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Asm277 Enthroned on the Praises Enthroned on the Praises of Israel Psalm 22 Series: Psalms Sermon by Ken Puls Delivered at Grace Baptist Church, Cape Coral, Florida July 29, 2012 Isaiah 62:1–7 — Call to Worship. Open your Bibles this morning to Psalm 22. If you are using one of the Bibles provided on the backs of the chairs in front you, Psalm 22 is found on page 457. Psalm 22 is perhaps one of the most profound and far reaching psalms in the Bible. It’s a psalm that begins in the depths of great anguish and lament—and a psalm that soars to the heights of glory and praise. It is deeply personal, serving as a great help and comfort to those facing trials and opposition. And at the same time it is highly prophetic, taking us to Jesus—to the cross and into the heart of our Savior as He faced suffering and agony as He bore the sins of His people and died that we might be reconciled and brought near to God. The psalm is filled with many profound truths that point us to Christ and Him crucified—far more than we will be able to glean in our time this morning. And so I will be focusing on one truth in particular. Verse 3 declares of God: Psalms 22:3 … you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Some translations say here: “inhabiting the praises of Israel.” This is an amazing statement! Our God inhabits praise! And so the question I want to answer from this text today is—HOW? In what way is our Sovereign God enthroned or seated on our praise? How does a holy God draw near and inhabit the worship of His people? This morning we will look at the psalm as a whole and specifically at the connection between God and our praise. Psalm 22 Enthroned on the Praises of Israel 1 If you’re taking notes, I have three main points: I. David’s Cry for Deliverance—the opening context of the psalm II. The Coming Deliverer—the New Testament fulfillment of the psalm III. The Culmination of Praise—the glorious conclusion to the psalm Let’s begin by reading the psalm together. [READ Psalm 22, ESV] TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE DOE OF THE DAWN. A PSALM OF DAVID. Psalms 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Psalms 22:3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. Psalms 22:6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Psalms 22:9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. 10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. Psalms 22:12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. Psalms 22:14 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; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. Psalm 22 Enthroned on the Praises of Israel 2 Psalms 22:16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Psalms 22:19 But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! Psalms 22:22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. Psalms 22:25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! Psalms 22:27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. Psalms 22:29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it. This is the Word of the Lord—Thanks be to God. Psalm 22 Enthroned on the Praises of Israel 3 I. David’s Cry for Deliverance—the opening context of the psalm The psalm begins with David’s cry for deliverance. It is not clear what occasion or event stirred David to write these words, but it is apparent from the opening lines that he is in great distress. Part 1 of the psalm (the first 21 verses) is a lament as David tries to make sense of his suffering. What is most intriguing about David’s words is how he faces his initial feelings of abandonment and unrest. He prays fervently, openly sharing his heart with God, seeking, questioning, while holding fast to God, reminding himself of truth, preaching truth to his soul. The psalm opens in dialog—in a back and forth exchange—as David looks at himself in his immediate distress but then looks to God to find hope and comfort. Look now again at the opening of the psalm. We read in the inscription: Psalms 22 TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE DOE OF THE DAWN. A PSALM OF DAVID. The inscription informs us that this is a psalm of David. Though it is a personal song that begins with intense grief, it is given to the choirmaster—intended for use in the public worship of God’s people. “The Doe of the Dawn” is most likely the name of a well-known tune that accompanied the words. PART 1: Prayer for Deliverance The psalm opens in the first two verses with questions. David feels abandoned. He is asking: Where is God in what I am facing? Why does He not answer me when I call to Him? Psalms 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. In verses 3–5 he begins to find his answer. He remembers what is true of God. God is holy. He always does what is right. He sits enthroned on Israel’s praise. Psalms 22:3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In verses 4–5 David looks back on the history of Israel and remembers the mighty works of God—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Joseph, Moses and the Exodus, the Conquest of the Promised Land, the time of the Judges—and he confesses: Psalm 22:4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. Psalm 22 Enthroned on the Praises of Israel 4 In verses 6–8 David again looks at his present distress and so he says of himself— Psalms 22:6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. He is trusting in God, yet the people despise and mock him— Psalm 22:7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” But in verses 9–11 David remembers that God has not only helped His people in the past, God has helped him! He speaks of God’s guiding hand in his own life: Psalms 22:9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
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