Times Two
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Psalm 22:1 (English)
My God, my God – In the Bible, when God really wants someone’s attention, He calls the name twice. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it is critically important. “Abraham, Abraham” (Genesis 22:11), “Samuel, Samuel” (1 Samuel 3:10), “Saul, Saul” (Acts 9:4). But in this verse, David calls God – and Jesus calls God (Matthew 27:46). But there is more here than just an exclamation for attention.
“Eli, eli” are the words in Hebrew. However, el is not the name of God but rather the classification of gods. If David wanted to call God’s name, he would have used the Hebrew Yahweh because Yahweh is God’s personal name. El is the category of every being who is a god. There is only One being in this classification but that does not stop men from thinking differently.
Why does David use the class name rather than the personal name? It certainly seems an appropriate place for the personal name. After all, this cry is a demand for personal attention. We can offer some conjectures that show something deeper in these words.
The use of el to indicate the true God of Israel almost never stands alone. Every time we find el, we find it in conjunction with some other epithet that distinguishes this “god”. We know these combinations as the common names of God (like El-shaddai and El-gibor and El-olam). David also uses a unique combination, el plus the personal possessive. In prophetic revelation, David utters a word that proclaims the full authority and power of the One True God. All pretenders are abolished. All hope in fate, destiny or any other form of divine intervention is thrown aside. God is needed, but here, He seems to be missing. It is the sovereign God of justice Who is absent. Suddenly, the world seems empty of its Master.
This is the clue. David utters a complaint against the God who is in charge of everything. “God, if You are really in control, then where are You now, when I am afflicted?” David’s words accuse God of not doing His job, namely, taking care of me!
So, why does Jesus use the same expression? Jesus uses David’s prophetic words because, in that moment on the cross, the absence of the One True God from control of the moral universe seems to take center stage. It is not the intimate connection with the Father that is broken. It is the essential relationship of creation to its sovereign and just Lord that is missing. The Holy One of Israel is silent. The afflicted Son is not spared. Justice is not served. Something terribly wrong is happening.
You and I will never know the full impact of an absence like Jesus knew. But we have days when some sliver of silence invades our souls. We know, in part, what it means to cry, “My God, my God.” We may complain that God is not being just, but the complaint is not the end of the story. That is why the Psalm does not end here. It becomes a song of victory, not defeat. “My God, my God,” is the opening cry to the God Who does answer, even when the call comes from the cross, as we shall see – tomorrow.
Have you considered George Lamsa’s explanation of this phrase in Aramaic? He claims the Aramaic word “Sabacthani” was misspelled, consequently mistranslated, but actually means, “My God, my God, for this I was born.” or “…for this, I came into the world.” Lamsa also claims a Jew would never think that God would forsake him. That kind of thinking would be deemed irreverent. Jesus knew perfectly well what His purpose was, His mission to Israel, to unite the nations, bringing together the descendants of Abraham into one people. He knew the prophesies of His cruxifiction, how He had to die, His suffering, and ultimately His ressurection and victory over death. And while still able to speak on the cross, He declared, “It is finished!” So, in light of all this, it seems unreasonable to accept as true, that the only begotten Son of God, would proclaim before the crowd, and ultimately perpetuate the belief that His Father forsook Him. All that Jesus knew beforehand about His mission, death, burial, and ressurection, plus the teaching that God forsook Him, just doesn’t logically add up. Please comment. Thank you much.
Lamsa’s explanation is unnecessary. Yeshua is announcing the psalm with the most recognizable first phrase, in which case every Jew would know that this is a psalm of vindication, not abandonment. Lamsa is right about the rest. No Jew would think he was abandoned (at least not permanently) and certainly Yeshua did not think so. But when He utters these words, He reminds the audience that appearance is not reality and He will be vindicated by the Holy One.
Sir, I appreciate your response. However, I forgot to ask you if you would comment on these phrases/spellings, supposedly in the Peshitta Bible version: “Eli, Eli, LEMANA SHABAKTHANI! as opposed to other versions, “…LAMA SABACHTHANI!” The LEMANA SHABAKTHANI spelling, translated into English, “My God, my God, for this I was spared! (or “This was my destiny!”) Ps. 22:1-19 supposedly reads in the Peshitta (according to Lamsa), #1-“My God, my God, why hast thou let me to live? And yet, Thou hast delayed my salvation, because of the words of my folly. #4-Our fathers trusted in Thee; they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. #5-They cried unto Thee and were delivered; they trusted in Thee and were confounded. #9-For Thou art my trust since I came out of the womb, and my hope since I was upon my Mother’s breasts. #11-Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. #12-Many bulls (oppressors) have surrounded me. #19-But, O Lord, be not Thou far from me; O God, O God, abide to help me. Mr. Owen, in light of Lamsa’s rendition of the preceding verses, are you of the opinion that he was indubitably incorrect? Please comment with added clarification. Thank you much. Respectfully, Jewel