In v6-8 we are back to the anguish that Jesus is enduring. In Matthew 27:39-44 we read of those who passed by deriding Him and shaking their heads. They mocked Jesus, saying that if He was indeed the Son of God then He should come down from the cross. Of course, it was because He is the Son of God that He had to go to the cross, and stay there until His work was done. The chief priests, scribes and elders joined in the mockery. Matt 27:43 is almost exactly the same as Psalm 22:8.
So we see the Messiah being subjected to the attacks of the world, and the mocking unbelief. Jesus was mocked, and His faith was mocked. We should also note that in v6 He says “I am a worm and not man”. There is a feeling of utter helplessness, and of course, on the cross there was nothing He could do. We should not be surprised if we experience a similar pattern in our own lives at times (though on a much reduced scale). We may feel that God has forsaken us, and we may feel utterly helpless. We may also experience the world mocking us and our faith.
We can see cycles in this Psalm. In v1,2 there is the cry of dereliction, followed in v3-5 by the reminder of who God is. Then we see a similar cycle. In v6-8 there is the mockery of Jesus. This is then followed in v9-11 with a reminder of how God had looked after Him from birth. Jesus had been conceived supernaturally, by the Holy Spirit. While Herod tried to have Him killed, God protected Jesus. Throughout His life Jesus had trusted His Father. Now there was no one to help Him.
We then get another cycle of suffering in v12-18. Bulls were seen as very dangerous animals, as, of course, were lions. Jesus was surrounded by those seeking, and succeeding, in killing Him. Jesus experienced the pain. He would literally be thirsty. And because of the nature of crucifixion, his bones may well have been out of joint. He was in extreme physical agony.
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