The God Pause for Tuesday, 20 February 2018 from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul Minnesota United States - Psalm 22:23-31
Psalm 22:
***
The last half of Psalm 22 reads like a "Hallelujah Chorus"
of praise. The psalmist calls on everyone to praise God,
from the "great congregation" to "future generations." It
is striking, then, that the psalm begins on a very different
note: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
The psalmist (and Jesus after) cries out in anguish to a
God who seems silent. The turning point comes when
the psalmist knows that God has heard: "From the horns
of the wild oxen you have answered me" (Ps. 22:21). The
NRSV translates, "you have rescued me" but the original
Hebrew does not go that far. The psalmist may still be in
grave peril, but the fact that God has answered is enough
to move the psalmist to praise.
In our lives, as in this psalm, we lament and we praise.
In lament, we express to God honest emotions of fear,
anger and grief and we call on God to hear us. Then,
eventually, we turn to praise. Both lament and praise
are faithful forms of prayer. Both lament and praise are
based on the knowledge that God hears and that God
will answer.
Gracious God, we know that you hear us when we pray.
Give us grace to pray boldly, trusting that you will answer.
Amen.
Kathryn Schifferdecker
Associate Professor of Old Testament; Bible Division Chair Luther Seminary
Psalm 22:23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
23 (22) I will proclaim your name to my kinsmen;
right there in the assembly I will praise you:
24 (23) “You who fear Adonai, praise him!
All descendants of Ya‘akov, glorify him!
All descendants of Isra’el, stand in awe of him!
25 (24) For he has not despised or abhorred
the poverty of the poor;
he did not hide his face from him
but listened to his cry.”
26 (25) Because of you
I give praise in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my vows
in the sight of those who fear him.
27 (26) The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek Adonai will praise him;
Your hearts will enjoy life forever.
28 (27) All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to Adonai;
all the clans of the nations
will worship in your presence.
29 (28) For the kingdom belongs to Adonai,
and he rules the nations.
30 (29) All who prosper on the earth
will eat and worship;
all who go down to the dust
will kneel before him,
including him who can’t keep himself alive,
31 (30) A descendant will serve him;
the next generation will be told of Adonai.
(Complete Jewish Bible.)***
The last half of Psalm 22 reads like a "Hallelujah Chorus"
of praise. The psalmist calls on everyone to praise God,
from the "great congregation" to "future generations." It
is striking, then, that the psalm begins on a very different
note: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
The psalmist (and Jesus after) cries out in anguish to a
God who seems silent. The turning point comes when
the psalmist knows that God has heard: "From the horns
of the wild oxen you have answered me" (Ps. 22:21). The
NRSV translates, "you have rescued me" but the original
Hebrew does not go that far. The psalmist may still be in
grave peril, but the fact that God has answered is enough
to move the psalmist to praise.
In our lives, as in this psalm, we lament and we praise.
In lament, we express to God honest emotions of fear,
anger and grief and we call on God to hear us. Then,
eventually, we turn to praise. Both lament and praise
are faithful forms of prayer. Both lament and praise are
based on the knowledge that God hears and that God
will answer.
Gracious God, we know that you hear us when we pray.
Give us grace to pray boldly, trusting that you will answer.
Amen.
Kathryn Schifferdecker
Associate Professor of Old Testament; Bible Division Chair Luther Seminary
Psalm 22:23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it. (New Revised Standard Version)
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it. (New Revised Standard Version)
The Luther Seminary
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