Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters

Psalm 123:2
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.

This is a message about our reliance on God as we look to Him expectantly for help. The analogy used is between a maid and her mistress to show the case between us and God. The maid is looking upon the confirmation or approval or guidance from her mistress. She could also be tired and weary and also in a state of submission to her mistress. So too we should be toward God, instead of planning everything ourselves.

But now they are hidden from your eyes.

Luke19:42
If you had known ... in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

There are things that God reveals to us, and there are things that God conceals from us. Those whom He regards as friends, He will reveal things too. To be considered His friend, depends on our walk with Him. As His children living in this sinful world, we are tempted by various things and falling for those temptations brings us further from God than before. That is why sometimes we fail to see the things God wants to reveal to us. Our hearts may become hardened as we are in denial or preoccupied with whatever sins we are involved in. However, it is not too late to remember that there is no condemnation in Christ Yshua and go back in repentance to Him.

Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high,
and behold who hath created these things,
that bringeth out their host by number:
he calleth them all by names
by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power;
not one faileth. 

In the same context as the last passage, these verses introduces the magnificence of God as the Creator of all. People going about their daily business may easily overlook God; this is true thousands of years ago as it is today.

The evidence of God is all around us. The cure for a society may be as simple as just stopping and looking up. Then we see the heavens, the trees, mountains and the world which is just so perfectly put together. Perhaps then we would realise our place in His Kingdom.

In order to turn them from darkness to light

Acts 26:17-18
 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now[a] send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

A few key concepts of our Lord's mission for us is presented in this few verses. Firstly we need to be delivered from many people who will be against us. But God did not save us from our enemies and take us away. Instead His plan is to bring us back to those who do not believe and to open their eyes to bring them out of darkness.

The other sentence has the two major gifts, that is the forgiveness of our sins and the sanctification by faith in Christ. The forgiveness of sins is somethings which is given and cannot be earned. The sanctification process itself, will involve the Lord and we also cannot achieve this by ourselves.

For They Are Life To Those Who Find Them

As before, this proverbs starts as if it is advice given from father to son. The focus is to get wisdom and understanding. It describes the many wonderful blessings in life that will follow those who have wisdom such as glory, honour and long life.

Wisdom will also keep us from stumbling. This includes stumbling into the wrong path or influence by wicked peers. A significant emphasis in keeping away from the company of evil is mentioned here and other chapters. Wisdom is one of the keys to avoid the wicked path.

Finally, a few practical examples of wisdom in walking the righteous path. This includes keeping the Word of God, control our lips and avoid lying, focus straight ahead on where we are going with our eyes and feet, and don't get distracted by turning right or left from our intended destination.



Proverbs 4
Security in Wisdom

1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;

2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.

3 When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,

4 He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.

5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.

7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.

8 Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.

9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.

11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.

13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.

15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.

16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun,[a]
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.

21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;

22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.

23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.

26 Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.

27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is Good

A call to praise God, and a description of who God is and what He has done. It describes His Majesty as the Lord over all nature as well as the one who chose Jacob and involved in the history of His people. It describes God's role in the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and the subsequent conquest of the land promised to His children.

It also compares God with the false idols made by men with eyes that cannot see and mouths that cannot speak. This psalm call not only the priests to bless the Lord but all who fear and believe in Him are called to bless and praise God.


Psalm 135
Praise to God in Creation and Redemption

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!

2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,

3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.

5 For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.

7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

8 He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.

9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.

10 He defeated many nations
And slew mighty kings—

11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan—

12 And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.

14 For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.

16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;

17 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.

18 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel!
Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron!

20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!

21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord!

So Our Eyes Look to the Lord Our God

Two key items from this psalm:
- The writer describes us fallen humanity harbouring scorn and contempt in us. Essentially, the sinful character in us sometimes produces sinful actions.
- But we children of God, know to look up at our Master, knowing that He sees us, seeking His help and His guidance. 


Psalm 123
Prayer for Relief from Contempt
A Song of Ascents.

1 Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.

3 Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us!
For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled
With the scorn of those who are at ease,
With the contempt of the proud.