"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1) Jesus shouts out these words on the cross:

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) (Matthew 27:46).

Psalm 22 is called a "Messianic Psalm because it prophetically depicts Jesus' suffering on the cross. Arthur Pink (ca. 1886-1952), a thoughtful and insightful commentator, shares his reflection on these words of Christ on the cross. You can find his entire message here: The Seven Sayings of the Savior on the Cross: "The Word of Anguish". I have just excerpted one portion, where he speaks of how these words reflect the basis of our salvation:

God is holy and therefore he will not look upon sin. God is just and therefore he judges sin wherever it is found. But God is love as well: God delighteth in mercy, and therefore infinite wisdom devised a way whereby justice might be satisfied and mercy left free to flow out to guilty sinners. This way was the way of substitution, the just suffering for the unjust. The Son of God himself was the one selected to be the substitute, for none other would suffice. Through Nahum, the question had been asked, "Who can stand before his indignation"? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger?" (1:6). This question received its answer in the adorable person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He alone could "stand". One only could bear the curse and yet rise a victor above it. One only could endure all the avenging wrath and yet magnify the law and make it honourable. One only could suffer his heel to be bruised by Satan and yet in that bruising destroy him that had the power of death. God laid hold upon one that was "mighty" (Ps. 89:19). One who was no less than the Fellow of Jehovah, the radiance of his glory, the exact impress of his person. Thus we see that boundless love, inflexible justice and omnipotent power all combined to make possible the salvation of those who believe.

At the cross all our iniquities were laid upon Christ and therefore did divine judgment fall upon him. There was no way of transferring sin without also transferring its penalty. Both sin and its punishment were transferred to the Lord Jesus. On the cross Christ was making propitiation, and propitiation is solely Godwards. It was a question of meeting the claims of God’s holiness; it was a matter of satisfying the demands of his justice. Not only was Christ’s blood shed for us, but it was also shed for God: he "hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour" (Ephesians 5:2). Thus it was foreshadowed on the memorable night of the Passover in Egypt: the lamb’s blood must be where God’s eye could see it - "When I see the blood, I will pass over you!"

The death of Christ on the cross was a death of curse: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Gal. 3:13). The "curse" is alienation from God. This is apparent from the words which Christ will yet speak to those that shall stand on his left hand in the day of his power - "Depart from me, ye cursed" he will say (Matthew 25:41). The curse is exile from the presence and glory of God.

This explains the meaning of a number of Old Testament types. The bullock which was slain on the annual Day of Atonement, after its blood had been sprinkled upon and before the mercy-seat, was removed to a place without (outside) the Camp" (Leviticus 16:27) and there its entire carcass was burned. It was in the centre of the camp that God had his dwelling-place, and exclusion from the camp was banishment from the presence of God. Thus it was, too, with the leper. "All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be" (Lev. 13:46) - this was because the leper was the embodied type of the sinner. Here also is the anti-type of the "brazen serpent". Why did God instruct Moses to set a "serpent" on a pole, and bid the bitten Israelites look upon it? Imagine a serpent as a type of Christ the Holy One of God! Yes, but it represented him as "made a curse for us", for the serpent was the reminder of the curse. On the cross then Christ was fulfilling these Old Testament foreshadowings. He was "outside the camp" (compare Hebrews 13:12) - separated from the presence of God. He was as the "leper" - made sin for us. He was as the "brazen serpent" - made a curse for us. Hence too, the deep meaning of the crown of thorns - the symbol of the curse! Lifted up, his brow encircled with thorns, to show he was bearing the curse for us.

