My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;" II Cor. 4:8,9.

How many believers, at some time during their earthly pilgrimage and in the course of the bearing of their cross, will not say or at least feel like saying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And truly He might have: by all that is righteous He should have utterly forsaken us. But according to His divine purpose, our Lord Jesus bore upon Himself, our sin; He was forsaken, in our stead: for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish . . .should not be forsaken; should not be cast away. . .

Cast Aways

"Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations" Hosea 9:16,17. "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself" Hosea 10:1. The question might be asked of Israel: "Why hast thou forsaken Me?"

"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered: and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" John 15:6. Notice at the beginning of the verse, "If a man abide not in me."

In Hosea we read that the root of Ephraim is "dried up." They shall bear no fruit as unto the Lord; the fruit of their womb will be slain and cast away. It is the "root of Ephraim", not of God; and their "righteousness", that of self. In John 15 and verse six, the problem is not that the root is dried up, but it is in the failure of the branch to "abide in the Vine," or root. Both are called "cast aways."

No Fruit without Root.

"And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward" II Kings 19:30, Isa. 37:31. "But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit" Pro. 12:12. If one be called "righteous", if he has root: may we say that neither root nor righteousness are of his own doing. The root and the righteousness are of Christ.

"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left. . ." Isa. 11:10,11. This root of Jesse we know to be Messiah, the Christ. "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever" Rev. 11:15.

No Cast Away!

In the first two verses of John chapter 15, notice that "I AM is all caps; that Christ is without question identifying himself as God, the I AM of the book of Exodus.

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch [in me] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it. . ." Though not expressed in the Greek, it is to be understood, "every branch in me." The word 'Airo' as used in other scriptures is "to lift up, to bear up," and in no wise "cast away." The caring Husbandman lifts up, bears up the unfruitful branch; it shall receive his undivided attention - it shall in no wise perish! Remember, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise "cast out!" John 6:37.

Every branch [in me] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it. It is a cleansing. Compare the footwashing of the disciples. The believer has the imputed righteousness of Christ, but needs cleansing in his earthly walk. The branch is in need of the "washing of water;" the cleansing away of the infestation of parasites, of mold, of insects. ". . .Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" Ephesians 5:25b- 27.

A Call to Suffering.

In the calling of Saul, the Lord sent a disciple, Ananias as a witness and in the restoring of his sight. "the Lord said unto him, go thy way; for he [Saul] is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake" Acts 9:15-16. How this defies human reasoning! A chosen vessel unto the Lord - yet in the same sentence, "great things he must suffer for my name's sake!" And he was - and he did. Remember the words of the apostle? "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, [not cast out] but not destroyed;" Despite all of that, Paul's testimony, his goal, remains unshakable: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" Phil. 3:10. If we "fast-forward to the end of Paul's life, we find an almost cheerful testimony! "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" And the course has been as it began: one of great suffering -"for my name's sake." Paul, was it worth it? "Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing!"

"My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me?" If Paul ever said it; if he ever thought it - the Lord has not allowed us to know!

Ere we feel forsaken, may we see "the Man of sorrows;" become acquainted with his grief. Shall we mourn in our daily sufferings? My dear friend, He "has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows." Multiplied suffering: bearing both His own and also our sorrows on the tree: bearing our iniquities. . . He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities."