Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - 2014 Daily Lenten Devotion "COUNTING BONES" Thursday, 3 April 2014 - Read Psalm 6

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - 2014 Daily Lenten Devotion "COUNTING BONES" Thursday, 3 April 2014 - Read Psalm 6: For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments, upon the eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm by David.
1 Yahweh, don’t rebuke me in your anger,
    neither discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am faint.
    Yahweh, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
3 My soul is also in great anguish.
    But you, Yahweh—how long?
4 Return, Yahweh. Deliver my soul,
    and save me for your loving kindness’ sake.
5 For in death there is no memory of you.
    In Sheol,[a] who shall give you thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning.
    Every night I flood my bed.
    I drench my couch with my tears.
7 My eye wastes away because of grief.
    It grows old because of all my adversaries.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity,
    for Yahweh has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 Yahweh has heard my supplication.
    Yahweh accepts my prayer.
10 May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed.
    They shall turn back, they shall be disgraced suddenly.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 6:5 Sheol is the place of the dead.
TEXT: I can count all my bones-they stare and gloat over me (Psalm 22:17).
One of the most painful aspects of crucifixion was having your entire weight hanging from your hands. Your whole body was stretched by the weight, which shot intense pain through every joint, muscle and bone. The stretching also caused the bones to stand out, which is why Jesus is able to count all of them.
As David couples together Jesus' ability to see and count all His bones, with His enemies staring and gloating over Him we are reminded that crucified criminals were hung naked. This removal of clothing served the purpose of making crucifixion as great a deterrent as possible by adding the shame of public nudity to the excruciating pain. In Jesus' case, His enemies look on Him in hatred, and take great pleasure in seeing His protruding bones and watching Him writhe in agony.
What incredible love our Savior shows! He well might pray for His Father to strike down such evildoers who take pleasure in seeing their Lord and Christ suffering. Instead, He prays "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Even though to forgive them, He is taking their punishment upon Himself.
That also brings us back to the prayer that echoes over and over again throughout this psalm: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me." Repeatedly, Jesus points out His enemies' cruelty and savagery, their shameless mockery, ridicule and torment. He asks His Father how long He will continue to forsake Him, and pour out upon Him such wrath and fury.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, Your love and grace is impossible to measure. You endured such scorn and agony out of love for the whole human race. Help me share that love with everyone I meet. Amen.  
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Lutheran Hour Ministries
660 Mason Ridge Center
St. Louis, MO 63141 United States
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