Chapter 22
David
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
Psalms 22:1 ESV
These words, written by David, are the very same words spoken by Jesus from the cross. Jesus was quoting this psalm. This psalm was on Jesus' mind as he hung there nailed to a tree. I wonder at what point in his life David wrote these words. What was he thinking about? Is this during his time in hiding from Saul or about the time after Bathsheba and Uriah when David's relationship to God was in turmoil? MSB does not discuss it. And how would you ever really know?
2022 - I see now that verse 1 is used by Jesus on the cross to call attention to this WHOLE Psalm. Jesus knew he was not abandoned. He knew that glorification was just ahead. When Jesus quoted vs 1 from the cross, he meant ALL the Psalm.
This verse:
8 "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" [Psa 22:8 ESV]
It seems here that the "whole world" has a low opinion of David and of his God. This seems to read as if David has been captured and sentenced to death - as indeed Jesus was - which points to Saul's pursuit of David with intent to kill.
Then this verse, close behind:
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; [Psa 22:14 ESV]
What a description of crucifixion, before the torture was even invented! More here:
16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet-- [Psa 22:16 ESV]
This is beyond possible. This is supernatural, this is divine, this is proof to any rational mind. And if more is needed still:
18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. [Psa 22:18 ESV]
2024 - I found this information today, in more than one place...but either could have sourced the other:
https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/90489/which-is-the-oldest-fragment-of-lxx-containing-psalm-2216
What the poster says is that there is a fragment of Psalm 22 that was in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and dated to 100 BC that contains these verses. Apparently it is the ONLY DSC that contained these verses, and is the oldest known fragment or whole that has the "pierced" reference. It was from the Septuagint - so is a Greek, not a Hebrew, manuscript. So if you want to claim this one is a fake, you still have to admit that it was written 100 years before Jesus was born, 130 or so years before he was crucified.
Crucifixion goes back to about 500 BC and the Persians, according to this site: https://www.gotquestions.org/crucifixion.html
I didn't try to find out how reliable this website might be.
As I searched for this, I did find that the Quran says it wasn't Jesus who was crucified but another who looked like him. A "scam" you might say. The Bible clearly makes it Jesus. So one is wrong, the other is wrong, or both or wrong. The Quran says this is Sura 4:157.
Beginning in 22 the psalm turns from lament to praise. A clean break where the enemies are either overcome, or praise breaks out despite them.
This is an unbelievable Psalm. It has far too many accurate details about the crucifixion, though written 1000(?) years before. It is so accurate that I would expect it to be used as evidence of forgery by unbelievers.
For kingship belongs to the Lord , and he rules over the nations.
Psalms 22:28 ESV
It goes on to say this abandoned sufferer will be worshiped by the whole world
2023 - Vss 16-18 of this chapter...
If anyone says to me "the Bible is not God's word", then show me, help me understand, NO! PROVE to me that these three verses are forgeries. Show me earlier manuscripts that lack these three unmistakable, impossibly accurate verses describing the crucifixion of Christ. OR, show me the NT manuscripts of Mark, Luke, and John and how they all fabricated the details of Roman crucifixion - which never really used nails or spears. Or show me how those things were inserted after the fact. When exactly did the writers of the gospels notice that Psa 22, written by David about himself, was also about the details of Jesus' death a thousand years later....in fact, it fits Jesus' death far more than we know about it fitting David. Stop letting unbelievers say "the Bible is full of errors", and instead put the burden on them. Make THEM prove that this part is not true, make them tell us how this could possibly have been predicted so accurately, before crucifixion was even invented. Stop "defending", and start "attacking"! Make them show you the "errors", and then show them what they are missing, because I am unaware of ANY error that "stands". Smarter people than me took care of all those attacks a long time ago. But have the doubters "disproved" anything. Oh! What an answer! I will tell you why that is not really an error in the Bible, AFTER you tell me how Psalms 22:16-18 can be there, a thousand years before the actual event, and describe it in so much detail? Let's add vs 14 also. It is pretty compelling also.
Possible FB post.