Jesus was the example of holy praise

JESUS WAS THE EXAMPLE OF HOLY PRAISE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Psalm22:22 22I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praiseyou.
Jesus, The Example Of Holy Praise
BY SPURGEON
“I will declare Your name unto My brethren: in the midst of the
congregationwill I praise You. You that fear the Lord, praise Him; all
you the seedof Jacob, glorify Him; and fear Him, all you the seedof
Israel.”
Psalm22:22, 23
WE greatlyesteemthe dying words of goodmen, but what must be the value
of their departing thoughts! If we could pass beyond the gate of speechand
see the secretthings which are transactedin the silent chambers of their souls
at the moment of departure, we might greatly value the revelation, for there
are thoughts which the tongue could not and must not utter, and there are
deep searchings ofheart which are not to be expressedby syllables and
sentences.If, by some means we could read the inmost death-thoughts of holy
men, we might be privileged, indeed.
Now, in the Psalm before us, and in the words of our text, we have the last
thoughts of our Lord and Master, and they beautifully illustrate the factthat
He was governed by one ruling passion–thatruling passionmost strong in
death was the glory of God. When but a Child, He said, “Know you not that I
must be about My Father’s business?” ThroughoutHis work-life He could
say, “The zeal of Your house has eatenMe up.” “It is My meat and My drink
to do the will of Him that sent Me.” And now, at last, as He expires with His

hands and His feet nailed, and His body and soul in extreme anguish, the one
thought is that God may be glorified!
In that last happy interval, before He actually gave up His soul into His
Father’s hands, His thoughts rushed forward and found a blessedplace of rest
in the prospectthat, as the result of His death, all the kindreds of the nations
would worship before the Lord, and that by a chosenSeedthe MostHigh
should be honored. O for the same concentrationof all our powers upon one
thing, and that one thing–the glory of God! Would God that we could say with
one of old, “This one thing I do,” and that this one thing might be the chief
end of our being–the glorifying of our Creator, our Redeemer, the liege Lord
of our hearts!
My object, this morning, is to excite in you the spirit of adoring gratitude. I
thought that as last Sabbath we spoke of Christ as the example of protracted
prayer, it might seemseasonable atthe end of a week of so much mercy to
exhibit Him to you as the example of grateful praise and to ask you as a great
congregationto follow Him as your Leader in the delightful exercise of
magnifying the name of Jehovah–
“Farawayare gloomand sadness;
Spirits with seraphic fire,
Tongues with hymns, and hearts with gladness,
Higher sound the chords and higher.”
I shall ask your attention, in considering these verses, first, to our Lord’s
example: “I will declare Your name unto My brethren: in the midst of the
congregationwill I praise You.” And, secondly, I shall invite you to observe
our Lord’s exhortation: “You that fearthe Lord, praise Him; all you the seed
of Jacob, glorify Him; and fear Him, all you the seedof Israel.”
1. We begin with OUR LORD’S EXAMPLE. The praise which our Jesus
as our Exemplar renders unto the Eternal Fatheris twofold. First, the
praise of declaration, “I will declare Your name unto My brethren.”
Secondly, the more direct and immediate thanksgiving, “In the midst of
the congregationwill I praise You.”
The first form of the praise which our blessedMediatorrenders unto the
eternal Fatheris that of declaring God’s name. This, my dear Friends, you
know He did in His teaching. Something of God had been revealedto men
before. God had spokento Noahand Abraham, and Isaac and Jacoband
especiallyto His servant Moses–He had been pleasedto revealHimself in
different types and ceremonies and ordinances. He was knownas Elohim,
Shaddai and Jehovah, but never until Christ came did men begin to say, “Our

Father which are in Heaven.” This was the loving word by which the Well-
BeloveddeclaredHis Father’s name unto His brethren.
The sterner attributes of God had been revealedamidst the thunders of Sinai,
the waves ofthe Red Sea, the smoke of Sodom and the fury of the deluge. The
sublimities of the MostHigh had been seen, and wonderedat by the Prophets
who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. But the full radiance of a
Father’s love was never seenuntil it was beheld beaming through the Savior’s
face. “He that has seenMe,” saidChrist, “has seenthe Father.” But until they
had seenHim they had not seenGod as the Father. “No man cancome unto
the Father,” says Jesus,“Exceptby Me.” And as no man can come
affectionatelyin the outgoings of his heart or fiducially in the motions of his
faith, so neither canany man come to God in the enlightenment of
understanding exceptby Christ, the Son.
He who understands Christianity has a far better idea of God than he who
only comprehends Judaism. Readthe Old Testamentthrough and you shall
value every sentence, and prize it above fine gold–but still you shall feel unrest
and dissatisfaction–forthe vision is veiled and the light is dim. Turn, then, to
the New Testamentand you discernthat in Jesus ofNazarethdwells all the
fullness of the Godheadbodily! Then the noontide of knowledge is around
you. Then the vision is open and distinct. Jesus is the express image of His
Father, and seeing Him you have seenGod manifest in the flesh! This sight of
God you will assuredly obtain if you are one of the Brethren to whom,
through the Spirit, Jesus Christin His teaching declares the name of the
Father.
Our Lord, however, declaredthe Father more, perhaps, by His acts than by
His words, for the life of Christ is a discovery of all the attributes of Godin
action. If you want to know the gentleness ofGod, you perceive Jesus
receiving sinners and eating with them. If you would know His condescension,
behold the loving Redeemertaking little children into His arms and blessing
them. If you would know whether God is just, hear the words of a Savior as
He denounces sin–and observe His own life–forHe is holy, harmless,
undefiled, and separate from sinners. Would you know the mercy of God as
well as His justice? Then see it manifested in the ten thousand miracles of the
Savior’s hands, and in the constantsympathy of the Redeemer’s heart.
I cannot stayto bring out all the incidents in the Redeemer’s life, nor even to
give you a brief sketchofit, but suffice it to saythat the life of Christ is a
perpetual unrolling of the greatmystery of the Divine attributes, and you may
rest assuredthat what Jesus is, that the Father is. You need not start back
from the Father, as though He were something strange and unrevealed, for

you have seenthe Father if you have seenChrist. And if you have studied well
and drunk deep into the spirit of the history of the Man of Sorrows, you
understand, as well as you need to, the Characterof God over all, blessed
forever.
Our Lord made the grandestdeclarationof the Godheadin His death–
“Here His whole name appears complete,
Nor wit can guess, nor reasontrace,
Which of the letters best is writ–
The power, the wisdom, or the Grace.”
There at Calvary, where He suffered, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to
God, we see the Godheadresplendent in noonday majesty, albeit that to the
natural eye it seems to be eclipsedin midnight gloom. Would you see stern
justice such as the Judge of all the earth perpetually exhibits (for shall not He
do right)? Would you see the justice that will not spare the guilty, which
smites at sin with determined enmity and will not endure it? Then behold the
hands and feet, and side of the Redeemerwelling up with crimson blood!
Behold His heart brokenas with an iron rod, dashed to shivers as though it
were a potter’s vessel!Hearken to His cries. Mark the lines of grief that mar
His face. Beholdthe turmoil, the confusion, the whirlwinds of anguish which
seethe like a boiling caldron within the soul of the Redeemer!Here is the
vengeance ofGod revealedto men so that they may see it and not die–may
behold it and weep–butnot with the tears of despair!
At the same time, if you would see the Grace of God, where shall you discover
it as you will in the death of Jesus? God’s bounty gleams in the light, flashes in
the rain and sparkles in the dew. It blossoms in the flowers that paint the
meadows, and it ripens in the golden sheaves ofautumn. All God’s works are
full of goodnessand truth! Even on the sea itself are the steps of the beneficent
Creator–butall this does not meet the case ofguilty, condemned man.
Therefore, to the eye of him who has learned to weepfor sin, Nature does not
revealthe goodness ofGodin any such a light as that which gleams from the
Cross. Bestofall is God seenas He that spared not His own Son, but freely
delivered Him up for us all.
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us.” “ForGod
commends His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.” Your thoughtful minds will readily discoverevery one of the great
qualities of Deity in our dying Lord. You have only to linger long enough
amidst the wondrous scenes ofGethsemane, andGabbatha, and Golgotha to
observe how powerand wisdom, Grace and vengeance,strangelyjoin–

“Piercing His Son with sharpestsmart,
To make the purchased blessing mine.”
Beloved, in the midst of the Brethren a dying Savior declares the name of the
Lord and thus magnifies the Lord as no other can. None of the harps of
angels, nor the fiery, flaming sonnets of cherubs can glorify God as did the
wounds and pangs of the greatSubstitute when He died to make His Father’s
Grace and justice known.
Our Lord continued to declare God’s name among His Brethren when He
rose from the dead. He did so literally. Among the very first words He said
were, “Go to My Brethren,” and His messagewas, “Iascendunto My Father,
and your Father, and to My God, and your God.” His life on earth after His
resurrectionwas brief, but it was very rich and instructive, and in itself a
showing forth of Divine faithfulness. He further revealedthe faithfulness and
glory of God when He ascendedon high, leading captivity captive. It must
have been an august day when the Sonof Godactually passedthe pearly gates
to remain within the walls of Heaven enthroned until His secondadvent! How
must the spirits of just men made perfect have risen from their seats ofbliss to
gaze on Him!
They had not seena risen one before. Two had passedinto Heaven without
death, but none had entered into Glory as risen from the dead. He was the
first instance of immortal resurrection, “the First Fruits of them that slept.”
How angels adoredHim! How holy beings wonderedat Him while–
“The God shone gracious through the Man,
And shed sweetglories onthem all!”
Celestialspirits saw the Lord that day as they had never seenbefore!They
had worshipped God, but the excessive splendorof absolute Deity had
forbidden the sacredfamiliarity with which they hailed the Lord in flesh
arrayed. They were never so near Jehovahbefore, for in Christ the Godhead
veiled its thrilling splendors, and wore the aspectof a fatherhood and
brotherhood most near and dear. Enough was seenof Glory, as much as finite
beings could bear, but still the whole was so sweetlyshrouded in humanity
that God was declaredin a new and more delightful manner–such as made
Heaven ring with newborn joy!
What if I say that I think a part of the occupationof Christ in Heaven is to
declare to perfect spirits what He suffered, how God sustained Him? To
revealto them the Covenant and all its solemn bonds–how the Lord ordained
it, how He made it firm by Suretyship, and basedit upon eternalsettlements–
so that everlasting mercy might flow from it? What if it is not true that there

