PSALM 22

WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?

David cries out to God, asking why he has been forsaken. Jesus recites this verse on the cross as He is crucified (Matthew 27, Mark 15). David describes his pain as having his hands and feet pierced, a pain that Jesus experienced on the cross, and his clothing divided by casting lots, foretelling how Jesus’s clothes were divided among the Roman soldiers at the crucifixion (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23)

David is deeply distressed and refers to himself as a worm instead of a person. He feels far from God and desires God’s nearness and comfort. 

Acknowledging that the Israelites before him trusted God and were not put to shame, David knows that God was faithful to his ancestors. 

Psalm 22:5 - To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.