MESSIANIC PSALMS.

 MESSIANIC PSALMS ARE CONCERNED WITH THE MESSIAH. THEY WERE GIVEN TO THE PSALMIST BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST 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  KNOWLY FACED FOR US.  MANY MESSIANIC PSALMS WERE WRITTEN BY DAVID BETWEEN 1010 AND 970 B.C.  , ONE THOUSAND YEARS BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  TYPICAL THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MESSIANIC PSALMS. THE FIRST CAN BE IDENTIFIED AS 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. MUCH OF THE CENTER OF THOUGHT IN THE MESSIANIC PSALMS HAS TO DO WITH THE SUFFERINGS OF THE 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 HOLLYWOOD STEREOTYPE OF CRUCIFIXION, IN REALITY THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. 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 WAS RARELY MORE THAN TWO FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. WHILE THE VICTIM REMAINED ALIVE, THE WILD DOGS WOULD COME IN FROM THE DESERT AND CHEW ON HIS LEGS. VERY OFTEN, THE VICTIM OF CRUCIFIXION WOULD LIVE TWO OR THREE DAYS. IN AGONY. DURING CRUCIFIXION,
THE VICTIM WAS FIRST PLACED ON THE CROSS WHICH WAS LYING ON THE GROUND.
 NAILS WERE DRIVEN THROUGH THE HANDS AT THE JUNCTURE OF THE WRIST, THEN THROUGH THE FEET TO SECURE HIM THAT POSITION.  THE CROSS WAS THEN RAISED AND THEN DROPPED INTO A PREVIOUSLY DUG HOLE. WHEN IT STRUCK THE BOTTOM
OF THE HOLE THE IMPACT WOULD USUALLY PULL LOOSE THE SHOULDERS JOINTS AND LIGAMENTS AS THE ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT PULLED AGAINST THE WRISTS WITH THE FORCE OF THE CROSS BEING DROPPED. AS DEATH BEGAN TO CREEP  SLOWLY IN  ON HIM RIGOR MORTIS SET IN. IT WAS A PAIN AND AGONY, HUMILIATION  BEYOND COMPARE. BECAUSE OF THE DIAPHRAGMATIC ACTION, AND THE FACT THAT THE BONES WERE PULLED OUT OF JOINT, AND THE VICTIM BEGAN TO SUFFOCATE, BUT ALSO BECAME QUITE THIRSTY.. ADD TO THAT THE FACT HE WAS IMPALED NAKED AND HELPLESS FOR ALL TO SEE. 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 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 THE CROWN OF THORNS AND PRESSED IT 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 GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. HE WAS BEARING THE CURSE FOR ALL MANKIND AND ALL 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 BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, IN ANTICIPATION OF HIS AGONY TO BE ENDURED FOR OUR SAKES, CHRIST OPENED HIS HEART TO THE PSALMIST AS HE PENNED IN PSALM 22:1, " MY GOD,MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN 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 SHOOTING OUT THE LIP, WAGGING THEIR HEADS AND MOCKING HIM AND SAYING '"THOU SON  GOD COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND SAVE THY SELF,"  THY PSALMIST SAID, HE FOUND NO PITY IN ANY OF THE EYES OR FACES LOOKING UP AT HIM IN SULLEN PRIDE AND ARROGANCE. FINALLY, IN VERSE 21, THE PSALMIST SAYS, " THEY ALSO GAVE ME GALL FOR MY MEAT; IN MY THIRST THEY GAVE ME VINEGAR TO DRINK. UP TO THIS POINT, HISTORY HAS BEEN IN PLAY IN DAVID'S LIFE. HE EXPERIENCED THE REBUKE OF HIS FRIENDS WHEN HE FLED SAUL, AND WAS ABUSED BY SHIMEI WHEN HE FLED ABSALOM. WHEN HE WAS ACROSS THE JORDAN AFTER ABSALOM HAD INVADED JERUSALEM. SO IN THE PORTIONS OF THE PSALM, DAVID WAS EXPERIENCING  