Pastor Billington's Blog

Psalm 22:16-24 “For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments amongst them. They cast lots for my clothing. But don’t be far off, LORD. You are my help. Hurry to help me! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my brothers. Amongst the assembly, I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.”

I made a slight error with yesterday’s passage. I juxtaposed the second part of Psalm 21 with the second part of Psalm 22 and had verses 8-13 instead of 9-15. It has now been remedied, but I’ll mention verse 15 here to comment on it:

“My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.”

The Psalmist reminds us of God’s sovereignty here. God either decrees or allows. Either way it’s because he wants us to grow and mature as a result of our life experiences. And here we see the Psalmist’s response. There has been doubt and fear coupled with trust and acceptance. But ultimately there is joy and praise, with a cry for all to glorify God and stand in awe of him, because God hears prayer!

Jesus’ initial cry on the cross should be taken seriously. He was in pain and experiencing great torment. However, we can’t separate it from the context of the rest of the Psalm. Psalm 22 is a reminder of the ups and downs of life, and the need to cry out to God in the midst of it. It is a reminder that God is always with us, that there is purpose in all things, and that He always hears our prayers!

“For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.“

Did you catch the references to the crucifixion in this portion of the Psalm?

“They have pierced my hands and feet.“

“They divide my garments amongst them. They cast lots for my clothing.“

For additional worship: When I Survey The Wondrous Cross Lyric – Keith & Kristyn Getty

Psalm 22:9-15 “But you brought me out of the womb. You made me trust while at my mother’s breasts. I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me. Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help. Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring. I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.”

There is a great reminder here. God knows His own from the very beginning. We are His and we should trust Him and rely on Him at all times, but especially when we’re in trouble!

Psalm 119:13-16 “For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

For additional worship: O Sacred Head Now Wounded (First Call)

Psalm 22:1-8 “For the Chief Musician; set to ‘The Doe of the Morning.’ A Psalm by David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer; in the night season, and am not silent. But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted, and you delivered them. They cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and were not disappointed. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying, ‘He trusts in the LORD. Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.’ “

Psalm 22 is Messianic and is both quoted by Jesus and references His time on the cross.

Matthew 27:46 “About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?’ That is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ ”

Luke 23:35-36 “The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!’ ”

Although Jesus’ initial quote of this Psalm does seem to indicate the heartache and despair that he felt, there is more to it than that. The Psalm itself moves between doubt and despair, and we see significant expressions of faith in it. It should remind us of a couple of things. First, that the anguish Jesus experienced on the cross was absolutely real. Second, that even in the midst of incredible pain and suffering, Jesus knew why it was happening and still trusted and believed. And third, that expressing our doubts and fears to God can help us move to faith.

For additional worship: Death of a son (Lyrics) by Michael Card

Psalm 21:8-13 “Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of your anger. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath. The fire shall devour them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from amongst the children of men. For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed. For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face. Be exalted, LORD, in your strength, so we will sing and praise your power.”

God has helped His people in the past, and He will continue to help them in the future. He will destroy their enemies, He will preserve their king, and He is the one who should be exalted!

When we recite this psalm we should remember that: (1) we are God’s, (2) that He watches over us, (3) that we will be a part of His kingdom forever, (4) that one day evil will be destroyed, (5) that David’s victorious kingdom is a foreshadowing of the kingdom of Jesus Christ that is yet to come, and (6) that we need to praise God for what He has done and will do for us!

For additional worship: Crown Him With Many Crowns | Reawaken Hymns | Official Lyric Video

Psalm 21:1-7 “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The king rejoices in your strength, LORD! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation! You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head. He asked life of you and you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever. His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him. For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence. For the king trusts in the LORD. Through the loving kindness of the Most High, he shall not be moved.”

Is David instructing the people how to pray for Him (by the direction of God’s Spirit), or putting down their thoughts to music (still at the direction of God’s Spirit)? Either way, this seems to be in response to God’s answered prayers from Psalm 20.

There are certain similarities between David and us. Our greatest glory is the salvation we have in Christ. We are blessed forever because of our belief in Him. We experience gladness and joy through the presence of His Holy Spirit. And we trust in the Lord and recognize that His grace (“loving kindness”) makes it so we will never be moved!

John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

For additional worship: Praise the Lord Ye Heavens (ft. Harvest) – Young Oceans

Psalm 20:1-9 “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high, send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion, remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah. May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfil all your counsel. We will triumph in your salvation. In the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May the LORD grant all your requests. Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are bowed down and fallen, but we rise up, and stand upright. Save, LORD! Let the King answer us when we call!”

This is a prayer before battle. It starts with a request for the victory of the king, and concludes with the recognition that God will secure the success of the king. There is some discussion as to whether the last verse references the king of Israel or the King of the universe. I suspect it refers to God who is the supreme and sovereign King, which the king of Israel represents.

If we view each day as a battle between good and evil, right and wrong, sin and holiness, would we do well to recite something similar?

“Lord, please answer me in my day of trouble. Please send me help and set me on high as I worship and praise You. Please guide me and grant my desire to win victory this day. Let me triumph in Your salvation and declare Your name to those around me! Please help me to rise up and stand upright in the midst of my battle. I trust in You to hear and answer my prayer.“

We can also see Christ in this passage. His day of trouble was the cross, which He overcame through the victory of the resurrection. He fully trusted in God and was literally raised up!

For additional worship: Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart (First Call)

Psalm 19:7-14 “The LORD’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. The LORD’s covenant is sure, making wise the simple. The LORD’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. The LORD’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever. The LORD’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. Moreover your servant is warned by them. In keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, LORD, my rock, and my redeemer.”

We move from general revelation (that God is revealed in creation), to special revelation (that God reveals Himself through His Word). God’s Word restores our souls. It makes us wise. It is right, true, and pure. It provides enlightenment. We should desire it more than anything else! It shows us how to live and it warns us what to stay away from. Once we know what to stay away from, we should plead with God to help us to stay on the right path and to do and say only right things. Then we will truly exhibit the fear of the Lord, and we will be blessed!

For additional worship: Psalm 19 (The Heavens Declare) [feat. Chris Heesch]

Psalm 19:1-6 “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his room, like a strong man rejoicing to run his course. His going out is from the end of the heavens, his circuit to its ends. There is nothing hidden from its heat.”

How awesome is God? Look outside at the beauty of the ice and snowflakes glistening on the branches of the trees. Or see the glow of the sun reflected off the snow as it circles around the earth. Or look up at the sky at night and see the galaxy spread out before you. All of this is just what God has created. If he could create that, how much more glorious is He? Our very existence screams out that there is a creator, and that we should worship Him.

Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse.”

Romans 10:18 “But I say, didn’t they hear? Yes, most certainly, ‘Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.’ ”

For additional worship: For the Beauty of the Earth | Reawaken Hymns | Official Lyric Video

Psalm 18:43-50 “You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds. The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation, even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me. He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, amongst the nations, and will sing praises to your name. He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”

What can we take from a message that is so tailored to David? It should be a reminder to us of the final victory that we will be a part of, and an encouragement to praise God for all that He has done and all that He will do for us!

Revelation 21:22-27 “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there), and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter. There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

For additional worship: Psalm 18 (He Delights in Me) by The Psalms Project [feat. Shane Heilman]