Psalm 22: 23-31
You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened for his cry for help.
From you come the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the Lord will praise him—may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—for he has done it.
A Thought
In the first verses of this Psalm, you can read the graphic picture of death by crucifixion. As the suffering One cries out to the Holy One, he is surrounded by evil men who have pierced his hands and feet. The Father has to endure the insults and bloody death of his Son on the cross for the punishment of sins of the whole world. Now all of us can be forgiven for the wrongs that we have committed against God and others because of the death on the cross by Christ, the Son of God who never knew sin but died a sinners death. Today’s passage commands all of us to praise the righteous One who has paid the price to enable all generations to feast and worship the Lord our God—the One who will rule over all the nations forever. Praise the name of the Lord now and forever to all the generations for he has fulfilled our salvation!
Our Prayer
Father thank you for your great love for us; even while we were in sin, you sent your Son to pay the price for our guilt of sin. We ask that you awaken us by the power of your Spirit to proclaim in word and in deed what Jesus was able to accomplish for all who will believe in Him and his righteousness. We praise your holy name, Jesus the Christ, amen.
