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. 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. 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 nd gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 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!
Vv 12-21
While we rightly stress the spiritual suffering of Christ as he is banished from the divine presence to Azazel, we should not underestimate his physical and mental suffering. Indeed his physical and mental suffering produce the conditions for his spiritual harrowing.
In vv12-21 the sufferer’s prayer to his God continues but the focus shifts more firmly to his tormentors and his physical distress. Describing himself as a worm (Cf. Israel in exile Isa 41:14) reveals his collapsed sense of self-value. Animal imagery is also used to describe his tormentors. These animals are menacing. His tormentors are strong bulls, roaring lions and vicious dogs. These three are later repeated in reversed order (v20,21).
Bulls of Bashan were noted for their strength. These, it seems, are not domesticated animals but wild oxen. Their strength contrasts with his evident weakness. His strength is ‘dried up like a potsherd’. Their dominant strength has led to and contrasts with his weakness. A vivid description of his weakness and anguish because of his oppressors follows,
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
It appears that malevolent strength triumphs over godly weakness. Yet even here the sufferer recognises that his circumstances and impending death is God’s doing not primarily theirs; ‘you lay me in the dust of death’. His enemies are but pawns carrying out the divine plan. Faith, however, continues to trust even in the dust of death. And this faith will ultimately be vindicated. God will reverse fortunes (Lk 1:46-56). Ezekiel foresees this divine reversal when he writes,
“As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field: ‘Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth—of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, of bulls, all of them fat beasts of Bashan. 19 And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. 20 And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,’ declares the Lord GOD. (Ezek 39: Rev 19:17-21).
The powerful opposed to God and his people will be overthrown. But this reversal is not yet. Now, like national and rebellious Israel, Jesus, the true and obedient Israel (Jn 15) is baptised with a cup of suffering administered by human enemies. His enemies are real and fearful, like a ravening roaring lion and they have come to devour and like dogs they encircle ready to tear at the prey; he feels trapped. God’s judgement on both Israel and Jesus is mediated, at least in part, through human agents, the gentile nations (though in Jesus case Israel too is responsible). To mockery and menace is added physical malevolent violence; they pierce his hands and feet. The animal bites are Roman nails.
He is their victim upon whom they stare and gloat as they destroy. With callous indifference they gamble for his clothes which he will no longer need. He lies in the dust of death. Yet, unusually in OT torment, there is no cry for vengeance or retaliation. Instead, as we fast forward we hear at the cross the extraordinary words, ‘Father forgive them for they don’t know what they do’.
The cross is both the object of our trust and the model of our discipleship. The cup Jesus drank, his people also experience to a greater or lesser degree (Matt 10:22, 1 Pet 5:8). We, like him, are regarded as sheep to the slaughter (Roms 8). To this cup, his people are called, he suffered leaving us an example that we may follow in his steps. He suffered for his people and calls upon his people to suffer with him. Psalm 22’s righteous sufferer includes us.
The first half of the psalm ends as it began, the Lord’s servant pleading with the Lord not to be ‘afar off’ but to come quickly to deliver him from his enemies (vv19-21). Nothing is more tenacious than his desire for God’s presence. Yet the psalm doesn’t quite end as it began. Messiah’s final words contain are an unexpected surprise. Having asked to be delivered from the animals that attack and persistently met with silence we read the unexpected words- ‘you have answered me’.
Abruptly, in the middle of a cry the mood changes. God has heard and has not remained hidden. Light blazes into the darkness. Atonement is complete. It is finished. The violation is ended. The exile is over. Obedience has been tested and perfected. God has been glorified. Now communion with his God is restored as he entrusts his spirit to his Father and breathes his last. His use of the name Father signals relationship restored. He will next be seen in resurrection glory and ascending to heaven from where he leads his people’s praise..
Cave Adullam 