Boker Tov! Good morning! And, welcome back to Mishkan Katan, as we continue our study of the Psalms together today.
Let me ask you a question. If I were to ask you what is the clearest manifestation of the infinite wisdom and power of our Creator, what would you answer?
If you are a parent, maybe you are thinking of that moment you first held your first born child in your arms.
If you work with your hands to create beautiful things, maybe you are thinking of the first time you created something truly extraordinary ,and that accomplishment reminded you of the Creator of all things.
Maybe you are thinking of the moment in which you began your relationship with the Creator of the Universe through His only son, the Mashiach Yeshua.
Maybe you were thinking of a time when you stood outside in the darkest night and looked up to the heavens, and there you saw the most beautiful constellations you've ever seen.
Psalm 19 is another of the Davidic psalms. He begins the psalm in wonderment, as one who has studied the night sky and rejoiced in the majestic creation of God. Verses 1-4, from CJB
(1) The heavens declare the glory of God,
the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands.
(2) Every day it utters speech,
every night it reveals knowledge.
(3) Without speech, without a word,
without their voices being heard,
(4) their line goes out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.
Although the heavens themselves are incapable of human speech, they do “speak” to us, do they not?
According to scientists, the gravitational waves of space, which are created by massive objects moving through space, do make a type of sound as they fill the universe with vibrations in space-time. Scientists are able to detect these gravitational waves and use techniques to convert this astronomical data into sound via a process called sonification. This allows us to be able to “hear” the universe. When this is done, the universe makes an eerie hum that reflects things like the merging of black holes or the song of distant galaxies.
However, the heavens “speak” to us in ways that are not audible, by their light or reflected light which reaches earth and illuminates it. In so doing, they stimulate us to burst forth in praises of God.
The heavens also speak to us of the might and majesty of our Creator by the astoundingly precise movements they make. In fact, their movements are SO precise, that data fed into a computer can project back thousands of years, so that we can literally generate an image of, say, what the night sky looked like over Jerusalem on September 13, 5 BCE. Yes, we currently have the capability to do this, and NASA HAS done it. Who, but a matchless and perfect Creator could create such wonders? Ibn Ezra, one of the ancient sages, has commented that you can’t truly appreciate the celestial wonders of the skies unless you have studied the science of astronomy in some depth. I’m sure he is right.
What is meant by “heavens” in verse 1. This is a Hebrew word that does not refer to earth’s atmosphere, but instead the expanse beyond earth’s “skies”.
Verse 3 speaks of the constancy of these celestial movements. There's an idiomatic expression that goes like this: “As sure as the sun will rise in the morning.” We use this expression when we are very certain of something coming to pass. Rashi, the sage, says that this constancy speaks of God’s divine wisdom and control. The psalmist then goes on to extol the majesty of our sun, which is a dwarf yellow star.
Then, though, David uses the heavens as a comparison to the revelation of God in His written word, stating that truly, the former cannot begin to compare to the latter, which far surpasses the heavens in greatness. Let’s look at verses 7 through 9.
(7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the inner person.
The instruction of Adonai is sure,
making wise the thoughtless.
(8) The precepts of Adonai are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The mitzvah of Adonai is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
(9) The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The rulings of Adonai are true,
they are righteous altogether,
It is so appropriate that we are studying Psalm 19 as we are approaching the festival of Shavuot, because it was designated the Song of the Day for that festival. Likely, this assignment was made because of these verses right here. It is at the festival of Shavuot that we celebrate the giving of the Torah to the Hebrew people (and indeed to all the world) at Mount Sinai.
The sun makes it possible for us to have physical life on the earth. It is the sun’s rays which produce photosynthesis, the process that produces green plants for the food, without which physical life would not continue. As the sun illuminates physically, the Torah illuminates spiritually. Its perfection restores the spiritual person, bringing that person off the path of death and onto the pathway leading to life (again, from Rashi).
