Hello, you're listening to Let the Bible Speak. Let the Bible Speak is the radio ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church. Stephen Pollack is the pastor of Free Presbyterian Church of Malvern, Pennsylvania. The church is located at the junction of 401 and Mallon Road. Thank you for joining us today as Dr. Pollack opens the Word of God and lets the Bible speak. Please your Bibles tonight and turn to the Psalm 22, the chief position. Again, the opening verse is well known. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but they hear us not and in the night season, and I'm not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee, they trusted and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee and were delivered, they trusted in thee and were not confounded. But I am a worm and no man. I reproach of men and despise of the people. Oh, they have seen me, laughed me to scorn. They shut out the lip, they shaked the head, saying, he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou wert he that took me out of the womb, and hast made me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb, thou wert my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me, strong bulls of Bastion have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws, and that has brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me, they assembled the wicked and enclosed me, they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones, they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture. Be not thou far from me, O Lord, O my strength haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword, my darling, from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth, for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation while I praise thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him. All ye that see of Jacob, glorify him, and fear him all ye that see of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted. Neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cried unto him he heard, My praise shall be of thee in the great carnegation. I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the Lord that seek him. Your heart shall live forever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship. All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him, and none can keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him and shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he have done this. Now the ordering of the Psalms dates back to before the time of the Lord. Again, you'll know there were various writers, various psalmists over the decades before the Hebrew Psalter was finally compiled. Again, generally thought to be at least by the 4th century BC. Even the numbers were well established. If you think of Paul's sermon in Acts chapter 13, he refers to the second Sam. That word, my son, this day have I begotten thee. So obviously the second Sam was known as the second Sam in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. And it was for many, many years before that. There are some differences between the numbering of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, but the order is the same. Although some of the numbering, they combine some Psalms, separate some Psalms. There are some differences, but the order is the same. Now, why do I say that? Well, I say that because if you're reading or singing the Psalms, You've just read and sang of the confidence and the triumph of the King in Psalm 20 and Psalm 21. You look at Psalm 20, verse number 6. Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed. He will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. And you take the Psalm 21, the verse number four. He asked life of thee and thou gavest it him, even length of days, forever and ever. Verse number seven, for the king trusted in the Lord and through the mercy of the Most High, he shall not be moved. Now we looked at those portions and we saw the triumph and the confidence of God's care for his anointed king, ultimately pointing forward to the Saviour. Now the triumphant note of Psalm 20 and Psalm 21 changes suddenly to a minor key in Psalm 22. The verse 1, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? There's a sudden change in the tenor of the language. From the triumph we then are confronted with tremendous sorrow and suffering. Now, as we saw Psalm 20 and Psalm 21 as being messianic, so clearly Psalm 22 points forward to the King. But listen to the language here. Verse number two of the Psalm. Oh my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not. You contrast that with the Psalm 20 verse 1, the Lord hear thee, and the verse number 6, now know I that the Lord saith his anointed, he will hear him from his holy heaven. So you've triumphant, the king having the ear of God, and then you get to Psalm 22 and boom, everything changes. Sorrow and suffering, and the sense that God is not hearing his prayers. This is, again, a psalm that is messianic in the truest sense. We see Christ taking these words and applying them to himself and even others taking the words of the psalm and applying it to the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, verse one, he takes it upon his own lips, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The mockers, they take the verse number eight, they say, with spite and mockery, he trusts in the Lord, that he'll deliver him, let him deliver him, seeing he delighteth in