Daily Bible Nugget #568, Psalm 22:1

The Nugget:

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? (KJV)

Psa 22:1 (A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “A Deer at Dawn.” ) My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why are you so far away? Won’t you listen to my groans and come to my rescue? (CEV)

My Comment:

The New Testament records seven sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. One of those sayings is a partial quotation taken from Psalm 22:1.

Matthew 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Mark 15:34  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

This saying was the basis of a question presented on the Logos forum earlier this week. I decided not to answer the question on that forum since theological discussion is frowned upon there.

But I have answers to the posed question and will give them here.

The question revolves around the issue of whether or not God deserted Jesus while Jesus was on the cross.

The Biblical answer is that it is certain that God did not desert Jesus.

First of all, with regard to Psalm 22:1, William Kay on the word forsaken states that “The whole tenor of the Psalm shows that this is not the cry of despair, but of the most perfect faith.” To this observation I have found that a number of different New Testament texts agree:

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I have provided a specific answer to the question in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury at Matthew 27:46,

Matthew 27:46

ninth hour. Our 3 p.m. +Mat 27:45, =Exo 12:6, Deut 16:1, Dan 9:21, Act 10:3.

Jesus. Mar 15:34, Luk 23:46, Joh 19:28, 29, 30, *Heb 5:7.

cried. Note the “seven words” from the cross: (1) Luk 23:34; (2) Luk 23:43; (3) Joh 19:26, 27; (4) Mat 27:46; (5) Joh 19:28; (6) Joh 19:30; (7) Luk 23:46 (CB). T1185, Luk 23:33, 34; Luk 23:42; Luk 23:46.

with a loud voice. Luk 19:40.

Eli. i.e. my God, *S# G2241, only here. >Psa 22:1; Psa 71:11, Isa 53:10, Lam 1:12.
Eli. FS84, +Gen 22:11.

sabachthani. i.e. hast thou forsaken me? *S# G4518. Mat 27:46, Mar 15:34.

My. FS59, +Gen 28:16, Psa 31:14; Psa 42:6, Dan 6:22.

why hast. 2Co 13:4.

forsaken. or, leave Me in this circumstance (LNT). Gr. egkataleipō (S# G1459, 2Co_4:9). Did You leave in translates egkatelipes; Moulton says on this word, “Egkataleipō will serve as a type of some others: kataleipō abandon (perfective) is supplemented with en, pointing to the plight in which the victim is left” (James Hope Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek, Vol. 2, p. 305, § 118, (a)). [The Greek has been transliterated.] The term is a compound word made up of en (in), kata (down, downwards), and leipō (to leave). So, in keeping with its definitive characteristics, the word means to leave in some circumstance. Note that Moulton’s term, perfective, means that the preposition en, expresses completion to the rest of the word in this context. Christ was left, but in what sense? En, in, the redemptive role: suffering, bloodshed, death! God cannot leave, forsake, or run out on God the Son. God IS one, as in a state of being, and there cannot be departure whatsoever among the Trinity, of the One from the Other. God’s effort was not abandonment, but redemption! We further note that the same word, egkatelipen, is used of Demas forsaking Paul (2Ti 4:10). Thus Paul was left, but in what sense? He was left in the plight of desertion. The purpose of the leaving declares the difference in meaning: Demas’ purpose was another love, requiring a separation; God’s purpose was redemption, requiring togetherness and oneness (LNT, fn i). $>Psa 22:1; Psa 69:17; Psa 88:14, Lam 3:8, **Hab 1:13, 2Co 5:21, Heb 13:5 g.

 

I believe 2 Corinthians 5:19 requires us to understand that God did not abandon Jesus on the Cross, but was most closely associated with Jesus in this work of Redemption and Reconciliation:

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (KJV)

2Co 5:19 That is, that God was in Christ making peace between the world and himself, not putting their sins to their account, and having given to us the preaching of this news of peace. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)

These things took place on Thursday of Passion Week.

Thursday of Passion Week began (by our mode of  reckoning time) with the arrest of Jesus. This took place on the fifth day of the week, the 14th day of Nisan, the Preparation Day for the Feast of the Passover, the day the lamb was slain in the ninth hour, our 3 pm, the precise hour that Jesus died on the Cross.

Jesus Dies. Marking The First Day (see Luke 24:21)

Jesus descends to “the heart of the earth.”

 

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