Psalm 22:1-31
For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar.
A Psalm of David.
My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
[2] O my God, I cry by day, but Thou dost not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.
[3] Yet Thou art holy,
O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
[4] In Thee our fathers trusted;
They trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.
[5] To Thee they cried out, and were delivered;
In Thee they trusted, and were not disappointed.
[6] But I am a worm, and not a man,
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
[7] All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
[8] "Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."
[9] Yet Thou art He who didst bring me forth from the womb;
Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother's breasts.
[10] Upon Thee I was cast from birth;
Thou hast been my God from my mother's womb.
[11] Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
[12] Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
[13] They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a 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 me.
[15] My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And Thou dost lay me in the dust of death.
[16] For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
[17] I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
[18] They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.
[19] But Thou, O Lord, be not far off;
O Thou my help, hasten to my assistance.
[20] Deliver my soul from the sword,
My only life from the power of the dog.
[21] Save me from the lion's mouth;
And from the horns of the wild oxen Thou dost answer me.
[22] I will tell of Thy name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise Thee.
[23] You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
[24] For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Neither has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.
[25] From Thee comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
[26] The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
[27] All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before Thee.
[28] For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations.
[29] All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
[30] Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
[31] They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.
Psalm 22 - Psalm 22:1-31
Open It
For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar.
A Psalm of David.
My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
[2] O my God, I cry by day, but Thou dost not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.
[3] Yet Thou art holy,
O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
[4] In Thee our fathers trusted;
They trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.
[5] To Thee they cried out, and were delivered;
In Thee they trusted, and were not disappointed.
[6] But I am a worm, and not a man,
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
[7] All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
[8] "Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."
[9] Yet Thou art He who didst bring me forth from the womb;
Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother's breasts.
[10] Upon Thee I was cast from birth;
Thou hast been my God from my mother's womb.
[11] Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
[12] Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
[13] They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a 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 me.
[15] My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And Thou dost lay me in the dust of death.
[16] For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
[17] I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
[18] They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.
[19] But Thou, O Lord, be not far off;
O Thou my help, hasten to my assistance.
[20] Deliver my soul from the sword,
My only life from the power of the dog.
[21] Save me from the lion's mouth;
And from the horns of the wild oxen Thou dost answer me.
[22] I will tell of Thy name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise Thee.
[23] You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
[24] For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Neither has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.
[25] From Thee comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
[26] The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
[27] All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before Thee.
[28] For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations.
[29] All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
[30] Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
[31] They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.
Psalm 22 - Psalm 22:1-31
Open It
* 1. When was a time that you felt God was unreachable or silent?
2. Why does it hurt when a friend rejects you or turns a cold shoulder?
3. What can make a person feel distant from God?
3. What can make a person feel distant from God?
Explore It
* 4. How did the psalm writer feel about his relationship with God? (22:1-3)
5. What was the focus of David’s prayer? (22:1-31)
6. What did the psalm writer say about what God had been to Israel in the past? (22:3-5)
7. Why did people mock David and how did their insults make him feel? (22:6-7)
8. What did David say about what God had been for him? (22:9-10)
9. How did David describe his enemies? (22:12-13, 16)
10. What four figures did the psalm writer use to describe the attacks of his enemies? (22:12-13, 16-18)
11. How did the psalm writer feel under the attacks of his adversaries? (22:14-15)
12. How did the psalm writer recall the four figures he used to describe his enemies later in the psalm? (22:20-21)
* 13. What changed David’s attitude? (22:22-24)
* 14. What vows did David make to the Lord? (22:22-31)
15. What will motivate other people to turn from their idols and praise the true God? (22:25-31)
16. Who will join the psalm writer in praise to the Lord? (22:26-31)
5. What was the focus of David’s prayer? (22:1-31)
6. What did the psalm writer say about what God had been to Israel in the past? (22:3-5)
7. Why did people mock David and how did their insults make him feel? (22:6-7)
8. What did David say about what God had been for him? (22:9-10)
9. How did David describe his enemies? (22:12-13, 16)
10. What four figures did the psalm writer use to describe the attacks of his enemies? (22:12-13, 16-18)
11. How did the psalm writer feel under the attacks of his adversaries? (22:14-15)
12. How did the psalm writer recall the four figures he used to describe his enemies later in the psalm? (22:20-21)
* 13. What changed David’s attitude? (22:22-24)
* 14. What vows did David make to the Lord? (22:22-31)
15. What will motivate other people to turn from their idols and praise the true God? (22:25-31)
16. Who will join the psalm writer in praise to the Lord? (22:26-31)
Get It
17. Why do you think portions of this psalm are quoted or alluded to so often in the New Testament in reference to Christ’s crucifixion?
18. What should we do whenever we feel we have been forsaken by God?
* 19. What should we do when God seems far away?
20. Why do you think people often feel distant from God?
* 21. How can we follow the psalm writer’s example when we want to draw closer to God?
22. What are the benefits of remembering what God has done for us in the past?
23. How has this psalm motivated you to praise the Lord?
24. For what reasons are you inspired to praise God?
25. How can we be involved in telling future generations about the Lord?
26. How can you share with others what God has revealed about Himself to you?
18. What should we do whenever we feel we have been forsaken by God?
* 19. What should we do when God seems far away?
20. Why do you think people often feel distant from God?
* 21. How can we follow the psalm writer’s example when we want to draw closer to God?
22. What are the benefits of remembering what God has done for us in the past?
23. How has this psalm motivated you to praise the Lord?
24. For what reasons are you inspired to praise God?
25. How can we be involved in telling future generations about the Lord?
26. How can you share with others what God has revealed about Himself to you?
Apply It
27. What is one step you can take to draw closer to God this next week?
* 28. Whom can you encourage who feels distant from God?
29. With whom could you share what God has done for you?
* 28. Whom can you encourage who feels distant from God?
29. With whom could you share what God has done for you?
TODAY I AM:
Trusting in the Lord and being delivered.
Crying out and I am being delivered.
Trusting in the Lord and not being disappointed.
Crying out and I am being delivered.
Trusting in the Lord and not being disappointed.
Being rescued because I delight in the Lord.
