“1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.”
Prayer
Stand with heads up and hands raised.
Reader 1:
We lift up our eyes to You, O LORD—
You, who are enthroned in the heavens!
As the eyes of servants look to their masters
As children look to their parents,
So our eyes look to the LORD our God until He has mercy on us.
Reader 2:
Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us—help us!
We have had more than enough:
Of contempt from others.
Being pushed down by those who are prideful.
Of being left out.
Of being considered good for nothing.
We have had more than enough, and so we ask You to see us, LORD
Psalm 123 Travels Back to Lament
“Lament is the wailing of the heart before a God Who hears, Who listens, and Who responds to our cries.” ~ Rob Brockman “The Art of Lament”
Two-thirds of the Psalms include Lament, making it a regular part of worship for the Israelites and the early church. There is an important role for Lament to play in worship. While Psalm 122 ended in rejoicing, Psalm 123 ends in mourning. Like Psalm 120, it does not contain any expression of praise – much like removing “Hallowed be thy name” from the Lord’s Prayer.
Questions:
- How would you describe your journey toward God—has it been a steady climb, or have there been moments where you felt like you took a step back?
- What helped you move forward again?
- How does reflecting on your journey shape your view of God’s faithfulness?
Address (Direct Your Conversation to God)
- Who is the Psalmist looking to in Psalm 120?
- Who is the Psalmist looking to in Psalm 123?
“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” – Corrie Ten Boom
Masters and Servants
Hand of the master conveys dependence, obedience, and attentiveness to God.
In the ancient world, the relationship between master and servant often involved non-verbal communication. Hand signals were practical in expressing commands, approval, or even discipline.
- How does the concept of believers as servants or slaves to God challenge modern views of freedom?
Eugene Peterson:
“The Christian is a person who recognizes that our real problem is not in achieving freedom but in learning service under a better master. The Christian realizes that every relationship that excludes God becomes oppressive. Recognizing and realizing that, we urgently want to live under the mastery of God” (59). A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
Romans 6:22: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
C.S. Lewis:
“The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become – because He made us. He invented us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. . . It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” ~ Mere Christianity
Request (Depend on God For Your Help)
Ralph Wilson, Songs of Ascent.
“O LORD, have mercy upon us.” (Psalm 123:3) And He does have mercy on us. Abundant mercy to rescue us from the captivity of our sins, and then overflowing grace to meet our needs, one by one, as we come to him with faith and humility. You may be crushed, humiliated. Your life may have collapsed. You are at the bottom. But you know this: You can come before your Master with your plea and He will hear you. He is far greater than any enemy who has come against you, far more powerful than any obstacle you may be facing. Come before him, lift your eyes to him, offer your request, and then know that He hears you and will answer you according to his wisdom and grace” (39).
Protest (Describe Your Suffering and Pain to Him)
A question we should ask is, “Are these verses protesting contempt and ridicule relevant to Christians today?”
If so, according to Psalm 123, what should be our response?
Ben Patterson, God’s Prayer Book
“Contempt and ridicule cut deep. They are a species of malice more vicious than murder. To have your fill of contempt is to feel the pains of hell itself. You may need to pray from this awful place yourself, but if you do not, there are many who do and who need your prayers. Pray for abused children. Pray for the persecuted and tortured of the world. Pray for the beaten down and scorned” (271).
Questions:
- What Would Have Happened if Peter Kept His Eyes Fixed on Jesus? Matthew 14:22-33
- What Would happen if we kept our eyes fixed on Jesus?
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.” – Hymn by Helen H. Lemmel (1922)
