May 27 - Evening
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?...
... 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.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!"
- Psalms 22:1, 29-31
- Psalms 22:1, 29-31
The Psalm of the Afflicted Worshipper Seeking God
Psalm 22 consists of lamentation, supplication and thanksgiving. It was originally written by David in a state of personal despair, but can be understood as having been used as liturgy by worshippers who were suffering from sickness and seeking healing or were near death and seeking deliverance. David wrote it for the lead musician to either play on an instrument called the “ayeleth hashahar” (literally “dawn doe” translated as “morning star”) or to a melody familiar to the Hebrews in 1000 BC known as the song “Ayeleth Hashahar” (“Dawn Doe” or “Morning Star” song).
The psalm begins with David (or, the worshipper) expressing their sense of being forsaken by God because of their sickness or their exposure to death. (22:1-5) They are struggling to understand their faith and theology in light of the contradiction with their experienced suffering and lack of deliverance.
This confusion and complaint is followed by the second problem: the afflicted worshipper is rejected by others in the community. (22:6-8) The afflicted worshipper and the situation is misunderstood by others who consider the suffering psalmist to be lower than life (“a worm”) and scorn them with ridicule. As their health fades and death approaches the silence of God seems to confirm the mockers accusation that the suffering worshipper has been rejected by God.
The afflicted worshipper describes the trouble that surrounds him (22:12-18) and prays for deliverance in 22:19-21. Then in between verse 22:21 and 22:22 it appears that an oracle or a word from the Lord is received by one of the officiating priests and spoken to the worshipper in words of promised deliverance. The worshipper than makes a vow promising to declare the name of the Lord to his brothers and to praise God in the congregation of worshippers while calling others to do the same:
“I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!” (Psalm 22:22-23)
In this Psalm the afflicted worshipper is healed and restored to life. But, within the final verses (22:29-31) even those who are not delivered from affliction, sickness and death are said to kneel before the Lord just like the living ones do who feast and worship on earth. In other words, the proclamation of what the Lord does and his absolute dominion over the earth will be proclaimed to future generations in spite of someone’s deliverance from death because the Lord rules on both sides of the grave.
Even though there is no clear connection to the promise of the Messiah in this Old Testament Psalm, both Jesus on the cross and the writers of the New Testament made connections between Jesus’ work of salvation with the overall theme of this psalm and its specific verses. Jesus quoted the opening and closing verses of Psalm 22 while on the cross (Matthew 27:46 and John 19:30). The writers of the Gospels make these connections with the 22nd Psalm:
1. Dividing garments from Psalm 22:18 in John 19:23-24
2. Hurl insults and shake heads from Psalm 22:7 in Mt. 27:39 and Mark 15:29
3. Let the Lord deliver him from Psalm 22:8 in Mt. 27:43
With the death and resurrection of Jesus this Psalm can be interpreted not only as deliverance from sickness and death, but also deliverance through death and suffering by means of the resurrection. This hope of resurrection is the basis for praise and worship by all members of the congregation including both those who are delivered from sickness and those who are delivered by resurrection.
Kerusso (Gr) – Preach (Eng) – kerusso is a Greek word that refers to being a herald or proclaimer of a message or a proclamation. Kerusso means “to proclaim” in Matthew 3:1; Mark 1:45; Acts 10:37; Romans 2:21 and Revelation 5:2. Christ is said to have kerusso, or “proclaimed,” his victory to the rebel spirits who were locked up in the underworld in 1 Peter 3:19. The Gospel is kerusso by a herald in Matthew 24:14 and Mark 13:10. Also, the word or the Scriptures are kerusso (“proclaimed”) in 2 Timothy 4:2.
Do I feel confused by what the Lord has allowed in my life? Do I feel rejected by people around me?
In the midst of my confusion and rejection I will call out to the Lord who I know is faithful and is working his good plan even in my life.
In the midst of my confusion and rejection I will call out to the Lord who I know is faithful and is working his good plan even in my life.
Bible Reading Descriptions Here
Personal
Spiritual enlightenment
Church
Revival
Nation
Children
World
Gabon
Someone to Quote
"Theology is grace, and ethics is gratitude."