him. That's in Matthew 27. You have that reference there to the particular son. Verse 16 through 18, again clearly have reference to the Gentiles and their actions on Golgotha. Dogs have compassed me. Again, a recognized term for the Gentiles. The assembly of the wicked enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones. They look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them. and cast lots upon my vesture." You know all the fulfillment of this section in the gospel narratives clearly. The Lord Jesus is in view in this psalm. So the question is then, how can Psalm 22 sit alongside Psalm 20 and Psalm 21? I'm not sure about you, but if I was asked without looking, somebody just comes to me and says, what's Psalm 22 all about? Well, I would say Psalm 22 presents to us a vivid description of the sufferings of the Messiah. It describes his sufferings, both in body and in soul. And when you go through the words that are used there, there are descriptions of physical suffering, but of course, verse one is the sufferings of the soul. And of course, often said, the soul of the Lord's sufferings were the sufferings of his soul. and the forsaking of the son by the father, suffering in body and soul, suffering at the hand of man. That's clearly here as well. Again, the dogs compassing, the wicked people enclosing him in his sorrows. You see the suffering at the hands of man, but of course also then the suffering at the hands of God. What a, what a, it's really a full orb picture of suffering, body, soul at the hands of men and the hands of God. All of that's in this opening section of the Psalm 22. It describes the suffering of the Messiah, but that doesn't do justice to the Psalm. And yet that's always in my mind. And probably until today, I'd say I still would have said something of that nature. Obviously suffering and sorrow are massive themes. But look at verse number 24. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cried unto him, he heard. Now here's a line of thought from Psalm 20. and the Lord hearing the king in his victory. And now that line, running forward to Psalm 22, remembering the order of these Psalms is not, it's not accidental, it's not random. They are very deliberately ordered in the way that they are. And we'll be encouraged to see a link between these various Psalms. Now, the Psalm 24 explains what happens in verse number 21, and that's the hinge of the Psalm. Again, we lose it a little bit in our English Bibles. Save me from the lion's mouth, and then literally, and from the horns of the unicorns, thou hast heard me. It ends with the thou hast heard me. And so that's acting as the hinge. Again, this idea of God hearing the suffering servant is key to understanding this psalm in the connection with those that precede it. The Lord was heard and in fact verse number 22 where it says I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation when I praise thee is quoted as being Christ's words in Hebrews chapter 2. The entire psalm is very clearly messianic. One writer, Godfrey, says this, this ardent praise is for the success of the cause of God. The failure that at the beginning of the psalm seemed certain is now swallowed up in victory. This success will not just be personal or individual, but will be worldwide. After suffering comes the glory of a worldwide kingdom. So the theme of the psalm ultimately is not suffering but success through suffering. It's the victory of the king and in many ways the end of the psalm is the main point Now, not to put these up in opposition, but the context here is about the victory of the King. And though the King engages in fierce conflict and suffering, that does not mean defeat. but rather victory through terrible suffering. And of course, we see that theme clearly enunciated in the New Testament Scriptures. Again, that key portion of Philippians chapter two, Christ obedient unto death, wherefore God also hath highly exalted him. Triumph and victory in the pathway of the cross and suffering. Or Hebrews chapter 12, Christ, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross. He despised the shame. And what happens next? He's set down at the right hand of the throne of God. There's triumph and victory, but it involves going through the pathway of the baptism of suffering and sorrow. Now, by the way, Christ's example seals that principle in God's order. What he shows here is this is the pathway, the ordinary pathway for the saints of God. We are to reckon that the sufferings of present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. We're encouraged that if we suffer, we shall also reign with him. Again, the pathway of suffering in this world is the pathway to victory and to glory. That's what it is to follow Christ Jesus. But that's not what I want to focus on tonight. I want to focus on the success of the suffering saviour in this psalm and the triumph that we see in the words of the psalm and then can expect to see in virtue of the cross. So again, there's this section 20, 21, and now 22, highlighting the success and the triumph of the King. Now we see that success comes by the way of suffering, but we do get some really wonderful insights into the triumph and the success of the suffering Savior. I want you to know, first of all, one of the features of the Savior's success is the providing of saving grace. What the Savior does, From his cross is spread a banquet. He spreads a banquet of gospel feasts. You see a reference