is no preaching in Heaven? What if Christ is the Preacherthere, speaking as
never man spoke and forever instructing His saints that they may make
known unto principalities and powers yet more fully the manifold wisdom of
God as revealedboth in Him and in them–in them the members, and in Him
the Head? I think, if it is so, it is a sweetfulfillment of this dying vow of our
blessedMaster, “Iwill declare Your name unto My brethren.”
But, Brothers and Sisters, it is certain that at this hour our Lord Jesus Christ
continues to fulfill the vow by the spreading of His Gospelon earth. Do not tell
me that the Gospeldeclares God, but that Jesus does not! I would remind you
that the Gospeldoes not declare Godapart from the Presence ofJesus Christ
with the Gospel. “Lo, I am with you always, evento the end of the world,” is
the Gospel’s true life and power. Take Christ’s Presence awayandall the
doctrines, and the precepts, and the invitations of the Gospelwould not
declare God to this blind-eyed generation–this hard-hearted multitude! But
where Jesus is by His Spirit, there is the Word the Fatherdeclares.
And, my Brethren, this greatprocess willgo on. All through the present
dispensationChrist will declare Godto the sons of men–especiallyto the elect
sons of men, to His ownBrothers and Sisters. Then shall come the latter days
of which we know so little, but of which we hope so much. Then, in that august
period there will be a declaration, no doubt, of God in noonday light, for it
shall be said, “The tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell among
them.” Of that age of light Jesus shallbe the sun! The greatRevealerof Deity
shall still be the Sonof Mary, the Man of Nazareth, the Wonderful, the
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace!
We shall, eachone of us, tell abroad the savorof His name till He shall come.
And then we shall have no need to say one to another, “Know the Lord,” for
all shall know Him, from the leastto the greatest–andknow the Lord for this
reason, becausethey know Christ, and have seenJehovahin the Personof
Jesus Christ His Son. I cannotleave this passagewithout bidding you treasure
up that precious word of our Master, “I will declare Your name unto My
brethren”–
“Our next of kin, our Brother now,
Is He to whom the angels bow.
They join with us to praise His name,
But we the nearestinterestclaim.”
“Forasmuchthen as the children are partakers offlesh and blood, He also
Himself likewise took part of the same.” “Forboth He that sanctifies and they

who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call
them brethren.”
The Savior’s Brethren are to know God in Christ. You who are one with
Jesus–youwho have been adopted into the same family–have been
regeneratedand quickened with His life. You who are joined togetherby an
indissoluble union, you are to see the Lord. I saidan indissoluble union, for a
wife may be divorced, but there is no divorce of Brethren. I never heard of
any law, human or Divine, that could ever “unbrother” a man! That cannot
be done–if a man is my brother, he is and shall be my brother when Heaven
and earth shall pass away. Am I Jesus'brother? Then I am joint heir with
Him. I share in all He has and all that Godbestows upon Him. His Fatheris
My Father. His Godis My God. Feast, my Brethren, on this dainty meat, and
go your way in the strength of it to bear the trials of earth with more than
patience!
The example of our Lord, under this first head, I must hint at and leave. It is
this–if the Lord Jesus Christ declares God, especiallyto His own Brethren, be
it your business and mine, in order to praise Jehovah, to tell what we know of
the excellenceand surpassing glories ofour God! And especiallylet us do it to
our kinsfolk, our household, our neighbors, and, since all men are in a sense
our brethren, let us speak of Jesus whereverour lot is cast. My Brothers and
Sisters, I wish we talkedmore of our God–
“But ah! how faint our praises rise!
Sure ‘tis the wonder of the skies,
That we, who share His richest love,
So cold and unconcernedshould prove.”
How many times this week have you praised the dear Redeemerto your
friends? Have you done it once? I do it often officially–but I wish I did it more
often spontaneouslyand personally–to those with whom I may commune by
the way.
You have doubtless murmured this week, orspokenagainstyour neighbors,
or spread abroad some small amount of scandal, or, it may be, you have
talkedfrothily and with levity. It is even possible that impurity has been in
your speech–evena Christian’s language is not always so pure as it should be.
Oh, if we savedour breath to praise God with, how much wiser!If our mouths
were filled with the Lord’s praise and with His honor all the day, how much
holier! If we would but speak of what Jesus has done for us, what goodwe
might accomplish!Why, every man speaks ofwhat he loves!Men can hardly
hold their tongues about their inventions and their delights. Speak well, O you

faithful, of the Lord’s name! I pray you, be not dumb concerning One who
deserves so wellof you! Make this the resolve of this Sabbath morning, “I will
declare Your name unto my Brethren.”
Our Master’s secondform of praise in the text is of a more direct kind–“In
the midst of the congregationwill I praise You.” Is it a piece of imagination,
or does the text really mean this, that the Lord Jesus Christ, as Man, adores
and worships the eternalGod in Heaven, and is, in fact, the greatLeader of
the devotions of the skies? ShallI err if I saythat they all bow when He as
Priestadores the Lord, and all lift up the voice at the lifting up of His sacred
psalmody? Is He the chief Musicianof the sky, the Masterof the sacred choir?
Does He beattime for all the hallelujahs of the universe? I think so. I think He
means just that in these words: “In the midst of the congregationwill I praise
You.”
As God, He is praisedforever–farabove all worshipping–He is Himself
forever worshipped! But as Man, the Head of redeemedhumanity, the ever-
living Priest of the Most High God, I believe that He praises Jehovahin
Heaven. Surely it is the office of the Head to speak and to representthe holy
joys and devout aspirations of the whole body which He represents. In the
midst of the congregations ofearth, too, is not Jesus Christ the sweetestofall
singers? I like to think that when we pray on earth our prayers are not alone,
but our greatHigh Priestis there to offer our petitions with His own.
When we sing on earth it is the same. Is not Jesus Christin the midst of the
congregation–gathering up all the notes which come from sincere lips–to put
them into the golden censer, and to make them rise as precious incense before
the Throne of the infinite majesty? So then, He is the greatsinger rather than
we! He is the chief player on our stringed instruments, the greatmaster of
true music! The worship of earth comes up to God through Him, and He, He
is the acceptedchannelof all the praise of all the redeemeduniverse! I am
anticipating the day–I hope we are all longing for it–when the dead shall rise
and the sea and land shall give up the treasuredbodies of the saints. Then
glorified spirits shall descendto enliven their renovatedframes, and we who
are alive and remain shall be changed and made immortal, and the King
Himself shall be revealed!
Then shall be trod under our feetall the ashes of our enemies!Satan, bound,
shall be held beneath the foot of Michael, the greatarchangel, and victory
shall be on the side of truth and righteousness. Whata “Hallelujah” that will
be which shall peal from land and sea and from islands of the far-off main–
“Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” Who
will lead that song? Who shall be the first to praise God in that day of

triumph? Who first shall wave the palm of victory? Who but He who was first
in the fight and first in the victory? Who but He who trod the winepress alone
and stained His garments with the blood of His enemies? Who but He that
comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?
Surely He it is who in the midst of the exulting host, once militant and then
triumphant, shall magnify and adore Jehovah’s name foreverand forever!
Has He not Himself said it, “My praise shall be of You in the great
congregation”?Whatdoes that expressionmean which is so hard to be
understood, “Thencomes the end, when He shall have delivered up the
kingdom to God, even the Father”? Whatdoes that dark saying mean, “And
when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son of God also
Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be
All in All”?
Whateverthey may mean, they seemto teach us the mediatorial crown and
government are temporary and intended only to lastuntil all rule, authority
and powerare put down by Jesus–andthe rule of God shall be universally
acknowledged. Jesus cannotrenounce His Godhead. But His mediatorial
sovereigntywill be yielded up to Him from whom it came–andthat last
solemn actin which He shall hand back to His Fatherthe all-subduing scepter
will be a praising of God to a most wonderful extent beyond human
conception!We wait and watch for it, and we shall behold it in the time
appointed.
BelovedFriends, we also have in this secondpart an example–letus endeavor
to praise our God in a direct manner. We ought to spend at leasta little time
every day in adoring contemplation. Our private devotions are scarcely
complete if they consistaltogetherof prayer. Should there not be praise? If
possible, during eachday, sing a hymn. Perhaps you are not in a position to
sing it aloud–orvery loud, at any rate–but I would hum it if I were you. Many
of you working men find time enough to sing a silly song–whycannot you find
space for the praise of God? Every day let us praise Him when the eyelids of
the morning first are opened, and when the curtains of the night are drawn.
Yes, and at midnight–if we wake atthat solemn hour–let the heart put fire to
the sacredincense and presentit unto the Lord that lives forever and ever.
In the midst of the congregation, also, wheneverwe come up to God’s House,
let us take care that our praise is not merely lip language, but that of the
heart! Let us all sing, and so sing that God Himself shall hear. We want more
than the sweetsounds which die upon mortal ears–wewantthe deep melodies
which spring from the heart–andwhich enter into the ears of the immortal

God. Imitate Jesus, then, in this twofold praise, the declaring of God, and the
giving of direct praise to Him.
II. My time almost fails me, and I have need of much of it, for now I come to
the secondhead, OUR LORD’S EXHORTATION. Follow me earnestly, my
dear Brothers and Sisters, and then follow me practically, also. The
exhortations of the secondverse are given to those who fear God, who have
respectto Him, who tremble to offend Him, who carry with them the
consciousnessofHis Presenceinto their daily lives and who act towards Him
as obedient children towards a father. The exhortation is further addressedto
the seedof Jacob, to those in covenant with God, to those who have despised
the pottage and chosenthe birthright, to those who, if they have had to sleep
with a stone for their pillow, have, nevertheless, seenHeavenopened and
enjoyed a revelationof God. It is addressedto those who know what
prevalence in prayer means, to those who, in all their trouble, have yet found
that all these things are not againstthem, but work their everlasting good, for
Jesus is yet alive and they shall see Him before they die.
It is, moreover, directed to the seedof Israel–to those who once were in Egypt
in spiritual bondage, who have been brought out of slavery, who are being
guided through the wilderness, fed with Heaven’s manna and made to drink
of the living Rock. It is directed to those who worship the one God and Him
only, and put awaytheir idols and desire to be found always obedient to the
Master’s will. Now, to them it is said, first, “Praise Him.” Praise Him vocally.
I wish that in every congregationeverychild of God would take pains to
praise God with his mouth as wellas with his heart. Do you know, I have
noticed one thing–I have jotted this down in the diary of my recollection–that
you always sing best when you are most spiritual!
Last Monday night the singing was very much better than it was on Sabbath
evening. You kept better time and better tune, not because the tune was any
easier, but because youhad come up to worship God with more solemnity
than usual–and therefore there was no slovenly singing such as pains my ear
and heart sometimes. Why, some of you care so little to give the Lord your
best music, that you fall half a note behind the rest! Others of you are singing
quite a false note, and a few make no sound of any kind! I hate to enter a place
of worship where half-a-dozen sing to the praise and glory of themselves, and
the reststand and listen. I like that goodold plan of everybody singing–
singing their best–singing carefullyand heartily.
If you cannot sing artistically, never mind, you will be right enough if you sing
from the heart and pay attention to it–and do not drawl out like a musical
machine that has been setand runs on mechanically. With a little care the