The word “Torah” actually means “instruction”, which is why it is called here “the instruction” or in some versions “the testimony” of Adonai. As the heavens are constant the Torah is even more constant, according to verse 7. It is sure. It is trustworthy, and able to make even the simple person wise. The commentary I’m using for this study points out that the body has many “helpers”, to help it in its sinful lusts and ways, but that the soul is like a stranger in a strange land, with no friends or supports in the pursuit of holiness. The Torah is one such helper. I would add, as a follower of Yeshua, that His Spirit who lives within His children is an even better helper, because it is the Holy Spirit who enlivens the words of His Written Word to our hearts. It is He who draws us to God and who illuminates God’s truths to our spirits.
(10) more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold,
also sweeter than honey
or drippings from the honeycomb.
(11) Through them your servant is warned;
in obeying them there is great reward.
“You can’t take it with you”, they say. And by “it”, material possessions is generally implied. We spend so much of our time working for material things that, in and of themselves, are not eternal, except to the extent they enable us to love one another. But, the love we share, the relationships we nurture, the way we love our fellow man, thereby demonstrating the love of God, the knowledge we gain from His Word and in our relationship with Him...all these things are eternal. These intangibles are the “great reward” we receive, both here (often) and most assuredly in the olam haba, the world to come.
(12) Who can discern unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from hidden faults.
(13) Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins,
so that they won’t control me.
Then I will be blameless
and free of great offense.
In verse 12, David affirms that, like the wise persons mentioned in the previous verses, he too is careful to observe the Lord’s statutes, commandments, and judgments. He then pauses in self-reflection and prays for himself - - that the Lord would help him to discern his mistakes and cleanse him from his unintentional sins, his secret flaws. He does not want to be ruled by his fleshly passions, but rather to walk in as much perfection as is humanly possible. He knows that the battle over sin begins in the mind and it is because of this fact he closes the psalm with this prayer, which I pray just before starting the Mishkan Katan broadcasts.
(14) May the words of my mouth
and the thoughts of my heart
be acceptable in your presence,
Adonai, my Rock and Redeemer.
The prayer that closes psalm 19 continues on into psalm 20, where he asks the LORD to answer his prayers and bless him. Here are the first five verses.
(1) May Adonai answer you in times of distress,
may the name of the God of Ya‘akov protect you.
(2) May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Tziyon.
(3) May he be reminded by all your grain offerings
and accept the fat of your burnt offerings. (Selah)
(4) May he grant you your heart’s desire
and bring all your plans to success.
(5) Then we will shout for joy at your victory
and fly our flags in the name of our God.
May Adonai fulfill all your requests.
David then shifts gears a little to affirm that victory over enemies comes from trusting in the Name of Yahweh, the One true God. His name is more powerful than all the armaments of the enemy. Verse 7 is arguably the best-known verse in this psalm.
Here are verses 6 through 9, going to the end of this psalm.
(6) Now I know that Adonai
gives victory to his anointed one —
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories by his right hand.
(7) Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we praise the name of Adonai our God.
(8) They will crumple and fall,
but we will arise and stand erect.
(9) Give victory, Adonai!
Let the King answer us the day we call.
What a great psalm for the conflict the nation of Israel is currently embroiled in! Psalm 20 in the original Hebrew is 70 words long, and the sages say this corresponds to the 70 foreign, pagan nations that fill the earth and often stand in opposition to Israel. Psalm 20 is recited as part of the Jewish daily Morning Service.
On to Psalm 21 now. What makes a ruler great? My goodness, the answers to that are extremely varied. Each person’s answer will reveal that he or she judges a ruler by his or her own individual’s moral compass. However, according to Torah, the ArtScroll Tehillim commentary says this: “The splendor of true kings is not an ordinary, earthly glow. It is a reflection of the great faith in Hashem which radiates from their ever-confident hearts. For the king trusts in Hashem. This is the true power behind the throne.” May Father Yahweh give us rulers like this!
