Continuing in Psalm 22 - Thoughts by Spurgeon -My thoughts in parentheses - My emphasis italicized
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren. - "The delights of Jesus are always with his church...Jesus anticipates happiness in having communication with his people; he purposes to be their teacher and minister...The name, i.e., the character and conduct of God are by
Jesus Christ's gospel proclaimed to all the holy brotherhood; they behold the fullness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in him...We may learn from this resolution of our Lord, that one of the most excellent methods of showing our thankfulness for deliverances is to tell to our brethren what the Lord has done for us. We mention our sorrows readily enough; why are we so slow in declaring our deliverances?
In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. - "In the great universal church Jesus is the One authoritative teacher, and all others, so far as they are worthy to be called teachers, are nothing but echoes of his voice. Jesus, in this second sentence, reveals his object in declaring the divine name, it is that God may be praised; the church continually magnifies Jehovah for manifesting himself in the person of Jesus, and Jesus himself leads the song...Delightful are the seasons when Jesus communes with our hearts concerning divine
truth; joyful praise is the sure result."
23 Ye that fear the Lord praise him. - ""He exhorts the faithful to unite with him in thanksgiving. The description of "fearing the Lord" is very frequent and very instructive; it is the beginning of wisdom, and is an essential sign of grace...Humble awe of God is so necessary a preparation for praising him that none are fit to sing to his honour but such as reverence his word."
All ye the seed of Jacob glorify him; - "The saint should unite in the song; no tongue maybe silent, no heart may be cold. Christ calls us to glorify God, and can we refuse?"
And fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. - "The spiritual Israel all do this, and we hope the day will come when Israel after the flesh will be brought to the same mind. The more we praise God the more reverently shall we fear him, and the deeper our reverence the sweeter our songs. So much does Jesus value praise that we have it here under his dying hand and seal that all the saints must glorify the Lord."
24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted. - "Never was man so afflicted as our Saviour in body and soul from friends and foes, by heaven and hell, in life and death; he was the foremost in the ranks of the afflicted, but all those afflictions were sent in love, and not because his Father despised and abhorred him"
(This verse 24 means that You CARE about my pain - because You've been there! And God, You have sent my afflictions in LOVE.)
Neither hath he hid his face from him. - "That is to say, the hiding was but temporary, and was soon removed; it was not final and eternal."
(TEMPORARY...Yes, Lord, my affliction is only TEMPORARY!)
But when he cried unto him, he heard. "Every child of God should seek refreshment for his faith in this testimony of the Man of Sorrows. What Jesus here witnesses is as true to-day as when it was first written. It shall never be said that any man's affliction or poverty prevented his being an accepted suppliant at Jehovah's throne of grace."
(Yes, You hear my prayers, too, although sometimes there seems to be SILENCE.)
25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation. - "The one subject of our Master's song is the Lord alone...The word in the original is "from thee," ---true praise is of celestial origin."
I will pay my vows before them that fear him. - "Jesus dedicates himself anew to the carrying out of the divine purpose in fulfillment of this vows made in anguish...Messiah vowed to build up a spiritual temple for the Lord, and he will surely keep his word."
26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied. - "Mark how the dying Lover of our souls solaces himself with the result of this death. The spiritually poor find a feast in Jesus, they feed upon him to the satisfaction of their hearts...Note the characters who partake of the benefit of his passion; "the meek, the humble and lowly. Lord, make us so. Note also the certainty that gospel provisions shall not be wasted, "they shall eat;" and the sure result of such eating, "and be satisfied."
They shall praise the Lord that seek him. -"...their thanksgiving days must and shall come.
Your heart shall live for ever. - "Your spirits shall not fail through trial, you shall not die of grief, immortal joys shall be your portion. Thus Jesus speaks even from the cross to the troubled seeker. If his dying words are so assuring, what consolation may we not find in the truth that he ever liveth to make intercession for us! They who eat at Jesus' table receive the fulfillment of the promise, "Whosoever eateth of this bread shall live for ever."
("God is most glorified in us when we are most SATISFIED in Him! Dr. John Piper says. The promise here is that the meek SHALL be SATISFIED!
And yes, I SHALL praise the Lord if I seek Him. This means HEALING is on the way! Some day...some DAY! Hallelujah!)
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