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Psalm 22

As we embrace the psalm, we join a vast company of people who for

nearly thirty centuries have grounded their prayers and praise in theseancient words. Kings and peasants, prophets and priests, apostles andmartyrs, nuns and reformers, professors and folk singers - for all of themand a host of others the Psalm has been spiritual life and breadth.

The 22nd psalm can be divided into two divisions:

Verse 1- 21 A cry to God of AgonyVerse 22-31 Praise, Thanksgiving and deliverance.

within the first division we have mutiple sections, verse 1-5 which we willstart in today is an appeal to God the Father;

Theres is a two fold problem in the first few verses:

1. Why art thou so far from my groainings, I cryout in day and night, yetthere is no answer from God.

Thou sittest on the throne of Israels praise = meaning the Lord by Hisawesome deeds for His chosen people recieved constant praise. Again Iask why are thous so far away in my time of need.

2. Our fathers trusted and were saved, but where is God now?

Psalm 22:1

[To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.]] My God,

my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [why art thou so] far from helpingme, [and from] the words of my roaring?

I have a book that is titled The hard sayings of the Bible, I searched forthis verse and Mark 15:34 and the book states this is the hardest saying ofthem all.

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Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani. The fourth word form the cross.

This verse is the final word of despair, it is the utterance of a religousman who at the bottom depths of misery, when man has turned against

him and the world as we know it has come at him with the full force ofall of its imaginable evil and cruelty, these are the words that came tolight and were spoken by this a faithful man.

When we break down each individual word of this first verse we get abetter understading of the person who spoke them and what the versesays.

MyGod, My God

This phrase Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani is spoken by a man who:never lost his faith which is evidenced by the words MY GOD, MY GOD.This is a confirmation of faith, to cry out to God in such anguish is truly atestament to ones faith in God the deliverer.

1 Peter 4:19

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit thekeeping of their souls [to him] in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Deuteronomy 7:9

Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God,which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep hiscommandments to a thousand generations

This is an address to God and a cry for help. Physical sufferings are oftenmuch harder to bear by reason of distress of the soul. The stress is aresult of the mysterys of Gods ways in relation to ourselves. In this timeof great stress we may cry out and question God in our own ignorance orarrogance, but we are to remain failthfull as God is a faithful God of loveand mercy for those who love Him.

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Why

The psalmist is asking why because he has faith in God. He believes Godis listening to his cry. Therefore, he has hope.

Even if no cause can be found, even when we have no understanding asto why we are deserted and in our desperate situations, we can still havehope as did the psalmist who wrote these words.

We are saved by hope:

Romans 8:24

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what aman seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

The scriptures are the source of our hope:

Romans 15:4

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our

learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures mighthave hope.

Even when we do not understand our situation when we are lost orconfused and we cant make heads or tales of our circumstance. We canstill have hope.

Hast

It is done, feeling its dreadfull effect, it is the truth but we still do notunderstand it.

Jeremiah 12:1

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Righteous [art] thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talkwith thee of [thy] judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wickedprosper? [wherefore] are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

Thou- God

We can understand people abandon us, friends or family, or when peopleturn against us in our time of need, as we all are only human. We cantcomprehend how My God, my failthful friend, how can you leave me.Separation from God is hell. The fiercest flames that hell has to offer isseparation of the soul from God.

Isaiah 59:2

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and yoursins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.

Forsaken

In the Greek the word forsaken is made up of three words, to leavemeaning to abandon, down suggesting defeat and helplessness, and inreferring to place or circumstance. The total meaning of the wordforsaken is abandoning someone in a state of defeat or helplessness in themidst of hostile circumstances. This has to be the saddest word in anylanguage. Jesus on the cross knew what it was to be forsaken.

Proverb 1:28

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek meearly, but they shall not find me:

The mental torment of knowing that you are separated from God has tobe worse than any physical agony.

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Me

The innocent, obedient, suffering servant, why me to perish.When we seeourselves in light of pentinece and Jesus on the cross we can expound

upon this question.

