The following is a (summarized) transcript from a renewal weekend retreat victory meeting (Secuela) a few weeks following the retreat. This retreat was a TRES DIAS weekend, but there are many renewal type weekends and if you have the opportunity to attend one you should!

4th day YES!!! Today we reflect back to the victory of the three-day weekend. Perhaps the most prolific mountain top experience you have ever had. I bet some of you have come down from that mountain though. Anyone actually hit the dirt yet? That happens. Luckily, we have a brotherhood and sisterhood now to help pick you up. On the weekend I shared from Psalm 22.  Psalter is divided into five books (Psalms 1-41; 42-72; 73-89; 90-106; 107-150). Book one is significant in several ways. Book I of the Psalms corresponds to the Song of Songs which was sung at the Passover season. The whole of the 41 psalms (1 of Introduction plus 40) relate to this theme. Note, as an example, Psalm 22 which says that the wicked “pierced my hands and my feet” (verse 16). This reference, in prophecy, referred to the crucifixion of Christ – who died at the Passover! Also, since Israel came out of Egypt at Passover, the 40 psalms of Book I (after the introductory one) probably denote the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. The 30 psalms of Book II (after the introductory one) may show the 30 years for the establishing of the nation of Israel in the land of Canaan – and this took exactly 30 years from their crossing of the River Jordan to the death of Joshua. If you really dive in, after a careful analysis you will find a multi-layered, subtle, and profoundly meaningful structure and arrangement of the entire book. This arrangement is apparent in all five Books of Psalms, but it is particularly striking in Book I, Psalms 1-41.  Keys to understanding the arrangement of the psalms are the awareness of chiasms, the linking together of psalms with common themes, words, and thought development, and the use of symbolic numbers. One of my favorite features of Hebrew poetry is the chiasm. 

I wanted to show you how Psalms 15-24 are connected. I shared Psalms 15-24 today because they were meant to be read together in complete context and it is about our VICTORY! Together with Psalms 20 (a prayer for the king to be victorious) and 21 (a response from the king praising God for victories granted), these three royal psalms frame Psalm 19, the central psalm of the second chiasm. Like the first hymn of the Psalter (Psalm 8), this second hymn (Psalm 19) speaks of YHWH’s glory in creation and man’s responsibility to live in a covenant relationship with him. The psalm expands on the meditation of the Torah first introduced in Psalm 1:2-3, and it provides a glimpse of what is to come in the magnificent Torah psalm, Psalm 119. It is so beautiful!

Different people interpret Psalm 22 differently. But at ALTD we rejoice in what we have in common, not what we might see differently and regardless of your denomination or theological leaning we can all agree on Psalm 22 pointing to Jesus (Luke tells us that the risen Lord interpreted the Psalms to His disciples as referring prophetically to Himself in Luke 24:44) and revealing victory.

Of the thirteen (some count seventeen) major Old Testament texts that are quoted in the Gospel narratives, nine come from the Psalms, and five of those from Psalm 22. The best known of them all is the cry of dereliction, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani” -My God My God Why have you forsaken me- (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34).’ I talked about that on the women’s Tres Dias 50 weekend a bit but I will expound for those that were not there!

The Psalm has two strongly contrasting divisions: vv1-18 – a song of lament, speaking of the psalmist’s suffering, vv19-31 – a song of praise, speaking of the psalmist’s vindication.  We could characterize it as, “From trauma to triumph.”

When you see that Christ shared this section of Psalms 22 with his disciples and identified himself prophetically, you understand that when he says, My God my God why have you forsaken me,” He was actually quoting the song of victory! Anyone that understood anything about Hebrew at the place of the crucifixion would have understood the quote then as not saying that God was forsaking Him but quite the opposite. Even though it may have looked to some or felt like that, Jesus was reminding them of the victory that was happening. This was a regularly sung song. I would contend that even those that weren’t of Israel would have known it much the way our world is aware of the hymn “Amazing Grace.”

When we use the words forsaken what do they mean? They refer to turning your face or back on someone. We here this in our language today when we say to someone, “don’t you turn your back on me,” or “don’t you walk away from me.” To turn away meant that you were no longer with them. It is the first step to leaving someone. The Bible calls this forsaking. Now, I have to go back to where I started. Some theologies do see God turning His face on Jesus but when you really follow their reasoning or understanding of the text here, I might reason that a lot of the differences might be simply definitions and semantics. I actually think we all (nearly) agree with what took place. We just frame it slightly differently as it is going to support different theologies. Free Will theology (for lack of better terminology) doesn’t have God turning His back on Jesus as that would be majorly problematic to God’s statement of promise and his character itself. However, a reformed theology is going to position him for a moment turning his back on Jesus to line up better with substitutional theology. (Did he “slightly” turn His back as He seems to have done with Israel? – I think that is the best framework for seeing it that way.) Every theology has to make a deduction here to line up with the rest of their atonement theory. I will still content that both views can be “close.” There are also some extreme views here such as viewing God as a cosmic child abuser that I won’t get into here.)