heart brings the art, and the heart desiring to praise will, by-and-by, train the
voice to time and tune. I would have our service of song to be of the best. I
care not for the fineries of music and the prettiness of chants and anthems. As
for instrumental music, I fear that it often destroys the singing of the
congregationand detracts from the spirituality and simplicity of worship.
If I could crowd a house 20 times as big as this by the fine music which some
Churches delight in, God forbid I should touch it! Let us have the best and
most orderly harmony we canmake–letBelievers come with their hearts in
the besthumor and their voices in the best tune–and let them take care that
there be no slovenliness and discord in the public worship of the MostHigh.
Take care to praise God also mentally. The grandestpraise that floats up to
the Throne of God is that which rises from silent contemplation and reverent
thought. Sit down and think of the greatness ofGod–His love, His power, His
faithfulness, His sovereignty–andas your mind bows prostrate before His
majesty you will have praised Him, though not a sound shall have come from
you!
Praise God, also, by your actions. Your sacrifice to Him of your property–
your offering to Him, week by week, ofyour substance. This is true praise and
far less likelyto be hypocritical than the mere thanksgiving of words. “You
that fear the Lord, praise Him.” The text adds, “Glorify Him, you seedof
Jacob”–anotherform of the same thing. Glorify God–thatis, let others know
of His glory. Let them know of it from what you say, but speciallylet them
know of it from what you are. Glorify God in your business, in your
recreations, in your shops and in your households. In whateveryou eat and
drink, glorify the Lord!
In the most common actions of life wearthe vestments of your sacredcalling
and actas a royal priesthoodserving the MostHigh. Glorify your Creatorand
Redeemer!Glorify Him by endeavoring to spread abroad the Gospelwhich
glorifies Him. Magnify Christ by explaining to men how by believing they
shall find peace in Him. Glorify God by yourself–boldly relying on His Word
in the teeth of afflicting Providence and over the head of all suspicions and
mistrust. Nothing canglorify God more than an Abrahamic faith which
staggersnot at the promise through unbelief. O you wrestling seedof Jacob,
see to it that you fall not off in the matter of glorifying your God!
Lastly, the text says, “FearHim,” as if this were one of the highest methods of
praise. Walk in His sight. Constantly keepthe Lord before you. Let Him be at
your right hand. Sin not, for in so doing you dishonor Him. Suffer rather than
sin. Choose the burning fiery furnace rather than bow down before the golden
image. Be willing to be despisedsoonerthan God should be despised. Be

content to bear the cross, ratherthan Jesus should be crucified afresh. Be
soonerput to shame, than Jesus shouldbe put to shame. Thus you will truly
praise and magnify the name of the MostHigh.
I must close by a few remarks which are meant to assistyou to carry out the
spirit and teaching of this sermon. BelovedBrothers and Sisters, this morning
I felt, before I came to this place, very much in the spirit of adoring gratitude.
I cannot communicate that to you, but the Spirit of God can. And the thoughts
that helped me to praise God were something like these–letme give them to
you as applied to yourselves–glorifyand praise God for He has savedyou–has
savedyou from Hell–savedyou for Heaven. Oh, how much is comprehended
in the fact that you are saved!Think of the electionwhich ordained you to
salvation!Think of the Covenantwhich securedsalvationto you! Think of the
Incarnation by which God came to you, and the precious blood by which you
now have been made near to God!
Hurry not over those thoughts though I must shorten my words. Linger at
eachone of these sacredfountains and drink–and when you have seenwhat
salvationinvolves in the past–think of what it means in the future. You shall
be preserved to the end! You shall be educatedin the schoolof Divine Grace!
You shall be admitted into the home of the blessedin the land of the hereafter.
You shall have a resurrectionmost glorious, and an immortality most
illustrious! When days and years are passed, a crown shall adorn your brow, a
harp of joy shall fill your hand. All this is yours, Believer–andwill you not
praise Him?
Make any one of them stand right out, as real to you personally, and I think
you will say, “Should I refuse to sing, surely the very stones would speak.”
Your God has done more than this for you. You are not barely saved, like a
drowning man just draggedto the bank–you have had more given you than
you ever lost! You have been a gainer by Adam’s fall! You might almost say,
as one of the fathers did, O beata culpa, “O happy fault,” which put me into
the position to be so richly endowedas now I am! Had you stood in Adam, you
had never been able to call Jesus, “Brother,”for there had been no need for
Him to become Incarnate! You had never been washedin the precious blood,
for then it had no need to be shed!
Jesus has restoredthat to you which He took not away. He has not merely
lifted you from the dunghill to setyou among men, but to set you among
princes, even the princes of His people. Think of the bright roll of promises, of
the rich treasure of Covenantprovision, of all that you have already had and
all that Christ has guaranteedto you of honor, and glory, and immortality–
and will you not in the midst of the congregationpraise the Lord? Brothers

and Sisters, some ofus have had specialcause for praising God in the factthat
we have seenmany savedduring the last three weeks,and among them those
dear to us. Mothers, can you hear the fact without joy? Your children saved!
Brothers, your sisters saved!Fathers, your sons and daughters saved!How
many has God brought in during the last few weeks?
And you Sunday schoolteacherswho have been the instruments of this–you
conductors of our classes who have been honored of Godto be spiritual
parents! You elders and deacons who have helped us so nobly, and who have
now to share the joy of the pastor’s heart in these conversions–willyou not
bless God? “Notunto us, not unto us, but unto Your name be praise.” But oh,
we cannot be silent! Not one tongue shall be silent! We will all magnify and
bless the MostHigh! Brothers and Sisters, if these do not suffice to make us
praise Him, I would say think of God’s own glorious Self! Think of Father,
Son, and Spirit–and what the triune Jehovahis in His own Personand
attributes–and if you do not praise Him, oh, how far must you have
backslidden!
Remember the host who now adore Him! When we bless Him, we stand not
alone–angels andarchangels are at our right hand–cherubim and seraphim
are in the same choir! The notes of redeemed men go not up alone–theyare
united to, and swollenby the unceasing flood of praise which flows from the
hierarchy of angels!Think, Beloved, ofhow you will soonpraise Him! How,
before many days and weeksare passed, many of us will be with the glorious
throng! This lastweek three of our number have been translatedto the skies–
more links to Heaven–fewerbonds to earth. They have gone before us. We
had almostsaid, “Would God it were our lot instead of theirs!” They have
seen, now, what eye has not seen, and heard what earhas never heard–and
their spirits have drunk in what they could not otherwise have conceived!
We shall soonbe there! Meanwhile, let eachone of us sing–
“I would begin the music here,
And so my soul should rise:
Oh, for some heavenly notes to bear
My passions to the skies!
There you that love my Savior sit,
There I would gladly have a place
Among your thrones, or at your feet,
So I might see His face.”

BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
ConsequencesOfDeliverance
Psalm22:22-31
C. Short
In this last part the sufferer depicts the happy consequences ofhis
deliverance, which he anticipates in faith, and, lifted up in spirit above
the present, beholds, as if it were already present.
I. THE PSALMIST'S DELIVERANCE SHALL BE A CAUSE OF
REJOICING TO ALL ISRAEL. (Vers. 22-26.)
1. He will inspire the whole congregationwith the tidings. We cannot
and ought not to keepto ourselves the greatfact of our salvation. "Go
home to thy friends, and tell them how greatthings the Lord hath done
for thee," etc.
2. The good tidings were that God had answeredthe cry of one who was
in the very jaws of death. (Ver. 24.)And if he had heard one, the
unavoidable conclusionwas that he would hear all who cried to him.
The psalmist's experience showedthat God's mercy was universal; that
was the suppressedpremiss of this argument.
II. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S REDEEMING GRACE SHALL
EXTEND TO HEATHEN NATIONS. (Vers. 27, 28.)This is to be
rejoicedin.
1. Becausethe he then have greaterneedof it than the Church. The
Church (Israel) have alreadysome knowledge ofit; but the heathen are
sunk in deeper sins and sorrows, and have no knowledge ofGod's
redeeming grace.
2. It is God's will that the heathen should know and receive his grace.
He saves one man or one nation, in order that they should make his
work known to other men and other nations. He is to be made known as
"the Governoramong the nations."
III. ALL CLASSES, WHETHER HAPPY OR MISERABLE, SHALL
WELCOME THIS KNOWLEDGE. (Ver. 29.)
1. The great spiritual feastwill be enjoyed by those who live in outward
abundance. Becausehere is food for which even the satisfiedare still

hungry, which their plenty cannot supply. All guests are poor here, and
God is rich for all.
2. It is a fountain of life to those ready to sink in death. They shall bow
before and worship him.
IV. THE PRESENTAGE SENDS FORWARD THE GLAD TIDINGS
TO POSTERITY. (Vers. 30, 31.)See how God's work, beginning with a
single individual, propagates itselfby its effects upon the mind,
spreading, first among those nearestto him; then, through them, to
those remote, among the rich and poor, the living and the dying; and on
through the ages withever-increasing powerand influence. - S.
Biblical Illustrator
In the midst of the congregationwill I praise Thee.
Psalm22:22, 23
Jesus the example of holy praise
I. OUR LORD'S EXAMPLE. He renders two-fold praise unto the
eternal Father.
1. That of declaration. He did this in His teaching, by His acts, but most
of all in His death. And He continued to declare God's name when He
rose from the dead. Probably He does this still in heavento the saints
there. And certainly, by the spreading of His Gospelon earth. "In the
midst of the congregation," etc. WhenHis people here on earth offer
praise and prayer He is united with, them. In our praise He is the great

singer, rather than we. And in the great day of redemption, when all
shall be gathered in, it will be the same. Here also let us follow His
example.
II. THE LORD'S EXHORTATION (ver. 23). Praise Him, glorify, fear
Him.
( C. H. Spurgeon.)
Public worship
W. Barrow.
To assemble at statedseasonsfor the public worship of their gods
appears to have been the custom in all ages and nations of the world,
and most especiallyofthose who bestunderstood the nature of such
worship and the perfections of that Almighty Being to whom all worship
ought to be addressed. But this duty is sadly neglected, so we consider
its obligations —
I. THE EXPLICIT COMMAND OF GOD HIMSELF. The institution of
the Sabbath shows His will.
II. THE ADVANTAGE WHICH WE EXPECT TO DERIVE FROM
THE PERFORMANCEOF THIS DUTY. We do not come to church to
hear what we did not know before. Few need to come for such reason.
But discourses fromthe pulpit form no essentialpart of Divine worship.
A sermon is not a prayer. It is an address of instruction to men, not an
act of adorationto our God. It is when we enter the temple of the Most
High, not so much to be delighted or instructed by the eloquence ofthe
preacher, as to humble ourselves before our God in penitence or prayer.
It is then that we shall experience the first advantage of public worship,
and lay the foundation of all the rest. We shall gain help to make us a
cleanheart and to renew a right spirit within us.
III. OUR LOVE OF GOD IS CONFIRMEDAND INCREASED AND
OUR ZEAL FOR HIS HONOUR AND SERVICE. How sacredand
helpful are the feelings which reverent worship of God in His temple
produces. If such devotion be regularly continued till it become the
settled temper of the mind it will not fail at length to produce a settled
habit of pious and virtuous conduct; and pious and virtuous conduct is
the greatestblessing whichin his presentstate man can attain.
IV. TO THIS LOVE OF GOD PUBLIC WORSHIP TENDS
DIRECTLYTO ADD THE NEXT REST VIRTUE OF THE HEART,

