Psalm 123

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.

What begins as the prayer of an individual becomes a prayer on behalf of the community. It begins with the psalmist looking up to the heavens where God is enthroned. Whether it is the brilliance of the night time sky, the glory of a sunset or the frightening power of a thunderstorm, the heavens direct us to the reality and glory of God. The heavens are a realm that is out of the reach of mankind (until recently, and even still, we are quite limited because we were not made to live in the sky). So we naturally look up and assume the creator is above and beyond us. The celestial metaphor then moves to a human metaphor -- a servant and his master, a maidservant and her mistress. These look up as well, acknowledging their station in life, and seeking mercy from the one who is in control. The Bible is often criticized for condoning slavery, but servitude was a given in the ancient world, and of course, it continues in the present in many different forms. The Bible prescribed safeguards and mandated the proper care of servants. There was even a way for servants to pledge themselves for life to their master through an ear piercing ceremony. The year of jubilee allowed for a regular societal reset, slaves were freed and land returned to its ancestral owner. So the metaphor here assumes a benevolent master, a master who provides all that the servant needs even though that servant has limited freedom. The same can be said of our relationship with God. We are servants of a benevolent master, one who would not harm us nor ask us to do anything that would bring harm to ourselves. We acknowledge our dependence on God and our trust in his care. We cannot be our own master -- this always ends badly. So acknowledge your position in life and be grateful for such a kind, merciful God who even though we are servants, he treats us as family. 

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.

The psalmist is seeking relief from the proud as he prays from a posture of humility. He is feeling scorn and derision from the proud, from those who seem to have no struggles (compare this to Psalm 73). He repeats his request for mercy even as he describes those from whom he needs relief. This psalm is another example of the staircase parallelism common in the Songs of Ascents, repeating words and phrases that link each verse together. The followers of YHWH have always had to be countercultural. They are mocked for believing in what cannot be seen, for obeying the words of an ancient book, for denying themselves of many things that the people of the world believe are necessary for happiness and freedom. Taking a stand for faith in God and obedience to his law will put you on the outside and invite scorn, contempt, and derision. So, don’t be surprised, and don’t cave to it. Like a servant to a benevolent master, put your trust in his good leadership and protection. You will find mercy there that you will never find in the world.