Saturday, February 16, 2013

Psalm 22:8


Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely
Psalm 22:8

8 He trusted [galal] on the LORD [Yahovah] that he would deliver [palat] him: let him deliver [natsal] him, seeing he delighted [chaphets] in him. KJV-Interlinear

8 "Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him." NASB


This is a taunting gesture from the crowd of people in general, as they watch the events of the crucifixion.

As Jesus was nailed to the cross, and as it was lifted up into place, and as He hung there, the crowd was taunting.

There are always vocal people in any crowd, that will offer comments, loud and clear which are intended for all to hear.

And oddly enough, their very comments are a part of prophecy in which they themselves, even as a vocal and mocking crowd, are fulfilling.  But the greatest of the mockers were the scribes and priests that were in the crowd, for it was they who were quoting scripture, even with inaccuracies, Matt. 27:43.  The priests did not know their own textbook very well.

If they had known doctrine then they would have known the prophecy.  Had they known the prophecy, they would not be saying anything. But an arrogant person lacks truth, and certainly lacks understanding.  And they presume to know everything.

Trusted, means to roll, to roll something off ones own self onto another, to cast off, to commit something to someone else.

Deliver, ‘palat,’ means to slip out, to escape, to carry away.

Deliver, ‘natsal,’ means to snatch away, defend, deliver, rescue.

This was a taunt or tease, in an attempt to get God to come down and snatch Jesus right off the cross and thus save him from further suffering.  They were expecting or rather, challenging both God and Messiah, to come together and impress them or fulfill their ridicule against God and Messiah.  They wanted to see it.  They wanted proof.

And oddly enough, proof was already available from the scriptures, from the evidence of the Magi, from the life of Jesus, from the details of his birth and residence of his early life, from the miracles that exceeded anything ever seen or done in history, from the timing of the Passover, from the proofs that those who opposed Jesus, had provided themselves.  Even their mocking fulfilled prophecy.  Even the content of their mocking, fulfilled prophecy.

Fools, are those who lack truth in their souls, and fools demand things that are already there.  They just do not see them.  Actually they refuse to see them.

And finally, delighted, ‘chaphets,’ meaning to delight, favor, desire, pleased.  And this is exactly what we are all to do, ‘Delight thyself in the Lord…’

The priests, the mob crowd, everyone professed to know God, and boasted in that they were somehow defending Gods honor by mocking, which is a sin, Jesus, who claimed to be God.  Hypocrites all.

And though all of this ridicule was done in contempt, it was really a fulfillment of prophecy in that the Psalms foresaw this behavior, and more than that, this is exactly what everyone is supposed to do, which is, trust in the Lord, commit your way unto the Lord, delight in the Lord, and He will deliver.

And even though no one saw it, this is exactly what God did. 

Only God, delivered every human being out of the bondage of sin and eternal death.  It is just that far too many reject this personal deliverance and salvation opportunity.  They are too caught up in their own self defined spiritual delusion, or they reject the idea all together.