Would you take your car to the grocer to be repaired? What about if you needed surgery, would you go to the person behind the counter at McDonald’s? Most people who know me would know to never come to me for help with arithmetic! It is important to always go to the right source for our help. This is the message our psalmist gives today, to keep our eyes focused on God.
Psalm 123 is a short psalm of only four verses, and people might overlook it, as at first glance it doesn’t seem to say much. This psalm is one of the fifteen “Psalms of Ascent” (Psalm 120 - 134). The Psalms of Ascent were frequently sung by pilgrims enroute to the Temple in Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem is situated on top of Mount Zion, at a much higher elevation than the surrounding areas. Any pilgrim coming to Jerusalem would literally be climbing higher, or ascending, and thus the title to these psalms were “Songs of Ascent”.
Our psalmist is looking to God, praying to Him to hear his prayers and have mercy upon him. Who do we turn to when the troubles start to surround us? Doctors don’t always have the answers we need, that is if we can afford them. The same is true with the lawyers. Friends and family will sometimes let us down, and may even turn against us. Some people turn to tarot cards, horoscopes, and other occult practices, thinking that will give them the answers they seek. That is seeking help from the source of evil, and will ultimately only increase your troubles.
So who did our psalmist turn to? In verse 1 he tells us he is looking to the Lord God. Not just any of the worthless, false, pagan gods of the surrounding nations, but to the only God, who dwells in heaven. In verse 2 he compares those who look to, and trust in God to that of a servant looking to their master. A servant is always attentive to what the master wants, ready to respond. A human master may at times be harsh, and the servant grudgingly or unwillingly giving their service. That is not how it is with God. He loves us so much He sent His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. The psalmist lifted his eyes to God, waiting and watching for Him to send mercy. He knew that evil and proud men do not bring help. He is crying to God, his only real source for help.
There are many reasons why God does not immediately answer our prayers. It may be He has a better plan. Perhaps He delays because there are greater blessings He wishes to bestow. God might not immediately answer our prayers because He knows something we don’t know, which makes the delay imperative. Jesus has instructed us, though, to not give up hope, but to continually keep on praying until God responds (Luke 18:1-8). Our eyes should always be looking to the Lord, for Him to mercifully meet our needs.
The psalm closes with a plea for God to bring relief from the contempt that is heaped upon us (vs 3-4). Who are those who are giving us scorn? They are the unbelievers, the pagans, those who do not turn to, or trust in God. Proud and evil people only have contempt for God, and thus, feel the same way towards us, His children. Notice that our psalmist didn’t take things into his own hands when faced with this contempt. He didn’t decide to clobber those who scorned him. He didn’t holler back some choice nasty words. Instead, he brought the matter before God in prayer, and let Him handle it. Look to God for mercy, and be attentive for His leading.
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