David became such a ruler, and this psalm, psalm 21 depicts not only David, but his descendant, “THE Son of David”, the Mashiach. Ezekiel 37:25 speaks of David being a prince over the people of Israel forever. This is an obvious Messianic reference. It is said that David composed this psalm at the beginning of his reign, when his seat of power was in Hebron, that is, before the capital became Jerusalem. At that time, his rule was not firmly established, but was rather shaky and tentative. Here he is praying that God will establish him.
From the “git-go”, in verse 1, we see a crucial difference between most earthly rulers and David/Son of David. It says:
1 Hashem, in Your might the king rejoices, and in Your salvation how greatly does he exult!
Admittedly, in our modern age, this is completely opposite to how most rulers rule. In verses 2 through 7, David goes on to brag about what the Lord has done for him. He gives Father Yahweh all the credit and glory.
2 You have granted him his heart’s desire, and the utterance of his lips You have not withheld.
3 You preceded him with blessings of good; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
4 Life, he asked of You, You gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.
5 Great is his glory in Your salvation; majesty and splendor You conferred upon him.
6 For You made him a blessing forever. You gladdened him with the joy of Your Presence.
7 For the king trusts in Hashem and in the kindness of the most High, that will not falter.
I am not going verse-by-verse in all of these psalms, as I’ve mentioned before. I want to end today by looking at Psalm 22. Then, next week, we will devote the entire broadcast to the glorious Psalm 23.
Psalm 22 is a “Song of David”, but it primarily deals with future events, which would occur long after David’s time. It is said by the sages that David foresaw the Purim miracle, and that that is why he did not slay Shimi ben Gera, of the tribe of Benjamin. This story is recorded in 2 Samuel 16:5-13. Let’s look at it. (CJB)
5 When King David arrived at Bachurim, there came out from there a man from Sha’ul’s family named Shim‘i the son of Gera; and he came out pronouncing curses 6 and throwing stones at David and all King David’s servants; even though all the people, including his bodyguard, surrounded him right and left. 7 When Shim‘i cursed, he said, “Get out of here! Get out of here, you killer, you good-for-nothing! 8 Adonai has brought back on you all the blood of the house of Sha’ul. You usurped his kingship, but Adonai has handed over the kingdom to Avshalom your son. Now your own evil has overtaken you, because you are a man of blood!”
9 Avishai the son of Tz’ruyah said to the king, “Why allow this dead dog to curse my lord the king? Just let me go over and remove his head!” 10 The king said, “Do you sons of Tz’ruyah and I have anything in common? Let him curse. If Adonai tells him, ‘Curse David,’ who has the right to ask, ‘Why are you doing it?’” 11 David then said to Avishai and all his servants, “Look, my own son, who came from my own body, seeks my life. So how much more now this Binyamini! Let him alone; and let him curse, if Adonai told him to. 12 Maybe Adonai will notice how I’m treating him, and Adonai will reward me with good instead of his curses.” 13 So David and his men went on their way, while on the opposite hillside Shim‘i kept pace with him, cursing, throwing stones and flinging dust as he went. 14 The king and all the people with him arrived exhausted, so he rested there.
This story hearkens back to what I said earlier in the broadcast - - that whether you individually think a ruler is good or not is determined by your moral compass. Shimi reminds me of a lot of people today. At any rate, the sages say in Midrash Rabba that David foresaw Shimi would be used by God somehow, and so therefore, he forfeited his own dignity in sparing Shimi’s life. The sages go on to say that Shimi, of the line of Saul, was the ancestor of Kish, the Benjamite, and of Mordecai and Esther. Had David killed Shimi then, there would have been no Mordecai or Esther, who were used by God to save the Jews in Persia from extermination. Now, a lot of that is oral tradition, but it makes sense, actually.
