Thou Hast Heard Me.

THOU HAST HEARD ME.

Psalm 22:19-28.

Whatever deep sense of desolation rocked David into penning these words, his God-inspired prophetic insight reaches far beyond the limits of his own time and experience to the Cross of Jesus – and beyond.

In the midst of His sufferings, and despite His sense of desolation, Jesus continued to make His appeal to His God (Psalm 22:19). No matter how bleak our situation, nor whether we can ‘feel’ the presence of God or not, faith will persist: the object of our hope will not fail us. The LORD is our strength.

In His direst need, He casts His soul upon God. “Deliver me” (Psalm 22:20). “Save me” (Psalm 22:21). Then, out of the desolation, the triumph of a prayer breakthrough: “THOU HAST HEARD ME!” (Psalm 22:21b, K.J.V.)

The first person singular of Psalm 22:1-21 - ‘I’ – switches to persons plural from Psalm 22:22 onward, as the composer looks forward to the day when he will no longer be a stranger in the great congregation (Psalm 22:25). Have we the faith that sees beyond the affliction to its end (Job 23:10), beyond the fight to the victory (Psalm 22:22-24); to praise God in the midst of affliction like Paul and Silas (Acts 16:22-25)? David - and Jesus – envisaged an end to the present tribulation.

The Psalmist calls upon his brethren to join him in celebration of the victory wrought by God, who ‘has not despised the affliction of the afflicted’ (Psalm 22:23-24). The celebration takes the form of a testimonial feast, to which the whole congregation is invited (Psalm 22:25). Those who formerly shared his tears (cf. Romans 12:15), now have opportunity to rejoice with him.

The reference to “the meek” anticipates the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (cf. Matthew 5:5). Those who seek the LORD are told, “Your heart shall live for ever” (Psalm 22:26). This in turn points to the regeneration accomplished by Jesus: the making alive of those who were ‘dead in trespasses and sins’ (Ephesians 2:1).

Jesus eventually opened the doors of salvation to those outside the family: to the poor and afflicted, and even to strangers beyond the boundaries of Israel (Psalm 22:27-28). This universalisation of the gospel, rightly understood, is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3).