Yet God tells us more than 30 times in the Bible as His enduring covenant promise (many people will call an unconditional covenant) that God will never leave or forsake us. So theologically now it seems like we have a contradiction in scripture. Whenever it appears like scripture is in contradiction, we have to ask what is going on and look deeper into the text. We know that scripture doesn’t contradict itself so how do we theologically reconcile this? I think the answer is quite simple actually.

I can’t speak for how the reformed circles answer this (more than I briefly have), but I will speak to why I lean towards simply saying God never turned His back on Jesus. If you say God did turn His back on Jesus and connect it to Ransom and PSA versions of atonement, you’re going to have a lot of theological gymnastics needed. (But I will admit there is a framework for that view.) Most theologians I know are going to take the far more simple and defendable view that God didn’t turn His back on Jesus (but that is also going to create a problem if you hold to PSA and Ransom theories.) In quoting Psalm 22 Jesus is reminding all of the faithful that God actually ISN’T turning his back or his face on Jesus. That God is with him in the healing moment and reconciling the world in what looks like defeat but is actually the biggest victory the world will ever know. That is exactly the context of Psalm 22. This is important because the promise is likely the most thematic promise of the entire scripture -that God will never leave us or forsake us. By taking this view, I don’t have to then try to explain how God would say this and then seemingly turn away from Jesus at the cross. My theology overwhelmingly would state that He didn’t do that to Jesus and He won’t ever leave you despite what you do. (I would also argue he never turns His back on Israel which is in part what Jesus was clarifying in the parable.) In fact I would claim that is the continued message (and even central theme) of the Old Covenant and the New. It is the prodigal story; God is always arms open to you and there is victory. These truths are fundamental to the TRES DIAS journey as well as to our deepened trust in the LORD unto the rest of our calling.

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before You.  Psalm 22:28

Turn – the Hebrew word here is shuv.  It is used more than 1000 times in Hebrew Scripture and carries a couple dozen different ideas or meanings but all of them have an idea of “coming back.” Now if I asked you what the gospel is. The answers would greatly vary which I always think is interesting. (your answers are based on how Jesus has personally revealed Himself to you.) You might say, freedom, or the good news, the covenant story, or something similar. These are all true! (Chapter 7 of This is the Way of Covenant Discipleship gets really into this.) My point is no one would use the word SHUV!!! All of these other words are nouns and the Hebrew word SHUV is about different because it is a verb. I like the word SHUV for this reason, living out the gospel should look like a verb in your life. There should be 1000 different ways that you live out the revelation of Jesus!

“Christians typically focus the attention of “conversion” on the future.  Usually this involves concern about where you will go when you die. Getting to heaven is, too often, the goal of religious experience.  Ultimately, this preoccupation with what happens after death is based in a Greek philosophical belief that the world is a bad and terrible place and the only real solution to problems here on earth is escape.  Heaven will solve it all.  If Jesus just comes back soon, our problems will be over.”¹ This is called escapism and has led many people into poor theology.

I always think is interesting that in the Old Testament they had no revelation of any other further life. Other than God Himself, the concept of eternal life in the Bible is revealed in the New Covenant in Jesus. Yet in the Old Testament they possibly lived far greater lives of devotion than most of us do today. This Hebrew word SHUV reminds us that the object of return to God’s ways. A return to a life of devotion, piety study and action – a return to Eden type of communion, walking with God. This kind of life takes action here and now and it is not an escape plan.

I want to show you one more thing in the text. Hebrew reads a bit different than English. Often the first word is the main emphasis of the structure. So here the verb comes first! Literally, the verse reads, “Remember and return to YHWH all the ends of the earth.”  The action is at the forefront. What do we need for this kind of action? Well, it tells us that to! Despite what things sometimes look like, remember who is in control, remember who will bring the victory.  Remember the and live that out (as a note some scholars would interpret the Hebrew to not make the statement that all will actually return, but all are offered to return.) When we do that, it means that we run back into his arms. That we live out goodness, peace, edification of the body of Christ. We demonstrate compassion and image grace. We find ourselves with the father again on those walks in the cool of the evening when there was nothing to hide. We live transparently in the body of Christ through His amazing grace. In Philippians 2:5-8, believers are encouraged to adopt the “mind of Christ,” which embodies humility, obedience, and selflessness demonstrated in Him aligning our thoughts and decisions with Jesus’ way of thinking, promoting love, humility, and wisdom.

TODAY IS THE DAY OF VICTORY!!! There will be days that don’t feel victorious. We are actually PROMISED THAT! In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” James 1 actually says to  “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

COMMUNION: The table should be a reminder of many things in your life. We are welcomed to regularly come to the table and remember the full picture (1000x) of what Jesus revealed to us. One of the pictures is victory. I invite you today to the table of victory. The bread that is broken, the cup offered to you as a sign to remember who you are. Your identity in Jesus. The rest of the world can fade away, but that that victory is part of you. It is literally what creates and embodies you. Remember and lay claim this day and every day.

1. @Hebrew word study ↩︎