- F. F. Bruce
- F. F. Bruce
Something to Ponder
Even though these words or phrases do not appear in most Bible translations, they are scriptural concepts with biblical support:
- sermon,
- original sin,
- second coming,
- rapture,
- trinity,
- denominations,
- Jewish Sabbath,
- Christian Sabbath,
- immortal soul,
- bible,
- theocracy,
- millennium,
- omniscience,
- omnipotence,
- omnipresence,
- the unpardonable sin,
- physical resurrection,
- end of time.
- sermon,
- original sin,
- second coming,
- rapture,
- trinity,
- denominations,
- Jewish Sabbath,
- Christian Sabbath,
- immortal soul,
- bible,
- theocracy,
- millennium,
- omniscience,
- omnipotence,
- omnipresence,
- the unpardonable sin,
- physical resurrection,
- end of time.
Here’s a Fact
Archaeological excavations in the NE Nile Delta have uncovered residences built between 1800-1500 BC in the style the Hebrews would have built since they came out of the area of Syria and Canaan. This settlement of Tell el-Dab’a (1, 2, 3) was occupied by people from Canaan beginning in 1800 BC (Under Pharaoh Senusret III, also known as Sesostris). This settlement’s population exploded from 1800-1500. The excavation reveals that work on a palace being built here was suddenly stopped. Pots of paint left setting indicate a sudden abandonment of the construction process of the palace. In the excavation Archaeologists found abandoned tools and building equipment simply left laying at the job site. This seems to agree with the time of Joseph and his family settling in Egypt, the location of the Hebrew settlement, the population explosion of Hebrews that concerned Pharaoh, and then a sudden exodus from Pharaoh and his building projects made possible by Hebrew slave labor.
Proverb
"Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—
better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away."
- Proverbs 27:10
and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—
better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away."
- Proverbs 27:10
Coach’s Corner
We have made “successful” the goal, when we should be striving to be productive. Our world has identified “success” as the mere acquisition of things, fame or influence, but a person can have possessions, popularity and power, without ever contributing something productive, valuable or useful.
Hosea 6
New International Version (NIV)
Israel Unrepentant
6
“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.
2
After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.
3
Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”
4
“What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.
5
Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth— then my judgments go forth like the sun.
6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
7
As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there.
8
Gilead is a city of evildoers, stained with footprints of blood.
9
As marauders lie in ambush for a victim, so do bands of priests; they murder on the road to Shechem, carrying out their wicked schemes.
10
I have seen a horrible thing in Israel: There Ephraim is given to prostitution, Israel is defiled.
11
“Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed.
“Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,
New International Version (NIV)
Israel Unrepentant
6
“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.
2
After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.
3
Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”
4
“What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.
5
Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth— then my judgments go forth like the sun.
6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
7
As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there.
8
Gilead is a city of evildoers, stained with footprints of blood.
9
As marauders lie in ambush for a victim, so do bands of priests; they murder on the road to Shechem, carrying out their wicked schemes.
10
I have seen a horrible thing in Israel: There Ephraim is given to prostitution, Israel is defiled.
11
“Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed.
“Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,
1 Chronicles 28-29
New International Version (NIV)
David’s Plans for the Temple
28 David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the warriors and all the brave fighting men.
2 King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. 3 But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’
4 “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’
8 “So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.
9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. 13 He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service. 14 He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service: 15 the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; 17 the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; 18 and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
19 “All this,” David said, “I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.”
20 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. 21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”
Gifts for Building the Temple
29 Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. 2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities. 3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: 4 three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”
6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
David’s Prayer
10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
11
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
12
Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
13
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19 And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”
20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king.
Solomon Acknowledged as King
21 The next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and presented burnt offerings to him: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the Lord that day.
Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok to be priest. 23 So Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon.
25 The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before.
The Death of David
26 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. 27 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 28 He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.
29 As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer, 30 together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.
New International Version (NIV)
David’s Plans for the Temple
28 David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the warriors and all the brave fighting men.
2 King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. 3 But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’
4 “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’
8 “So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.
9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. 13 He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service. 14 He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service: 15 the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; 17 the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; 18 and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
19 “All this,” David said, “I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.”
20 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. 21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”
Gifts for Building the Temple
29 Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. 2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities. 3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: 4 three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”
6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
David’s Prayer
10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
11
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
12
Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
13
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19 And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”
20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king.
Solomon Acknowledged as King
21 The next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and presented burnt offerings to him: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the Lord that day.
Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok to be priest. 23 So Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon.
25 The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before.
The Death of David
26 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. 27 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 28 He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.
29 As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer, 30 together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.