“To You I have raised my eyes,
You who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a female servant to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He is gracious to us.”

“Be gracious to us, Lord, be gracious to us,
For we have had much more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had much more than enough
Of the scoffing of those who are at ease,
And with the contempt of the proud.”

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Context and Meaning

Psalm 123 is a Song of Ascents, expressing dependence and humility before God. The psalmist and community look upward to the Lord, enthroned in heaven, with the same dependence that servants have on their masters for provision and protection.

The prayer for grace arises from the reality of enduring scorn, contempt, and ridicule from the proud. Their only hope is the Lord’s mercy.

Key Themes:

1. God Enthroned in Heaven: The Lord reigns above all powers (v. 1).
2. Eyes Fixed on God: Just as servants depend on their masters, God’s people depend wholly on Him (v. 2).
3. Cry for Grace: The repeated request shows deep longing for God’s mercy (v. 3).
4. Weariness of Contempt: God’s people often endure ridicule from the proud and arrogant (v. 3–4).
5. Hope in God’s Compassion: Grace and deliverance come only from Him.

Reflection and Impact

Psalm 123 teaches us to live with humble dependence and patient expectation of God’s mercy:

• Lift your eyes to God’s throne – “To You I have raised my eyes” (v. 1) recalls Isaiah 40:26: lift up your eyes and see who created all things.
• Dependence like servants – “As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master” (v. 2) reflects Matthew 6:11: daily dependence on God for our bread.
• Cry out for mercy in trials – “Be gracious to us” (v. 3) parallels Luke 18:13: the tax collector’s prayer, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
• God’s people endure contempt – “Much more than enough of scorn” (v. 3–4) connects to John 15:18: if the world hates you, it hated Me first.
• Mercy is God’s answer to the proud – Dependence on grace, not retaliation, is the way of Christ (1 Peter 5:6).

Application

• Fix Your Eyes on the Lord: Look above the world’s chaos to God’s throne.
• Depend on His Mercy Daily: Like a servant, wait expectantly for His hand.
• Cry Out for Grace in Scorn: Take contempt and ridicule to the Lord in prayer.
• Endure With Faithfulness: Expect opposition but remain steadfast in trust.
• Rest in God’s Compassion: His grace is sufficient, even when mocked by the proud.

Closing Thought

Though the proud heap scorn on God’s people, their eyes remain lifted to the Lord in heaven. Mercy flows from His throne to sustain the weary and humble.
“So our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He is gracious to us.”