Psalm 22

Through Adversity

What tragedies have you faced in your life? How have these experiences changed you?

I’ve written many times about adversity in this web site and the themes seem to be the same. Tough times can be shared events, like 9/11. They can also be intensely personal, like the loss of a loved one. Tough times can be opportunities to reach out to others or reject them. Tough times can shake, but ultimately define our character. Tough times can present us with a faith challenge and a faith choice: turn to God or turn away from God. Tough times can bring out the best and the worst in us.

Psalm 22 was “snapshot” of life in adversity. It asked the question: Why God? Why do I feel abandoned? Why do my enemies surround and threaten me? Why do I wilt in the face of all this opposition? The psalm didn’t try to really answer these questions. Instead, it responded with an act of the will. The psalm ended with an act of faith and a universal song of praise. No matter what my troubles are, my God will save me and I will proclaim his glory before everyone.

22:2-12 was a dialogue between the question and the act of faith. The psalm began with abandonment (22:2-3) only to be answered with the faith of ancestors (22:4-6). Shame for faithfulness (22:7-9) was answered by the wonder of coming into being (22:10-11). 22:12 ended this section with a simple prayer for help.

22:13-22 was an extended dialogue between failing strength and a prayer for redemption. 22:13-19 described an attack of one’s enemies. Like a pack of dogs (a derogatory term among Semites) and a mindless herd of cattle, the enemies surround and “size up” their prey before they attack. They hurl insults and plan the division of spoils even before they pounce. The intended victim goes weak in the face of the opposition. Still, the victim has enough faith for a final prayer, a plea for salvation (22:20-22).

22:23-27 was a promise of faithfulness when the Lord acted. Praise would be public and universal. The salvation of the petitioner would be an example to the people of what God can do. The petitioner would offer sacrifice (a thanksgiving offering) to fulfill a vow to God. The petitioner would be so thankful, he would share the communion meal of the sacrifice with the poor of Jerusalem (in other words, the petitioner was most likely the king or high priest; only they were rich enough to afford such a magnanimous gift).

The psalm ended with a call for universal praise (22:28-32). All peoples, the dead, and those to be born were to praise God for his faithfulness and activity.

Many psalms have a tension between the spirituality of the individual and the liturgy of the assembly. The individual can apply psalms to his or her life; the psalm can also represent the condition of the community. Psalm 22 is the paradigm of this tension. A personal song became a psalm of the assembly. But, with the Passion Narratives, the liturgical chant became intensely personal for Jesus of Nazareth. In nine different ways, images or lines from the psalm appear in the Passion. While Jews still apply the psalm to the entire nation, Christians apply it to one person.

For Christians, Psalm 22 will forever be linked with Jesus on the cross. When we recite this psalm, we can identify our adversity with travails of our Savior. If he could remain faithful in the midst of his suffering, we, too, can face our trials with some hope. The tough times won’t last forever. There is life after the experience of death. Despite despair, shame, and attack, we can look to Christ on the cross and gain strength.

Reflect on the trials you’ve faced this week. How have they encouraged or discouraged you? How has God used them to strengthen your faith?