MESSIANIC PSALMS.

 THE STUDY OF PSALMS ARE USED, IN THE CHURCH HOMILY ON "GOOD FRIDAY" MESSAGE. THESE ARE PSALMS CONCERNED WITH THE MESSIAH. THEY WERE GIVEN BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TO THE PSALMIST IN HIS PRE-INCARNATE ETERNAL STATE.
AS THE LORD JESUS LOOKED DOWN THROUGH THE CORRIDORS OF TIME FROM ETERNITY PAST, HE POURED OUT HIS HEART IN ANTICIPATION OF THE SUFFERINGS AND SORROWS THAT HE KNEW HE WOULD ENDURE A THOUSAND YEARS LATER. IN THESE PSALMS,  WE HAVE A GLIMPSE OF WHAT HE KNOWINGLY FACED FOR US. MANY MESSIANIC PSALMS WERE WRITTEN BY "DAVID" BETWEEN 1O1O AND 97O B.C., ONE THOUSAND YEARS BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF "MESSIANIC PSALMS. THE FIRST CAN BE IDENTIFIED AS "TYPICAL." IN A TYPICAL MESSIANIC PSALM THERE IS SOME FEATURE IN THE LIFE OF THE PSALMIST THAT IS INTENDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE A PICTURE OR TYPE OF THE COMING MESSIAH.  SOME PARTICULAR FEATURE OR ASPECT OF HIS LIFE, OR SOME CHARACTERISTIC OF THE INDIVIDUAL, OR SOMETHING HE DOES OR EXPERIENCES, IS A TYPE OF MESSIAH. IN THE TYPICAL MESSIANIC PSALM," WE DO NOT SAY THAT ALL THE PSALMIST LIFE, ACTIVITIES, OR CIRCUMSTANCES MENTIONED, ARE MESSIANIC. OTHERWISE IN MANY INSTANCES WE WOULD END UP WITH HERESY. ONLY SOME PARTICULAR FEATURE OF THE PSALM IS THE TYPE. [PSALM 69] IS AN IDEAL EXAMPLE.
 "69" IS A LAMENT PSALM, OR REMINDER PSALM. VERSE 5 DEMONSTRATES THAT THE ENTIRE PSALM IS NOT  MESSIANIC. IT READS, "O GOD THOU KNOWEST MY FOOLISHNESS; AND MY SINS ARE NOT HID FROM THEE."  WE KNOW THIS CANNOT REFER TO THE MESSIAH BECAUSE HE WAS SINLESS BUT THEN IN VERSE 7, "BECAUSE FOR THY SAKE I HAVE BORNE REPROACH; SHAME HAS COVERED MY FACE." WITH THAT, DAVID'S EXPERIENCE BECOMES A TYPE OF THE MESSIAH. HE CONTINUES IN VERSE 8, "I AM BECOME A STRANGER UNTO MY BRETHREN, AND AN ALIEN TO  MY MOTHER'S CHILDREN."  NOTICE THE SYNONYMOUS PARALLELISM  IN THESE TWO VERSES. AGAIN, DAVID'S EXPERIENCE MADE HIM A TYPE OF CHRIST, WHO IN HIS LIFETIME BECAME A STRANGER AND AN ALIEN BECAUSE HIS RELATIVES BELIEVED HE WAS "BESIDE HIMSELF".
 WE CARRY ON CONTINUING IN PSALM 69, VERSE 9 SAYS, " FOR THE ZEAL OF THINE HOUSE HATH EATEN ME UP." AS A THEOCENTRIC INDIVIDUAL, DAVID WAS SO CONSUMED WITH THE WORSHIP OF JEHOVAH,  THAT HE SPENT HOURS AND DAYS IN WORSHIP AT THE ARK IN JERUSALEM  AT THE TABERNACLE  AND BRAZEN ALTAR IN GIBEON. IN THIS PSALM HE SAID, "I AM JUST CONSUMED WITH GOD:" I AM CONSUMED WITH WORSHIPPING GOD." A THOUSAND YEARS LATER, WHEN THE APOSTLE JOHN SAW THE LORD JESUS IN HIS ZEAL FOR THE TEMPLE, HE RECORDED IN JOHN 2:17, " AND HIS DISCIPLES REMEMBERED THAT IT WAS WRITTEN, THE ZEAL OF THINE HOUSE HATH EATEN ME UP." IN THAT RESPECT, THEY IMMEDIATELY LIKENED THE LORD JESUS TO HIS ANCESTOR DAVID AND LINKED WITH THIS PSALM.