THE LOVE OF MAN. In public worship we are surrounded by a
number of our fellow creatures, oppressedby the same wants,
petitioning for the same favours, or giving thanks for the same
blessings, labouring under the same infirmities, confessing the same
offences, anddepending upon the same Saviour for pardon. But all this
not only exalts and animates our devotion to God, but excites and
extends our humanity to our fellow men.
V. EVERY PORTION OF OUR WORSHIP SUGGESTS AND
ENFORCES APPROPRIATEEXCELLENCE IN THE CONDUCT OF
THOSE WHO ATTEND IT IN A RIGHT SPIRIT.
VI. FOR THE SAKE OF EXAMPLE. The young, the ignorant, and the
thoughtless are the most effectually instructed by the conduct of the
devout, the aged, and the wise. The corrupt and depraved are the most
effectually shamed by the piety and virtue of the just and good. If, on
the contrary, you frequently absentyourself from public worship, if you
spend the Sabbath in idleness at home, your friends will be encouraged
in the same criminal neglect.
VII. THE INJURY TO OUR OWN PRINCIPLES AND MORALS
WHICH FOLLOWS FROM THE NEGLECT OF IT. You will come in
no long time to do without God in the world, without the hope of better
things to come.
VIII. PRAYER IS THE INDISPENSABLE CONDITION OF
OBTAINING MANY OF THE BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN. But as in
public worship we are greatlyaided in prayer, here is another reason
wherefore we should join public to private devotion.
IX. THE REDEEMERHIMSELF WENT INTO THE SYNAGOGUE
ON THE SABBATH DAY; AND SHALL WE VENTURE TO BE
ABSENT? Shallwe presume to expectthe favour of Providence if we
think it not worth while to come to His temple and pray for it?
X. THE DAY WILL COME WHEN, IF WE NEGLECT THIS DUTY
NOW, WE SHALL REGRET IT MUCH. Youth and health and
strength cannot always continue. Evil days must come. Age and sickness
and sorrow must overtake us. And where, then, shall we seek the
consolationwhichwe shall certainly want? Happy will it be for us if we
are enabled to seek it where only it can be found, — in the
remembrance of a well-spentlife, in that purity of heart which public
and private devotion have produced.
(W. Barrow.)

COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(22) I will declare.—Forthe application of this verse in Hebrews 2:12,
see New TestamentCommentary.
BensonCommentary
Psalm22:22. I will declare thy name — “Nothing is more common in
the Psalms than these sudden transitions, and nothing more beautiful.
Our Saviour here passes fromthe mournful view of death to the
comfortable prospectof his resurrection. He intimates that, after God
shall have delivered him from the powerof death, by a glorious
resurrection, he would more fully publish his gospel, by which the
adorable perfections of God, and especiallyhis wisdomand mercy,
would be more eminently displayed among his apostles, andamong the
rest of his disciples and followers, whom he is not ashamedto call his
brethren, Hebrews 2:11. The following verses cancertainly be applied
to David only in a very restrainedsense, but are literally true of Christ
and his triumphant reign; when in the latter days, all the people upon
earth, even in the most remote corners of the world, shall worship and
adore him.” — Dodd.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
22:22-31 The Saviour now speaks as risenfrom the dead. The first
words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross;the
first words of the triumph are expresslyapplied to him, Heb 2:12. All
our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the
Redeemerwas graciouslyacceptedas a full satisfactionforsin. Though
it was offered for sinful men, the Father did not despise or abhor it for
our sakes. This ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving. All humble,
gracious souls should have a full satisfactionand happiness in him.
Those that hunger and thirst after righteousness in Christ, shall not
labour for that which satisfies not. Those that are much in praying, will
be much in thanksgiving. Those that turn to God, will make conscience
of worshipping before him. Let every tongue confess that he is Lord.
High and low, rich and poor, bond and free, meet in Christ. Seeing we
cannot keepalive our own souls, it is our wisdom, by obedient faith, to

commit our souls to Christ, who is able to save and keepthem alive for
ever. A seedshall serve him. God will have a church in the world to the
end of time. They shall be accountedto him for a generation;he will be
the same to them that he was to those who went before them. His
righteousness, andnot any of their own, they shall declare to be the
foundation of all their hopes, and the fountain of all their joys.
Redemption by Christ is the Lord's own doing. Here we see the free love
and compassionofGod the Father, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, for us
wretchedsinners, as the source ofall grace and consolation;the
example we are to follow, the treatment as Christians we are to expect,
and the conduct under it we are to adopt. Every lessonmay here be
learned that canprofit the humbled soul. Let those who go about to
establishtheir own righteousness inquire, why the belovedSon of God
should thus suffer, if their own doings could atone for sin? Let the
ungodly professorconsiderwhether the Saviour thus honoured the
Divine law, to purchase him the privilege of despising it. Let the careless
take warning to flee from the wrath to come, and the trembling rest
their hopes upon this merciful Redeemer. Let the tempted and
distressedbelievercheerfully expecta happy end of every trial.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
I will declare thy name - I will make thee known; that is, thine
existence;thy perfections;thy law; thy method of salvation. As the
result or effectof the interposition which he desired, and for which he
prayed, he says that he would diffuse a knowledge ofGod. This is an
expressionof true piety, and is a statement of what in a pure mind will
always be consequenton a gracious divine interposition - a purpose to
make the characterofthe benefactorknown. Compare Psalm 51:12-13;
Psalm18:48-49. As applicable to the Redeemer, it means that he would
make the name of God known to people, or that "through him" that
name would be made known.
Unto my brethren - Compare John 20:17; Romans 8:29. The word
"brethren" would embrace literally brothers; kinsfolk;countrymen;
then, those of the same opinion, profession, or religion; then, in a still
largersense, the human race as descendedfrom a common parent. As
having reference to the Redeemer, it would embrace here not only those
who were his immediate followers and whom he calledbrethren - not
only those of his own nation, - but the human family in general, toward
whom he consentedto sustainthis relation. Compare the notes at

Hebrews 2:10-12, where this passageis quoted and expressly applied to
our Saviour.
In the midst of the congregation - Among the people assembledto
worship there. See the notes at Hebrews 2:12. This is the place where
praise is commonly celebrated, and he says that there he would make
known the goodness ofGod. Compare Isaiah38:19-20. It is not
necessaryto show that this was literally done by the Redeemer. It is
enough to observe that this is the usual language of piety, and that the
effectof his work has been to cause the praises of God to be celebrated
in tens of thousands of the congregations ofhis saints.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
22-24. He declares his purpose to celebrate God's gracious dealings and
publish His manifestedperfections ("name," Ps 5:11), &c., and
forthwith he invites the pious (those who have a reverential fear of God)
to unite in specialpraise for a deliverance, illustrating God's kind
regard for the lowly, whom men neglect[Ps 22:24]. To hide the face (or
eyes)expresses a studied neglectof one's cause, and refusal of aid or
sympathy (compare Ps 30:7; Isa 1:15).
The Treasuryof David
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the
congregationwill I praise thee.
23 Ye that fearthe Lord, praise him; all ye the seedof Jacob, glorify
him; and fear him, all ye the seedof Israel.
24 For he hath not despisednor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he
heard.
25 My praise shall be of thee in the greatcongregation:I will pay my
vows before them that fearhim.
26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied:they shall praise the Lord that
seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord:
and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governoramong the
nations.

29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eatand worship: all they that go
down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keepalive his own
soul
30 A seedshallserve him; it shall be accountedto the Lord for a
generation.
31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people
that shall be born, that he hath done this.
The transition is very marked; from a horrible tempestall is changed
into calm. The darkness of Calvary at length passedawayfrom the face
of nature, and from the soul of the Redeemer, and beholding the light of
his triumph and its future results the Saviour smiled. We have followed
him through the gloom, let us attend him in the returning light. It will
be well still to regard the words as a part of our Lord's soliloquy upon
the cross, utteredin his mind during the last few moments before his
death.
Psalm22:22
"I will declare thy name unto my brethren." The delights of Jesus are
always with his church, and hence his thoughts, after much distraction,
return at the first moment of relief to their usual channel; he forms
fresh designs for the benefit of his beloved ones. He is not ashamedto
call them brethren, "Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren,
in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee." Among his first
resurrectionwords were these, "Go to my brethren." In the verse
before us, Jesus anticipates happiness in having communication with his
people; he purposes to be their teacherand minister, and fixes his mind
upon the subjectof his discourse. The name, i.e., the characterand
conduct of God are by Jesus Christ's gospelproclaimed to all the holy
brotherhood; they behold the fulness of the Godheaddwelling bodily in
him, and rejoice greatlyto see all the infinite perfections manifested in
one who is bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh. What a precious
subject is the name of our God! It is the only one worthy of the only
Begotten, whose meatand drink it was to do the Father's will. We may
learn from this resolution of our Lord, that one of the most excellent
methods of showing our thankfulness for deliverances is to tell to our
brethren what the Lord has done for us. We mention our sorrows
readily enough; why are we so slow in declaring our deliverances? "In
the midst of the congregation will I praise thee." Not in a little
household gathering merely does our Lord resolve to proclaim his

Father's love, but in the greatassemblies ofhis saints, and in the general
assemblyand church of the first-born. This the Lord Jesus is always
doing by his representatives, who are the heralds of salvation, and
labour to praise God. In the greatuniversal church Jesus is the One
authorative teacher, and all others, so far as they are worthy to be called
teachers, are nothing but echoes ofhis voice. Jesus, in this second
sentence, reveals his objectin declaring the divine name, it is that God
may be praised; the church continually magnifies Jehovahfor
manifesting himself in the personof Jesus, and Jesus himself leads the
song, and is both precentorand preacherin his church. Delightful are
the seasons whenJesus communes with our hearts concerning divine
truth; joyful praise is the sure result.
Psalm22:23
continued...
Matthew Poole's Commentary
I will declare, i.e. publish or celebrate it; when thou hast delivered me,
thou shalt have the glory of it, as now thy honouris eclipsedby my
calamities.
Thy name, i.e. that power, and faithfulness, and goodness, andthose
perfections which thou hast manifested on my behalf.
My brethren; the same whom he calls the congregationin the next
clause, and the seedof Jacoband Israelin the next verse;which also
doth not so fitly agree to David, who never to my remembrance gives
this title to any but such as were near akin to him, as it doth to Christ,
who extendeth this name to all his disciples and believers, Matthew
12:48,49 25:40 28:10, and to whom this very text is applied, Hebrews
2:11,12. Notonly privately, but even in the public congregation.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
I will declare thy name unto my brethren,.... Not those who were more
nearly related to him according to the flesh; for though there were some
who believed in him, and to whom he declared the name of God, as
James and Joses,and Judas and Simon, Matthew 13:55; yet there were
others that did not believe on him, John 7:3; nor those more remotely
related to him, as all the Jews, who were his brethren and kinsmen also
according to the flesh; to these indeed he came and preached, but they

