And, Forgiveness in contemporary music
Psalms of lament usually begin with the psalmist’s declaration that he is in a really bad place.
1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
(Psalm 10 NET)
Why do you pay no attention during times of trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly chase the oppressed;
the oppressed are trapped by the schemes the wicked have dreamed up.
3 Yes, the wicked man boasts because he gets what he wants;
the one who robs others curses and rejects the Lord.
4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,
“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.
Other Psalms such as Psalm 34 and 69 have similar beginnings. What do we assume about the Psalmist when he writes “Quicksand under me, swamp water over me; I’m going down for the third time.” Don’t we read the psalm, with an expectation that things will change; that God has been present throughout the difficulties, that God will eventually provide help? We read the whole Psalm to understand and interpret and understand the Psalmist’s experience from beginning to end.
The first words from Psalm 22 are much more familiar in the King James. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” What from this Psalm would the Psalmist have us understand? Jesus quoted the verse on the cross in very difficult conditions. On the cross, nailed in such a way that he could hardly breathe, he spoke no more than that first line. Surely Jesus, just as the Psalmist, was speaking from his immediate pain and isolation. Soon, he would be thinking about remembered trust and confidence in God. Had Jesus not been nailed to the cross in such a position, I believe he have quoted the whole psalm with the movement from a sense of distance from God to full confidence that God was with him. Consider the context of the scripture to see if there is support for this view.
Context is vital:
An insurance company’s lawyer was questioning an old farmer in court. The company did not want to pay his claims for injuries. These occurred when their client ran a stop sign and hit the farmer’s trailer that contained his favorite mule.
Lawyer: “Didn’t you tell the police officer “I’m fine” when he arrived?
Farmer: Well, that morning I loaded Old Bessie into the trailer and started down the road. Hadn’t gotten far . . .
Lawyer (interrupting): “Just answer the question. Did you say, “I’m fine”?
Farmer: I loaded old Bessie into the trailer … .
Lawyer: Just answer the question. Judge, please instruct the witness to answer.”
Judge: Why don’t we let the witness continue? I want to hear what he has to say.
Farmer: I had Old Bessie in the trailer and we were driving down the road to the vet’s when this red car came zipping through the stop sign and hit the truck and trailer. I was trying to get out of the truck to check on Bessie who I heard moanin’ and groanin’. I was afraid she was a goner.
About that time a trooper came up and saw Bessie was a goner so he pulled out his gun and shot Bessie. I was still trying to clear my head and get over to Bessie when the trooper came up to me with his gun still in his hand. He said, Hey, old guy, how are you doin’?
I said: “I’m fine, I’m fine”! **
Context!
Jesus’ Context:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” So, what is the context?
I think there are three parts to the context. First, is Jesus’ situation. Nearly all the disciples have deserted him. Jesus has pressure on his lungs due to the pull of his arms from his nailed hands. He feels the burden of the sins of people of all ages have put him on the cross. As a loving son, he asks John to take care of his mother, Mary. Jesus knows that like in the parable of the tenants (Matthew 21:28-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19) we have tried to put ourselves in God’s place. But, as the loving Jesus still speaks words of forgiveness to the criminal crucified with him. He includes us in the words “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” We were forgiven, not because Jesus was “forsaken”, but because Jesus interceded with a loving God on our behalf. A contemporary Christian song include the words “the Father turned his face away”. Another contains the words “The wrath of God was satisfied when Jesus died”. * Where do those phrases come from in scripture? Doesn’t scripture say that God wants to forgive? How can one say that God deserted Jesus without saying that the Trinity was split apart? When Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing” he clearly assumes his role as our intercessor in the model of Moses (Exodus 32) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 22). After the resurrection, Jesus would be seated at God’s right hand to continue that intercessory role. Finally, Jesus concludes with a commitment to the Father. “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
That is the immediate context.
Original context of Jesus’ words
Psalms of lament like Psalm 22 frequently begin with the psalmist in a bad way. Awake! Why are you asleep, O Lord? (Psalm 44:24) “You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.” (Psalm 88:6) Do we conclude that that is the whole truth about the Psalmist? What is the usual way of interpreting a Psalm of lament? “Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.” Psalm 69:20. Would Jesus use the first words of Psalm 22 in a way to contradict the later verses?
Then look at the context of the words Jesus quotes from Psalm 22, especially the latter part of the Psalm.
28 God has taken charge;
from now on he has the last word.29 All the power-mongers are before him
—worshiping!
All the poor and powerless, too
—worshiping!
Along with those who never got it together
—worshiping!30-31 Our children and their children
will get in on this
As the word is passed along
from parent to child.
Babies not yet conceived
will hear the good news—
that God does what he says.The Message
Psalm 22:28-32
Broader Biblical context
Several passages in John tell us that Jesus and the Father are one. Especially note John 10:30 and John 16:32. Jesus speaks further of this identity in John 17. Paul understood what Jesus meant when he wrote: “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.” God was present with Jesus in his hour of deepest need. This text, for me, does not say Jesus was forsaken and condemned that I might be forgiven and accepted. Therefore, we can be confident that God will be with us when we experience great need. Surely, in this hour, Jesus temptation to despair was greater than any we can experience. The writer of Hebrews assures us, that Jesus was “tempted in every way as we are”. Did Paul think about Jesus at the cross when he wrote these words?