Here, too, is the significance of the three hours darkness which lay over the land as a pall of death. It was supernatural darkness. It was not night for the sun was at its zenith. As Mr. Spurgeon well said, "It was midnight at midday". It was no eclipse. Competent astronomers tell us that at the time of the crucifixion the moon was at her farthest from the sun. But this cry of Christ’s gives the meaning of the darkness, as the darkness gives us the meaning of that bitter cry. One thing alone can explain this darkness, as one thing alone can interpret this cry - that Christ had taken the place of the guilty and lost ones, that he was in the place of sin-bearing, that he was enduring the judgment due his people, that he who knew no sin was "made sin" for us. That cry was uttered that we might be allowed to know of what passed there. It was the manifestation of atonement, so to speak for three (three hours) is ever the number of manifestation. God is light and the "darkness" is the natural sign of his turning away. The Redeemer was left alone with the sinner’s sin: that was the explanation of the three hours darkness. Just as there will rest upon the damned a twofold misery in the lake of fire, namely, the pain of sense and the pain of loss; so upon Christ answerably, he suffered the outpoured wrath of God and also the withdrawal of his presence and fellowship.

For the believer the cross is interpreted in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ". He was my substitute; God reckoned me one with the Saviour. His death was mine. He was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for my iniquities. Sin was not pushed away but put away. As another has said, "Because God judged sin on the Son, he now accepts the believing sinner in the Son". Our life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I am shut up in Christ because Christ was shut out from God.

He suffered in our stead, he saved his people thus;
The curse that fell upon his head, was due by right to us.
The storm that bowed his blessed head, is hushed for ever now
And rest Divine is mine instead, while glory crowns his brow.

Here then is the basis of our salvation. Our sins have been borne. God’s claims against us have been fully met. Christ was forsaken of God for a season that we might enjoy his presence for ever. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Let every believing soul make answer: he entered the awful darkness that I might walk in the light; he drank the cup of woe that I might drink the cup of joy; he was forsaken that I might be forgiven!

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the LORD’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. (Psalm 24:1-5 NLT)

The first verse of this psalm is quoted by Paul in his discussion on eating food sacrificed to idols in 1 Corinthians 10. There he points out that an idol is nothing at all and all food could be eaten with thanksgiving because God made everything, and everything belongs to Him.

In the context of Psalm 24 God's supremecy over all creation is in view. He created everything and everything belongs to Him. Therefore, He has the right to our worship and we are beholden to Him to honor Him with a pure and undivided worship.

Both in the OT and the NT the message is the same. God is worthy of obedience in view of His power and authority as the Creator and Owner of all creation.

How should we worship Him? The rest of the psalm pictures Him as a king coming back from a victorious battle. "Open up, ancient gates" may refer to the triumphant entry and celebration associated with the greeting of a king returning from a victorious battle.

We serve such a King, who has disarmed every power and authority, and He even made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15).

Now, let us understand that Paul extends the victory in battle motif beyond material triumph to include a spiritual triumph, whereby God achieved victory over the condemnation brought on by the Law. He achieved this through the cross of Christ. In Colossians Paul paints the imagery of God nailing the specific stipulations and regulations of the Law in the cross, so that the Law no longer has a binding influence over us.

So Paul continues in Colossians to say that those who have this freedom from the Law should not allow anyone to judge them by any of the provisions of the Law, because in Christ every provision is met. Instead, we are to focus on Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. So we now submit to the Law of Christ and follow His example in everything. And whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we should do it in the Name of the Lord Jesus to the glory of God the Father.

Psalm 23

I paused on this psalm and reflected on its structure. The first stanza (I assume this is rightly named) presents God as is most commonly expected for 'god,' "he leads me to green pastures and still waters" he takes me to a dreamy place.

But the second stanza has an 'even though' kind of beginning "even though I walk through the valley of death and evil is all around me I am comforted by God's might.". I like this acceptance and specific reference that says even though my God oversees my life I may still find myself in the shadows... BUT God, is with me.

The third stanza is the most interesting to me. It combines the two previous ones. "I" am still before my enemies, "I" am still with my God, and am before my enemies that would Love to see me be harmed, the lord in an almost flaunting manner lavishes his grace, making a spread before his enemies as if to say I am victorious!

I haven't considered it before, but 3 great images are made. One better by the next one; Yes, my God is a God of pleasures and goodness; Yes, my God is a God of Protection and companionship; Yes, my God honors whom he chooses with no regard to those who claim adversarialship; and Yes, he does it to me!