“come quickly to help me”
[Psalms 22:12-21]
When trouble is near and there is no one to help (Ps. 22:11), we can feel that no one understands us. When we feel that way, we look forward to having someone next to us who can understand us. It is a strange phenomenon. I think that this is what we look like, on the one hand, looking for someone to understand us, thinking that no one understands us. That's why we are fragile humans who are easily feel lonely. But the question is, in such loneliness, we should consider at least once 'Who am I surrounded by? What kind of people are around me?' If we have no one to call, or to meet and speak openly, we would indeed suffer more in trouble.
The psalmist David who comes out in Psalms 22:12-21 was like that. He was forced to suffer even more during the trouble. He couldn't go to anyone. He was in a situation where he had no choice but to go to God. In severe suffering and trouble, David was was surrounded by his enemies (v. 12). That was why he asked God, who was his Strength, to help him (v. 19). I would like to think about David’s urgent situation that needed God’s help and what the urgent prayers were based on Psalms 22:19, under the heading “come quickly to help me” and to apply in our lives.
We can think of the David's urgent situation in two ways:
First, from the circumstantial perspective, David was surrounded by his enemies.
Look at Psalms 22:12 – “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.” Here, the “bulls” and “strong bulls” refers to those who opposed David. In other words, the enemies of David were strong, like strong bulls of Bashan who didn’t hesitate to harm David (Park). The strong bulls of Bashan were said to be very fat and the largest (WBC). The bulls and the strong bulls of Bashan were powerful, large and dangerous animals, and the enemies of David who surrounded David were like those bulls (v. 12). David also referred to his enemies as ‘dogs’ and “a band of evil men” and they had encircled David and pierced his hands and his feet (v. 16). Here, ‘dogs refers to sacred, unclean, wicked men who harm others (Park), and these wicked men surrounded David and made him suffered as if they nailed Jesus on the cross. In Psalms 17:9, David was surrounded by his enemies: “from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.” This is Satan's scheme. Satan's plan is to slowly take our breath away by surrounding us, God's people. This is what Luke 19:43 says: “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side.” Eventually, Satan surrounds us and confines us. He builds the earthen fortifications and confines us as if we were to build walls in all directions. Then Satan confines us and tries to devour us (Ps. 22:13). After surrounded David, his enemies attacked him to devour him like a roaring lion. So Apostle Peter exhorts us like this: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
Second, the David’s urgent situation can be viewed from a personal perspective.
Look at Psalms 22:14-15: “I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death.” As a sufferer, David felt as if he had become unused as if he had run out of water and his bones had been crushed (WBC). It is evident that he suffered frailness and his feelings got weakened during the suffering (Park). To what extent was his body weakened, David confessed, “I can count all my bones” (v. 17). In other words, David suffered too much and his bones became prominent and counted (Park). And the David’s enemies didn’t have any compassion to David who had this kind of pale form but just looked and stared at him (v. 17, Park). And they divided David's garments among them and cast lots for his clothing (v. 18). Although our bodies and feelings can get weakened like David by our enemies’ persecution, this can happen to us when we don’t repent our sins: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah” (Ps. 32:3-4).
Eventually, when we see David in two perspectives, the circumstantial perspective and the personal perspective, he was surrounded by his enemies and was in severe tribulation and suffering. What did David do at this time? He offered an urgent prayer to God for help. What was his urgent prayers?
First, David urgently asked God to come near to him.
Look at Psalms 22:19 – “But You, O LORD, be not far off; ….” The words of Pastor Matthew Henry are very meaningful: ‘The closeness of the problem brings us closer to God. In the midst of that, we hope that God will come near to us.’ I think the critical and difficult situations in our lives make us to choose between the two: Whether to we pray to go closer to God or we resent God and become more distant from God. David asked God to draw closer to God in his urgent and extreme painful situation. To say that oneself draws close to God in prayer is an act that wants God to draw close to oneself. Isn't it amazing that David, who was experiencing great pain in the midst of his enemies being so close to eating him as a wild oxen and like a lion, asked to draw closer to God? David's faith makes us to pray to God more.
Second, David urgently asked God, his strength, for help.
Look at Psalms 22:19 – “… O my Strength, come quickly to help me.” Here, the “Strength” in Hebrew “eyal” means ‘essence of power’ (Park). In other words, David asked God to help him quickly with faith in seeing God as the source of strength. I remember the word of Psalm 18:1 – “I love You, O LORD, my strength.” David, who was so entrenched in the midst of the persecution by his enemies, sought God as his strength. And he asked God for help. Look at Psalms 22:14b-15a: “… My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, ….” In that sense, I think it's good to lose some strength. This is because when there is no strength, we desperately seek God, our Strength. What was the prayer request that David asked God for help? It was ‘salvation.’ Look at Psalms 22:20-21: “Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.” The animals, “wild oxen”, “dog”, and “lion” that symbolize the enemies who oppose David and us. Here, the “wild oxen” is ignorant and strong in physical power, “dog” is dirty and bites and “lion” is cruel as a carnivore. This is the nature of our enemies (Park). David asked God to deliver him from his enemies (vv. 20-21).
God gives us the grace of salvation when we ask help from God, who is our Strength in an urgent situation (v. 21). Even if we have been surrounded by enemies like David, God surrounds us with songs of salvation when we pray to God (32:7).
In Psalms 22:12-21, we find in David’s image something that are very similar to Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus, who was suffering, didn't his enemies surround Him and stab his hands and feet and just stare at Him who was in pain and make Him a spectacle, and also split his outer garments and also the tunic? (Jn. 19:24) However, Heavenly Father turned away from the cry of His Son Jesus who was suffering, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46) Heavenly Father was silent and didn’t save His begotten Son Jesus when He was dying on the cross. Why did Father God do it? It was because He wanted to save us. In order to give us eternal life, Heavenly Father turned away from Jesus' prayer and didn’t help Him quickly. So now whenever we ask Heavenly Father to help us quickly in the name of Jesus, Heavenly Father hears our prayers and quickly saves us and gives us grace of salvation. Hallelujah!
With gratitude for the grace of God's salvation, who hears our prayers and quickly helps us,
James Kim
(Trusting in God who is with me and is my strength)