Psalms 123 The Lord Our Mercy
Look to God’s Heavens 1 To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! If you look at the enemy you will get discouraged, so look faith to the God of the universe who reigns in heaven. (Wiersbe) The Psalmist looked so high that he could look no higher. Not to the hills, but to the God of the hills he looked The uplifted eyes naturally and instinctively represent the state of heart which fixes desire, hope, confidence, and expectation upon the Lord. When we cannot look to any helper on a level with us, it is greatly wise to look above us; in fact, if we have a thousand helpers, our eyes should still be toward the Lord. The higher the Lord is the better for our faith, since that height represents power, glory, and excellence, and these will be all engaged on our behalf. If we cannot see God, at least we will look towards him. God is in heaven as a king in his palace; he is here revealed, adored, and glorified: thence he looks down on the world and sends assistance to his saints as their needs demand; hence we look up, even when our sorrow is so great that we can do no more. It is a blessed condescension on God's part that he permits us to lift up our eyes to his glorious high throne; yea, more, that he invites and even commands us so to do. (Spurgeon) There are many testimonies in the lifting up of the eyes to heaven. 1. It is the testimony of a believing, humble heart. Infidelity will never carry a man above the earth. Pride can carry a man no higher than the earth either. 2. It is the testimony of an obedient heart. A man that lifts up his eye to God, he acknowledges this much,—Lord, I am your servant. 3. It is the testimony of a thankful heart; acknowledging that every good blessing, every perfect gift, is from the hand of God. 4. It is the testimony of a heavenly heart. He that lifts up his eyes to heaven acknowledges that he is weary of the earth; his heart is not there; his hope and desire is above (Richard Holdsworth.) The lifting up the eyes, implies faith and confident persuasion that God is ready and willing to help us. The very lifting up of the bodily eyes towards heaven is an expression of this inward trust: so David in effect says, From thee, Lord, I expect relief, and the fulfilling of thy promises. So that there is faith in it, that faith which is the evidence of things not seen. How great so ever the darkness of our calamities be, though the clouds of present troubles thicken about us, and hide the Lord's care and loving kindness from us, yet faith must look through all to his power and constancy of truth and love. (Thomas Manton)
Look to God’s Hand 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. He is the master we are his servants and he tenderly cares for his own. (Wiersbe) True saints, like obedient servants, look to the Lord their God reverentially: they have a holy awe and inward fear of the great and glorious One. They watch, obediently, doing his commandments, guided by his eye. Their constant gaze is fixed attentively on all that comes from the Most High; they give earnest heed, and fear lest they should let anything slip through inadvertence or drowsiness. They look continuously, for there never is a time when they are off duty; at all times they delight to serve in all things. The image expresses complete and absolute dependence. "The slaves stand silent at the bottom of the rooms with their hands crossed over their breasts. With their eyes fixed upon their master they seek to anticipate every one of his wishes." ...In the Psalm the eye directed to the hand of God is the "oculus sperans", the eye which waits, and hopes, and is patient, looking only to him and none other for help.—J.J. Stewart Perowne. Look . . . Till he has mercy on us Here the servant is watching and waiting for “mercy” Waiting is not fun, but needed. We depend on him for mercy for we can get it from no other.
Look for His Help 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. God is merciful and is ready to pour out his mercy on those in pain. (Wiersbe) Here is a plea for God’s mercy, his help in the situation. He is facing scorn and contempt. He has reached his breaking point. He has had “enough” and really “more than enough” of this problem. So he cries out to God. There is both confidence and humility in the Psalmist’s cry for mercy. Humility in that he knows who he is addressing and recognizes his position before the throne (v. 1), yet confidence in that he knows who God is (Merciful Ex 34:6). He knows him to be good, gracious and merciful. (Andy Evans) His appeal is rooted in an understanding of the fundamental character of God, He is merciful and will remain merciful. (Deut 4:31, Neh 9:31). So, the psalmist cries out in prayer to the only one that can help in his crisis. Every prayer is long enough if it be fervent and proceed from a heart that understands the necessity of the saints.—Martin Luther
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