This is an appearant injustice;

Romans 9:14 asks the question

What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

Ecclesiastes 7:15

All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just [man] thatperisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] thatprolongeth [his life] in his wickedness.

This is the question asked here by the psalmist. Why does the sinnerprosper and the righteous suffer.

Jesus was forsaken because our sins seperated us from God.

This phrase was uttered by our Lord and Saviour Jesus on the cross atCalvary, this was not by any means a description of His own needs. Hespoke these words as to voice the cry of the helpless sinners for whom Hewas dying. Jesus sounded not for Himself as He felt the increasingburden of human sin while His own physical light was fading, he soundedout for you and me these notes of sins despair. This is a cry ofLONLINESS, from Jesus on the cross. Loniliness because this is the firsttime Jesus felt the burden of sin, not His own sin but our sin.

Isaiah 53:12

Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall dividethe spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death:

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and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin ofmany, and made intercession for the transgressors.

I Peter 2:24

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, beingdead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye werehealed.

This lonliness is reflective of a distant God. Sin separates us from God,sin is a turning away from God, with the emphasis on the word away.When we do wrong God seems very far away. God becomes so distant itis as if God is out of focus in our lives. We dont see God when we shouldor could, because of the distance and because God is not our focus. Thisis where we are in relation to God when we sin. Sin is symbolized in thecross: where wrong like a cross beam cuts right through our upright andnoble purpose. Gods love cuts right across the upright of our evil and Hislove redeems us. Amen.

Life has a relative side in respect to distance. Happiness and sorrow arethe relative distance from the person or things that we love. When all iswell with our trust and devotion to our Father, He seems near. When wesin or turn our backs to God, He seems oh so far away. The grocery store,when we feel good and strong is just right down the road. It is not faraway. When we are ill or tired the distance to that same store seemsmuch greater. The distance is not so much in the mileage as it is inourselves. The distance between our Father and ourselves never changes(God is omnipresent). What changes is what happens inside of us, in ourhearts and in our minds. God never leaves us as He is a faithful God, webecause we are often weak or fickle stray away from God. This is one ofthe hardest truths to accept when studying the bible. It is in me to fail,but we have a God who forgives and accepts us back into the fold withopen arms and love when we turn back to Him. Amen

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Jesus on the cross used this verse as an expression of suffering and also toecho the lonliness of all who do wrong. God had not forsaken Him, Goddid not forsake the thief who was pentinent, God was not distant whenour Saviour prayed for His crucifiers, nor was He distant when He

commended, His tired, worn, exhausted spirit into the Fathers keeping.Dying for sin, Jesus personifies sins awefullness by the psalmist words oflonliness.

Psalm 34:19

Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth himout of them all.

Jesus prayer was answered by the one who could save Him from death,what is meant is that Jesus was delievered from dying; Brought back fromthe dead,

Hebrews 13:20

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting

covenant,

Jesus was brought again from the dead to live hereafter by the power ofan indestructible life

Hebrews 7:16

Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after thepower of an endless life.

Jesus was made to be sin for us

2 corinthians 5:21

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For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we mightbe made the righteousness of God in him.

Jesus learned obedience from what He suffered. By what He suffered Helearned the cost of His whole hearted obedience to the Father. Hisacceptance of the cross crowned His obedience, it was an act of totaldevotion. This however, absoluteley does not diminsh the reality of Himbeing God forsaken. Jesus felt the pain and agony of seperation from theFather because our sin pulled His soul away from the Father. This realitymade Him more effective as a deliverer and supporter of His people. Theone who knew no sin, and felt the sin of the whole world on that dark dayhanging on the cross. When we cry out God why hast thou forsakenme?, we can reflect that this was what Jesus cried. Theres is no depth

of dereliction known to human beings which He has not unraveled. Bythis it means that he has been made perfect, He is completely qualifiedto be His peoples sympathizing helper in their most extreme need; beingforsaken, seperation from God.

Hebrews 5:7-9

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers andsupplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save

him from death, and was heard in that he feared;Though he were a Son,yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;And beingmade perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all themthat obey him;

When we call out of the depths, He who called out of the depths on goodFriday knows what it feels like. The differecne is He is with us now tostrengthen us, no one was there to strengthen Him, true lonliness wasHis, so it will not be our lot in this life.

