Tag Archives: Abandoned

What God Gave Up for Lent – Day 2

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2. Forsaken

Alone3

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. (Psalm 22:1)

This Psalm begins with perhaps the most famous words Christ uttered from the cross: About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt 27:46) Don’t think for a moment that Christ did not know that He would be forsaken. This is a potent word. Other translations are: abandon, fail, leave alone, leave behind, and deserted. Christ was willing to be abandoned for you, to be left behind for you; to be deserted for you.

But actually, this question really is rhetorical. Christ knew why there was no answer, why He had been forsaken. He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus the Son] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (1 Cor 5:21) This was not to be a time where the Son was to be delivered. Rather, it was a time where He was cursed, and suffered and died…forsaken—for your deliverance (cf. Deut 21:22)

As Christ cried out, how it must have broken the Father’s heart to not answer, to not even hear. What did it do to the Son’s heart?

Far from my deliverance. Isolated and removed, and indeed, unknown. Christ never needed deliverance before; and yet, when He needed it most, it was not for Him to have.

Are the words of my groaning. The Hebrew word for groaning is more often translated as roaring. Whereas we would think that groaning is a more muted and personal expression, it is actually loud, and should cause a reaction in anyone who would hear it. But God the Father did not listen. And the people at the foot of the cross? They mocked and ridiculed Him for it.

We know that Christ endured all this because of the joy that was before Him (Heb 12:2), but being in the midst of all this was overwhelming. Take a few minutes to read more of Psalm 22, especially verses 1-21, and experience what God gave up for Lent, and what Christ went through for you.

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Singing with the King (76) – How Merciful is God?

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goldencalfThat is why the Lord’s anger burned against his people, and he abhorred his own special possession. He handed them over to pagan nations, and they were ruled by those who hated them. Their enemies crushed them and brought them under their cruel power.  Again and again he rescued them, but they chose to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin.  Even so, he pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries. (Psalm 106:40-44)

Let me list off a few of Israel’s disobedient actions is found in Psalm 106, that brought the wrath of God upon them:

  • They became envious of God’s chosen leaders.
  • They made a graven image, and worshiped it.
  • They forgot how God saved them from Egypt, and the miracles He did on their behalf.
  • They despised the promised land.
  • They do not believe His Word.
  • They joined themselves to false God, and offered sacrifices to the dead.
  • They served other idols.
  • They co-mingled with other nations.
  • They even sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.

Now remember, this is just some of the abominable acts done by Israel, just mentioned in ONE Psalm. And that is why He handed them over, to the pagan nations. Yet, even after Israel doing all those things, you read the above few verses, how He rescued them again and again, He pitied them, and heard their cries.

Have you ever felt abandoned; or maybe been suffering some pretty serious consequences of your sins. And you wonder if God will ever hear you again. But even in this dark time in Israel’s history, it says that He listened to their cries. And He will listen to you—He did listen to you. Why? Because Jesus died for your sins. In fact He heard you, long before you even spoke: He paid for you with the precious life blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, He was sent to the earth for all to see. And He did this for you. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Let me be even more plain, borrowing from the words of the apostle Paul: For I’m convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Take a line from the psalmist who wrote Psalm 106: Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise. (v.47) Call upon him. He will hear you, and he will save you.