receivedhim not; but rather his apostles, whomhe calledhis brethren,
even after his resurrection, and to whom he appeared and declaredthe
name of God, Matthew 28:10; and the five hundred brethren by whom
he was seenat once may be also included; and even all true believers in
him, who through his incarnation, being their "goel" andnear kinsman,
stands in such a relation to them, and through their adoption into his
Father's family, his Fatherbeing their Father, and his God their God;
which is manifestedin regeneration, andevidenced by their doing the
will of God, which is believing in Christ, Matthew 12:49. By the "name"
of God is meant, not anyone of the names by which he is known, as God
Almighty, Jehovah, &c. if any of these could be thought to be designed,
the New Testamentname and title of God as the Father of Christ would
bid fair for it; but rather the perfections of God, which appear in
Christ, and were glorified in the work of redemption; or God himself;
or else his Gospel, Acts 9:15; and which Christ declaredand manifested
to his disciples, both before and after his resurrection, John 17:6; which
latter seems here to be referred unto;
in the midst of the congregationwill I praise thee; meaning not the
congregationof the Jews, their synagogue, ortemple, where he often
attended on public worship, and preachedand praisedthe Lord; but
rather the company of his disciples, among whom he sung an hymn the
night he was betrayed, and with whom he conversedby times for forty
days after his resurrection:unless the generalassemblyand church of
the firstborn in heaven is intended, in the midst of which he praised the
Lord, when he ascendedon high, led captivity captive, and receivedgifts
for men; though it seems best to understand this of the church of God,
particularly among the Gentiles, under the Gospeldispensation, where
Christ in his members sings the praise of electing, redeeming, and
calling grace;see Psalm18:49;compared with Romans 15:9. This is a
proof of singing of psalms and hymns in Gospelchurches, and of its
being a duty to be publicly performed by the members of them, who
may expectthe presence ofChrist in the midst of his church, seeing he
here promises to be there: these words are applied to Christ in Hebrews
2:12.
Geneva Study Bible
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the
congregationwill I praise thee.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
22. thy name] All that Thou hast proved thyself to be. See note on Psalm
5:11.
my brethren] By the ties of national and religious sympathy. The author
of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Psalm 2:12) puts these words directly into
the mouth of Christ, “He is not ashamedto callthem brethren.”
in the midst of the congregation]Gratitude demands the most public
proclamation of Jehovah’s lovingkindness. It concerns all the faithful to
know what He has wrought, and all the faithful must join in
thanksgiving for the deliverance vouchsafedto their fellow and
representative. Cp. Psalm40:9-10;Psalm 35:18.
will I praise thee] Now he can contribute his share to the praises which
form Jehovah’s throne (Psalm 22:3). Praise is four times repeatedin
Psalm22:22-26.
22–31.Convincedthat his prayer is heard, the Psalmist breaks forth
with resolutions of public thanksgiving (22–26);and the glorious
prospectof Jehovah’s universal kingdom opens up before him (27–31).
“Thou answerestnot” (Psalm 22:2) is the key-note of Psalm22:1-21;
“Thou hastansweredme of Psalm22:22-31”.(Cheyne).
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 22. - I will declare thy Name unto my brethren. The thought of
the brethren is uppermost. As, when the body was removed, loving
messages were atonce sentto the disciples (Matthew 28:10;John 20:17),
so, with the soul of the Redeemerin the intermediate state, the
"brethren" are the first care. God's Name, and all that he has done - the
acceptanceofthe sacrifice, the effectuationof man's salvation - shall be
made known to them (see Hebrews 2:9-12). In the midst of the
congregationwill I praise thee. He will join with them in praising and
adoring his Father, so soonas circumstances allow (compare the
Eucharistat Emmaus, Luke 24:30).
Keil and DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament

(Heb.: 22:17-19)Acontinuation, referring back to Psalm 22:12, of the
complaint of him who is dying and is already as it were dead. In the
animal name ‫,םיבלּכ‬ figuratively descriptive of character, beside
shamelessnessand meanness, specialprominence is given to the
propensity for biting and worrying, i.e., for persecuting;hence
Symmachus and Theodotionrender it θηράται κυνηγέται. In Psalm
22:17 ‫תלּכ‬ ‫מ‬ ‫תיע‬ takes the place of ‫;םיבלּכ‬ and this againis followedby
‫ףילה‬ in the plur. (to do anything in a circle, to surround by forming a
circle round, a climactic synonym, like ‫םּת‬ to ‫)בבס‬ either per
attractionem(cf. Psalm 140:10;1 Samuel2:4), or on accountof the
collective ‫.ףית‬ Tertullian renders it synagoga maleficorum, Jerome
concilium pessimorum. But a faction gatheredtogetherfor some evil
purpose is also called ‫,תיף‬ e.g., ‫ע‬ ‫ת‬‫.תיע‬ In Psalm22:17 the meaning of
‫ל‬ ‫,םר‬ instar leonis, is either that, selecting a point of attack, they make
the rounds of his hands and feet, just as a lion does its prey upon which
it springs as soonas its prey stirs; or, that, standing round about him
like lions, they make all defence impossible to his hands, and all escape
impossible to his feet. But whether we take this ‫ליל‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ליג‬ as accusative of
the members beside the accusative ofthe person (vid., Psalm 17:11), or
as the objectof the ‫ףילּקה‬ to be supplied from Psalm22:17, it still
remains harsh and drawling so far as the language is concerned.
Perceiving this, the Masora onIsaiah 38:13 observes, that ‫ל‬ ‫,םר‬ in the
two passagesin which it occurs (Psalm22:17;Isaiah 38:13), occurs in
two different meanings (‫ל‬ ‫בע‬ ‫;)ילתבל‬just as the Midrash then also
understands ‫רם‬ ‫ל‬ in the Psalm as a verb used of marking with
conjuring, magic characters.
(Note:Hupfeld suspects this Masoretic remark (‫ילת‬‫ל‬ ‫בע‬ ‫בתמללי‬ ‫ל‬ ‫םר‬ ‫)בל‬
as a Christian interpolation, but it occurs in the alphabeticalMasoreth
register‫ב‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ילתבל‬‫ל‬ ‫בע‬ ‫ולףוי‬ ‫.וע‬ Even Elias Levita speaks ofit with
astonishment (in his ‫סמ‬ ‫ע‬ ‫סמף‬ ‫ע‬ [ed. Ginsburg, p. 253])without
doubting its genuineness, whichmust therefore have been confirmed, to
his mind, by MS authority. Heidenheim also cites it in his edition of the
Pentateuch, `ynym m'wr, on Numbers 24:9; and down to the present
time no suspicion has been expressedon the part of Jewishcritics,
although all kinds of unsatisfactoryattempts have been made to explain
this Masoretic remark (e.g., in the periodical Biccure ha-'Ittim).)
Is the meaning of the Masora that ‫ל‬ ‫,םר‬ in the passagebefore us, is
equivalent to ‫לּכ‬ ‫?םר‬ If so the form would be doubly Aramaic: both the
participial form ‫םר‬ (which only occurs in Hebrew in verbs med. E) and

the apocopatedplural, the occurrence ofwhich in Hebrew is certainly,
with Gesenius and Ewald, to be acknowledgedin rare instances (vid.,
Psalm45:9, and compare on the other hand 2 Samuel 22:44), but which
would here be a capricious form of expressionmostliable to be
misapprehended. If ‫ל‬ ‫םר‬ is to be understood as a verb, then it ought to
be read ‫ל‬ ‫.םר‬ Tradition is here manifestly unreliable. Even in MSS the
readings ‫ה‬ ‫םר‬ and ‫ל‬ ‫םר‬ are found. The former is attestedboth by the
Masora onNumbers 24:9 and by Jacobben Chajim in the Masora
finalis as the MS Chethb.
(Note:The authenticity of this statement of the Masora ‫רם‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ליל‬ ‫ו‬ ‫יג‬‫ל‬
a emaceb mijahC nebbocaJ ecnis yllaicepse ,detupsid eb yam ‫םעלב‬ ‫ו‬ ‫םר‬
convert to Christianity, and other Masoretic testimonies do not mention
a ‫ת‬ ‫ל‬ ‫בלעםו‬ to ‫רם‬ ‫;ל‬ nevertheless, in this instance, it would be premature
to say that this statement is interpolated. Ant. Hulsius in his edition of
the Psalter(1650)has written ‫רם‬ ‫ו‬ in the margin according to the text of
the Complutensis.)
Even the Targum, which renders mordent sicut leo manus et pedes
meos, bears witness to the ancienthesitancy betweenthe substantival
and verbal rendering of the ‫ל‬ ‫.םר‬ The other ancientversions have,
without any doubt, read ‫ו‬ ‫.םר‬ Aquila in the 1stedition of his translation
rendered it ᾔσχυαν (from the Aramaic and Talmudic ‫םר‬ equals ‫םת‬ to
soil, part. ‫,םרה‬ dirty, nasty); but this is not applicable to hands and feet,
and therefore has nothing to stand upon. In the 2nd edition of his
translation the same Aquila had instead of this, like Symmachus, "they
have bound,"
(Note:Also in Jerome's independent translation the reading vinxerunt
is found by the side of fixerunt, just as Abraham of Zante paraphrases it
in his paraphrase of the Psalterin rhyme ‫ה‬ ‫רס‬ ‫גיל‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ליל‬ ‫ל‬ ‫םר‬ ‫.ּוּכ‬ The want
of a verb is too perceptible. Saadia supplies it in a different way"they
compass me as a lion, to crush my hands and feet.")
after ‫ם‬ , Arab. krr, to twist, lace;but this rendering is improbable since
the Hebrew has other words for "to bind," constringere. Onthe other
hand nothing of any weight canbe urged againstthe rendering of the
lxx ὤρυξαν (Peshto ‫,בעתו‬ Vulg. foderunt, Jer. fixerunt); for (1) even if we
do not suppose any specialverb ‫,םר‬ ‫ה‬ ‫םר‬ canbe expanded from ( ‫)םה‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ם‬
equals (‫ף‬ ‫)ם‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ם‬ just in the same manner as ‫רמף‬ , Zechariah14:10 from
‫מף‬ , cf. ‫תרמאר‬ Daniel 7:16. And (2) that ‫םה‬ and ‫ף‬ ‫ם‬ can signify not
merely to dig out and dig into, engrave, but also to dig through, pierce,
is shown, - apart from the derivative ‫ף‬ ‫מם‬ (the similarity of the sound of

which to μάχαιρα from the root μαχ, maksh, mraksh, is only accidental),
- by the double meaning of the verbs ‫,בת‬ ὀρύσσειν (e.g., ὀρύσσειντὸν
ἰσθμόν Herod. i. 174), fodere (hast); the lxx version of Psalm40:7 would
also support this meaning, if κατετρήσω (from κατατιτρᾶν) in that
passagehad been the original reading instead of κατηρτίσω. If ‫ה‬ ‫םר‬ be
read, then Psalm22:17, applied to David, perhaps under the influence
of the figure of the attacking dogs (Bhl), says that the wickedbored into
his hands and feet, and thus have made him fast, so that he is inevitably
abandoned to their inhuman desires. The fulfilment in the nailing of the
hands and (at least, the binding fast) of the feetof the Crucified One to
the cross is clear. This is not the only passagein which it is predicated
that the future Christ shall be murderously pierced; but it is the same in
Isaiah53:5 where He is said to be pierced (‫)מעיי‬ on accountof our sins,
and in Zechariah 12:10, where Jahve describes Himself as ἐκκεντηθείς
in Him.
Thus, therefore, the reading ‫ה‬ ‫םר‬ might at least have an equal right to be
recognisedwith the present recepta, for which Hupfeld and Hitzig
demand exclusive recognition;while Bttcher, - who reads ‫ל‬ ‫,םר‬ and gives
this the meaning"springing round about (after the manner of dogs), -
regards the sicut leo as "a production of meagre Jewishwit;" and also
Thenius after taking all possible pains to clearit up gives it up as
hopeless, and with Meier, adopting a different division of the verse,
renders it: "a mob of the wickedhas encompassedme like lions. On my
hands and feet I can count all my bones." But then, how ‫ל‬ ‫םר‬ comes
limping on after the rest! And how lamely does ‫ליל‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ליג‬ precede Psalm
22:18!How unnaturally does it limit ‫,לעומלת‬ with which one chiefly
associatesthe thought of the breastand ribs, to the hands and feet! ‫רסס‬
is potientialis. Above in Psalm 22:15 he has said that his bones are out of
joint. There is no more reasonfor regarding this "I can count etc." as
referring to emaciationfrom grief, than there is for regarding the
former as referring to writing with agony. He cancount them because
he is forcibly stretched out, and thereby all his bones stand out. In this
condition he is a mockeryto his foes. ‫ףילה‬ signifies the turning of one's
gaze to anything, ‫י‬ ‫רף‬ the fixing of one's sight upon it with pleasure. In
Psalm22:19 a new feature is added to those that extend far beyond
David himself: they part my garments among them.... It does not say
they purpose doing it, they do it merely in their mind, but they do it in
reality. This never happened to David, or at leastnot in the literal sense
of his words, in which it has happened to Christ. In Him Psalm 22:19

