"Even God Must Get the Blues"
Song by: Jo Dee Messina (1998)
Pick up any morning paper
Turn on the 6 o'clock news
The devil's been so busy lately
That even God must get the blues
That is the first stanza of a song by the artist Jo Dee Messina. I was reminded of the title line for that song ,while in the middle of attempting to write this week’s article, by a friend who called to apologize for venting to me about a problem he experienced. What made it stick out is this friend is one of the most positive people I know. Until this point I have never heard him “sing the blues”, then he calls two days later and apologizes for venting to me.
I am blessed to have many friends that I can confide in, which in turn have confidence in me, even to the point of singing the blues. Proverbs 18:24
We just finished celebrating Easter which is the supreme evidence for the hope of all Christians, the resurrection from the dead! Once again, I like the way the Apostle Paul lays it out for us in 1 Corinthians 15:16-20:
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Another good friend on Easter Sunday asked me about the following verse and if it meant God turned His back on Jesus and looked away when He was upon the cross. I quickly told him, yes.

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
END QUOTE of Matthew 27:46
WAS WRONG!
First, I want to tell you that I was wrong because I violated every rule for “Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth”. The more I study God’s Word, the more I find out that many things I thought where true are incorrect. Foremost, I want to apologize to all my friends, which have placed their confidence in me, in terms of interpreting the Bible. Then, we are going to quickly examine why it seems reasonable that God would turn His back upon Jesus on the cross. Finally, we are going to apply the principles we have learned for “Rightly Dividing” to Matthew 27:46 and know the real meaning of why Jesus said it.
Why is saying God turned His back on Jesus when He was upon the cross wrong? After all, we all know God cannot look upon sin! So, it would be reasonable that God would have to turn His back upon Jesus as Christ willing took on all our sins. That seems reasonable to me. So, what is the problem?
The problem is the Bible does not teach that God cannot see sin. It does, however, say that in Him (God) there is no sin. Think about it? For example, how did God know that Achan had stolen the garment and the money, in Joshua Chapter 7, if God cannot see sin. There are countless examples throughout the Bible in which God sees and identifies sin. (Genesis 6:5) What the Bible means by “look on sin” is to approve sin. God does not approve sin, He reproves sin. In other words, and as a matter of fact God judges sin. Remember, the Ten Commandments is God’s standard for perfection, it teaches mankind what sin is and that we have all come short of the Glory of God. Except Jesus did not come short. Revelation tells us that Heaven and Earth where searched and no one except Jesus was found worthy to fulfill the Ten Commandments.
Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world. So again, what did Jesus mean in Matthew 27:46?
Let’s apply another rule for “Rightly Dividing the Word”, in order to find the answer. Let’s look to the Old Testament for more information.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”
Let’s apply my three favorite rules for “Rightly Dividing” to Psalms 22:1 and Matthew 27:46: CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT!
First, what do David and Jesus have in common?
David was the King of Israel, so is Jesus.
David preformed priestly rights even though he was not a Levite, so did Jesus (2 Samuel 6:12-15).
David prophesied, so did Jesus.
Once again, I am getting very lengthy, so I will hurry up, BUT don’t take my word for what I have said and will say as is evident by my owned mistake mentioned above.
In Psalm 22, David is not only prophesying of the Messiah, David is in a similar situation as Jesus is. He has been forsaken by the powers that be. David is in great distress and it looks like all hope is lost for Israel and the King of Israel. So, David begins to prophesy in Psalm 22 by recounting the history of God’s people and how God always delivered them from what appeared to be hopeless situations. He is encouraging himself by recounting God’s fulfilled promises.
Next, he turns to the future and like Isaiah 53 he begins to prophesy exact details of Jesus Crucifixion, like parting His garments. He also predicts the greatest bullying event ever. In which Satin has his followers hurl great insults like Psalm 22:8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. Then, its New Testament counterpart Matthew 27:43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. You see bullies try to get people to accomplish their own will by provoking them with their own words to do something which is not advisable.
By quoting the first verse of Psalm 22, Jesus is warning the Pharisees and others that they are about to commit the ultimate sin and not recognize Jesus for who he is. I am literally crying as I write these next few sentences:
Jesus is not singing the blues because the Father has forsaken Him, the Holy Trinity is not in any disagreement over what is about to happen. God planned it before the foundation of the world (See Revelation 13:8, 5:6 and 5:12)
Jesus is singing the Blues because as agreed He alone is about to fulfill all RIGHTIOUSNESS by allowing God’s Sovereign protection to be removed that He might take on our sins. That He might bear our iniquity, that He would suffer our grief and shame, all alone by Himself. That He would taste death, once and for all. (1Peter 2:24)
So, in light of “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth”, let me ask and answer the question about Matthew 27:46 again. Did God turn and look away or turn His back from Jesus when He took our sins upon Himself?
NO!
Isaiah 53:10-11
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Pick up any evening paper
Turn on the 10 o'clock news
The devil's been so busy lately
That even God must get the blues
Yeah even God must get the blues

Send comments to archie.wilson@historicunioncounty.com