So, when you study the Jewish commentary about this Psalm, the words of the Psalmist are said to refer prophetically to Esther speaking. However, in light of Mashiach Yeshua’s life and especially his death on the execution stake, this psalm is said to apply to Him, especially since He spoke words from this psalm while hanging on the cross. So, we are going to focus on the Messianic applications of this psalm, as opposed to the heroic exploits of Queen Esther, although she was in a way a forerunner of Messiah. She did not give her life to save the Jewish people, but she put her life at ultimate risk of death for doing what she did to secure their continued life and prosperity.
The psalm begins with a notation of a particular musical instrument this psalm should be played on and then plunges in with a heart-wrenching, painful cry.
In Hebrew, it reads like this:
לַ֭ אֵלִ֣י אֵ֭לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָחֹ֥וק מִֽ֝ישׁוּעָתִ֗י דִּבְרֵ֥י שַׁאֲגָתִֽי׃
My God, My God, for what you have left me (forsaken me), so far from saving me, words of my groaning?
In traditional Christianity, these words are construed to mean that Yeshua is saying Father Yahweh has turned His back on Mashiach because Mashiach is at that moment bearing the sins of the entire world, and that Father cannot be associated with sin in any man. I'm not saying that interpretation is wrong. But, I also want to submit to you another one.
The verb “ah-ZAHV” can also mean “leave”. Here’s an example: most of us have “forsaken” a possession because we have left it somewhere, such as when you go to a restaurant and leave your umbrella or coat. In that sense, you have forsaken your umbrella or coat.
AGR maintains that Yeshua is asking Father Yahweh, “Why are you leaving me here?” Or “Why have you spared me?” Here’s the footnote from AGR’s translation of Matthew 27:46 from the original Aramaic:
“The Hebrew azbatani is derived from azab (Strong’s #5800) which has been translated as: loosen, relinquish, permit, release, set free, forsake, abandon, omit and relax. It cannot mean forsaken though, as we think of the term because it is not possible that YHWH forsake Himself. Father YHWH cannot separate Himself from the Mashiyach (His Son) because he is a part of Him, or look away from him and pour out His wrath on His Son. Many Bibles read “forsaken” from which comes a false teaching that Father YAH abandoned Yeshua (Marcionite thinking). Also, Yeshua is not necessarily quoting from Psalm 22, although the imagery of that Psalm is certainly intended by Matthew. Greek transliterated Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, but Peshitta OT and the Hebrew Psalm 22 read Eli, Eli lama azbatani. Isaiah 53:4 indicates that “we” reckoned him stricken of Elohim, but it is not YHWH who tortured His own son, but men, motivated by religious tradition. Psalm 22 references those who scorned Yeshua for his Faith in YHWH and called him a worm (detested) {Psalm 22:7}, but Father YHWH does not forsake the righteous, nor does He at any time forsake His own Son - - see Psalm 9:9-10, 37:25, 71:11; Isaiah 49:14-16. Yeshua was in great physical pain after being brutally tortured. Those around him were confused however if he was calling on “Eliyahu” (Elijah the Prophet) or not. If Hebrew eyewitnesses were not sure of what he was saying, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Greek transliteration was also confused, putting lama sabachthani rather than lamana shabakthani. Perhaps the reason Yeshua says ‘why are you sparing me’ is because he has already proven his commitment by laying down his life and has already endured about six hours of his execution. So, it’s not a matter of being “forsaken” but instead he literally means, 'Father I’m ready, why can’t we finish this?’ Moments after saying this, he dies, which fully supports this interpretation.”
So, there you have two valid interpretations. I will leave it to you to determine which one makes the most theological sense in this context. The commentator, Boice, maintains Yeshua was certainly meditating on Psalm 22 during the hours of His crucifixion, and viewed his death as a fulfillment of that prophetic psalm David wrote.
(3) Nevertheless, you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Isra’el.
(4) In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted, and you rescued them.
(5) They cried to you and escaped;
they trusted in you and were not disappointed.
