A Song of Ascents.
1 To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud. – Psalm 123:1-4 ESV
In the previous psalm, David focused his attention on Jerusalem, which he referred to as “the house of the LORD” (Psalm 122:1 ESV). He reveled in his privilege to call the city his home and the dwelling place of Yahweh. But in this psalm, the author turns his attention to heaven, where Yahweh is enthroned. He seems to paint a different picture of God's presence, describing Him as somewhat distant and remote. He has a more transcendent view of Yahweh, and it seems to be related to the current circumstances surrounding the people of Israel.
Describing their situation in desperate terms, he cries out to Yahweh for mercy.
We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy… – Psalm 123:2 NLT
Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy,
for we have had our fill of contempt. – Psalm 123:3 NLT
He provides little in the way of details, but leaves the impression that the nation of Israel is being treated with scorn and contempt by its enemies. The word “contempt” is bûz in Hebrew, and it carries the idea of disrespect and shame stemming from another's pride and arrogance. The enemies of Israel are casting dispersions on the people of God, denigrating them as a nation and showing disrespect for their God. The Israelites had witnessed this many times over the years. All the way back in Egypt, when Moses attempted to free them from their captivity, Pharaoh had responded, “And who is the LORD? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2 NLT).
Centuries later, King Sennacherib of Assyria threatened to destroy Jerusalem and warned its inhabitants that their God was too weak to deliver them from his hands.
“Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The LORD will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?” – Isaiah 36:18-20 NLT
Asaph, the author of the 73rd Psalm, described his frustration over the prideful arrogance of the wicked, who cast dispersions on Yahweh as they gloat about their own success.
But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
For I envied the proud
when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
They seem to live such painless lives;
their bodies are so healthy and strong.
They don’t have troubles like other people;
they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
and clothe themselves with cruelty.
These fat cats have everything
their hearts could ever wish for!
They scoff and speak only evil;
in their pride they seek to crush others.
They boast against the very heavens,
and their words strut throughout the earth.
And so the people are dismayed and confused,
drinking in all their words.
“What does God know?” they ask.
“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
Look at these wicked people—
enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. – Psalm 73:2-12 NLT
The author of this psalm expresses his own growing frustration over the relentless ridicule of the godless.
We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud
and the contempt of the arrogant. – Psalm 123:4 NLT
His words convey a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness. He has had his fill of their disrespectful treatment, but is even more frustrated by his inability to do anything about it. So, he cries out to Yahweh for mercy. The Hebrew word for mercy is ḥānan, and it conveys the idea of favor, grace, and even pity. The psalmist calls on Yahweh like a slave would cry out to his master or a slave girl would look to her mistress for mercy. He is not suggesting that his relationship with God is that of a slave to his unjust and unmerciful master. He is simply describing his feeling of abject need and total dependence upon Yahweh for help.
While the wicked cast dispersions on God's power and presence, the psalmist is casting his hope on Yahweh's favor, mercy, and pity. His God is enthroned in the heavens and sees all that is going on. Far from distant and disinterested, Yahweh is fully aware of what is going on and ready to do something about it. That is why the psalmist appeals to Him for mercy. Their lives are in Yahweh's hands, just as a slave is entirely dependent upon his master to meet all his needs.
The psalmist describes their utter reliance upon Yahweh when he states, “our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us” (Psalm 123:2 ESV). This terminology is used throughout the Psalms to express a faith-based trust in the sovereign will of the Almighty.
My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted. – Psalm 25:15-16 ESV
But my eyes are toward you, O God, my LORD;
in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless! – Psalm 141:8 ESV
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the LORD
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning. – Psalm 130:5-6 ESV
Each of these psalms reflects a patient reliance upon Yahweh even when things look bleak and hopeless. Rather than focusing on their circumstance, each author turns his attention to the LORD, whom he believes will intervene and rectify the situation.
The apostle Peter recommended the same God-focused mindset, encouraging believers to cast all their worries, cares, and concerns on Him. However, Peter tied this reliance on God to a need for humility.
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:5-7 ESV
The psalmist illustrates what Peter had in mind, viewing himself as little more than a slave crying out to his master. He has no power of his own and no right to make demands of his master. There are no ultimatums given and no demands expressed. He simply asks that Yahweh show him unmerited mercy and favor. And he believes that His gracious LORD and Master will answer.
Father, I can be a fairly demanding servant. I come to You far too often with a sense of entitlement, expecting You to give me what I want, when I want it. I tend to lack the attitude Peter talked about. Humility can be difficult and waiting can be next to impossible. Like the psalmist, I can get to the point where I have had my fill of the circumstance, and demand that You fix it, on my terms and according to my timeline. But I want to learn to wait expectantly, but also patiently. Forgive me for my presumption, impatience, and impertinence. Help me learn to fix my eyes on You so I can cast my cares on You. I spend far too much time focusing on my perceived problems, rather than fixing my eyes on the solution: You. Amen
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
