Psalm 69:19-21 NKJV
You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonour; My adversaries are all before You. [20] Reproach has broken my heart, And I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none. [21] They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Here, hidden in Psalm 69, is yet another foretelling of the torment Jesus would suffer on the Cross.
The perfect Son of God, who had been the cherished object of eternal adoration in the Heavenly realm, now becomes the focus of devilish distain and contempt and it broke His heart.
In the gospels it talks of those observing His crucifixion "wagging their heads" in disapproval:
Matthew 27:39-40 NKJV
And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads [40] and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
...this too a prophetic echo from the Psalms:
Psalm 22:7-8 NKJV
All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, [8] "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"
Yes shame, reproach and constant disapproval can break a person's heart.
It's vital to remember that Jesus tasted, to the dregs, utter humiliation on the Cross - even being crucified totally naked!
Therefore He can identify completely with those who suffer torture and persecution - the innocent who are slandered and falsely accused.
No other God has such empathy.
No one else knows so fully the broken heartedness of humanity.
He endured the entire force of "the evil one" unleashed upon Him there on the Cross.... but, more mysteriously, the anger of the Father against our sin! Who can understand that?!!
He voluntarily identified with our shame and degradation and took the blows we deserved.
Isaiah 53:5 NKJV
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
No wonder He cried out:
Matthew 27:46 NKJV
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Even then He was quoting from the Psalms, fulfilling prophecy:
Psalm 22:1 NKJV
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?
God forbid that any of us should become the object of such intense reproach, but, if so, remember the Precious Lamb of God understands your broken heart and stands ready to tenderly hold you in His nail scarred Hands.
When folk humiliate you, you have an amazing, incredible, impenetrable Rock to run to.
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