What do you do when you are in agony? Do you affirm the holiness of God in the midst of that and praise Him? I’ll be honest. That’s not my first response! But, it should be. It WAS the response of the person described in this psalm. He was well-aware that his awful circumstances did not alter God’s holiness or greatness.
In vs. 4 and 5 - - “our fathers”, “our ancestors” had their cries heard, Lord, and through their trust in You they were delivered. This next part is not explicitly stated, but it is implied....”Why not me, Lord? Why don’t you deliver me out of this mess?” Haven’t we all cried out in similar fashion like this? We all long to be delivered out of our trials and tribulations, and have trouble accepting that often the Lord wants to deliver us THROUGH them, not OUT of them. Going on to verses 6-8:
(6) But I am a worm, not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
(7) All who see me jeer at me;
they sneer and shake their heads:
(8) “He committed himself to Adonai,
so let him rescue him!
Let him set him free
if he takes such delight in him!”
These verses were fulfilled in the gospel account of Matthew 27:39-44. Let’s look at those five verses, from TAW, by AGR.
39 And those who were passing by were blaspheming, were against him, and were shaking their heads.
40 And they were saying, “Oh you, who would tear down the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Deliver yourself if you are the Son of Elohim and come down from the stake.”
41 Likewise, the chief priests were also mocking together with the scribes, the elders, and the Pharisees.
42 And they were saying, “He saved others, but he is not able to save himself. If he is the King of Yisra’el, let him come down now from the stake so that we may believe in him.
43. He put his trust in Elohim, let him save him now if he is pleased with him. For he said that ‘I amthe Son of Elohim.’ “
44 Likewise, even those bandits who were nailed to the stake with him were mocking him.
Amazing, the fulfillment, isn’t it?
Charles Spurgeon had this to say about the “I am a worm and not a man” reference.
“He felt himself to be comparable to a helpless, powerless, down-trodden worm, passive while crushed, and unnoticed and despised by those who trod upon him. He selects the weakest of creatures, which is all flesh; and becomes, when trodden upon, writhing, quivering flesh, utterly devoid of any might except strength to suffer. This was a true likeness of himself when his body and soul had become a mass of misery – the very essence of agony – in the dying pangs of crucifixion.”
Oh, what love! It is entirely beyond my comprehension. Let’s move to verses 12 through 18 now, where David describes prophetically, with amazing accuracy, the sufferings of one being crucified, although that method of death was not known or practiced in David’s day. But, first, what about those bulls?
(12) Many bulls surround me,
wild bulls of Bashan close in on me.
(13) They open their mouths wide against me,
like ravening, roaring lions.
(14) I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of joint;
my heart has become like wax —
it melts inside me;
(15) my mouth is as dry as a fragment of a pot,
my tongue sticks to my palate;
you lay me down in the dust of death.
(16) Dogs are all around me,
a pack of villains closes in on me
like a lion [at] my hands and feet.[a]
(17) I can count every one of my bones,
while they gaze at me and gloat.
(18) They divide my garments among themselves;
for my clothing they throw dice.
The area of Bashan, in northeastern Israel, was known for producing the best, strongest, most tasty beef in all of Israel. Here is a brief history of the area, from gotquestions.org
Bashan was a territory that Israel won, defeating King Og during Israel’s conquest of Canaan (Deuteronomy 3:3–4). The territory included about sixty wealthy cities (Joshua 13:30), some of which had walls of bronze (1 Kings 4:13). Bashan was a place of giants (like Og) and mighty oaks (Isaiah 2:13). Bashan was associated with strength and wealth and plenty.
Bashan was also famous for the quality of its cows and flocks. Moses recounts how God had provided Jacob (the people of Israel) with curds of cows, milk of the flock, and fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Bashan (Deuteronomy 32:14). In His lovingkindness God had delivered the land of Bashan to Israel (Psalm 136:17–22). But, sadly, the people grew fat from this wealth and forsook the God who provided it for them (Deuteronomy 32:15–16). Even the women there were oppressing the poor and crushing the needy (Amos 4:1). Because of the people’s evil, God said He would judge the people of Israel and remove them from the land. The impenetrable forest of Bashan would come down (Zechariah 11:2). After this judgment, God would again restore Israel to the land, and they would feed in Bashan and Gilead once again (Micah 7:14).