IN HIS OWN LIFE THOSE THINGS THAT THE LORD JESUS  WOULD LATER EXPERIENCE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PSALMIST THOUGHT AS HE WROTE SUCH WORDS UNDER THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THE OLD TESTAMENT IS DESIGNED BY GOD AND PRESENTED TO US IN A MANNER WE CAN UNDERSTAND, AND IT BECOMES FOR US IN A MANNER WE CAN UNDERSTAND, AND IT BECOMES FOR US THE GUIDE FOR FAITH AND PRACTICE. AS PAUL SAYS IN ROMANS 15:4:  FOR WHATEVER THINGS WERE WRITTEN AFORETIME WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING, THAT THROUGH PATIENCE AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES MIGHT HAVE HOPE. THE O.T WILL TEACH US WHAT GOD EXPECTS OF MAN. IT WILL SHOW US VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH MAN CAN RESPOND TO GOD. WE HAVE THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL COVERING THE TIME FROM CREATION, IN ETERNITY PAST, TO THE TIME OF MALACHI AT APPROXIMATELY 400 B.C. ACTUALLY, THE HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE FROM ABRAHAM THROUGH THE TIME WHEN NEHEMIAH REBUILT THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM, ( IS CONTAINED IN THE BOOKS OF THE LAW AND HISTORY.) THE REST, THE FIVE BOOKS OF POETRY, AND THE MAJOR AND MINOR PROPHETS, AND THE SEVENTEEN. MALACHI WAS WRITTEN AFTER THE TIME NEHEMIAH, AND THE EVENTS OF JOB. WE LOOK AT THE PROPHETS AS NEWS
ANALYST; GOD'S CHOSEN MAN DELIVERING A MESSAGE. AND ANALYZING THE RESPONSES OF THE PEOPLE. IS THE OLD TESTAMENT THAT WE HAVE GOD'S DIVINE WORD?  DOES THE OLD TESTAMENT CONTAIN ALL OF GOD'S WORD. AS HE DELIVERED IT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT PERIOD?  ARE THESE 39 BOOKS IN OUR ENGLISH BIBLE ARE THEY COMPLETE OLD TESTAMENT WORD OF GOD?
 SOME BIBLES CONTAIN AS MANY AS FORTY-SIX-BOOKS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT; ( THE BOOKS) CALLED "APOCRYPHA"  SUCH BOOKS AS I AND II ESDRAS, TOBIT, BARUCH, SUSANNA, BEL AND THE DRAGON, I AND II MACCABEES. WHAT ARE THESE BOOKS?  THERE ARE IN ALL FOURTEEN APOCRYPHAL BOOKS WRITTEN BETWEEN 2OO  B.C. AND A.D. 1OO. AND ARE BY SOME BELIEVED TO BE PART OF THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD. ARE THERE PROOFS THAT ALLOW US TO KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THE THIRTY -NINE BOOKS IN OUR ENGLISH ARE THE COMPLETE OLD TESTAMENT
WORD OF GOD? IF THERE ARE MORE THAN THIRTY-NINE, AND IN FACT SOME OF THESE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS SHOULD BE IN OUR OLD TESTAMENT, THEN WE MUST FACE SEVERAL PROBLEMS FOR EXAMPLE BARUCH [3:4], WE READ GOD HEARS THE PRAYERS OF THE DEAD. OTHER PASSAGES WOULD REQUIRE US TO ACCEPT SOUL SLEEP, PURGATORY, AND OTHER THEOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES. I BELIEVE IT IS NECESSARY  TO KNOW BEYOND ANY DOUBT THAT OUR THIRTY-NINE BOOKS CONTAIN THE ENTIRE INSPIRED OLD TESTAMENT WORD OF GOD. I BELIEVE THAT THROUGH LOGIC AND ANALYSIS WE CAN DISCOVER THIS TO BE TRUE. THIS IS OUR RISEN LORD SPEAKING LOOK AT LUKE [24:44]. HE SAYS THAT HE SAID UNTO THEM, THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH I SPAKE UNTO YOU WHILE I WAS WITH YOU, THAT ALL THINGS MUST BE FULFILLED, WHICH WERE WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF MOSES, AND IN THE PROPHETS, AND IN THE PSALMS, CONCERNING ME.  (HEBREW OLD TESTAMENT).
