Devotion for Wednesday 02/04/2025

Psalm 22:30-31 (NIV)

30 Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord.

31 They will proclaim his righteousness,

declaring to a people yet unborn:

He has done it!

The sombre mood of this Messianic psalm shifted to a hopeful tone. David anticipates that He will be delivered, one way or another, from this situation. He expects, at that time, to give God praise in a public setting. The imagery of these final verses is also prophetic. It looks ahead to the time when Christ will reign over the earth and all Israel will be reconciled to God. This is like the last chapter of the Book of Revelations.

It is interesting to note that Jesus' words on the cross is echoed in the first words of this psalm during the crucifixion with “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. Now the end verses of the Psalm also echo the last words of Jesus at the moment of His death.

Both Psalm 22 and Jesus' suffering on the cross ended with an expression of triumphant accomplishment and finality (Psalm 22:31; John 19:30).

In verse 30 David foretells that a generation will proclaim the Lord's righteousness to a people yet unborn! The preceding generation will declare that the Lord has done it; that is, provided salvation. A thousand years after the life of David, the Messiah Jesus died on the cross to provide salvation by shedding His blood for us.

Christ's final words from the cross were similar to the last words of this same passage: "he has done it." At the moment of death, Jesus cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30). The Greek word for "it is finished" is "tetelestai", which implies something has been completed, paid, fulfilled, or reconciled.

In the first century when a painter put the final brush stroke on a canvas and was satisfied with what he saw, he might say "Tetelestai!" His painting was complete. Nothing needed to be added to it. Tetelestai was written across a loan document when the last payment was made.

Jesus' declaration of "Tetelestai!" means "nothing needs to be added to what I have done. Paid in full!" Salvation, then, is not a matter of what anyone can do to earn salvation, but a matter of what Jesus has already done.

Armed with such an awesome truth, we shall continue to “proclaim and declare” (v31) until;

All the ends of the earth shall remember

And turn to the Lord,

And all the families of the nations

Shall worship before you.

In this season of fasting and prayers, let us remember to pray:

1.⁠ ⁠Pray for a heart for the lost in our circle of influence

2.⁠ ⁠Pray for those pre-believers to be convicted by the Holy Spirit to see the truth.

Have a blessed Wednesday!