Advent Day 19 :: The Answer To Our Cries
“Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”” (Luke 24:44)
Buckle up because today is going to be a little all over the place. There’s a lot of scripture to cover in today’s study.
Just recently we had a wonderful evening of worship called Psalms For The Assembly. It was led by Josh Toth and his sister Joy and was a mix of songs they wrote and other familiar worship songs we know that are all based on different chapters of the book of Psalms. It is, of course, none other than a book of poems. Poems meant to be song. Some individually in our own personal spaces while others are meant to be shared together in a more corporate setting.
Psalms is a book that resonates with many of us. It’s the raw, gritty honesty displayed by the author. As we sit and read through each chapter we quietly think to ourselves “I wish I could speak like that to God.” The ironic side of this is that we are invited to do just that. Bring our raw, gritty honest emotions to God. He created us. He knows our hearts. We learned that God knows and understands what we are going through. He won’t cower at the sound of your truthfulness, your questions, your anger. He will not stand stoic to your cries, worries, and concerns.
All throughout the Psalms we find exactly what we are feeling. Albeit, we may not be chased after by our enemies, or shut up in a cave somewhere. But, we do experience the brokenness of this world and all the consequences that come from living and interacting in it.
The Psalms are just that - the heart-cries of God’s covenant people living in a sinful and broken world. All throughout history we and many others have cried to Him for forgiveness (Psalms 51), cried to Him out of lament (Psalms 13), celebrated with praise (Psalms 93), shouted out with thanksgiving (Psalms 138), exalted in the beauty of God’s law (Psalms 119). We have expressed confidence in God (Psalm 23), and recounted the merciful dealings of God in our lives (Psalms 78).
But, don’t miss the beauty of the Psalms and the reason for Christ’s words in Luke 24.
The Psalms give us the answer to our cries.
It tells that the Messiah would be the Son of God (Psalm 2:7, 12; Matthew 17:5). It speaks to the resurrection of the Messiah (Psalm 16:8-10; Acts 13:30-37). It foretold that the Messiah would be despised & crucified (Psalm 22:6-8, 14; Luke 23:21-23; Matthew 27:35). It foreshadows that the Messiah would be hated without cause (Psalm 69:4; Luke 23:13-22). The Messiah would be Lord, seated at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1, 5; 1 Peter 3:21-22). The Messiah would be in the line of Melchizedek - a prophet, priest and king (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 6:17-20). It also tells us that the Messiah would be the 'stone' rejected by the Jews (Psalm 118:22, Matthew 21:42-43).
Christ is at the center of the Psalms. As each poem depicts the cries of God’s people, God is quietly and subtly answering back. He hears. He knows. He is working to deliver His people.
This advent season I encourage you to remember that God hears the cries of His people (Psalm 34:17; Psalm 66:17-20; Jeremiah 29:12-13). He doesn’t just hear, but He answers those cries. Those cries have been answered in the one who came to deliver and rescue, redeem and restore. Our answer is in Jesus Christ.
Key Messianic Chapters In Psalms: 2, 8, 16, 22, 45, 69, 89, 109, 110, 118
Further Reading: Psalm 121
Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash
