Analyzing Psalm 22: The Afflicted Will be Satisfied
Psalm 22:26; Luke 22:14-20 - In the new covenant, we are satisfied and our hearts will live forever free of the afflictions of the world.
”The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever!“
Psalms 22:26 NASB1995
Our Psalmist David describes how the afflicted from the previous verses will eat and be satisfied. Let’s look at other translations for the word “afflicted” in this verse:
KJV (King James Version): The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
NIV (New International Version): The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever!
CSB (Christian Standard Bible): The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him. May your hearts live forever!
NET (New English Translation): Let the oppressed eat and be filled! Let those who seek his help praise the LORD! May you live forever!
As we saw in the last devotional, to be afflicted means to be poor, humble, or wretched, so meek and oppressed also fit into this mold. So is David talking about mere physical satisfaction for the afflicted if they are able to eat food? I’m pretty sure this goes beyond mere physical needs to truly being satisfied spiritually in the Lord. The “eat” certainly invokes Communion in my mind!
”When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.“
Luke 22:14-20 NASB1995
Even the richest, most arrogant, power-seeking, oppressive person on this Earth is truly poor when you think about it! If they don’t seek the Lord, they will never be satisfied. There will always be one more dollar, one more person they can put down, one more domain to be conquered, or one more pitiful “other” to be victimized or enslaved. However, those who actively seek Him will find Him and they will praise Him, as they are now satisfied in the new covenant.
Let your heart live forever, because Jesus has overcome the world! Here is what He has overcome through His death and resurrection, from Gotquestions.org:
Anxieties and cares: Christ’s victory over the world is multifaceted. First, He gives His followers peace to overcome their troubled hearts: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Those who believe in Jesus Christ don’t have to live with anxious hearts but can experience the gift of His otherworldly peace (John 14:1). We do this by bringing every situation to Him in prayer, depending wholly on Him to meet our needs (Philippians 4:6). The Lord’s peace transcends all the confusion, fear, and anxiety of this world like a shield set over our minds and hearts as we live secure in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7).
Hatred and persecution: It’s important to remember that Christ’s victory over the world does not physically remove us from the battle. We will face the same hatred Jesus did: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:18–20). We overcome the world because we belong to God. His Spirit lives in us and “is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Paul asked the Romans, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?” (Romans 8:35, NLT). He answers his own question with a resounding, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:37, NLT).
Sin and temptation: Temptation to sin will always be a part of our lives in this world, but Christ gives us victory over sin. Before salvation, the Bible says we lived like we were dead in disobedience and sin “just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (Ephesians 2:1–2, NLT). We used to follow only the passions and inclinations of our sinful nature (Ephesians 2:3). “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. . . . For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4–6, NLT).
Spiritual forces: Jesus not only paid the penalty for our sin, but He also won a pivotal victory over Satan and all the supernatural powers of evil who are aligned with him (Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14). The devil has been defeated through Jesus Christ. As believers, we appropriate Christ’s victory when we put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–18).
Sorrow and death: Death is an inevitable reality for all people, but for believers in Jesus Christ, death means victory over our last enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26–27). Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross and subsequent resurrection, Jesus overcame the world by conquering death. He shares that victory with all who repent and believe in Him as Lord and Savior: “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4–5, NLT). Christ’s death grants salvation and eternal life to all who believe in Him.
This world will never be free of these things, but we who believe are free if we are in Him. Be satisfied today!
My next devotional examines Psalm 22:27-28 - The Lord rules over the nations.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - I am satisfied in You through the eternal covenant of Your body and blood. May my heart live forever, shielded from the things of this world. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
The Blue Letter Bible was accessed on 3/14/2024 to review different Bible versions for Psalm 22:26.
Gotquestions.org was accessed on 3/14/2024 to ask the question about how the heart can live forever. The answer was based on how Jesus has overcome the world.