Go to Psalm 22. Now, look at verses 17 and 22. What’s the first verb in those verses? You probably have something like “count” and “declare”. Some are a little more poetic, some a little more drawn out, but, all-in-all the idea is that 1) All the Psalmists bones can be counted and 2) The Psalmist will make known God’s name in joyful praise.
But here’s the thing. The verbs in verses 17 and 22 are the exact same word. Not only the same word, but the same word in the same “binyan” (Hebrew verb conjugation). It’s the word ספר or SPR; and it’s a word with a wide range of meaning. It can mean to write, or to count, or to recount (as in tell, or regale, or remember), or to make-known, or to announce. It’s got a lot of breadth this word. So, it’s only natural that this word wouldn’t naturally be translated when its meaning is so clearly different into the same English word in verses 17 and 22. It’s natural, but it’s unfortunate. This is one of the sad realities of Bible Translation: we miss stuff!
Let’s look at this section of Psalm 22 and then we’ll talk about why missing this connection between these two verses causes us to lose something from the Psalm that’s worth keeping. The first use of ספר come in the middle of a section describing the danger, affliction, and misery of the Psalmist. The NET translates it thus:
22:12 Many bulls surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan hem me in.
22:13 They open their mouths to devour me
like a roaring lion that rips its prey.
22:14 My strength drains away like water;
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums.
You set me in the dust of death.
22:16 Yes, wild dogs surround me—
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet.
22:17 I can count all my bones;
my enemies are gloating over me in triumph.
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! Hurry and help me!
22:20 Deliver me from the sword!
Save my life from the claws of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion,
and from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered me! (NET)
Notice how the section ends – it ends with the statement that Yahweh answered the Psalmist in his suffering, and has, we presume, delivered him. And then the next section begins with the key verse – verse 22 – which repeats our keyword ספר. Let’s look at this section:
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen!
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him!
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering of the oppressed;
he did not ignore him;
when he cried out to him, he responded.
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. (NET)
As we can see there is a major emotional shift that occurs because Yahweh has delivered the Psalmist. And at first glance, in English, we may say, OK, well, this is classic psalmody – someone is in trouble, God delivers him, and now the psalmist praises Yahweh for his deliverance. And that’s true – Psalm 22 is a very classically formed psalm. But I want us to focus on the repetition of the verb. Because David could have chosen to use different verbs – in fact, using another verb in verse 22 would make a lot more sense. So obviously this is being done to draw our attention to something. But what?
Well, I think that David (and we know this is ultimately about Jesus) wants us to connect the pain and misery of being able to count all his bones with the proclamation of Yahweh’s name. Let me put it another way – the same way he suffered is how he praised. It was the same in quality and quantity.
To the degree David suffered, that’s the degree to which he praised God after God delivered him. And that’s a hard message. That’s a hateful message, because that means that the quality and quantity of our praise is inextricably linked to our suffering. But we don’t want – I DON’T WANT – to suffer. We want to believe that we can be like Christ without suffering like Him.
Unfortunately, that seems dissonant with the biblical record. It’s not only out of step with my interpretation of Psalm 22, but it’s clearly out of line with the New Testament. Philippians 3 famously states:
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (NIV)
Go here for an excellent sermon on this passage. The point Paul makes and that the Psalmist makes and Jesus makes, that the whole of scripture tells is this: the degree to which you are conformed into the image of Christ is the degree to which you’ve joined in His sufferings. This is not spiritual masochism. This doesn’t mean that we are to gain a pathological love of pain – but it means that pain is not pointless. Indeed, it means that when we suffer in Jesus’ name, and for His Gospel, we become like Him.
Nobody wants to suffer. Even Jesus asked that the cup would pass from Him! But when God chooses to make us drink the cup and drink it down to the dregs, let us not despair. Let’s not lose hope, but rather, when we suffer, let’s be encouraged – let us have courage – and let’s recognize that the suffering we experience is making us like Christ. Let’s not run from danger, or pain, or suffering. Let’s follow Christ wherever he leads, knowing that to the degree we suffer, to that degree we’ll be able to praise God.
Too much of our Christian thought, and preaching, and music, and literature, and art, and culture, is built on the idea of having health, wealth, peace, and prosperity! Very seldom do I hear sermons telling people to put themselves in danger, to risk loss, to sacrifice, health, wealth, or safety – or loved ones – for Jesus’ sake.
Luther enjoined us to let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also! That man cried “Hier stehe Ich! Ich kann nicht anders”, facing the wrath of the Emperor to reform the faith. Athanasius was “contra mundum” facing exile after exile for orthodoxy. Men like Livingstone and Judson suffered and died on the mission field to bring the Gospel to the lost and dying. All over the Soviet Bloc and East Asia Christians have suffered and to this day in Asia and the Middle East and Africa and South America Christians lay down their lives and submit to horrifying torture and brutality – thefts, beatings, imprisonments, rapes, murders – all for Jesus’ sake. And they do so with the attitude of John and Peter – rejoicing that they are worthy to suffer for Jesus.
We’ve got it all wrong. We think that wealth and privilege and easy-living are evidences of God’s favor. And perhaps, sometimes, they are. But if I were to only read my Bible and Church History; I’d say that those who suffer least for Jesus love Him least. And perhaps it can be said the other way ‘round: those who love Him least suffer for Him least. Maybe the reason we don’t suffer for Jesus in this country is because we aren’t worthy to!
Maybe if we loved God a little more He’s reward us by letting us suffer so that we can be blessed to be more like Jesus! This doesn’t mean seeking misery – JESUS WANTED THE CUP TO PASS – but it does mean that when it comes time to put our courage to the sticking place we won’t turn tail and run. Perhaps if we prayed for the courage to suffer for Christ we might find that our hearts are strangely warmed and we find we love Him a little better and we become a little bolder and maybe, just maybe, the Devil will start to take us seriously.
Maybe, just maybe, if we are willing to lose everything, then even if we don’t, we’ll find we have gained everything. Maybe if we loved our lives a little less and were willing to lose them for Christ and His Gospel’s sake – we might find that we’ve saved them. Maybe, just maybe, when we begin to suffer for Jesus, we’ll find that all the empty, paltry, weak-sauce prosperitizing of the false profits was nothing more than a hollow sham. Maybe then, maybe, just maybe, we’ll truly begin to praise Him.