Our Lord Jesus suffered in various ways while He was on earth. Let us examine some of these
ways of suffering and the Scriptures which describe them.

One of the most obvious sources of suffering was from human beings. This was both physical and
emotional and not all of it was from unbelievers. Surely His disciples caused Him emotional pain
when they forsook Him and fled after His arrest, or when they discussed who should be greatest
in the kingdom immediately after He told them of what He must suffer (Mark 9:31-35; 10:32-45),
or just by their general lack of faith and responsiveness.

We know that the hatred of unbelievers reached its fiercest expression after His arrest and was
displayed in the abuse given Him by the priests and their servants, Herod’s soldiers, the Roman
soldiers, and the crowd. This attitude on the part of unbelievers was evident throughout His life,
however. He received verbal abuse from the Pharisees (Matt. 12:24; John 8:48), from the general
public (Luke 8:53), and even from His own relatives (Mark 3:21). In this kind of suffering we as
His people will have a part if we are faithful to Him. It may be physical or emotional. It will come
from unbelievers and may even come from other believers. Let us ask the Lord Jesus to give us
the strength to undergo this kind of suffering as He did_that is, with composure, with forgiveness
toward our persecutors, committing our reputations and needs to Him, and looking forward to the
joy that is set before us.

The Lord Jesus suffered under attacks from Satan. The most explicit account of such an attack is
given in connection with the temptation in the desert after His baptism. The Lord Jesus, of course,
repulsed every one of Satan’s attacks. Scripture does not state explicitly that the Lord Jesus
suffered at this time, but surely Satan’s evil suggestions would cause suffering to Christ’s holy
mind. The effort of having to deal with Satan when He was in a barren environment and weakened
and tired from forty days of fasting (Satan often attacks when we are at a low point, physically)
would have been a form of suffering. According to J. N. Darby, writing in his article, "The
Sufferings of Christ," in The Collected Writings, Satan caused suffering for Christ in Gethsemane
by bringing vividly to His mind all the horrors of crucifixion and being judged for sin. Mr. Darby
uses John 14:30 as his Scriptural basis for these remarks. We know from the experiences of Job
and Paul (2 Cor. 12:7) that Satan can bring physical pain and mental anguish to the believer when
allowed by God to do so. Satan often puts wicked thoughts in our minds and then condemns us
for having them. He uses doubts, discouragement, and depression. Even if we do not give way
to the suggestions, the suggestions themselves cause pain. In every conflict with Satan we must
rely on the Lord Jesus to give us strength and to enable us to use our spiritual armor correctly.

We all know, I am sure, that we suffer because of sin in the world. Sometimes we suffer directly
because of our personal wrongdoing. Sometimes we suffer because we live in a fallen world.
Disease, death, crime, and natural disasters came into the world because of the sin of Adam and
Eve. Now the Lord Jesus, of course, never suffered because of personal wrongdoing, for He
never sinned. Samuel Ridout in Lectures on the Tabernacle states that the Lord Jesus was not
subject to sickness or those physical problems which we associate with the body’s gradual
deterioration as it grows older. Although the Lord Jesus did not suffer in these ways from sin in

the world, He suffered in another way. The very presence of sin and its consequences grieved
Him (John 11:35,38) and He sorrowed when people brought suffering upon themselves because
of their sin. This is shown vividly in His weeping over Jerusalem because of the judgment the
Jews were bringing upon themselves by their rejection of Him (Luke 19:41-44). We also should
enter into this type of suffering because of sin in the world. We should grieve when people bring
suffering upon themselves because of sin. We should also grieve because of the grief and dishonor
their sin brings to Christ. We should all be able to say with the Psalmist, "Rivers of waters run
down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law" (Psalm 119:136).

Finally, the Lord Jesus suffered in a way in which none of us ever can. I speak, of course, of His
atoning sufferings on the cross where He was made sin for us, where He bore our sins in His own
body. This suffering was distinct from the physical agony of crucifixion or the suffering of being
despised and rejected by men. He atoned for our sins by being forsaken by God with all the horror
and anguish which such a condition implies and which He alone could fully enter into. We will
never be able to understand completely the depths of that suffering. May we respond with love
and reverence when we contemplate the depth and extent of sufferings of our Lord.

