Psalm 19-22 - Why Have You Forsaken Me?

The Law of Yahweh Is Perfect

Psa 19:1-2 LSB - [1] For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; 

And the expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 

[2] Day to day pours forth speech, 

And night to night reveals knowledge.

Psa 19:3 ESV - [3] There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.

Rom 1:20 ESV - [20] For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Psa 19:7-8 LSB - 

[7] The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul; 

The testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple. 

[8] The precepts of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart; 

The commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.

One reason the word is a greater revelation than creation is that it tells us much more about God. It reveals Him as the covenant God of love, as reflected in the structure of this psalm. In Psalm 19:1-6, God is referred to as El — the most generic word for God in the Hebrew language (even more generic than the commonly used Elohim). Yet here at Psalm 19:7-9, God is referred to as Yahweh (the LORD), the God of covenant love and faithfulness to His people.

“He is wisest who reads both the world-book and the Word-book as two volumes of the same work, and feels concerning them, ‘My Father wrote them both.’” (Spurgeon)

Psa 19:9-11 LSB - [9] The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether. [10] [They are] more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. [11] Moreover, by them Your slave is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.

Psa 19:12-13 LSB - [12] Who can discern [his] errors? Acquit me of hidden [faults]. [13] Also keep back Your slave from presumptuous [sins]; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

All along this continuum the Holy Spirit — and hopefully our conscience — say, “No — stop!” All along this continuum, we are given the way of escape by God (1 Corinthians 10:13), if we will only take it. Yet if we do not, and we end up in slavery to sin, it legitimately questions the state of our soul (1 John 3:6-9).

Because of this great danger, David prayed keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins. “Will you just note, that this prayer was the prayer of a saint, the prayer of a holy man of God? Did David need to pray thus? Did the ‘man after God’s own heart’ need to cry, ‘Keep back thy servant?’ Yes, he did.” (Spurgeon)

 

We Will Boast in the Name of Yahweh

Psa 20:4 ESV - [4] May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!

Psa 20:7 LSB - [7] Some [boast] in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of Yahweh, our God. 

The King Trusts in Yahweh

Psa 21:1-2 LSB - [1] For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O Yahweh, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! [2] You have given him his heart's desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

Psa 21:13 LSB - [13] Be exalted, O Yahweh, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your might.

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Psa 22:1 LSB - [1] For the choir director. According to Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David. 

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? 

Far from my salvation are the words of my groaning.

Mat 27:46 LSB - [46] And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"

On the cross, a holy transaction took place. God the Father regarded God the Son as if He were a sinner. As the Apostle Paul would later write, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Yet Jesus not only endured the withdrawal of the Father’s fellowship, but also the actual outpouring of the Father’s wrath upon Him as a substitute for sinful humanity. “This was the blackness and darkness of his horror; then it was that he penetrated the depths of the caverns of suffering.” (Spurgeon)

 “It was necessary that he should feel the loss of his Father’s smile, — for the condemned in hell must have tasted of that bitterness — and therefore the Father closed the eye of his love, put the hand of justice before the smile of his face, and left his Son to cry, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’” (Spurgeon)

Psa 22:18 LSB - [18] They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.

Jhn 19:23-24 LSB - [23] Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, a part to each soldier and [also] His tunic; now that tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. [24] So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, [to decide] whose it shall be;" [this was] in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled: "THEY DIVIDED MY GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS."