Psalm 22 is one of the most well-known psalms in the Bible, primarily because verse 1 contains words that Jesus uttered on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). This cry of abandonment has resonated with believers throughout the centuries who have experienced feelings of distance from God. But why did David originally pen these words in his psalm?
Psalm 22 was written by David about 1,000 years before Christ. David had many life experiences where he could have felt abandoned and estranged from God. As a fugitive running from King Saul, David faced danger and loneliness. Even after becoming king, David sinned greatly in adultery and murder. He experienced the death of his infant son and rebellion within his own family. Any of these trials could have caused David to feel forsaken by God.
In Psalm 22, David expressed the depths of agony he was experiencing. He vividly described his bodily sufferings: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death” (Psalm 22:14-15). David felt weak, alone and forsaken, like “a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people” (Psalm 22:6).
In the midst of his pain, David cried out to God for deliverance. He pleaded for God not to be far from him, because trouble was near and there was no one else to help (Psalm 22:11, 19). Though David felt abandoned by both God and man, he continued to place his hope in the Lord’s salvation and deliverance (Psalm 22:20-21). Even in the depths of despair, David clung to his knowledge of God’s character and past faithfulness.
Toward the end of the psalm, the tone shifts to joyful praise as David expresses trust that God will deliver him: “For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him” (Psalm 22:24). David ends the psalm with hope, anticipating the day when “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you” (Psalm 22:27).
When Jesus cried out the words of Psalm 22:1 on the cross, He was identifying with David’s feelings of abandonment. But while David wondered if God had forsaken him, Jesus was actually abandoned by the Father as He bore the sins of the world. Jesus entered into the darkness that we might be forgiven and reconciled to God. Through His sacrifice, we can confidently draw near to God, knowing we have been ransomed and redeemed (Hebrews 4:16).
David’s cry of despair ultimately ends in hope. This psalm foreshadows Christ’s agony on the cross when He carried our sins so that we, despite feeling forsaken at times, can trust that God will never abandon us.
Why did David ask why God had forsaken him? As human beings, we all experience times when we feel abandoned by God and question His nearness. Through trials, losses, sin and guilt, we can identify with David’s cry. Yet even when we walk through dark valleys, we have hope in Christ that God will deliver and save us. Though we suffer, we shall be comforted (Psalm 23:4). Though we feel forsaken, we shall be restored. One day, every knee shall bow before Him (Psalm 22:27; Philippians 2:10). Until then, we can come boldly and confidently to God’s throne of grace, where we will receive His mercy and find His sustaining grace in our times of need (Hebrews 4:16).
David wrote Psalm 22 out of his own personal anguish and distress. Yet God used his cry of dereliction to point ahead to the Messiah’s suffering. And the Lord can also use our times of hardship to strengthen our faith and draw us closer to Himself. In our pain, we gain a greater appreciation for the enormity of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. When we feel abandoned by God, we can cling to His promises and experience His comfort in a profound way. Our faith is refined in the crucible of affliction. Though we may walk through terrible darkness, it will make the light of God’s deliverance all the sweeter.
As one pastor said, “The mystery of the cross explains our sufferings. The mystery of our sufferings explains the cross.” Just as David’s experience enabled him to cry out the words Jesus would utter centuries later, so too can our trials give us insight into the heart of God. In our deepest pain, we can choose, like David, to trust God and His unfailing love. For He has promised never to forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). One day, we will exchange our laments for songs of joy and praise. Until then, we can come boldly to God’s throne and receive grace, confident that He will deliver us (Hebrews 4:16).
Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need fear no evil (Psalm 23:4). For on the cross, Jesus experienced the darkness of abandonment that we might be forgiven, saved and restored. His cry of “why have you forsaken me” enables us to trust that though we may feel forsaken for a time, God will never ultimately abandon us. In our grief and pain, we can pour out our hearts to Him, knowing He identifies with our sufferings. And He will answer us from His holy hill (Psalm 3:4). For He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). Let us trust in His unfailing love.
When we do not understand the afflictions we endure, we can ask God for wisdom and grace to see His purposes. We may not always receive answers, but we can receive His comfort. We can be assured that He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all will certainly provide and care for us in all our troubles (Romans 8:32). God may allow trials for our good to refine us, teach us, and make us more like Christ. Though it is painful, we can trust His faithful love. For He promises to never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).
So in times of distress when we wonder why God seems distant, let us remember Christ’s cry from the cross. Though He bore our sins and the Father turned away, yet He prayed for our forgiveness (Luke 23:34). God answered the prayer of His beloved Son. And He will answer when we call to Him as well. For Jesus suffered abandonment that we might be reconciled to the Father. We have hope in our Savior that no matter how alone we feel, God will deliver us. Let us fix our eyes on Christ and receive His mercy, confident that He identifies with our weakness. And the God of all comfort will comfort us in our afflictions (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
Though we cannot always understand the reasons for our suffering, we know that God uses it for our good (Romans 8:28). In our trials and pain, we can draw nearer to our merciful High Priest who sympathizes with our struggles (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus endured the ultimate abandonment on the cross so that we would never be forsaken by God. Through His Spirit, He is now ever-present, walking with us through every dark valley. So let us boldly approach the throne to find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). For God has promised never to forsake us. He will lead us all the way to our eternal home.
The mystery and pain of suffering can either drive us away from God or lead us to cling more tightly to Him. Though we will not find all the answers, we can receive divine comfort and strength to endure. And we can be assured that one day, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Until that glorious day, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).