In this article I would like first to link Psalms 22, 23, and 24 together and show the connection
which they have with each other, and then present some more detailed thoughts on the first and
last of these Psalms. Psalm 23 will be presented in more detail in a subsequent issue.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ is spoken of as "the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11),
"the Great Shepherd" (Heb. 13:20), and "the Chief Shepherd" (1 Peter 5:4). Also, in Hebrews
9, three lines of truth relating to Him in these three aspects are unfolded. In verse 24, Christ is
presented as "entered . . . into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us"; this
is the truth of Psalm 23, Christ "the Great Shepherd of the sheep." In verse 26, Christ is presented
in these words:"Once in the end of the world [or the age] hath He appeared to put away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself"; this is Psalm 22, Christ "the Good Shepherd," who gave His life for the
sheep. In verse 28, Christ is seen in the future:"Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the
second time without sin unto salvation"; this is Psalm 24, Christ "the Chief Shepherd," who will
yet come in glory.

Thus, we have in the three Psalms what has been spoken by others hi alliteration:THE CROSS,
THE CROOK, and THE CROWN. This sets forth the symbols of the past, present, said future
work of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Shepherd of the sheep and lambs of His flock. As to the Cross,
we see His love unfolded in His sufferings to make propitiation for our sins (Psalm 22). The Crook
suggests His grace that flows out in the loving, faithful care and ministry He carries on now
(Psalm 23). The Crown symbolizes the glory that He will yet reveal in His kingdom on earth
(Psalm 24).

Psalm 22, The Cross

This Psalm is divided into two sections. The first, verses 1-21, depicts the sufferings unto death
that Christ endured as the Sin-bearer. He suffered alone in an agony of soul which the human
mind can never fathom. The second section, verses 22-31, tells of His associating others with Him
in His resurrection in the victory He won by His death.

The most casual reader will immediately identify this Psalm as being one of the several referred
to as Messianic, that is, it projects the Messiah of Israel in His sufferings and coming glory. The
very first words, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" were uttered by our Lord
Jesus on the cross 1,000 years after they were written by the Spirit of God through David. How
marvelous to see prophecy so accurately fulfilled as "holy men of God spake as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21)!

Section I (Verses 1-21)

The Holy Sufferer cries out, "Why?" as His God turns His back upon Him. In the daytime and
in the night seasons the words of His roaring are constantly uttered, but there is no response_no
help coming to Him (verses 1,2). He then answers His own question as to why this is. He says,
"But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel" (verse 3). The holiness of His

God would not permit Him to look upon sin, even upon His beloved Son who on the cross was
made sin, or a sin offering, to be consumed by the righteous judgment of God. The answer to the
Sufferer’s "Why?" in respect to ourselves is simply, "He was forsaken that we might be
accepted." What grace is thus displayed to sinners in perfect accord with divine righteousness in
the work of this unique Sufferer!

He continues in verses 4 and 5 to speak of the fact that the fathers in Israel in times past cried unto
God and were delivered; they trusted and were not confounded. However, as for Himself, He
says, "I am a worm and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people" (verse 6). The
depth of humiliation into which He entered is indicated here. The worm referred to is the
cochineal, that insect which was used to make the scarlet dye for the garments of the high priest
and for the curtains of the tabernacle. How graphically it depicts the sufferings of Christ! As the
worm was crushed and the dye extracted, so Christ was crushed beneath the rod of God’s
judgment against sin, and the blood which He shed is that which has provided the beautiful
garment of salvation for the sinner, to make him fit for God’s presence.

Another prophecy concerning Calvary is seen in verse 8:"He trusted on the Lord that He would
deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him." The elders and scribes reviled
Him in this way on the cross, saying, "He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will
have Him; for He said, I am the Son of God" (Matt. 27:43). However, the Holy Sufferer seeks
refuge in the fact that from the time of His birth, He was the object of His Father’s care, and God
was His hope when He was upon His mother’s breasts. "Thou art My God from My mother’s
belly," He says. "Be not far from Me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help," He pleads
(verses 10,11). Surely such trust would not be unrewarded, but before He is answered, His work
of suffering for sin must be completed.

He then turns to speak of those who beset Hun round and gaped upon Him with their mouths open
like a roaring lion (verses 12,13). This no doubt symbolizes the same high priest, scribes, and
elders who gloated over their innocent Victim and repeatedly, hatefully cried out for Pilate to "
crucify Him!"

Then, too, the physical sufferings of the cross are further indicated in verses 13-17. Hanging upon
the cross, His bones were out of joint, His heart was melted, His strength was dried up, His
tongue stuck to His jaws for lack of water. All His bones could be counted as they were
gruesomely projected. Surely, this awful spectacle was a fulfillment of Isaiah 52:14, "His visage
was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men."

His suffering at the hands of the "dogs"_the term used for the Gentiles_is spoken of in verse 16.
It is said of them, "They pierced My hands and My feet." This is a remarkable prophecy
concerning the manner of His death. Totally unknown to the Jews, who punished by stoning to
death, was death by crucifixion, practiced by the Romans, and here prophesied by the Psalmist.
But the Romans at the time of this writing were not even thought of at all as an existing people,
much less as a powerful empire. What a testimony this is to the inspiration and infallibility of the
Old Testament Scriptures!

In keeping with the sin offering character of the Psalm, verse 15 unfolds the fact that it was God
who brought the Holy Victim "into the dust of death." It was according to His plan, formulated
by divine eternal counsel, that His beloved Son should suffer for sins. He was truly the Lamb
without blemish and without spot, foreordained before the foundation of the world for this purpose
(1 Peter 1:19,20).

Another Scripture fulfilled at Calvary is verse 18:"They part My garments among them, and cast
lots upon My vesture." John, in referring to this, tells us, "These things therefore the soldiers did"
(John 19:24).

In verses 19-21 the Holy Sufferer appeals to the power of Jehovah to be delivered from the power
of the dog, the Gentile power, that had Hun bound, scourged, and nailed to the Cross. He also
cries for deliverance from the lion’s mouth_from Satan’s vicious devouring. And then, being
confident that He was heard "because of His piety" (Hebrews 5:7 JND), He says, "Thou hast
heard Me from the horns of the unicorn." The unicorn was actually the auroch, a wild horned
beast upon whose horns the criminal was often impaled to be carried about until death claimed the
victim. Thus He thought of His plight. But He was heard from the horns of the auroch! Though
death was to be His portion, yet He was saved out of it, and the next section of the Psalm reveals
the results of His atoning death. He was raised from among the dead and is no longer alone. The
time of His suffering is forever past, and He now identifies others with Him in His triumph.

Section II (Verses 22-31)

The Holy Sufferer is now the Triumphant Redeemer. In resurrection He declares the Name of His
God to His brethren. To Mary, in John 20:17, He said, "I ascend unto My Father and your
Father; and to My God and your God." Taking His place in the midst of the congregation, He
Himself begins the praise_He leads the singing! Verse 22 is cited in Hebrews 2 where the
perfection of the Captain of Salvation through suffering is declared. He was made a little lower
than the angels in order to suffer and taste death for every man. It was just like Him and His love
to do so. But now we see Him crowned with glory and honor, the Head of a new creation,
bringing many sons to glory to be eternally identified with Him! What marvelous truth is unfolded
in Hebrews 2:9-12 and prophesied here in Psalm 22!

The Psalmist, by the Holy Spirit, now turns to Israel:"Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him; all ye
the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; and fear Him, all ye seed of Israel. For He hath not despised nor
abhorred the affliction of the afflicted [One]; neither hath He hid His face from Him; but when
He cried unto Him, He heard" (verses 23,24). This tells of the acceptance of the death of the
afflicted One, and of the raising of Him from among the dead in triumph. This is the foundation
upon which Israel in a future day will be brought to repentance and faith, to praise Him as their
Messiah King.

This all points to the time when not only Israel will be converted, but "all the ends of the world
shall remember and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before
Thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s; and He is the Governor among the nations" (verses 27,28).
Thus the 22nd Psalm is linked with the 24th, which is a projection of the future Crown of Glory.
Meanwhile, however, "a seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation"
(verse 30). This seed shall come and bear witness of His righteousness to a future
generation_"unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this" (verse 31). Actually, the
message that shall be declared to Jew and Gentile alike will proclaim, "He hath finished the
work!" How fitting that this appears at the end of this Psalm, thus reminding us of His loud voice
of triumph on Calvary, after He had suffered for sins at the hand of a Holy God_"It is finished."
The glory of the coming kingdom is truly based upon this finished work, and will be the theme
of praise of both the heavenly and earthly saints. The earthly remnant of the 12 tribes of Israel,
the 144,000, and the multitude of Gentile nations saved through the tribulation, will enter His
glorious kingdom praising the Lamb whose blood had made their robes white for their eternal

acceptance and blessing.

Psalm 24, The Crown

With Psalm 23 presenting Christ as "the Great Shepherd" of the sheep in His present work
symbolized by the Crook, we pass on to consider Psalm 24. Here He is seen as "the Chief
Shepherd," wearing the Crown of glory in the day of His kingdom.

His power and glory as Creator are first declared:"The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof;
the world, and they that dwell therein. For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it
upon the floods" (verses 1,2). And who is it that shall dwell with Him? "He that hath clean hands
and a pure heart" (verse 4). They are those who have been cleansed from their sins and manifest
their standing by a practical state of purity and righteousness. These "shall receive the blessing
from the Lord" as His gifts of grace, receiving a righteousness from God that will enable them
to live and stand with the King during His millennial reign.

Both the remnant of Israel and the various tribes of the Gentiles are included in verse 6. Israel will
turn and seek Him and He will be found of them as their long-awaited Messiah. The Gentiles also
will find Him through the testimony of Israel. "O Jacob," suggests the grace to Jacob which now
makes him "Israel"_"a prince with God." The Gentiles will realize that their blessings have come
to them through "Jacob" now restored and blessed by Jehovah. The grace that met unfaithful,
deceitful Jacob will meet the need of the Gentiles who turn in repentance to Him. Revelation 7
gives both the 144,000 of the 12 tribes of Israel and the multitude of the Gentile nations saved
through the tribulation, converted and brought to Christ to form His kingdom when "the King of
Glory shall come in!"

"Who is this King of Glory?" He is "the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle" (verse
8). He is the same One the apostle John writes of in Rev. 19:11, the “Faithful and True," the One
who "in righteousness . . doth judge and make war." The Chief Shepherd, coming in glory, will
bear the rod of judgment. He will be victorious over the nations that have opposed Him. The
Psalmist in the 2nd Psalm graphically depicts it thus as the presumptuous kings of the earth set
themselves against Him:"He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in
derision. . . . Thou shall break them with a rod of iron; Thou shall dash them in pieces like a
potter’s vessel." When He comes, He will destroy the western powers and cast the political ruler,
the beast, and the antichrist alive into the lake of fire. He will also break the king of the north and
his armies_Israel’s inveterate enemy, the dragon, whom God will use as His rod against
Jerusalem and apostate Israel (see Isaiah 10:5-12; 14:24,25; 30:31-33). Finally, He will destroy
Russia who will come against Israel when she is established in her land in peace (Ezek. 38,39).
In all this Jehovah will be acclaimed as the Mighty Deliverer of His people. He truly is "The Lord
of hosts." This is "the King of Glory"!

Hence, as the three Psalms bring Him before us, He was the Holy Sufferer, the Good Shepherd
who gave His life for the sheep on the Cross (Psalm 22); He is the Great Shepherd of the sheep
now caring for us with His Crook (Psalm 23); and He will be the Chief Shepherd wearing the
Crown when He comes to judge His enemies and set up His kingdom of power and glory (Psalm

24).

FRAGMENT
On that cross, alone, forsaken,
Where no pitying eye was found;
Now to God’s right hand exalted,
With Thy praise the heavens resound!

In the preceding issue, some general guidelines from Scripture were considered as to choosing a
marriage partner. The Christian should be looking for a partner who is also a true, born-again
Christian, who loves the Lord and desires to live for Him, and who has the same ecclesiastical
affiliation. In this issue we consider the matter of discerning the Lord’s mind as to a specific
marriage partner.

As we have noticed previously, Abraham instructed his servant not to take a wife for Isaac from
among the daughters of the Canaanites but from his own relatives (Gen. 24). These are the general
guidelines. But when the servant arrived at the city of Nahor his concern for the specific became
evident. As he stood near the public well he prayed to God that the woman whom God had
appointed for Isaac might come to the well that evening, and that by certain signs he might
recognize her when she came. God answered his prayer; he met Rebekah who turned out to be
the grand-niece of Abraham. As a result, the servant bowed and worshiped the Lord saying,
"Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of His
mercy and truth; I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren" (verse
27).

What a beautiful example for us today! As Christian young people begin having attractions to
members of the opposite sex, and as they begin dating and having thoughts of some day getting
married, they should be praying that the Lord will lead them to the one of His choice for a
marriage partner. The parents of these young people should be praying too and encouraging their
children thus to pray.

We cannot say what means God may use with each particular person to reveal His mind as to a
marriage partner. It is most important to maintain an open mind about the matter until the Lord’s
mind is clearly manifest. It will not do to make up our mind first and then challenge the Lord to
prevent us if we are not in His will. Sometimes He may graciously do this, but we cannot count
on it; God sometimes, in His wisdom, lets us go our own way if we are definitely bent on it.

If we are truly seeking the Lord’s mind in the matter of marriage, we may find Hun closing and
opening doors, sometimes in quite unexpected ways, in the process of directing us to the partner
of His choice. Sometimes He will use our own actions and behavior in this. For example, not a
few times has a relationship between a young man and a young woman terminated either because
one or the other was too forward and wanted to develop a closer relationship too quickly, or
because one did not take enough initiative or interest in developing or maintaining a friendship
with another. Following the break-up, the person who may have been "to blame" for the
separation may tend to engage in self-incrimination for having been too aggressive, or not
aggressive enough, or whatever the reason may have been. But while there may be important
lessons for us to learn from our social mistakes, let us also recognize that the Lord may well be
working through these very mistakes to redirect us to the one who is His choice for us.

Just as the Lord may close doors in some instances, so does He cause new ones to open. For those
readers whose concern is that they do not seem to have any marriage prospects_at least among

persons who meet the general guidelines considered previously_it should be an encouragement
to realize that the Lord opens doors and is well able to lead you to the right person or the right
person to you. However, do not think that He will necessarily hand a wife or a husband to you
on a silver platter while you remain in the confines of your living room. (Recall the effort spent
by Abraham’s servant in finding the wife for Isaac.) He expects you to get out and be friendly to
those of your age group as well as everyone else in your local assembly. And if there are not
many prospects in the local assembly of believers, you should try to get to regional or national
Bible conferences and seek to make acquaintances among the Christians gathered there. This, of
course, will not guarantee that you will find a wife or husband; the Lord may have other plans for
you (as will be discussed shortly), or He may have certain things for you to learn before bringing
you and your life’s partner together.

Thus far we have been exploring the question of determining God’s will as to the choice of a
marriage partner. But we have not yet considered the even more basic question of, "Is it God’s
will that I should become married at all?" Remaining single, for the Christian, is a definite option
set forth in Scripture. The apostle Paul states, "I would that all men were even as I myself [that
is, unmarried] … I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide
even as I" (1 Cor. 7:7,8). For some types of service for the Lord there is a distinct advantage to
being married, while other aspects of Christian service might more easily and faithfully be carried
out if one is not married. The apostle Paul, of course, is a special example of the latter; how could
he have accomplished what he did if he had family responsibilities? Those "gifted" to remain
unmarried (1 Cor. 7:7) are free, the apostle Paul tells us, to serve "the Lord without distraction"
(1 Cor. 7:35). Thus, married Christians should not make unmarried Christians feel that there is
a social stigma to being single, nor should they feel it is necessary to engage in matchmaking for
their unmarried friends.

There is an appeal in 1 Cor. 7 not only to those who have never married, but to those who are
widowed and divorced as well. We shall consider in a subsequent issue what Scripture has to say
about divorce and remarriage, but suffice it to say here that even in situations where remarriage
may be allowed by Scripture, the option of remaining unmarried should be carefully weighed
before the Lord (1 Cor. 7:8,27,32-34, 38-40). The one who has lost husband or wife should
carefully and prayerfully seek to learn what the Lord is trying to teach through the bereavement
and to determine if the Lord has a special service to be carried out while in the unmarried state.
The widows eligible for support by the assembly of believers were those who had only one
husband; they never remarried but rather gave themselves to prayer and supplication, and to good
works such as raising children, lodging strangers, washing the saints’ feet, and relieving the
afflicted (1 Tim. 5:3-10). The bishops (or overseers) and the deacons of the local assemblies
likewise were to be "the husband of one wife" (1 Tim. 3:2,12). Grammatically, this expression
is exactly comparable to the phrase in 1 Tim. 5:9_"the wife of one man"; thus it would seem to
be saying that to be qualified to fill one of these offices a man should remain unmarried if
widowed. Such a one puts the Lord and the needs of the assembly above all else, and perhaps
finds in widowhood greater freedom to serve the Lord and help his fellow believers (1 Cor.
7:32,33). On the other hand, the apostle makes it clear that it is no sin or shame for the widowed
person to remarry (1 Cor. 7:9,28,36,39).

In summary, the Lord is very much concerned about the questions of whether we should marry
and, if so, whom we should marry. May all who are considering the matter of marriage seek
diligently and earnestly to know the Lord’s will as to these questions.

In the next issue, Lord willing, we will discuss the engagement period in preparation for marriage.