공동체와 양육

The Individual’s Suffering and the Salvation of the World (Ps 22)

2010.03.21Dr. Michael Oh

God has been, is, and will be faithful to his people, both corporately and individually in suffering, and through such suffering all the nations will worship him as he is proclaimed by his suffering people.

David's cry to a seemingly silent God (vv. 1-2)

David cries out, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' while God seems silent and far away. The pain is personal, because David feels forsaken not by some distant god but by his own God. Yet David also remembers how God answered Israel when they cried out to him. This painful gap between what David knows of God and what he experiences is the heart of the lament. Many of us know this struggle well, as our faith rises and falls through suffering.

God is in control, and suffering serves his good design

The first temptation in suffering is to think God is not in control, but David gives God the credit, or the blame, for his circumstances rather than seeing himself as a victim of random fate. Biblical reality is that God sovereignly works out all he has ordained, including our salvation and sanctification, and a large part of that includes suffering. Pain is God's signal that something is wrong. For non-Christians, it points to their need for Jesus Christ, and for Christians, it shapes us to be more like Christ.

Three kinds of suffering: sin, common, and for Christ

Scripture points to at least three kinds of suffering. The first is suffering from our own sin, and even then God's love and grace remain with us. The second is common suffering, such as sickness, disasters, poverty, and death, which everyone faces whether or not they believe. The third is Christ's suffering, endured for the single reason of following Jesus, such as persecution or sacrifice for the gospel. Many Christians have rarely experienced that third kind. We should ask ourselves which suffering we are facing today.

Suffering leads to praise and a mission to all nations (vv. 22-27)

From verse 22, David's attitude changes completely. He praises God personally and calls all who fear the Lord to praise him too, because God has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted. Blessings flow outward: the poor will eat and be satisfied, and all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. The Christian response is not only personal worship but a missional desire that the nations will say, 'Our God, our God.' Our suffering prepares us to proclaim God's faithfulness to the world.

Christ's cross shows that suffering serves God's salvation

Psalm 22 finds its fullest meaning in Jesus, who echoed verse 1 on the cross when he was forsaken by his Father. Christians have God's promise that he will never leave or forsake us, but Jesus bore the wrath poured out for the sins of the world. Suffering exists so that Christ could suffer for sinners and display the most amazing love and sacrifice. Since his suffering was meaningful and purpose-filled, we should not complain about our small sufferings but follow him, even to the ends of the earth.

Apply to Life

  • Let us bring our cries of pain honestly to God, trusting that he is near even when he seems silent.
  • Let us not run from suffering, but receive it as God's tool for our discipleship.
  • Let us praise God personally and invite others to worship him with us.
  • Let us pray for Japan and for the nations where the gospel has not yet been heard.
  • Let us consider how we might go, send, or sacrifice for the sake of the gospel.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

← 영어 예배(English Service) 목록