When we cry out to the Lord we do it out of commitment and the Lordresponds with strenght for us in our time of need, out of Love.

The opposite of lonely is loved, or befriended which is supported.

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This love that God has for us is what is there to remind us that we arenever alone. In our darkest days of our own sinful, evil ways when wehate the world, forgot about God, and when even we hate ourselvesbecuase we are so far from what is right with God, we still by grace

through faith have support. We are befriended, we are loved. Asconstant as time keeps ticking forward is as constant as the love of Christin heaven has for us. We can not be seperated from this love.

Romans 8:35

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, ordistress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

John 15:13

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for hisfriends.

We are His friends. We who believe in Christ, that he died on the crossfor our sins, we are those counted as His friends.

The words of Jesus

John 15:9-10

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I havekept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

But when we are alone it is because we did not keep His commandments.It is becuase we chose our ways. If it is us chosing our own ways that hascaused separation from God then we need to repent and turn back toGod.

The word repent comes from the Greek metanoeo, to perceiveafterwards, to change ones mind or purpose., always in the new

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testament involving a change for the better, amendment, always exceptonce, it is of repentance of sin.

Acts 3:19

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blottedout, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of theLord;

Repentence is the first step to ending lonliness.

There are promises to the pentinent,

Answer to prayers 2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, andpray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hearfrom heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Pardon for Sin Isaiah 55:7

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; andto our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

LIFE Ezekeil 18:21

But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, andkeep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surelylive, he shall not die.

Comforted Matthew5:4

Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit Acts 2:38

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Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you inthe name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receivethe gift of the Holy Ghost.

We have to come to our Lord with a contrite heart. We have toapologize, we have to show in our hearts Godly sorrow.

Joel 2:13

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD yourGod: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of greatkindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

rend = to tear, or divide...

2 Corinthians 7:10

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of:but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

This type of humbleness, this coming clean with God through confessionof our sins this is what brings us back to God. This how we are forgiven.When we sin we repent and come back to God, once we are reconciledwith God we then can become reconciled to each other.

Matthew 6:14 Jesus Taught us...

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will alsoforgive you:

Sin is what seprates, it is what causes loneliness. In society no one rellywants to hang out with the liar, the cheat, the thief, the murderer, thejunkie, the criminal. We are socially ostracized from family, friends,loved ones, from those who chose not to live a life of sin. The sinner whois so distant from God that sin controls their life is so distant from thelove of the community they live in. We still all have the same right forforgiveness.

Ephesians 1:7

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In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,according to the riches of his grace;

Jesus while on the cross forgave the person next to Him on a cross, heprayed for those who nailed Him to that tree. We, by the grace of God,do not have to be on a cross. We are forgiven because of faith and thisforgiveness is eternal, our repentance may be an ongoing process, butforgiveness is eternal no matter what our circumstance or situation maybe.

We are never alone as long as we turn to God, God will deliver us fromany dire circumstance form any depth of despair.

[To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.]] My God,my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [why art thou so] far from helpingme, [and from] the words of my roaring?

God is always there and is never far away from our roarings, never farfrom helping us. God has provided eternal life, salvation by gracethrough faith, which is eternal help. God has never abandoned us in a

defeated state while in hostile circumstance. We through our sin forsakeor abandon God, we through sin do not help edify the Church, through sinwe neglect the words of scripture.

Thank you God for your endless love and forgiveness of our endlessfailures in righteousness, this love that allows us to come back to you,your love that has provided us an eternity with you.

The psalmist words are a reflection of his decisions which brought him toa state of despair.

Jesus words on the cross is reflective our sin that brought him to aphysical death so that we may have eternal life.

Once again thank you God for your forgiveness, love and slavation.

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In Jesuss name I pray!

Amen

Far from helping me and from the words of my roaring

Habakkuk 1:2O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! [even] cry out untothee [of] violence, and thou wilt not save!

Pslam 55:2Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make anoise;

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Psalm 22:2

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the nightseason, and am not silent.

Psalm 142:2

I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.