It is written:
“All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.” (Psalm 22:27)
One of the reasons why the Messiah could rejoice even in His suffering was due to the knowledge that He had accomplished the vast work that God had set before Him. Through His death and resurrection from the dead (which is also clearly prophesied in Psalm 22), the Christ (the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah) would bring to fruition the amazing work that God had entrusted Him with.
From the moment of the first sin in the Old Testament, God had begun to reveal the plan of redemption by which He would save all the families of the Earth. This salvation would be accomplished by His Messiah, and would be extended to all people throughout the world (no matter their nationality or their lineage). This was a constant theme throughout the Old Testament, and especially in Psalms!
“This, however, is only relatively true. It is a profound fact that “the hymn of praise is missionary preaching par excellence,” especially when we realize that such missionary preaching is supported in the Psalms by more than 175 references of a universalistic note relating to the nations of the world. Many of them bring hope of salvation to the nations. This was a most astounding discovery for me some years ago. The believer will be greatly enriched in his missionary thinking by reading through the Psalms and underlining all references relating to the nations of the earth. Indeed, the Psalter is one of the greatest missionary sionary books in the world, though seldom seen from that point of view. Not only are the Psalms permeated with references of universal connotation, but whole psalms are missionary messages and challenges. Study carefully Psalm 2, 33, 66, 72, 98, 117, 145. The impact of such hymnody must have been profound upon a spiritually minded people.” (George W. Peters, A Biblical Theology of Missions, 1330-1334 (Kindle Edition); Chicago; Moody Press)
One of the first passages in Scripture which hinted at this Divine mission is from Genesis:
Genesis 12:3-I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Speaking of the grammar of this text, Kaiser notes:
“This promise of a universal blessing to the “peoples” or “families” on earth is repeated in Genesis 18: 18; 22: 18; 26: 4; and 28: 14. In Genesis 12: 3 and 28: 14, the Hebrew phrase used for “all the peoples/ families” is kôl mišpĕḥôt, a phrase that is rendered in the Greek translation of the Old Testament as pasai hai phulai, meaning “all the tribes” in most contexts, but it could also stand for households, as in Joshua 7: 14.[ 6] Therefore, the blessing of God given to Abraham was intended to reach smaller people groups as well as the larger political groupings of nations. The latter point is made clear in the fact that in Genesis 18: 18; 22: 18; and 26: 4, the Hebrew phrase in this identical expression is kôl gôyê, “all the nations,” which the Greek translated as panta ta ethnē, “all the nations.” Acts 3: 25 used the Greek phrase pasai hai patriai, “all the families.” A patria is a people group, which is a subgroup of a tribe or a clan. (It can also be congruent with the tribe or clan in its entirety.) But the sweep of all the evidence makes it abundantly clear that God’s gift of a blessing through the instrumentality of Abraham was to be experienced by nations, clans, tribes, people groups, and individuals. It would be for every size of group, from the smallest people group to the greatest nation group.” (Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations, 334-340 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Academic)
Now, watch this: the phraseology used by Moses in Genesis 12:3 is the exact same wording used in Psalm 22!
“Verse 27 also has resonance and reference to the Abrahamic covenant of Gn 12: 2, 3 and its reiteration to Jacob in Gn 28: 13, 14. The identical phrase, “all the families of …” in Ps 22: 27b is also found in the Genesis passages of promise to the patriarchs. Reference to the nations of Ps 22: 28 also repeats a common term found in the repeated patriarchal covenant (Gn 18: 18; 22: 18; 26: 4). Likewise, the seed of Ps 22: 23( 2x) and 30 is a dominant term in the patriarchal promises (Gn 13: 15, 16; 17: 7, 8, 10, 19; 22: 17[ 2x], 18; 26: 4[ 2x]; 28: 13, 14; 48: 4). The twice-repeated “worship” of Ps 22: 27-29, 30 and reference to “service” to the king of 22: 30, likewise dominate the patriarchal covenantal declarations (Gn 25: 23; 27: 29, 40; 37: 9, 10; 49: 8). The twice-repeated use of “assembly/ congregation” in Ps 22: 22, 25 also represents a common term in Genesis patriarchal narratives (Gn 28: 3; 35: 11; 48: 4). These numerous linguistic parallels indicate that this third strophe of Ps 22 sees the deliverance and rescue of the messianic king out of death as fulfillment of the eternal covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah. It is through his torment and death and subsequent resurrection that the many nations receive the blessings of Abraham.” (Robert L. Cole, “Psalm 22: The Suffering Of The Messianic King,” in Michael Rydelnik & Edwin Blum, The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy: Studies and Expositions of the Messiah in the Old Testament, 539 (Kindle Edition); Chicago; Moody Publishers)
In other words, the Messiah would be able to find joy in His suffering because He was carrying out God’s plan to bless all the families of the Earth.
Yet there is more that needs to be considered along these lines. Indeed, we will learn that the only Person able to carry out this Mission was none other then God Himself.
Which is Who the Messiah of Psalm 22 is shown to be.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Leave a Reply