Reading
SAA Notes
Jesus uttered the opening words of this psalm as He died. David was a suffering messiah himself. This psalm ends with hope – the Lord will save His Christ and the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord! Jesus died in hope as also in anguish!
SJA Notes
* Mighty God, You are the One whose authority is such that creation itself bends to Your word (Creator, Sustainer, Life-Giver). We praise Your Name!
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”
There is great depth of emotion in these words from David as he struggles with the brokenness of life.
How similar they are to what we have previously not-long-ago heard from Job, who cried out,
“Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’, but I am not answered; I call for help, but there is no justice.”
We know that David suffered much in his life. Enemies beset him on every side. Many of his close relationships were broken and wrecked. His own bad decision-making caused much pain and anguish.
Here we see his crying out to God.
We know that these words are echoed by our Lord Jesus,
“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”
And so we come to the same place as we did with Job.
This psalm isn’t about claiming to have no sin. Rather it is a heartfelt and important crying out to the Lord (as Job did).
Jesus Himself, as death is gripping Him, cries out to His dear Father,
“Why have you forsaken me?”
This is so important for us to wrestle with. Jesus was without sin. In anguish this cry rips from Him.
Like Job, like David, like our Lord, we are to bring our anguish and heartache to the Lord.
God is not made less because we cry out to Him like this.
While death did grip Jesus for a moment, it did not reign. Jesus conquered death and Calvary and won the victory!
Hallelujah, what a Saviour!
* Dear God,
Thank You that as Son You became a curse for us Your people. You saved us from darkness into light. You gave new light into dead hearts.
Please help us to trust You more today, to bring You glory, to keep Your Name holy.
Amen.