 AGAIN, IN VERSE 12, DAVID EXPERIENCE IS A TYPE OF CHRIST: " THEY THAT SIT IN THE GATE SPEAK AGAINST ME: AND I WAS THE SONG OF DRUNKARDS." PSALM 69.        VERSES 19 AND 20: " THOU HAS KNOWN MY REPROACH, AND MY SHAME, AND MY DISHONOR:... REPROACH HAS BROKEN MY HEART; AND I AM FULL OF HEAVINESS;  I LOOK FOR SOME TO TAKE PITY, BUT THERE WAS NONE; AND FOR COMFORTERS, AND I FOUND NONE.
AS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WAS ON THE CROSS ONE THOUSAND YEARS LATER, LOOKING AT THE FACES STARING UP AT HIM, HE SAW THEM SHOOTING OUT THE LIP, WAGGING THEIR HEADS, MOCKING HIM AND SAYING, " THOU SON OF GOD  COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND SAVE THYSELF."  AS THE PSALMIST SAID, HE FOUND NO PITY IN ANY OF THE EYES OR FACES LOOKING UP AT HIM IN SULLEN PRIDE AND ARROGANCE. IN THE BEGINNING WE SAW ONE OF THE THREE TYPES OF MESSIANIC    PSALMS, THE FIRST WAS "TYPICAL" ( PROPHETIC)  FINALLY IN VERSE 21, THE PSALMIST SAYS " THEY GAVE ME GALL FOR MY MEAT; IN MY THIRST THEY GAVE ME VINEGAR TO DRINK." WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE THAT THIS EVER HAPPENED TO DAVID. THEREFORE, WHEN HE USES THIS KIND OF VOCABULARY, HE STEPS BEYOND THE CATEGORY OF A TYPICAL-PROPHETIC MESSIANIC PSALM. UP TO THIS POINT, HISTORY HAS BEEN IN PLAY IN DAVID'S LIFE. HE EXPERIENCED THE REBUKE OF FRIENDS WHEN HE FLED FROM SAUL, AND WAS ABUSED BY SHIMEI WHEN HE FLED FROM ABSALOM. WHEN HE WAS ACROSS THE JORDAN AFTER ABSALOM  HAD INVADED JERUSALEM, I AM CERTAIN HE WAS THE SONG OF THE DRUNKARDS, AND EVEN LATER ON DURING THE REBELLION OF SHEBA. SO IN THOSE PORTIONS OF THE PSALMS, DAVID WAS EXPERIENCING IN HIS OWN LIFE THOSE THINGS THAT THE LORD JESUS WOULD LATER EXPERIENCE. IT IS NOT TO BELIEVE  THAT DAVID EVER 
EXPERIENCED  THE GALL AND VINEGAR. SO, WE FIND THAT IN A TYPICAL PROPHETIC MESSIANIC PSALM, THAT HISTORY IS NOT THE ONLY FORCE IN PLAY. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PSALMIST THOUGHT AS HE WROTE SUCH WORDS UNDER THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. HE MAY HAVE  BELIEVED IT WAS FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, AND WHAT MAY SOMETIMES HAVE EVEN APPEARED TO BE HYPERBOLE
WAS LITERALLY FULFILLED IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
 MUCH OF THE CENTER OF. THOUGHT IN THE MESSIANIC PSALMS HAS TO DO WITH THE SUFFERINGS OF LORD JESUS. WHICH OF US CAN REALLY KNOW THE SUFFERINGS OF CRUCIFIXION?  CERTAINLY I DO NOT. BUT WE DO KNOW IT WAS AN AGONY BEYOND COMPARE. WE DO HAVE A HOLLYWOOD STEREOTYPE CRUCIFIXION. WE HAVE SEEN A TALL CROSS STANDING HIGH ABOVE THE HORIZON IN MANY FILMS. IN REALITY THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. THE ROMAN CROSS WAS SHORT. IN FACT, THE VICTIM OF CRUCIFIXION WOULD LIVE TWO OR THREE DAYS IN AGONY.