and Psalm22:19 are literally fulfilled. The parting of the ‫יגילּכ‬ by the
soldiers dividing his ἰμάτια among them into four parts; the casting lots
upon the ‫יבהת‬ by their not dividing the χιτὼν ἄῤῥαφος, but casting lots
for it, John 19:23. ‫יבהת‬ is the garment which is put on the body that it
may not be bare; ‫יגילּכ‬ the clothes, whichone wraps around one's self
for a covering;hence ‫יבות‬ is punningly explained in B. Sabbath 77b by
‫בותף‬ ‫יר‬ (with which one has no need to be ashamedof being naked) in
distinction from ‫,רמליג‬ a mantle (that through which one appears ‫,ּכיוגם‬
because it concealsthe outline of the body). In Job 24:7, and frequently,
‫יבות‬ is an undergarment, or shirt, what in Arabic is calledabsolutely
Arab. ṯwb, thôb "the garment," or expressedaccording to the Roman
distinction: the tunica in distinction from the toga, whose exact
designationis ‫.ילתמ‬ With Psalm22:19 of this Psalmit is exactly as with
Zechariah 9:9, cf. Matthew 21:5; in this instance also, the fulfilment has
realisedthat which, in both phases of the synonymous expression, is
seemingly identical.
(Note:On such fulfilments of prophecy, literal beyond all expectation,
vid., Saatauf Hoffnung iii., 3, 47-51.)
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BARNES
Verse 22
I will declare thy name - I will make thee known; that is, thine
existence;thy perfections;thy law; thy method of salvation. As the
result or effectof the interposition which he desired, and for which he
prayed, he says that he would diffuse a knowledge ofGod. This is an
expressionof true piety, and is a statement of what in a pure mind will
always be consequenton a gracious divine interposition - a purpose to
make the characterofthe benefactorknown. Compare Psalm 51:12-13;
Psalm18:48-49. As applicable to the Redeemer, it means that he would
make the name of God known to people, or that “through him” that
name would be made known.

Unto my brethren - Compare John 20:17; Romans 8:29. The word
“brethren” would embrace literally brothers; kinsfolk;countrymen;
then, those of the same opinion, profession, or religion; then, in a still
largersense, the human race as descendedfrom a common parent. As
having reference to the Redeemer, it would embrace here not only those
who were his immediate followers and whom he calledbrethren - not
only those of his own nation, - but the human family in general, toward
whom he consentedto sustainthis relation. Compare the notes at
Hebrews 2:10-12, where this passageis quoted and expressly applied to
our Saviour.
In the midst of the congregation - Among the people assembledto
worship there. See the notes at Hebrews 2:12. This is the place where
praise is commonly celebrated, and he says that there he would make
known the goodness ofGod. Compare Isaiah38:19-20. It is not
necessaryto show that this was literally done by the Redeemer. It is
enough to observe that this is the usual language of piety, and that the
effectof his work has been to cause the praises of God to be celebrated
in tens of thousands of the congregations ofhis saints.
STEVEN COLE
The glories of Christ’s resurrectionrequire proclaiming God’s great
salvationto all peoples (22:22‑ 31).
The psalm doesn’t say in black and white that Christ arose, but several
things indicate that the resurrection took place betweenverses 21 and
22. First, at the end of verse 21 most scholars translate, “Youhave
heard” or “You have answered” (NASB, NIV margin, New KJV). There
is a sudden note of confidence.
Second, in verse 22, Messiahsays, “Iwill declare Your name to my
brothers.” Jesus never calledthe disciples His brothers before the
resurrection. But immediately after the resurrection, He told Mary
Magdalene, “Go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I ascendto My Father
and your Father, and My God and your God” (John 20:17;see also
Heb. 2:11‑ 12).

Third, the results described in these verses are things that resulted from
Christ’s resurrection. They obviously go far beyond David’s personal
experience. They are:
(1) Fellowship(22:22)‑ ‑ We’re His brothers. He declares God’s name
(= His characterand attributes) to us.
(2) Praise (22:22‑ 23)‑ ‑ IfChrist only suffered and died, there is no
room for praise. We would still be in our sins (1 Cor. 15:17). But
Hallelujah! He is risen! We can praise Him!
(3) Testimony (22:24)‑ ‑ Goddid not abandon His holy one to the grave
(Psalm 16:10). He listened to His cry and raised Him from the dead.
Now we can testify to God’s deliverance in raising Christ from the dead.
(4) Thank‑ offering (22:25‑ 26)‑ ‑ Theseversespicture a Hebrew
thank‑ offering. When God answeredhis prayers, a worshiperwould
offer a thank‑ offering at the temple. The poor would be invited and
there would be a feastgiving thanks to God. The worshipers would
greetone another with, “Let your heart live forever!” (22:26). In the
same way we have a feastof thanksgiving, the Lord’s Supper
(eucharist), where we gather to offer thanks and praise for God’s gift to
us in Christ and the deliverance we have from our sins through His
death and resurrection.
(5) World‑ wide evangelism(22:27, 30‑ 31)‑ ‑ The goodnews ofthe
risen Savior will be proclaimed beyond the Jews to all peoples, and to
succeeding generations. There is no goodnews if the Savior is dead, but
there is salvation if He is risen. The messageapplies to the poor and rich
alike (22:26, 29), to all who acknowledge theirneed.
(6) Kingdom Rule (22:27‑ 28)‑ ‑ Thispart has not yet been fulfilled,
but it will be soon. He will return bodily to crush all oppositionand to
rule the nations with a rod of iron in His millennial Kingdom. Every
knee shall bow before Him. Just as the other prophecies have been
fulfilled, so this one will be. You can count on it!
DAVID GUZIK
The answerto the ForsakenOne.
1. (21b-23)The ForsakenOne praises Godamong His people.

You have answeredMe.
I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assemblyI will praise You.
You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorifyHim,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
a. You have answeredMe:After pouring out His soul in agony, now the
ForsakenOne has a glorious sense that God has answeredHim. The
crisis became bearable in the knowledge that Godis not removed from
His suffering nor silent in it.
i. The answerof God to the ForsakenOne instantly meant that He no
longerfelt forsaken. The deliverance from the crisis itself may be yet to
come, but the deliverance from the sense ofbeing forsakenby God in
the midst of the crisis was His. There is immense relief, joy, and peace in
the words, “You have answeredMe.”
ii. “As he thus cries, the conviction that he is heard floods his soul…. It
is like a parting burst of sunshine at the end of a day of tempest.”
(Maclaren)
iii. It is easyto see these words fulfilled in the experience of David; but
they were perfectly completed in Jesus. This was also the resolution that
another forsakenone – Job – fought so hard for. Even without an
immediate deliverance from difficulty, there is immense comfort in
knowing that God is there and that He is not silent in the midst of our
crises.
iv. Knowing that Jesus fulfilled this prophetic psalm, it is fair to wonder
just when He could speak orlive the fulfillment of these words, “You
have answeredMe.” Perhaps – though it is impossible to say with
certainty – it was while He still hung on the cross, yetafter the
mysterious, glorious transactionof bearing the sin of mankind. Perhaps
it was after the triumphant announcement, It is finished! (John 19:30),
yet before (or evenin) the warm words, Father, into Your hands I
commend My Spirit (Luke 23:46). Those words point to a re-established
sense offellowship replacing the prior sense offorsakenness.
b. I will declare Your name to My brethren: Having been delivered – if
not from the crisis itself, certainly from the sense ofbeing forsakenin
the crisis – now the promise is made to glorify and praise the God of

deliverance. Others needed to know of God’s greatness in such
extremity.
i. Hebrews 2:12 quotes the secondhalf of Psalm 22 (specifically, Psalm
22:22), proving clearly that the entire psalm points to Jesus, not just the
agonyof the first half.
ii. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed a glorious prayer,
and one line of that prayer reads:I have declaredto them Your name,
and will declare it (John 17:26). Those words, prayed in the shadow of
the cross, canbe understood as a deliberate desire to fulfill this word in
Psalm22, I will declare Your name to My brethren. Jesus understood
that His obedient work on the cross wouldbring greatglory to His God
and Father, declaring the greatness ofHis name.
iii. We may say that this sectionofPsalm 22 reflects the primary reason
Jesus wentto the cross:to glorify and obey His God and Father.
c. You who fear the LORD, praise Him: The command is given to
praise, to glorify, and to fearthe LORD. The God of such great
deliverance deserves allthree things from all humanity.
i. We prophetically see in this sectionJesus doing two greatthings in the
aftermath of His great work on the cross:
· Jesus declaresGod’s name (I will declare Your name to My brethren).
· Jesus leads the redeemedin praise (In the midst of the assemblyI will
praise You).
ii. Of this secondpoint, Spurgeon observed:“I like to think that when
we pray on earth our prayers are not alone, but our greatHigh Priest is
there to offer our petitions with his own. When we sing on earth it is the
same. Is not Jesus Christin the midst of the congregation, gathering up
all the notes which come from sincere lips, to put them into the golden
censer, and to make them rise as precious incense before the throne of
the infinite majesty?” (Spurgeon)
A. MACLAREN
In the first strophe (Psalms 22:22-26)the delivered singervows to make
God’s name knownto His brethren. The epistle to the Hebrews quotes
the vow as not only expressive of our Lord’s true manhood, but as

specifying its purpose. Jesus became man that men might learn to know
God; and the knowledge ofHis name streams most brightly from the
cross. The death and resurrection, the sufferings and glory of Christ
open deeper regions in the characterof God than even His gracious life
disclosed. Rising from the dead and exalted to the throne, He has "a
new song" in His immortal lips, and more to teachconcerning God than
He had before.
The psalm calls Israelto praise with the singer, and tells the ground of
their joyful songs (Psalms 22:23-24). Here the absence ofany reference
to the relation which the New Testamentreveals between these
sufferings and that praise is to be noted as an instance of the gradual
development of prophecy. "We are not yet on the level of Isaiah 53:1-
12." (Kirkpatrick, "Psalms," 152).The close ofthis part speaks ofa
sacrifice ofwhich "the humble shall eat and be satisfied"-"Iwill pay my
vows"-i.e. the thank offerings vowedwhen in trouble. The custom of
feasting on the "sacrificesforpeace offering for thanksgiving"
[Leviticus 7:15] is here referred to, but the ceremonialgarb covers
spiritual truth. The condition of partaking in this feastis humility, that
poverty of spirit which knows itselfto be hungry and unable to find
food for itself. The consequence ofpartaking is satisfaction-a deeptruth
reaching far beyond the ceremonialemblem. A further result is that
"your heart shall live forever"-anunmeaning hyperbole, but in one
application of the words. We penetrate to the core of the psalm in this
part, when we read it in the light of Christ’s words, "My flesh is meat
indeed, and my blood is drink indeed," and when we connectit with the
central actof Christian worship, the Lord’s Supper.
Songs of the Cruciﬁ ed One: The Psalms and the Cruciﬁ xion Derek
Tidball
Derek Tidball is Principal and Senior Lecturer in SociologyofReligion
at London School of Theology. He has served as the pastorof two
Baptist Churches and as Head of the MissionDepartment at the Baptist
Union of GreatBritain. He is a frequent Bible conference speakerand
the author of numerous books, especiallyon the Bible and in pastoral
theology, including The Messageofthe Cross:Wisdom Unsearchable,