Here are the specific indicators of Yeshua’s crucifixion prophesied/mentioned in verses 14-18:
**Poured out like water (22:14)
Yeshua’s side was pierced with a sword, upon which time water and blood flowed out of the wound. (John 19:34)
**Bones out of joint (22:14)
It is common with crucifixion that the torque exerted upon the body by gravity tends to dislocate the shoulders and subluxate the spine and ribs.
**heart like wax, melted within me (22:14)
Based on John 19:34, it is reasonable to conclude that Yeshua suffered a ruptured heart.
**tongue clinging to the jaws (22:15)
Yeshua testified to this reality when he commented, “I thirst”, from the cross. (John 19:28-30) At that time, a sponge filled with wine vinegar was lifted to his lips, and after he received it he cried out “It is finished.”
**pierced hands and feet (22:16)
In crucifixion, the feet were laid atop one another and a large spike driven through both. The “hands” indicate the spike driven through the wrist bone cavity of each hand.
**I can count all my bones ((22:17)
David was saying here that none of his bones had suffered breakage, despite his many other physical torments and sufferings. Likewise, the Son of David, the Mashiach, suffered no broken bones in the hours of his crucifixion. Although the Roman soldiers broke the leg bones of the criminals flanking Yeshua, they did not break his legs because He had already died.
Verse 18 is not directly related to crucifixion, except for the fact that men were crucified either naked or nearly naked. Apparently, David at some point in his life found his enemies casting lots for his clothes, which surely felt like a huge indignity at the time. How much more humiliating it must have been for the Son of God to hang naked on an execution stake while his executioners threw lots to see who would get his clothing. Verse 18 of Psalm 22 was fulfilled in John 19:23-24 and Matthew 27:35.
Verses 19 through 21a are hearkening back to verse 11, an impassioned plea for rescue and salvation, followed by verses 21b through the end of the psalm, verse 31, which are a hymn of praise and prophecy about God’s people.
The last verse is particularly important. It is referenced in Hebrews 2:12, indicating that the entire psalm points to the redemptive work of Yeshua, not just the first half, depicting His agony. Some might look at the second half of this psalm as an afterthought, but it could be argued that this was the primary reason Yeshua came : ultimately, to glorify and obey His Heavenly Father.
When Yeshua cried out, “Tetelestai!” Greek for “It is finished!”, He was alluding to the last verse of Psalm 22, which ends with “He has done it!”, meaning that God the Father had, through the obedience and sinlessness of His divine Son, wrought salvation for the human race.
Let’s read these last, triumphant verses of this magnificent psalm. We’ll start with the last half of verse 21.
You have answered me from the wild bulls’ horns.
(22) I will proclaim your name to my kinsmen;
right there in the assembly I will praise you:
(23) “You who fear Adonai, praise him!
All descendants of Ya‘akov, glorify him!
All descendants of Isra’el, stand in awe of him!
(24) For he has not despised or abhorred
the poverty of the poor;
he did not hide his face from him
but listened to his cry.”
(25) Because of you
I give praise in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my vows
in the sight of those who fear him.
(26) The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek Adonai will praise him;
Your hearts will enjoy life forever.
(27) All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to Adonai;
all the clans of the nations
will worship in your presence.
(28) For the kingdom belongs to Adonai,
and he rules the nations.
(29) All who prosper on the earth
will eat and worship;
all who go down to the dust
will kneel before him,
including him who can’t keep himself alive,
(30) A descendant will serve him;
the next generation will be told of Adonai.
(31) They will come and proclaim
his righteousness
to a people yet unborn,
that he is the one who did it.
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