant more than he knew?

What about this?

Psalm 22:16-18 (NIV)
¹⁶ Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me.
¹⁸ They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

Who did this happen to? Many descendants of David felt this way, including Josiah, the last good king of Judah who was killed in a battle with Pharaoh Necho. Josiah’s death became an enduring lament for the death of the kingship (2 Chronicles 35:20-25).

Then came the anointed king who was born in David’s town (Bethlehem) to restore the kingdom, the king of the Jews who was handed over to his enemies to be crucified. Was King David’s trauma his experience also?

Jesus was the David of his generation. With “King of the Jews” emblazoned above his head, God’s anointed cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew (27:46) and Mark (15:34) make that connection with Psalm 22. John does too:

John 19:23-24, 28 (NIV)
²³ This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” [Psalm 22:18]
²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”  [Psalm 22:15?]

Was John right to see Jesus’ crucifixion in the light of the enemies of God’s reign? Was Jesus right to identify his crucifixion at the hands of Rome with David’s defeat by his enemies?

How does any of this help us approach the Psalms?

The divine rescue (22:19-31)

David anticipated that God would ultimately rescue him. He vowed to “declare your name in the assembly” that gathered around the king (Psalm 22:22).

The New Testament applies this to Jesus also:

Hebrews 2:11-12 (NIV)
So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. ¹² He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” [Psalm 22:22]

When God rescued his Son from death, we were also raised up in him. The community raised up in him is the kingdom of the king, and the family of the Father. That makes us brothers and sisters of the Son, in his Father’s family. We’re citizens of his kingdom, the assembly that gathers around the king (Psalm 22:22, 25).

That’s what the church is: the assembly that gathers around the king. The Septuagint uses the word is ekklēsia,translated “church” in the New Testament.

So here is the mission of the church — the assembly that gathers around the resurrected and ascended king — as defined by the Davidic king:

Psalm 22:25-31 (NIV)
²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly [ekklēsia]; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him — may your hearts live forever!
²⁷ All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, all the families of the nations will bow down before him, ²⁸ for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
²⁹ All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him — those who cannot keep themselves alive.
³⁰ Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!

Your thoughts? How does Psalm 22 help us understand not only our King but our mission as the assembly (church) implementing the government of our heavenly king in his earthly realm?

Adapted from “Formed in God’s Story: Psalms.” Full notes and podcasts here.

Related posts

• Why have you forsaken me?
• Are the Psalms messianic?
• David’s enemies (Psalm 3)
• The Lord’s reign (Psalm 2)