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 (NET)
How do we embrace the whole of Psalm 22 in our understanding? I would like to believe that Jesus, with the Psalmist would affirm:
God has taken charge;
Psalm 22:28 NET
from now on he has the last word.
Notes:
A number of contemporary songs give a different view of how forgiveness works. I am uncomfortable with these. I believe they ignore or even contradict key truths of scripture cited above.
*Michael Card, “Love crucified alone”;
That one forsaken moment when
Your Father turned His face away
https://genius.com/Michael-card-love-crucified-arose-lyrics
Accessed 12/6/2021
Stuart Townsend, “How deep the Father’s Love”.
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
https://genius.com/Stuart-townend-how-deep-the-fathers-love-lyrics
Accessed 12/6/2021
Natalie Grant, “In Christ Alone”;
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/8754219/Natalie+Grant/In+Christ+Alone
Chris Tomlin: “You Are My King”
And I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
And I’m accepted, You were condemned
https://genius.com/Chris-tomlin-you-are-my-king-lyrics
Accessed 12/6/2021
These songs do an excellent job with most of the Gospel story. But they obscure an important part: God was always reconciled to us, God always wanted to forgive us and God always wanted to restore us. God doesn’t need to be changed (by the death of his Son). It is we as humans that need to change and be changed. (I am still working out the implications of this.) Why is there the claim here that Jesus needed to die that we might be forgiven? Jesus had been forgiving sins during his life; for instance, the paralytic lowered through the roof by his friends (Mark 2:1-12). They also neglect the Bible truth behind “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” Related to this is the idea that appears in popular songs that Jesus came to die. Where did Jesus say this?
***He Shall Reign Forevermore
Song by Chris Tomlin
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/christomlin/heshallreignforevermore.html
accessed 11/28/21
Here within a manger lies
The One who made the
Starry skies
This baby born for sacrifice
Christ, the Messiah!
36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom[a] is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being[b] handed over[c] to the Jewish authorities.[d] But as it is,[e] my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Then Pilate said,[f] “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to[g] my voice.” John 18:36-37 NET
—Our understanding of God and how he forgives and restores leads to important actions. Believing in a punishing God leads to sentences for persons guilty of crimes that feature jail first, rather than restorative justice; solitary confinement rather than opportunities for education and improvement; and capital punishment rather than compassionate care. I am still thinking through this aspect of God’s mercy and forgiveness.
**If you know the source of this story, please let me know. I could not remember or find the source for attribution.
Corporate Lament
- Examples include: Psalms 12, 44, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 90, 94, 123, 126, 129
Personal Lament (these psalms fit more than one category)
- Examples include: Psalms 3, 4, 5, 7, 9-10, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27*, 28, 31, 36*, 39, 40:12-17, 41, 42-43, 52*, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 64, 69, 70, 71, 77, 86, 89*, 120, 139, 141, 142
——————
My thinking on this topic was shaped by reading Darren Belousek, Atonement, Justice and Peace. Any confusion is mine.
Compost & Grace 
Not trying to be difficult, but Jesus does indeed say that He died for our sins in places like Mark 10:45 and Matthew 20:28; 26:27-28. Jesus was also clearly aware of the context of substitutionary atonement and talks about the Holy Spirit convicting us of sin. Then we also have verses from the first followers like 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, Galatians 3:13, Romans 5:6-8, and 1 Peter 2:24, to cite a few. Jesus was living out the context of the Covenant between God and man. Yes, God always held up His end. Yes, we often focus on the justice and holy aspects of God to the detriment of His forgiveness and grace, but both exist clearly throughout Scripture.
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Thank you for your response. I appreciate discussion of this issue.
In writing about forgiveness, I did not write much of the extent and seriousness of sin or the breadth and depth of grace given to us “when we were yet sinners”.
I do not want to exclude some element of Jesus as a substitute. I have been thinking about how he was put in that position. “For” may mean “because of”? Jesus died because of our sins. That is why I made reference to the parable of the tenants. We were there with the crowd crying “We have no king, but Caesar”. 2 Corinthians 5:14 says “we died with him”. Galatians 3:13 Was “God in Christ at this point? and through the experience of the cross?
The songs referenced sound to me as if they are excluding the Fathers participating in Jesus’ work.
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Thank you for your response. I appreciate discussion of this issue.
In writing about forgiveness, I did not write much of the extent and seriousness of sin or the breadth and depth of grace given to us “when we were yet sinners”.
I do not want to exclude some element of Jesus as a substitute. I have been thinking about how he was put in that position.
“For” may mean “because of”? Jesus died because of our sins. That is why I made reference to the parable of the tenants. We were there with the crowd crying “We have no king, but Caesar”.
2 Corinthians 5:14 says “we died with him”.
Galatians 3:13 Was “God in Christ at this point? and through the experience of the cross?
The songs referenced sound to me as if they are excluding the Fathers participating in Jesus’ work.
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