"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this. (Psalms 22:1-31)

          Anyone who reads Psalm 22 will easily see several parallels to the crucifixion of Christ. This psalm became a prophecy of Jesus' last hours on earth. Psalm 22 begins with the exact words of Jesus on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Psalms 22:1) Jesus bear our sins on the cross. "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12) God's nature will not allow him to look upon sin. "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" (Habakkuk 1:13) Therefore, it was necessary from Him to turn away from Jesus as He died on the cross. Roughly 900 years before crucifixion became common practice, David wrote about the crucifixion of Christ.

          David faced trials with faith in God -- Psalm 22:1-10: David faced many sever trials in his lifetime. He remembered God cared as he thought about past blessings to the previous generations and to David himself. In a very sad way David described both his doubts and his struggles.

          David asked God for help -- Psalm 22:11-21: David kept praying to God for help through his trials. He kept asking until he received an answer from Him. David described how he had suffered at the hands of inhuman enemies. But he also saw the victory given by God.

          David praised God for His blessings -- Psalm 22:22-31: David praised God for answered prayers. He said, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee." (Psalms 22:22) David's thoughts are summarized in the words, "For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard." (Psalms 22:24)

          Prophecies concerning the Messiah -- Psalm 22: I do not know if David knowingly prophesied of the Messiah. Yet, there is no doubt that this psalm provides much information about the Messiah. Observe: (1) Psalm 22:1 contains the words, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" These are words of Jesus on the cross. (Mark 15:34)  (2) Psalm 22:6-8 pictures the mocking and scorn of the onlookers at the crucifixion. The fulfillment of these words is found in Matthew 27:39-43. (3) Psalm 22:16 says "they pierced my hands and my feet." The fulfillment of these words is found in John 20:24-27. (4) Psalm 22:18 says "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." The fulfillment of these words is found in John 19:34. (5) Psalm 22:22 is quoted in Hebrews 2:12 as words spoken by Jesus. "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee." There is no doubt that this psalm points us to the Messiah!