here, verse 26 and verse 29, to eating. I don't have time in this series. I'm deliberately trying to keep one psalm per one study. And so all I'm doing, I'm trying to pull out for your attention. They're really the key dominant themes. And sometimes these themes are shown by way of repetition. Verse number 26, the meek shall eat and be satisfied. Verse 29, all they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship. One of the great promises of the new covenant is given for us in Isaiah 25. And in this mount shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines and the leaves, of fat things full of marrow, of wines and the leaves well refined. One of the pictures given to us of the gospel is a banquet that is spread. Every spiritual blessing comes to those who enter that banquet and of course that banquet is Christ. But the banquet is secured by the price of blood. The cost of the banquet was the cost of blood. The cost of the banquet with the Saviour being forsaken of the Father, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? That's the price paid to then spread the gospel feast before mankind. Christ in his sufferings opens the doors of the gospel banquet hall and invites sinners to come in. You think of the parable of Luke 14, They say, blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. That's what the Lord said. Then said he unto him, a certain man made a great supper and bade many and sent his servant at suppertime to say to them, they're bidden come, for all things are now ready. Have we forgotten the fact that we are living in the day when all things are now ready? There's a gospel banquet spread for those who would come. How must they come? They must come meekly, verse number 26. It is the meek that shall eat and be satisfied. They come in a sense of their humility, that they recognize their undeserving state. You see, it is man's poverty that's in view here. Verse 29, I had to turn that over a few times in mind and read some other people's thoughts on this. All they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship. All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him. And none can keep alive his own soul. That's a great gospel text. None can keep alive his own soul. In other words, you can't provide bread. You can't provide bread for your own soul. If you're seeking to sustain your own life, you'll die of starvation and you will not survive. You see, the fat in view here in verse number 29 are those who are fat upon earth, the prosperous on the earth. They will eat and be satisfied. They cannot keep alive their own souls, even though they're marked by prosperity, but also those who are going down to the dust, those who are in poverty and affliction. They also can share in this. They so obviously look to be needy, but they can find nourishment in Christ. And so whether they be affluent in this world or poverty stricken in this world, there is again supply found in Christ Jesus. Because those who are meek, they recognize their own sin, they recognize their own poverty, they recognize that the only hope they have is receiving the gift Christ, the bread of life, that sustains and satisfies the soul of mankind. As you turn across to the Psalm 37, again, you'll see descriptions here of the meekness in view here. Again, I want to show you that this idea of eating and being satisfied is synonymous with salvation. The meek in Psalm 37, referred to, of course, in the Beatitudes by Christ, the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. These are gospel promises, or perhaps even more clearly, the Psalm 149 and the verse number four. Psalm 149 and the verse number four, where it says there, for the Lord taketh pleasure in his people, he will beautify the meek with salvation. The Lord provides this for the meek, for those who come, and this word meek really could be synonymous with repentant faith, recognising their own sin and their own poverty, yet they come, they come and they sit at the banquet without excuses, but recognising their need. This gospel is available to all. Christ and his sufferings in Psalm 22 has secured a banquet that's open to all. All who come shall indeed find rest for their soul. All things are made ready. And they still are today. We're praying. We're praying for the advance of the gospel. But we're not making the banquet. It's already done. We're simply inviting people to that which is already done. And they say, well, what should I bring with me? Nothing. What should I pay? Nothing. Come. Without money, without price. Come! take of this great banquet offered to you by Christ Jesus. That's the first sign of his success, the providing of saving grace. The second sign is the progression of this saving grace. Again, we often do think of the certainty of the success of the gospel. Again, Christ will build his church and the gates of hell will not stand against it. You see that certainty in verse number 30. A seed shall serve him. A posterity's in view, that's the word seed there, as a reflection of a posterity that shall serve him. There's success again involved in the suffering of the Saviour. And you think of course the language of Isaiah 53, it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief, when he shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, the pledge of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. There's success here. Success is underscored, of course, by verse number 28. The kingdom is the Lord's