But I Am a Worm
But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. (Psalm 22:6 NKJV)
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8 NKJV)
Humbled by Men
This passage in Psalm 22 is not quoted in the New Testament but the following verses in the Psalm remind us that the Lord was taunted on the cross by those who said, “He saved others, Himself He cannot save.” King David probably experienced the rejection that he records here but it seems obvious that he was also prophesying the humiliation of the Lord. Peter calls David a prophet in Acts 2:30 and Acts 4:25.
The word used for worm in this passage could be translated as maggot. But some believe it was the kind of worm that when crushed produced a crimson dye. That dye was used in the curtains of the tabernacle. If this is the case, then the crushing of the Lord as a worm produced the blood that not only stained the cross but that cleansed the believer from his/her sins.
To be called a maggot is obviously a title given to one who is being mocked and who is being treated as a social outcast. However, King David must have been depressed as he calls himself a worm and no man, however, I am sure that this is how he felt others saw him. This title prophetically represents man’s value of the Lord and it does not in any way represent the value of the Lord to His Father and to those who believe in Him. Peter says, Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious. (1 Peter 2:7 NKJV).”
Humbled Himself
The Lord was and is the focus and glory of heaven. But the Lord counted Himself to be of no reputation and humbled Himself and became a man. He became obedient to a foreordained death and not just any death, but to death on a cross. That was a death that was terrible and He anguished over it before being betrayed in the Garden. Angels had to strengthen Him. But to know that there were going to be religious and secular rulers who would have no empathy for Him when on the cross must have cut deeply. And yet, His death could have been their salvation. They did not know what and who they were mocking and humiliating. I wonder what their thinking is now that their eternal destiny is where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.
Lesson
We need to be careful when we reject and humiliate someone. Many reject and humiliate the Lord to this day. They use His name as a swear word and laugh at the claim that He is and was the Son of God. However, He came to save and not to condemn. But condemn He will if He is rejected. In like manner, the person most despised in your heart, may very well be the person that the Lord has put in your life for a reason. You may be rejecting the means of your own preservation and blessing.
When a person rejects the Lord and considers Him to be a maggot, that person is certainly rejecting the greatest love that has ever been offered to mankind. This love includes the free gift of salvation. but it also has the promise of eternal judgment for those who consider the Lord to be a worm and not a man.
No one should be considered to be a maggot by others. No one should cause anyone to feel like a worm and not a man. This is particularly true when considering the Lord. It takes a proud rebellious person to use such language. It was how David thought others saw him. It is how many saw the Lord. But it is not how the believer sees the Lord.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of June 18, 2023