Love Indestructable (InterVarsity, 2001)and The MessageofLeviticus:
Free to Be Holy (InterVarsity, 2005).
Songs, ofall descriptions, have an amazingly powerful ability to lodge
their words and music in our minds. Few of us are far, for any length of
time, from radios, televisions, DVDs, iPods, ormp3s, repetitively
churning out the latest hit or the classic favorite. Whetherin our homes,
in shopping malls or on public transport, we are surrounded by music.
The consequenceis that many can easilydrop into singing a song
whether or not they have intentionally learned it. The memory of songs
learned decades ago canbe triggered by the slightesthint and easily
come to mind to be quoted or sung accurately. Would that Christians
knew the words of Scripture as confi dently as they can repeatthe songs
of the world! The world of Jesus’day was, of course, different and
lackedthe ability to broadcastand electronicallyreproduce its music.
Yet, for all that, the songs of Israelexerciseda remarkably powerful infl
uence on the minds of Jesus and his disciples and, as today, they
resortedto quoting or alluding to the songs very easily. In their case, the
songs were the Psalms, oftenspokenof as the hymnbook of the second
temple. Sabbath by Sabbath the Psalms were read in the synagogues, so
that either every Psalm was read within the year or every Psalmread on
a threeyearcycle. There is evidence for both approaches.1 Regularly,
the doxologies atthe end of eachbook within the Psalms (41:13; 72:19;
89:52;106:48 and 150:6)were used in worship. Attendance at the great
festivals in Jerusalemwould have added to these routine experiences.
The pilgrim band sang the Psalms as they made their way to the Holy
City, and pilgrims heard them performed chorally (and joined in the
performances)in the temple itself. No wonder the words of the Psalms
exerciseda “greatinfl uence on the hearts and minds of religious
people.”2 The Psalms, too, might not only have had a role in the
worship life of Israelbut in its instruction to the faithful as well.3 In the
light of this it is not surprising that the Psalms surface in the Gospels
with twenty-three identifiable, direct quotations,4 severalof which
specifically relate to the betrayal and crucifi xion of Christ. But these
quotations are more than happy, or perhaps more accuratelyunhappy,
coincidences orconvenientsound bites. Jesus saw them as prophecies of
his crucifi xion and he saw himself as bringing these old covenantsongs
to fulfi lment in the new. We know this because afterthe resurrectionhe
said to his disciples, “This is what I told you while I was still with you:
everything must be fulfi lled that is written about me in the Law of

Moses,the Prophets, and the Psalms” (Luke 22:44).5 They were
messianic predictions of his cross.6 Usuallyonly the briefest
quotations—a single verse or less—find their way into the Gospel
accounts. But, given the cultural context, such short extracts may justifi
ably suggest that more than the limited quotation was in mind and that
the extract
49
might legitimately serve as a window onto the wider vista of the Psalm.
James Mays, for example, argues in reference to Jesus quoting Psalm
22:1 that, “it is not just the opening words that are involved. Citing the
fi rst words of a text was, in the tradition of the time, a way of
identifying the entire passage.”7So, althoughwe cannotbe dogmatic
about such an issue, we may reasonablyreview not just the discrete
quotation but also its context to shed light on the crucifi xion. What,
then, canwe learn if we view the cross through the lens of the Psalms?
What do the “Songs ofthe Crucified One” reveal concerning his
suffering and death?8 We shall trace the songs in reference to the way
the events of the crucifi xion unfolded, in so far as we can tell.
The Song of BetrayalPsalm 41:9, “Even my close friend, someone I
trusted, one who shared my bread has lifted up his heel againstme,” is
quoted by Jesus at the last supper in the Upper Room. It is cited in John
13:189 and alluded to in Matt 26:23, Mark 14:20, and Luke 22:21.
Psalm55:12-15 similarly voices the horror that a “companion” and
“close friend” is unmasked as the source of betrayal that leads to an
innocent person suffering. Psalm41 is a chiastic structure and may be
understood as follows:
a The mercy of God as Saviour (vv. 1-3) b Prayer for mercy (v. 4) c
Lament concerning opponents (vv. 5-9) b1 Prayer for mercy (v. 10)
a1 The mercy of God as restorer (vv. 11-13)
The Victim’s Suffering The structure draws the eye to the middle
sectionthat dwells on the sense of
betrayal felt by the Psalmist. The heading claims it as a “Psalmof
David,” but it cannot be placed easilyinto an episode of his life. Yet, as
John Goldingay has recently written, “in generalone can imagine David
testifying to Yhwh’s deliverance along these lines; one canalso imagine
subsequent kings using it.”10 Indeed, the words might well be imagined
as falling from the lips of Job or other righteous sufferers. Yet, as
Calvin claims, “certainlywe ought to understand that, although David

speaks ofhimself in this psalm, yet he speaksnot as a common and
private person, but as one who representedthe person of Christ,
inasmuch as … it was necessarythat what was begun in David should
be fully accomplishedin Christ.”11 The suffering emanates from two
sources, in verses 5-9. First, there is the suffering initiated by enemies
(vv. 5-8) and then the suffering initiated by a close friend (v. 9). The
suffering initiated by enemies ﬁ ts the experience of Jesus no less than
that initiated by Judas the betrayer. Just as the Psalmin its original
setting refers to the rejectionof God’s appointed ruler, so when Jesus
entered the world as God’s emissary, so too he was rejectedby the very
people who should have welcomedhim (John 1:11). Particular phrases
in Psalm 41 match the hostility Jesus facedthroughout his life. Verse 5
disclosesthat the king’s enemies could not wait to dispose of him.
Impatiently they cry, “When will he die and his name perish?” So the
crowds and the rulers demonstrated an equally impatient desire to
dispose of Christ as a troublemakerand disturber of the peace (e.g.,
Luke 4: 29; John 10:31; 11:50). The phrases of verse 6—“speak falsely
… gather slander … spread it abroad”—pointforward to the mountain
50
of criticism and accusationJesuswould face. He was “demon-
possessed” (John8:48), a “sinner” (John 9:24) a speakerof
“blasphemy” (John 10:33)and a political insurrectionist (John 18:28-
40) as well. Then the Psalm enters a note of misplaced diagnosis. The
psalmist is said to be ill because “a vile disease has besethim,”
according to verse 8. The “vile disease,”literally translated, is “a thing
of Belial” suggesting, as Craigie puts it, “a devilish disease.”12Although
the originalmeaning is somewhatobscure and may have meant that the
Psalmist’s illness was as a result of a curse, it reminds one of the
accusationssubsequentlyfaced by Jesus that he was demon-possessed
(e.g., Matt. 9:34; 12:24; John 8:48). The leaders ofIsrael completely
misunderstood the origin of the one who stood before them doing good
and bringing wholeness to brokenlives. In addition to general
opposition the Psalm particularly mentions the betrayal of “my close
friend (lit. “a man of peace”), someone I trusted, one who sharedmy
bread” (v. 9). Jesus quotes this phrase in reference to Judas Iscariot,
who has been describedas “the most famous traitor in history.” Little is
known of Judas. The description “Iscariot” mostlikelyalludes to his
coming from Kerioth in Moab, but could possibly indicate he came from
Issacharorpossibly even signify he was “an assassin.”13The portrait of

Judas in the Gospels is far from fl attering. His name constantly comes
at the end of the list of disciples, perhaps indicating a subsequent
negative evaluation of him. But, as treasurerof the disciples, it was
known that he was a thief (John 12:6). Yet, these are retrospective
judgments on him. At the time, it was clearfrom the reactionto Jesus’
announcement at the Last Supper that someone around the table would
shortly
betray him, that his fellow disciples did not suspecthim (John 13:22). A
greatdeal of interest has been shownin Judas Iscariotrecently, not
leastbecause ofthe so-called“gospelofJudas,” and various imaginative
conspiracytheories, which have soughtto rehabilitate him.14 Some
argue that his motives in betraying Jesus were good, not greed. In doing
so, Judas was seeking to force Jesus’hand to advance openly his
kingdom and had not anticipated that it would end in Jesus’death. But
such interpretations are speculative at bestand fanciful at worst. The
Gospels credithim with other motives and ultimately attribute his
actionto the work of the devil (John 6:70), even while never absolving
him of the human responsibility for his decisions. Whatis more, we
must never forget that all this happens under the sovereigntyof God
who uses such human treachery and demonicallyinspired action to
accomplishhis goodwill and salvationplan. The treacherywas deep
because sharing bread togetherin the culture of Jesus’day signifi ed
intimacy, trust, and genuine friendship. It is describedin the Psalm as
an act whereby the close friend has “lifted up his heel againstme,”
words that are reiteratedby Jesus. The allusiongoes back to Gen3:15,
and according to E. F. F. Bishopsignifi es, “a revelation of contempt,
treachery, even animosity” which suggests that“in his inmost attitudes
he really despisedhis Master.”15The betrayal was no lastminute,
spontaneous, chance decision, but the outworking of a deep loathing.
The Victim’s Prayers Psalm41 is not limited to describing the innocent
sufferer’s opponents. It also records the persecutedman’s prayers in
51
verses 4 and 10. He cries out for God to “have mercy.” One cannotread
these cries without thinking of Jesus crying out in Gethsemane for God
to remove the cup of suffering from him (Matt 26:39;Mark 14:36;Luke
22:41). There is no diffi culty in relating the prayers for mercy to the
experience of Gethsemane but the secondlines in eachof these verses
causes problems in relation to Christ. The problems may indicate that it
is not right to force every element of these ancientsongs to fi t the death