and he is the governor among the nations. It is the reign of Christ that secures the successful progress of saving grace in gospel truths. We often turn to this because I think the Bible brings our attention to it so very, very often. It seems to me the Bible is given to God's people, a people who are often discouraged, who lack the courage to preach the gospel and wonder, is there really any point in coming to a prayer meeting on Wednesday nights? What's the point? Nothing ever happens. People are never saved. There's never any progress. We do the same thing, we say the same prayers, I may as well give up. That seems in my mind to be the state that many Christians fall into regularly in their Christian life. So God and His grace and His mercy continues to bring us back to the certainty of the gospel progress according to God's will and according to God's time. The earth is the Lord, the kingdoms is the Lord. Again, it reflects the Psalm 2 about God putting His Son, the King, upon His holy hill and Christ reigning and ruling over the nations. Again, it says there in verse number eight, ask of me, ask the King, ask of the Father. And I shall give thee the heathen for thy inheritance, the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession. Again, it's interesting that Psalm 22 is quoted, as I said, in Hebrews chapter two, verse 12, which follows the assurance of verse number 10. For it became him, if him are all things, and by him are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory. This is meant to encourage us, dear child of God. It's meant to fill our souls with zeal to preach and to pray in the certainty that gospel will indeed progress and go forward. It will do so in terms of location. in the nations. Oh yes, the Jew first there mentioned verse number 23, the seed of Jacob, the seed of Israel, but in the nations in verse number 27, all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the Lord. This progress in terms of the gospel going across the nations, the great commission arising out of these Old Testament passages. Regarding extension of the gospel, Christ tells the church to go, all power, all authority has been given unto him. As it says here, the kingdom is the Lord's. Therefore go into all the world. There's also progress in terms of duration. Again, generations, verse number 30, it shall be counted to the Lord for a generation. And that means a generation to come. Hence verse number 31, they shall come. This is, again, a kingdom that will not just extend widely, it will extend continually through generation after generation until Christ returns. We need to remember these encouragements. We see problems, we see unbelief. Listen, we're here to get the gospel out and to pray for that. We must do so with expectation. The kingdom of heaven, like that grain of mustard seed, so small, least of all the seeds, but when it's grown, it's the greatest among herbs, becomes a tree, the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. There's plenty of provision for sinners in the extension of gospel blessings. Well, the third sign of this success, again, you have the provision of saving grace, the progress of that grace, and thirdly, the product of saving grace. You see, the success of this severe suffering is seen in the impact of this grace. Sinners become worshippers. The chief end of man is to glorify and enjoy God. Verse number 26, the meek shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the Lord that seek him. Verse number 27, all the kindreds of the nation shall worship before thee. Verse number 29, all that be fat upon them shall eat and worship. Those that go down to dust shall bow before him. They shall serve him. Verse number 30, they shall declare his righteousness. Verse number 31, these are people and they're saved and they become worshipers of the most high God. To God be the glory. That's the Lord's commandment. The Lord our God is one Lord, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, all thy soul, and all thy might. Hence the Father is said to desire his creatures to worship him. Know what Christ says in John 4? The time of the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Psalm 22 shows us that Christ's death secures the Father's will. to make idolaters worshippers. The success of the seer's work is seen in accomplishing the will of the Father. And as what happened to the Thessalonians, they were turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Christ succeeds in doing what the Father wills, and sinners become worshippers. All this secured by the suffering of Christ. We've seen the language of this opening section of the psalm, we read it together. Of the agonies, the soul of Christ's suffering and the suffering of his soul, that he would bring many sons to glory. Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode of Let the Bible Speak from Malvern Free Presbyterian Church. If you'd like more information about the gospel or the church, please call 610-993-3170 or email malvernfpc at yahoo.com. We extend an invitation to all to join us as we worship the Lord each week. You will be made very welcome. The church is situated at 80 Mallon Road, Malvern, Pennsylvania, at the junction of 401 and Mallon Road. We meet for worship on the Lord's Day at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. A Bible study and prayer meeting is also held on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. We preach Christ Crucified.