 HEAR THE TESTIMONY OF FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS. JOSEPHUS WAS A JEWISH HISTORIAN, WHO LIVED FROM A.D. [37 TO SOMETIME AFTER A.D. 97.]  HE WAS A PRIEST HISTORIAN SO, IN A MATTER OF ANALYSIS OF SCRIPTURE I BELIEVE JOSEPHUS COULD NOT HAVE MADE A MISTAKE BECAUSE HE WAS SKILLED AND TRAINED IN KNOWING WHAT HIS PEOPLE BELIEVED TO BE "SCRIPTURE"  I QUOTE FROM AGAINST APION, 1, 8: FOR WE[ THAT IS, THE JEWS] NOT AN INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE OF BOOKS AMONG US, DISAGREEING FROM AND CONTRADICTING ONE ANOTHER, AS THE GREEKS HAVE, BUT ONLY TWENTY-TWO BOOKS, WHICH CONTAIN THE RECORDS OF ALL THE PAST TIMES;  WHICH ARE JUSTLY BELIEVED TO BE DIVINE; AND OF THEM FIVE BELONG TO MOSES, WHICH CONTAIN HIS LAWS AND THE TRADITIONS OF THE ORIGIN OF MANKIND TILL HIS DEATH. THE INTERVAL OF TIME WAS A LITTLE SHORT OF THREE- THOUSAND YEARS; BUT AS TO THE TIME FROM THE DEATH OF MOSES TILL THE REIGN OF ARTAXERXES  KING OF PERSIA, WHO REIGNED AFTER XERXES, THE PROPHETS WHO WERE AFTER MOSES,  WROTE DOWN WHAT WAS DONE IN THEIR TIMES IN THIRTEEN BOOKS. THE FOUR REMAINING BOOKS CONTAIN HYMNS TO GOD, AND PRECEPTS FOR CONDUCT OF HUMAN LIFE. THERE IS STILL ADDITIONAL PROOF THAT OUR THIRTY- NINE BOOKS COMPRISE THE ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT CANON LOOK AT LUKE [11:51]. HERE IS OUR LORD SPEAKING TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF HIS DAY:
  "TESTIMONY OF CHRIST" FROM THE BLOOD OF ABEL UNTO THE BLOOD OF ZECHARIAS, WHICH PERISHED BETWEEN THE ALTAR AND THE TEMPLE; VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, IT SHALL BE REQUIRED OF THIS GENERATION. ( THE MARTYRDOM OF ZECHARIAH IS CONTAINED IN [ II CHRONICLES 24:20-23]. JUST AFTER THE CREATION OF ADAM DOWN TO THE BLOOD OF ZECHARIAH (SLAIN IN APPROXIMATELY 8OOB.C.) WOULD BE REQUIRED OF THAT CURRENT GENERATION. IMAGINE HAVING THE BLOOD OF ALL THESE INNOCENT MEN BROUGHT DOWN UPON YOUR HEAD! THIS WAS A LITERARY STATEMENT MEANING. IF WE EXAMINE THE STRUCTURE OF THE JEWISH OLD TESTAMENT, WE WILL SEE THAT THE FIRST BOOK, WAS GENESIS AND OUR LAST WAS CHRONICLES  ACCORDING TO THEIR STRUCTURE. JUST AS OURS IS GENESIS AND OUR LAST IS MALACHI. THE MURDER OF URIJAH IN THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH CONTAINED EARLIER IN THE JEWISH TEXTS. THE 39 BOOKS OF GENESIS TO MALACHI, CONTAIN THE ENTIRE WORD OF GOD AND CAN BE EXCLUSIVELY CALLED "SCRIPTURE"