Praying Psalm 22

What is the title of Psalm 22? To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Read Psalm 22:1-2

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
² O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

What is the problem? Forsaken, let loose. God is not there. Christ says this on the cross - hundreds of years later... Matthew 27:46. Christ really had this whole Psalm on his lips.

Read Psalm 22:3-5

³ Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴ In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵ To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

What does the psalmist remember about God?

God's Holy – fathers trusted Him

So the question lingers, WHY not deliverance NOW for me?

Read 22:6-8

⁶ But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷ All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸ “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

What is the problem?

Despised - mocked

Read 22:9-11

⁹ Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
¹⁰ On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
¹¹ Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

What does the psalmist remember from his own life?

God has been there from the beginning. The psalmist never even had a choice.

Read 22:12-18

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^[b]—
¹⁷ I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸ they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

What does the psalmist describe?

His own situation – death & fear Pain & sorrow.
Foreshadow Christ's pain and death.

Read 22:19-21

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!

What is his prayer to God?

Deliver me – SAVE ME

Read 22:22-26
²² I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³ You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.
²⁵ From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
²⁶ The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!

How does the psalmist praise God?

I, psalmist, for what he has done to ME! He tells the congregation. God acts first.
THEN the psalmist's ACTIONS follow – perform vows, eat, seek & praise…

Read 22:27-31

²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.
²⁸ For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
²⁹ All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive.
³⁰ Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹ they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

What happens to God’s name here?
Generations learn it – love it!
HE HAS DONE IT – sums up our trust. What the children will  carry on…

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?

What is the purpose of this Psalm/prayer?
Lament – this is a rough life
Praise – GOD has done it!! Salvation.

How does Christ fulfill this psalm?

Christ experienced 1^st ½ of psalm FULLY in the passion. Christ also knew about the God of history.
Praise for resurrection – HE HAS DONE IT.

How can we pray this?

We feel pain & suffering (like Christ) We pray for salvation because it’s too much.
We trust in history = GOD has DONE IT. We find comfort in the victory of Christ.

WE PRAY:
Hallowed be Thy name.

What does this mean? God's name is indeed holy in itself; but we pray in this petition that it may become holy among us also.

How is this done? When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we as the children of God also lead holy lives in accordance with it. To this end help us, dear Father in heaven. But he that teaches and lives otherwise than God's Word teaches profanes the name of God among us. From this preserve us, Heavenly Father.

Praying Psalm 21

What is the title of Psalm 21? To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Read Psalm 21:1-3

1 YHWH, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
² You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
³ FOR you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.

What is the happy news? The King rejoices! Prayers are answered!

How does this answer Psalm 20? He is asking for things to be done. Answer, protection, help, support, remember offerings – he does these things on behalf of the people. Here, these things have happened.

Read Psalm 21:4-7

⁴ He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.

⁵ His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
⁶ FOR you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
⁷ FOR the king trusts in YHWH, and through the steadfast love (chesed) of the Most High he shall not be moved.

 What did YHWH do for the king?

Life, glory, salvation, blessed, joy
BY presence, "chesed" (steadfast love)= the King will  NOT be moved  This is that incredible relationship of trust!!

Read 21:8-12

⁸ Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you.
⁹ You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. YHWH will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them.
¹⁰ You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man.
¹¹ FOR they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
¹² FOR you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.

What does YHWH do to his enemies?

Destroy them – this is a blessing
Read Bonhoeffer, Psalms, The Prayer Book of the Bible, “The enemies”. We pray for God’s good judgement.

Read 21:13

¹³ Be exalted, YHWH, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.

How does the psalmist end?

Praise! In YHWH’s strength.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?

What is the purpose of this Psalm/prayer?

Praise! Answered prayer.
Description How YHWH saved the King.

How does Christ fulfill this psalm?

We have not yet SEEN this reality. In small parts maybe, but overall we are waiting for a "king" to end it all. This is what God's followers hoped to find when Christ walked on this earth. (Remember "hosanna!"?)

But, Christ is our king. We see the happy answer in Christ’s resurrection from the dead. We are still waiting for the final victory - when Christ returns in glory.

How can we pray this?

Praise YHWH for his answer in Christ. Look forward to judgment to come.

WE PRAY:

Thy kingdom come.

What does this mean? The kingdom of God comes indeed without our prayer, of itself; but we pray in this petition that it may come unto us also.

How is this done? When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead a godly life here in time and yonder in eternity.

Praying Psalm 20

What is the title of Psalm 20? To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Read Psalm 20:1-3

1 Let/May YHWH answer you in the day of trouble! Let/May the name of the God of Jacob set you on high (protect)!
² May he send you help (one who helps) from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!
³ May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor (find fat) your burnt sacrifices! Selah

To whom is the psalmist speaking? King, anointed one

What is he asking? He is asking for things to be done. Answer, protection, help, support, remember offerings – he does these things on behalf of the people.

Read Psalm 20:4-5
⁴ May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans/counsel!
⁵ May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May YHWH  fulfill all your petitions!

What does he continue to ask?
Let God give the King: hearts desire, plans & counsels. AND When the king is leading well, people are happy.

**BUT – is every "heart's desire" equal?? What about a king with a selfish "heart's desire"? READ Bonhoeffer,  Psalms: The Prayerbook of the Bible, "Teach us to pray".

Read 20:6-8

⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.
⁷ Some in chariots and some in horses, but we cause to remember in the name of YHWH our God.
⁸ They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright/ are restored.

What is SURE to the Psalmist?

NOW I KNOW (v.6) – there is a tone change from the beginning of the psalm. He knows that YHWH delivers.
We know the history of our God – we know about deliverance and salvation for his special people.
We see the difference in trusting in “vain” things (chariots and horses) vs. trusting in YHWH.
This leads to a right confession of faith.

Read 20:9
⁹ O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when(in the day) we call.

What is the prayer?
Save the king – This is a prayer for God’s appointed leader.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?

What is the purpose of this Psalm/prayer?

Prayer for king/leader.
Confession of salvation – trust in YHWH

How does Christ fulfill this psalm?

Our leaders may or may not follow God's Word. We still pray they will. Even more important - WE KNOW – YHWH delivers. We saw this in God's history, climaxing in Christ's resurrection - the ultimate deliverance from death for all people.

How can we pray this?

Because he lives – we don’t trust in horses/chariots/ strong things of this world…

Because he lives – we will rise up and will be restored.

Because he lives - we pray YHWH continues to advance his kingdom by preaching word and giving his gifts!!

WE PRAY:
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

What does this mean? The good and gracious will of God is done indeed without our prayer; but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.

How is this done? When God breaks and hinders every evil counsel and will which would not let us hallow the name of God nor let His kingdom come, such as the will of the devil, the world, and our flesh; but strengthens and keeps us steadfast in His Word and in faith unto our end. This is His gracious and good will.