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Melissa
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Username: Melissa

Post Number: 1353
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 8:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just returned from a glorious Easter service at my church. I really struggled with not going in the morning, but the pastor had asked that as many of us who could come tonight to do so because we typically see a 30-50% increase in attendance on Easter Sunday, and we run near peak each week for our facility and parking on a regular Sunday. So, I went tonight. And wow! The music worship was wonderful and all focused upon the Cross of Christ, and there was a processional of banners with the names of Christ...Lily of the Valley, Lion of Judah, Prince of Peace....with the final one being the name of Jesus itself in purple and gold. It's the 3rd or 4th year they've used those banners, and each year, the emotion just swells into your throat as you think of all that Christ is to us and for us. But Reggie took a different look at the old old story. Yes, he retold the old story of the cross and how the old testament foreshadowed that event, that Christ himself was not surprised by the unfolding of events. He went into the detail of Roman crucifixion and separated what has become traditional to what the reality probably was ...like the cross was probably only 7' high at the head, not way up in the sky like stories show it, and the nails on his feet were probably through the fleshy part of his heel because of archeological discoveries. Then there is the nails through the wrist rather than the palms, which I think most people are aware of these days. You could have heard a pin drop as he described the horrors of that event. But he took a twist and he talked about Jesus reciting the words of an old song from the cross. And because he anticipated everyone saying "huh?" he had us turn to Psalm 22. He talked about how the psalms was a jewish song book. To illustrate his point, he told another story. When he was a kid, before mp3s or dvds, or even 8-tracks, he said they would sing their favorite hymns on vacations. Because of those memories, he said that if his dad was laying on his death bed and started singing "I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more," he would know he was singing one of his favorite hymns. He said if he died at that moment, anyone hearing him might think he died with such depressing last words, but Reggie knew the next words "But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I."

He used this story to lead into Psalm 22 and how he thinks Jesus saw his last words recorded in Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34

"At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"

Psalm 22

1My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

And then he read the rest of the way through the psalm and told why he thinks that Jesus was reciting the song that many jews would know and recognize. He continued through the psalm picking out certain phrases...I can't remember everything, but I'll point out those I do....

7All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
8"Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."

He talked about the people at the foot of the cross ridiculing him, even the other on the cross said to save himself and them. (Matt 27:39-44)

14I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And You lay me in the dust of death.
16For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
17I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;

He talked about the piercing spear and how it separated water and blood, the dehydration ("I thirst"), yet none of his bones were broken in his crucifixion.

18They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.

Again, the another reference to what was happening at the cross....

27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
28For the kingdom is the LORD'S
And He rules over the nations.
29All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
30Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
31They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

You kindof can't see it in NASB, but in other translations (NIV here) Verse 31 reads...

31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unbornó
for he has done it.

"...he has done it". Correlating to Jesus' words "It is finished". Here in one psalm, David has given a prophetic view of Jesus on the cross. I have NEVER heard another preacher put this psalm into those words. Reggie went back to the story of his father and the hymn. He said to the jews who were hearing him utter those words, who were raised on the psalms as their hymns, he wondered if they didn't recognize that Jesus was quoting a song rather than crying out to God because he has turned his back on him. His explanation made so much more sense to me than any other explanation of that phrase. And I wondered if anyone else has ever heard that psalm in connection to the crucifixion? There is certainly a lot there that would lead one to think it is relevant.

Anyway, I went to church tonight to leave more room for others, now I'm contemplating going again in the morning and watching from the AV room just I can hear it all again.

Whether your first easter or 90th, I hope each of you experience the miracle of the resurrection anew this Easter weekend! I know I certainly have!
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 3760
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 10:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Melissa, thank you for this moving account. What an awesome service, and isn't it just amazing about Psalm 22? I feel as if I'm still on a huge discovery curve realizing that so many of the Psalms are Messianic. I never understood that in my past!

How completely amazing.