of Christ. But perhaps the quest to do so should not be given up too
quickly. In verse 4 the prayer continues, “healme for I have sinned
againstyou.” In what sense canthat be true of Christ? In its original
setting, VanGemeren speaks formany in commenting that the words
are “a generalconfessionof unwitting sins rather than betraying that he
(the Psalmist)was deeply burdened by particular sins.”16 Is it
stretching the point too far to acknowledgethat though Jesus Christ
was the sinless one who never had need to confess his own sin, he was
also the one who had our sins laid on him and was made “to be sin for
us, so that we might become the righteousness ofGod” (2 Cor5:21)?
The diffi cult line in verse 10 is problematic because it smacks ofthe
Psalmistwishing to take revenge on his enemies and many readers
cannot square that with what they know of Christ or of New Testament
Christianity generally. But there are a number of answers to this. While
some say the quest to repay one’s enemies reveals an old covenant
understanding that is in need of fuller revelationin the future,17 others
propose a different solution. We are surely wrong to read this as a cry
for personalrevenge.
Calvin argues that this refl ects David in his judicial role as King of
Israel, and, if it refl ects David, then it refl ects Jesus Christin that role
even more.18 Might it not be true that this speaks ofJesus in his role as
the eschatologicaljudge, the one who will one day rule in complete
righteousness as described, forexample, in John 5:24-30? Mightnot our
diffi culties with this line lie in our having too shallow an understanding
of the role of the crucifi ed Christ and our being too shaped by the over-
tolerant age in which we live?
The Victim’s God The beginning and end of this Psalmaffi rm the
gracious actionof God who operates in grace onbehalf of the victim,
even when circumstances seems to suggestotherwise. So Godis shown
to be the saving God (vv. 1-3) who does not neglectbut “delivers” the
weak in times of trouble. He is the God who “protects” and “preserves”
them in trouble and “sustains” and“restores”them in sickness.The
note of restorationis picked up againat the end of the Psalm(vv. 10-13).
In the midst of the troubles he experiences, the Psalmistconfi dently
asserts thatGod will come to his aid and he will be restoredfor justice
(v. 10b), to life (v.11), and for relationship (v.12) with God. The
experience of his merciless rejection by enemies and friends alike will be
reversedwhen he is securelyplaced“in (God’s) presence forever.” This
anticipates exactlywhat Heb 11:2 affi rms: “Forthe joy that was set

before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and satdown at
the right hand of the throne of God.” Psalm 41 sets before us two ways:
the wayof Judas and the way of Jesus. The way of Judas is that of
greed, arrogance,and self-aggrandisementwhich ends in
52
a wretcheddeath. The way of Jesus is the way of generosity, humility,
and self-giving, that endures a wretcheddeath but then gives way to the
joy of resurrectionlife. It sets before us a theme that is common in the
Songs of the Crucifi ed One, that of the example of the righteous
sufferer who trusts in God through it all. It also serves as a warning that
the church should remain faithful, upholding the testimony of the
apostles to Christ “and not join the company of Judas” by betraying the
Savior.19
The Song of Desolation20 Undoubtedly the best-knownPsalm
connectedwith the crucifi xion is Psalm22. It has aptly been named
“the fifth gospel,” andthe resonancesbetweenit and the crucifi xion of
Christ are numerous. Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 record Jesus as
repeating the opening verse—“MyGod, my God, why have you
forsakenme?”—fromthe cross. In both cases,the cry is one of terrible
desolationbut it seems to weighmore heavily in Mark’s leaner, darker
accountof the crucifi xion than it does in Matthew. Before looking at its
application to Jesus we shall examine the Psalm in its own terms. The
first part of the Psalm, verses 1-21, is an individual lament. There is a
marked change of tone in the secondsection, verses22-31, as the
psalmist voices praise in the community. But dividing the psalm into
these two blunt sections does not do justice to its “fi nely wrought
compositionaldesign.”21The truth is that the fi rst sectionof the Psalm
interweaves trouble with trust, despair with hope.
Trouble (vv. 1-2, 6-8, 12-18)Three distinct forms of trouble are
mentioned, beginning with the most pro
foundly disturbing form of all, that of the absence ofGod. All human
beings have a tendency to cry, “Why me, Lord?” when tragedy and
suffering strike. But the cry of desertion expressedin verse 1 is of a
deeper nature than this. The psalmist feels abandoned by God just at
the point when he needs him most. All his life the psalmist had been
taught to believe in a loving God who was near those who calledon him.
But now his experience contradicts his belief. Rather than being near,
God is “so far” (v. 1) from him. His incessantcrying out to God day and

night makes no difference: God does not show up. There is no relief
from his condition. Even if they have no personalexperience of feeling
desertedby God, pastors soonencountermany who have. It is not
uncommon for high profile Christian leaders to endure periods of such
abandonment. The silence of God can appearto be most unyielding at
the precise time when we most urgently need him to speak to us. The
psalmist’s trouble is compounded because addedto the absence ofGod
there is the all-too-realpresence ofenemies. Verses 6-8 provide an
intense accountof the derision heaped upon the sufferer. What hurts
most is that they mock him for having been apparently abandoned by
God. Verse 8 indicates that the things the suffererhad most passionately
believed and preachedare now hurled back in his face. The net effectis
to leave the sufferer feeling more of a worm than a human being (v. 6).
This leads to the third form of trouble: that of self-pity, mentioned in
verses 1218.His tormentors hide behind animal masks. Theycome at
him like the bulls of Bashan, which were well known for their size. They
tear at him as if they were lions
53
devouring their prey. They trap him like snarling dogs. “The words,”
writes Peter Craigie, “evokethe abject terror of one who is powerless,
but surrounded, with no avenue of escape.”22At last he gives free rein
to his feelings. He is a bag of useless bones, readyto be laid to rest.
Others have decided that his life is over, so they parcel out his clothes
since he has no further use for them. He has no strength to resist. He is
physically drained, sociallyisolated, emotionally scarredand spiritually
bereft. Life is spent and shattered.
Trust (vv. 3-5, 9-11, 19-21)In spite of the terrifying experiences and the
profound questions of faith that arise as a result, the psalmist is not
prepared to abandon his God. The fl ame of faith continues to fl icker,
sometimes bursting into bright light in the midst of darkness. Faith
jostles with perplexity. Trust wrestles with the questions. So wonderful
affi rmations about God are woveninto the expressionof abjectterror.
The absentGod is described in the most personalof terms. The absent
God remains “My God.” The psalmist asserts God’s position(v. 3). He
is “enthroned as the Holy One.” He is still sovereignin his universe and
has not been overthrown by other gods. He asserts God’s power(vv. 4-
5). He evokes the memory of the Exodus when Israel trusted God and
was delivered from oppression, againstall apparent odds. He asserts
God’s purpose for his life (v. 9). His birth was not the result of merely

human wills, still less of blind chance. Godbrought him out of the
womb and gave him security. He asserts God’s providence (vv. 10-11).
As he refl ects on life he recalls the times when he was caston God and
God came to his aid. So, now, he trusts in God’s promise
(vv.19-21)and prays in the belief that God will hear and rescue him
again. He seeks notto forget in the dark what he knew of Godin the
light. WalterBrueggemannhas pointed out that what he calls the “core
testimony” of Israel’s faith is constantly arguing with “counter
testimony” of her experience.23Countertestimony is not afraid to face
the raw reality of life. It does not take false refuge in a Disney-like view
of faith, denying the harsh contradictions we encounter and pretending
that all is well when it patently is not. Part of the glory of scripture is its
integrity. It deals with “life as it comes, (which) along with joys, is beset
by hurt, betrayal, loneliness, disease, threat, anxiety, bewilderment,
anger, hatred and anguish.”24 The Psalmdoes not tell us how the
tension betweenthe core and the countertestimony of our lives are to be
resolved. Only the cross does that.
Thanksgiving (vv. 22-31)No hint is given as to why the Psalm
dramatically changes direction from verse 22 onward and concludes on
such a positive note of thanksgiving. We are jolted from a
preoccupationwith introspective musings and catapulted into a “great
assembly” (v. 25)of worshippers where the psalmist’s deliverance from
trouble is celebrated. Having been rescuedhe keeps his vow (v. 25)to
give thanks to God. Verse 26 suggestshe does so not merely through
song and words but also by a peace or fellowshipoffering in which even
the poor would join “and be satisfi ed.”25 The vow gives way to a far-
sighted vision. The sufferer who felt desertednow looks forwardto the
day when geographically(“all the ends of the earth,” v. 27), socially
(“all the rich,” v. 29), and eschatologically(“future
54
generations,”v. 30)the Lord’s name will be universally praised. In this
respectthe Psalm anticipates Phil 2:10-11 and the vision of Revelation5.
Application to Christ The Psalmfi ts the experience of Jesus onthe
cross like a well-fitting glove. Numerous references point to the cross.
The taunts he endured (vv. 7-8), the thirst he experienced(v. 15), the
piercing of hands and feet (v. 16), and the dividing of his clothes (v. 18)
are remarkably prescientdetails of crucifi xion.26 But we leave these
details on one side for the moment to focus on the cry of derelictionin

verse 1, which is repeated by Jesus on the cross. Throughouthis life,
Jesus had enjoyed an intimate and uninterrupted relationship with his
Father, but now, at the hours of his greatestneed, his Father appears to
be unresponsive to him. Jesus experiencedthe hiddenness of Godmore
than any other human being. Why so? Some argue that the cry of
desertionis merely the understandable expressionof emotional
vulnerability. How can it be, they argue, that the eternal relations of the
Trinity are ruptured? But though such an argument is understandable
it is surely not enough. And though alternative explanations leave one
with mysteries, does that rule them out? Surely the abandonment is due
to the fact that Christ was made “sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21) and that God,
whose “eyes are too pure to look on evil” (Hab 1:13) had to abandon his
Son at the time in which he was bearing our sin. The cross holds the
secretfor reconciling the tension of core and counter testimony. It is, as
Luther taught us, that God reveals himself in his hiddenness of the
cross. Bythe Fatherand Son acting harmoniously togetherleading to
the mani
fest abandonment of the Son, the Father reveals his love and effects
salvationfor sinners. “The God with whom we are dealing” writes
Alister McGrath, “the Godwho addresses us from the cross—touse
Luther’s breathtakingly daring phrase—is ‘the crucifi ed and hidden
God.’”27 If, by quoting verse 1, Jesus had in mind the entire Psalm,
then we see how it points not only to his desertionby God but his
subsequent deliverance in the resurrectiontoo. Jesus’words, then,
would not only have been the genuinely anguished cry of an abandoned
Son but the genuinely hopeful cry of a trusting Son. Abandonment now
would lead to discoverythat God “has not hidden his face from him but
has listened to his cry for help” (v. 24), and the suffering and scornthat
have been endured leads to the sufferer being vindicated and a growing
crescendo ofpraise to God. The fi nal words of the Psalmemphasize
that God, far from being unreliable, has proved faithful in all his
actions.
The Songs ofExecution Three times John’s accountof the crucifi xion
speaks in terms of the scripture being fulfi lled (John 19:24, 28, and 36)
and eachtime it cites a verse from a Psalmas evidence. Here, through
the lens of John and looking backwards rather than forwards, as we
have been doing, we investigate the quotations and the details of the
crucifi xion they highlight. A superfi cial reading of the Gospelaccounts
of the crucifi xion appears to suggestthey are merely reporting what

Jesus was the example of holy praise

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