Forsaken

Forsaken Forsaken?

(. . . and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced . . .)

Matthew 27

46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (also Mark 15:34)

Christians are often confused about these words, spoken by Christ as he hung on the crucifixion stake/tree. Did Christ really feel that the Father had forsaken him? Did he, as some ministers have eloquently proclaimed from the pulpit, see God's back as he turned His face away from His son?

Christ’s cry of "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?", quoted by both Matthew and Mark, has often puzzled scholars down through the ages, but it contains a profound message if understood in the context of the time and culture in which it was uttered.

The statement, taken by itself, sometimes "bothers" modern Bible readers. Why? The Merriam Webster’s Pocket Dictionary gives the definition of "Forsake" as meaning "to renounce completely". So, for Christ to truly feel that God had "Forsaken" Him, would seem to imply that Jesus, our Savior, had also "lost faith". Think about this for a moment. Considering how often in scripture we are admonished to "have faith", the thought that our Savior may have lost His at the hour of trial can be slightly disturbing. However, this entire line of reasoning is the result of a basic misunderstanding of what was actually happening at this momentous occasion.

In order for those of us today to fully grasp the significance of Christ’s cry, we must first understand a bit about Jewish culture and custom prevalent in His day. Recall, after all, that during the time of Christ’s ministry His followers and "audience" were almost entirely Jewish, as the Gentiles had not yet begun to come in in any significant numbers.

In the First Century, the printing press had not yet been invented, and mass-produced "books" did not exist. The scriptures were meticulously hand-copied onto multiple scrolls. They were relatively rare and very valuable. They could be found in the synagogues , but only the very rich could afford to own their own copies. Because of this, devout Jews and students of the scriptures committed large portions of the scripture to memory. To aid in memorization, the various portions (Parashot) were "labeled" by the first few words of the opening passage. A similar practice is still followed by Jews today. In this way, Jews could "speak volumes" to each other by simply quoting these "labels", since upon hearing the opening words, the listener would immediately recognize and be familiar with the basic story/lesson of that portion.

In the account from Matthew 27:46 above, Christ is actually making a declaration about Himself by quoting the opening line of a passage of scripture that prophetically referred to Him. To discover what he was actually saying, we need to be familiar with the entire portion, which is Psalms 22. Lets read it:

Psalms 22

1. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

2. O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

3. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

4. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

6. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8. He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

Matt 27: 39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

40. And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

41. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

42. He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

43. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

10. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

12. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. (bulls are a symbol for gentiles,& Rome)

13. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

14. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

15. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

16. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

(The Jews also referred to Romans/gentiles as "dogs", see for example Matt 15:22-28)

John 19: 33. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

34. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

Luke 24: 39. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

40. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

John 20: 19. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

20. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

21. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

22. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

23. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

26. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Zech 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

(The eyes of the House of Judah/David will be opened to their Messiah shortly before His return. In Matt 23: 37-39 Christ says: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, ‘Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord’").

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

(Returning to Psalm 22)

17. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

18. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

Matt 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

John 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

24. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

19. But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

20. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog (gentiles).

21. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns (wild bulls).

(Now notice the turn this passage takes, from suffering and despair, to hope and glory!)

(And note the answer to our question of whether God "turned His back" or "hid His face".)

22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

23. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

24. For he (YHVH - God) hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted (Yeshua - Christ); neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

25. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

26. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

27. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28. For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations.

29. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

30. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

31. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born (the redeemed), that he hath done this.

When Christ quoted the opening words of this passage of scripture, every Jew within earshot, and every Jew who later heard or read this account, knew exactly what he was saying. He was not bemoaning a vision of God" turning His back", but rather, he was declaring himself to be their Messiah! (Another Gentile fairy-tale bites the dust) As Christians begin to re-discover their Jewish roots, more of this excess baggage can be eliminated. The "two sticks" must yet become one.

Zech 12:9-10

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Revelation 1:7

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Shalom - -

MLS

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