Colleen
Patriar
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Username: Patriar

Post Number: 265
Registered: 3-2005
Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 12:54 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes, Melissa, I second that! What a beautiful discovery. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it!

In Him,
Patria
Jwd
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Username: Jwd

Post Number: 195
Registered: 4-2005


Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 8:27 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Bless you, Melissa.
Benevento
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Username: Benevento

Post Number: 95
Registered: 4-2005
Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 12:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thank you, Melissa,we all are blessed by what you shared with us!! Peggy
Jeremiah
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Username: Jeremiah

Post Number: 82
Registered: 1-2004


Posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 9:26 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I remember being surprised when I heard this about Psalm 22 as well! I heard it from an Orthodox priest.

The psalms have historically been a big part of Christian worship and prayer. Which is a carryover from the Jews.

In fact I've heard that one of the requirements for being a bishop has been that the person knows the whole book of Psalms by heart. I'm not sure if that's still the case.

If the Psalms as we have them today are messianic, I've heard that the Psalms in the LXX, the Greek translation of the OT from 200 BC, are even more strongly messianic. In fact the Jews decided the LXX was a very bad thing when so many people were being converted to Christianity from what's in there.

You can find the LXX translated to English at http://apostlesbible.com . Here's Psalm 22;

1 For the end, concerning the morning aid, A Psalm of David. O God, my God, attend to me; why have You forsaken me? The account of my transgressions is far from my salvation. 2 O my God, I will cry to You by day, but You will not hear; and by night, and it shall not be reckoned to me as folly. 3 But You, O praise of Israel, dwell in a sanctuary. 4 Our fathers hoped in You; they hoped, and You delivered them. 5 They cried to You, and were saved; they hoped in You, and were not ashamed. 6 But I am a worm, and not a man; a reproach of men, and the scorn of the people. 7 All that saw Me mocked Me; they spoke with their lips, they shook the head, saying, 8 ìHe hoped in the Lord; let Him deliver Him, let Him save Him, because He takes pleasure in Him.î 9 For You are He that drew Me out of the womb; My hope from My mother's breasts. 10 I was cast on You from the womb; You are My God from My mother's belly. 11 Be not far from Me, for affliction is near; for there is no helper. 12 Many bulls have compassed Me; fat bulls have beset Me round about. 13 They have opened their mouth against Me, as a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all My bones are loosened; My heart in the midst of My belly has become like melting wax. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and My tongue is glued to My throat; and You have brought Me down to the dust of death. 16 For many dogs have compassed Me; the assembly of the evildoers has enclosed Me; they pierced My hands and My feet. 17 They counted all My bones; and they observed and looked upon Me. 18 They parted My garments among themselves, and cast lots for My clothing. 19 But You, O Lord, be not far from Me; be ready for My aid. 20 Deliver My soul from the sword; My only begotten soul from the power of the dog. 21 Save Me from the lion's mouth; and regard My lowliness from the horns of the unicorns. 22 I will declare Your name to My brothers; in the midst of the congregation will I sing praise to You. 23 You that fear the Lord, praise Him; all you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him; let all the seed of Israel fear Him. 24 For He has not despised nor been angry at the supplication of the poor; nor turned away His face from Me; but when I cried to Him, He heard Me. 25 My praise is of You in the great congregation; I will pay My vows before them that fear Him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; and they shall praise the Lord that seek Him; their heart shall 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 the kingdom is the Lord's; and He is the governor of the nations. 29 All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and worshipped; all that go down to the earth shall fall down before Him; my soul also lives to him. 30 And my seed shall serve him; the generation that is coming shall be reported to the Lord. 31 And they shall report His righteousness to the people that shall be born, whom the Lord has made.

Did you see the phrase "my only begotten soul"? Reminds me of John 3:16...

The last verses sound like a prediction of the Christian church, to me. Pretty interesting! :-)

Jeremiah
Lynne
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Username: Lynne

Post Number: 356
Registered: 10-2005
Posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 11:58 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It is nice to see OT scripture outside the box :-)

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