PODCAST

Strength and Solace

March 31st, 2023

Psalm 22:1-8

Psalm 22 is a Davidic psalm. Over the course of history, the themes in this psalm have been variously attributed to King David, Queen Esther, the people of Israel generally, and of course Christ himself on the cross.

The psalm’s opening line, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” contains some of Christ’s final recorded words during His crucifixion—a fact that should not surprise us when we realize that He studied the Torah faithfully, quoted from the Psalms frequently, and that devout first century Jews often recited this psalm in times of great distress or turmoil.

This is the crux of the matter: not that David (or Esther, or anyone else) was foretelling the brutal, public execution of Israel’s messiah, but rather that Christ was so steeped in scripture that even in the hour of His greatest torment these familiar words brought a measure of strength and solace. So may it be with us!

Author: Aaron Bolerjack