Do you recognize Psalm 22 off the bat? Probably not. It’s definitely not as well-known as Psalm 23. But if I read the first line, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”, you’ll probably recognize that in a heartbeat. Psalm 22 is not only considered a prophecy of the Messiah, it’s also a really beautiful prayer that I’ve been studying closely these past few days.

The first thing that stands out to me is its structure.

Psalm 22’s Structure

From verse 1 to the beginning of verse 21, it is a cry for help. From verse 22 to the end (it has 31 verses in all), the psalm takes a turn, rejoicing over the greatness of God. 

What ties these sections together? One sentence, the second half of verse 21. In the New King James Version (which is what I use for personal study), that sentence goes, “You have answered me.”

Let me give you the verse in fuller context:

But You, O LORD, do not be far from me;

O my Strength, hasten to help me!

Deliver me from the sword,

My precious life from the power of the dog.

Save me from the lion’s mouth

And from the horns of the wild oxen!

You have answered me.

I will declare Your name to my brethren;

In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

(Psalm 22:19-22, NKJV, emphasis mine)

 Now I want to look at the first half, verses one through 21. Go read it real quick. Again, I used New King James Version, but you can use any translation.

 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Why are You so far from helping me,

And from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not hear;

And in the night season, and am not silent.

(Psalm 22:1-2, NKJV)

The Psalmist’s Trust

I’m not sure who this psalm is about. It’s written by David, but did David prophetically write it about Jesus, or did he write it about himself and it ended up applying to Jesus? I don’t know, but whoever this is about, he’s going through it: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it has melted within me.”

He has every reason to wallow in his misery. But the psalm goes on:

 But You are holy,

Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

Our fathers trusted in You;

They trusted, and You delivered them.”

(Psalm 22:3-4, NKJV)

 There are so many beautiful passages about how this person must trust God, that he has had no choice but to trust God ever since he was born. I’m not going to list them all here, you should read them for yourself. 🙂

After listing his agonies, the psalmist explains why he’s calling to God: he trusts God will help him. And then the psalm shifts dramatically.

 You who fear the LORD, praise Him!

All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,

And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!

(Psalm 22:23, NKJV)

The Psalmist’s Joy

This half of the psalm is full of overwhelming praise and joy, and it’s directed all toward God. We don’t really hear how the psalmist is helped (or even if his circumstances changed), but the psalmist doesn’t care about that anymore. All he cares about is extolling God, talking about how good and powerful He is. 

When we’re struggling, no matter what it is, we can bring it to God. We can be frank too. Sometimes I think I shouldn’t share my struggles, that doing so will mean denying God’s goodness or empowering demons. That’s awfully close to the idea of manifesting things into reality, which isn’t Biblical, and secondly, it’s just ridiculous. God’s goodness is bigger than any of our words or problems.

Now, I do think there is a place you can get to where you’re just complaining and not even trusting God anymore or looking for His help. In that place, you definitely can make yourself feel worse the more you speak about your problems. 

But that’s not what the psalmist does. He tells God, “Look, I’m surrounded by enemies. I’m in horrible pain. I’m dying. BUT I know You are there, You are powerful, You are the only reason I’m alive. I’m trusting You to hear and help me.”

And God does! That’s the best part of the psalm. God is faithful to help us, even if it isn’t always instant, even if it isn’t always the way we expect. 

Psalm 22’s Promise

I study this psalm both to get me through mental struggle and to get closer to God. It’s hard to read it and not think about Yeshua’s sacrifice. He went through so much for us, because, as the psalm says, “He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face.” 

And in that time of salvation, we forget about everything we’ve gone through. It seems like nothing compared to what He’s done. We are swept away by the overwhelming joy of His deliverance. We can do nothing else but praise Him. 

 Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.

Let your heart live forever!

All the ends of the earth

Shall remember and turn to the LORD,

And all the families of the nations

Shall worship before You.

(Psalm 22:26-27, NKJV)

 So, consider this as you continue on through your day. Give everything over to Him and recognize that He is mighty to save you (Zephaniah 3:17). He won’t turn away from you. He created you, He caused you to be born, He rules over the world. Let Him rule over your life. You won’t regret it.