DURING CRUCIFIXION, THE VICTIM WAS FIRST PUT ON THE CROSS. WHICH WAS LYING ON THE GROUND. NAILS WERE DRIVEN THROUGH THE HANDS AT THE JUNCTURE OF THE WRIST AND THEN THROUGH THE FEET TO SECURE HIM IN THAT POSITION. THE CROSS WAS THEN RAISED AND DROPPED INTO A PREVIOUSLY DUG HOLE.  WHEN IT STRUCK BOTTOM OF THE OLE, THE IMPACT WOULD USUALLY PULL LOOSE THE SHOULDER JOINTS AND LIGAMENTS, AS THE ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT PULLED AGAINST THE WRISTS WITH THE FORCE OF THE CROSS BEING DROPPED.
 IN THIS DISTENDED POSITION, WHICH IMMEDIATELY  REDUCED BREATHING TO BECOME SHALLOW AS THE VICTIM SANK LOWER, HE BEGAN TO SUFFOCATE. IN ORDER TO BREATHE, AND TO RELIEVE THE PAIN IN HIS HANDS, HE WOULD PUSH HIMSELF BACK UP WITH HIS FEET. BUT THIS ACTION CAUSED THE PAIN IN HIS FEET TO BE SO EXCRUCIATING,, HE WOULD AGAIN START TO SAG TO RELIEVE IT. AS DEATH BEGAN TO CREEP IN SLOWLY ON HIM, A SEMI RIGOR MORTIS SET IN. BONES BEING PULLED OUT OF JOINT, BECOMING EXTREMELY THIRSTY  ADD TO THAT THE FACT THAT HE WAS IMPALED NAKED AND HELPLESS FOR ALL TO SEE. IT WAS PAIN, AGONY, AND HUMILIATION BEYOND COMPARE. AND IF THAT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT, THE LORD JESUS SUFFERED WITH A CROWN OF THORNS AND A MUTILATED BACK AS HE BORE OUR SINS THERE ON CALVARY'S TREE. WE COULD WISH HIM NO GREATER DIADEM, THAN THAT CROWN OF THORNS  BECAUSE OUR MINDS GO BACK TO THE CURSE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, WHEN GOD SAID THAT NATURE WOULD BRING FORTH THORNS AS  A RESULT OF ADAM'S FALL WHEN THEY MADE A CROWN OF THORNS AND PRESSED THEM ON THE HEAD OF THE SAVIOR, HE HUNG THERE SUSPENDED BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH, WITH THE BLOOD STREAMING DOWN HIS FOREHEAD, THE THORNY DIADEM HAD A GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. HE WAS BEARING THE CURSE FOR ALL MANKIND AND ALL OF CREATION, AS HE PERFORMED THE ACT OF REDEMPTION. THE SCRIPTURE IS VERY PLAIN WHEN IT SAYS, " IT PLEASED THE LORD TO BRUISE HIM"(ISA. 53:1O).  BECAUSE HE WAS THE LAMB SLAIN  FROM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, IN ANTICIPATION OF HIS AGONY TO BE ENDURED FOR OUR SAKES, CHRIST OPEN HIS HEART TO THE PSALMIST AS HE PENNED PSALM 22:1, " MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?"  WHY ART THOU SO FAR FROM HELPING ME? DAVID WAS IN DESPERATE TROUBLE WHEN HE PENNED THIS, AND THE MESSIAH WOULD BE IN MORE DESPERATE TROUBLE WHEN HE USED THOSE WORDS AS HE WAS ON THE CROSS. [VERSE 7] ALL THEY THAT SEE ME LAUGH ME TO SCORN: THEY SHOOT OUT THE LIP, THEY SHAKE THE HEAD. (PSALM 22).
 [VERSE 14]  I AM POURED OUT LIKE WATER, AND ALL MY BONES ARE OUT OF JOINT:
AND MY HEART IS LIKE WAX. ( PSALM 22)
LOOK AT [VERSE 16]: " THEY PIERCED MY HANDS AND MY FEET.." THERE IS NO HISTORICAL RECORD DAVID EVER HAD HIS HANDS AND FEET PIERCED. AS HE PENNED THIS, HE MUST HAVE WONDERED WHAT HE WAS SAYING: BUT A THOUSAND YEARS LATER THE LORD JESUS LITERALLY  EXPERIENCED THIS.  THE PROPHECY CONTINUES IN [VERSE 18]: THEY PART MY GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND CAST LOTS FOR MY VESTURE." IN NO WAY CAN THIS BE HISTORICAL. IT IS PROPHESY AS CHRIST HIMSELF INSPIRED DAVID TO WRITE WHAT HE WOULD EXPERIENCE WHEN HE PAID THE ULTIMATE PENALTY  FOR SIN ON CALVARY'S CROSS.
                                                   
                                                                                                                               AMEN.