AN EXPOSITION OF PSALM 22 (5)
Psalm 22

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VI. Christ prays for deliverance from His agony (vv.19-21a).

"But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me; ..." (v.19a). This is the second time Christ makes this appeal, having earlier done so in verse 11. As we observed when expounding that text, Christ here speaks not with regard to God's omnipresence, that of His nature, through which God is always everywhere present. Rather, Christ speaks of God's saving presence, that of His grace, through which God is near to all who call upon Him.

"... O My Strength, hasten to help Me!" (v.19b). Christ as God has all strength and omnipotence in Himself, as He is "The Mighty God" and "The Almighty" (Isaiah 9:6; Revelation 1:8). Christ as the God-man is the strength of His people, for which reason they confess "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 3:16). But Christ in the weakness of His humanity acknowledges Jehovah as His Strength. If "the Man Christ Jesus" (as the Mediator is called in 1 Timothy 2:5) would not trust the arm of His flesh for salvation, infinitely less should we! If this same "Man Christ Jesus" needed to pray "hasten to help Me!", infinitely more do we!

"Deliver Me from the sword, ..." (v.20a). What sword?

1. The sword of God's justice pierced the soul of Christ. This was in fulfillment of the prophecy "'Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion,' says the LORD of hosts. 'Strike the Shepherd'" (Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 26:31). Christ would be delivered from this sword as soon as justice was satisfied.

2. The sword of men's cruelty pierced the flesh of Christ. That sword was wielded by His enemies who demanded and executed His crucifixion. He was, as it were, pierced by the fangs of unclean dogs (v.20b) and raging lions (v.21), and by the horns of wild oxen (v.21). Their "sword" included their words of perjury and derision against Him (see Psalm 57:4; Proverbs 25:18), their crown of thorns that pierced His brow (Matthew 27:29), their spikes which pierced His hands and feet (v.16), and the spear that pierced His side. Christ would be delivered from that sword, and from every unjustness associated with it.

"... My precious life from the power of the dog" (v.20b).

1. "My precious life" is the soul of Christ. The Hebrew word means literally "my only one", and is translated "my darling" in the King James Version. Every man considers his soul to be his "darling". The soul of Christ was especially "precious" – far more so than that of any man. Although the guilt of the sin of God's elect was imputed to His person, the defilement of the sin of no one ever touched His soul. Christ here prays that His holy soul be delivered from "the power of the dog".

2. "The power of the dog" here evidently refers to Satan. He is the instigator of the "dogs" against Christ mentioned in verse 16, just as he had "already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him" (John 13:2). Satan is an unclean creature, as is the dog (see Exodus 22:31). He therefore certainly desired and attempted to sully and destroy the soul of Christ. Satan is furthermore here identified as the "lion" and the "wild ox" (v.21).

"Save Me from the lion's mouth ..." (v.21a). Satan is "your adversary the devil walks [who] about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). He had done so against Christ from the dawn of creation, when Jehovah had promised, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed" - which Seed of the woman is Christ (Genesis 3:15a). Satan had moved the heart of King Herod to kill Christ when He was but an infant (Matthew 2:16). Satan had sorely tempted Christ to sin in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1ff). Satan had put moved the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Christ (John 13:2). Now Satan was sinking his fangs into the heel of Christ, His humanity, to wound Him (Genesis 3:15b). Never was Satan more ravenous than when he attacked the soul of Christ.

"... And from the horns of the wild oxen! ..." (v.21b). The exact meaning of the Hebrew word here translated "wild oxen" is not certainly known. It refers probably to the great aurochs or wild bulls which are now extinct, and which possessed long curved horns. Such wild oxen were symbols of strength and vigor (Numbers 23:22; 24:8; 29:6), and possessed powerful, dangerous horns (Deuteronomy 33:17; Psalm 92:10). The King James Version here translates the Hebrew word as "unicorn", a mythical animal with the head and body of a horse, the hind legs of a stag, the tail of a lion, and a single horn protruding from the middle of its forehead. This latter translation is founded upon the Hebrew word being translated in the Septuagint with a Greek word meaning "single-horned" (monokeros, as is the rhinoceros). We prefer the translation "wild oxen", being reluctant to associate a purely mythical beast with the death of Christ. But whichever the case, Christ desired to be delivered from goring horns, as much as from the fangs of the raging lion and the mad dog.

VII. Christ obtains deliverance from His agony (v.21b).

This second half of this twenty-first verse is the hinge upon which the two halves of this psalm swing. The first half (vv.1-21a) describes Christ's darkest night, in which His most fervent prayer was uttered. The second half (vv.22-31) describes His everlasting day of victory. This text "You have answered Me" is "The Deer of the Dawn" (see the superscription) announcing the end of the dark night and the beginning of the glorious day. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).

1. Who doubted that Jehovah would hear Christ's prayer? "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16). In Elijah we have proof of this promise; but in Christ we have our Exemplar. Never was there a man so righteous in His person, nor fervent and energetic in His prayer as Christ - "who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear" (Hebrews 5:7).

2. What proofs do we have that Jehovah heard Christ's prayer?

i. Jehovah strengthened Christ to complete His task (Psalm 89:19-21): "Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one, and said: 'I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found My servant David [as Christ is called in Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23f; 37:24f; Amos 3:5]; with My holy oil I have anointed him [for which reason Christ is called Jehovah's Anointed in Psalm 2:2], with whom My hand shall be established; also My arm shall strengthen him."

ii. Jehovah then received Christ. Christ had been forsaken by God (v.1) because He bore the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:4a), which God cannot look upon. Christ in His agony and death paid in full the penalty God required for those sins. God witnessed the labor of Christ's soul in the place and stead of His people and then declared "I am satisfied!" (Isaiah 53:11) - "You have once for all perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14). Jehovah's Son replied in victory with His dying breath, "It is finished!" (John 19:30): the Savior had delivered them from their sins (Matthew 1:21); the Redeemer had ransomed them from their captivity (Job 33:24; Matthew 20:28; Revelation 5:9); the Great Physician had healed their infirmity (Isaiah 53:5); the Sanctifier had cleansed them (Revelation 1:5); the Surety had paid their bail (Hebrews 7:22); the Mediator of the Covenant had remitted their sins (Hebrews 9:22; Matthew 26:28). Consequently, the sword of God's justice that had pierced Christ's soul was withdrawn (Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 26:31) and returned to its scabbard, never again to be withdrawn against Christ or any of His people. The hand of righteousness that had justly stricken and smitten Christ (Isaiah 53:4b) now drew Him to His Father's bosom.

iii. Jehovah exalted Christ over all His enemies. Christ in His death, having been strengthened by God's hand, crushed the head of His arch-adversary Satan in fulfillment of the protevangelium, the first gospel message (Genesis 3:15). Then "The LORD [Jehovah] said to my Lord [Christ], 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.' The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!" (Psalm 110:1f; Hebrews 1:13). Therefore, "this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool" (Hebrews 10:12f). Let us surrender to Him now! "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him" (Psalm 2:12).

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