Psalm 22:17

• I can count all my bones: The psalmist's enemies have shamed him by taking his clothes. Jesus also faced this humiliation (see Matthew 27:35).

• stare and gloat over me: Enemies make the psalmist a target of their ridicule (see Psalms 35:24, 26; 38:16; 55:3; compare 59:10).

• cast lots: Casting lots was sometimes a way for religious people to seek God's guidance (Leviticus 16:8; Numbers 27:21; Acts 1:24–26). Here, the lots are thrown as a game of chance. The soldiers threw dice for the clothing of Jesus after the crucifixion (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24).

The psalmist again shares his deep pain and suffering (see Psalm 22:1–2, 6–8). His trouble comes from human beings who act like wild animals.

The psalmist switches between thinking about his current difficult situation and remembering the Lord's past faithfulness. He ends the psalm with a prayer for rescue.

All previous laments seem minor compared to this outcry against the enemy and God's abandonment. The psalm has two main sections:

• the lament (Psalm 22:1–21) and

• praise for redemption (Psalm 22:22–31).

This naturally leads to Psalm 23.

The apostles saw this psalm as expressing the sufferings of Jesus Christ. He ultimately fulfilled the purpose of David's humiliation, rejection by people, and divine abandonment (Matthew 27:35, 39, 43, 46; Mark 15:34; John 19:23–24, 28; Hebrews 2:12).

This series of psalms shows a journey from confidence and commitment (Psalms 20–21), through anguish and abandonment (Psalm 22), and finally to comfort, insight, and hope (Psalms 23–24).