Psalm Steps> Psalm 123, “A Cure for Contempt” Pastor Bob Leroe, Cliftondale Congregational Church, Saugus, Massachusetts
Introduction
Chaplain (COL) Bob Jenkins had just finished morning devotions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon on September 11th when he heard “a very deep boom”; he immediately rushed to the crash site, put on a surgical mask and gloves, and led a rescue team into the deep scar cut out of the E-Ring. He prayed with survivors and ministered to fellow soldiers who were grieving over fallen comrades. He offered prayers over body bags, honoring the dead. When I heard what Bob did (by the way, he and I went through Officers Basic Training together in 1975), I have to admit a bit of envy—I wished I could have been there, doing what Bob did.
I can’t think of a better passage of Scripture to describe the civilized world’s reaction to the savage attack on America than Psalm 123. The first thing people asked after the initial shock was, “What can I do?” People sent money, reported to blood banks, organized rallies, put out flags, some even joined the military, and some went to NY & DC to help. Many prayed for the first time in a long time. Let’s compare the attitude of our country with Psalm 123. Here we have a cry to God that begins with a desire to serve (vss 1-2), which leads to a call for God’s mercy (vss 2-3), and concludes with a need for recovery (vss 3-4).
Service (verses 1-2)
The author of this Psalm lived in a society where it was common to have servants. As we grow in our faith we acquire this unnatural skill, the desire to serve others. It’s more natural to want to be served than to serve. God urges us to take on the role of Jesus, Who came as a lowly servant. A servant’s attitude begins by looking up. When we pray, do we ask God to use us? Do we report for duty? Or do we simply give God a list of things we want Him to do for us? A friend of mine, an Army Major, was attending a military ball at a fancy hotel and made the mistake of standing by the entrance in his formal dress mess uniform. An arriving guest thought this officer was the doorman and handed him his bags! We sometimes order God around, forgetting that He’s the Master, and we live for Him.
The Psalmist begins with an upward look: “I lift up my eyes to You, to You whose throne is in heaven” (vs 1). This has been called “a Psalm for weary eyes” (Boice). The occasion for this prayer was opposition; enemy forces were attacking. The writer had no place left to look but up. We look up to God, not geographically, but figuratively. We know God’s not in the sky, sitting on a cloud, but we look beyond the confines of this planet by looking up. God is transcendent, greater than us, above us…but not distant. Who is closest to God? Anyone who is praying; prayer is as close as we can get. And we can pray anywhere—these 15 Psalms of Ascent were prayed on the road, while journeying to Jerusalem. God isn’t confined to a physical locale. There are two realms—the material, and the spiritual. God is spirit, immaterial. We can’t fully define, comprehend, or package Him; but we can trust Him. To look up is a posture of servitude. We look up to those who are over us.
Verse 2 makes a comparison: “As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God.” Servants had to be watchful, awaiting a command. They were expected to be alert, observant, so they could respond quickly to a look or a subtle hand gesture, ready to anticipate the master’s every need. In the same way, we should always be tuned into God, sensitive to His leading in our lives. He leads by circumstance, the counsel of others, His word, and the impressions the Holy Spirit makes upon our hearts.
In Romans, Paul urges believers: “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (12:1); this offering of self to God could also be translated “reasonable service”. When we serve God, our efforts are an act of worship. Our service is the natural outgrowth of a spiritual change within. Faith produces service. God isn’t looking for our ability but our availability. He will equip us to serve Him and show us what He wants us to do. Our job is submission, to surrender ourselves—our plans and priorities—to God and His purpose.
Last weekend I called an old friend Jim Guidone, who told me years ago that he saw himself as an “ordained plumber.” Jim has a natural mechanical ability, and believes God gave him this as a gift to be used for His glory. Jim’s in charge of maintenance at his church in the Chicago area, which he regards as a privilege. This reminds me of the role of Chaplain Assistants in the Army. They enable ministry through logistical support, but they also assist in ministry by praying with soldiers, distributing Scriptures, and doing some informal counseling. A Chaplain and an Assistant are called a Unit Ministry Team. God has a plan for all of us, and we need to discover where we fit in, what our discipleship job description is. How generous are we in offering our service to our Master?
Many of us have undertaken the self-reflective project of preparing a resume. When I felt led to retire from the Army, I contacted the pulpit committee and sent them my resume. This week it might be useful to take a look at our resumes. As we review our training, skills and experience, how might we use these for the Lord? When we realize that God gives us our abilities, we become more open to finding ways to use our talents for Him. Whatever abilities we may have, we can utilize them in Christian service.
Mercy (verses 2-3)
“Have mercy on us,” the psalmist cries in verse 3. When was the last time we asked God for mercy? We rush into God’s presence with our laundry lists of requests, forgetting what we really need in life. We need mercy. Mercy is our compassionate God extending His love to us, enabling us to triumph over life and death. Mercy is God’s inclination to relieve the misery of His fallen creatures. Mercy is the discretionary power to pardon or lessen a punishment. God has pity on us, even though we don’t deserve to have mercy conferred to us. To ask for mercy is to ask God to bless us, even though we know we don’t merit divine favor. God doesn’t treat us according to our deserts, but according to His plan.
In the history of warfare, there have been armies that have been utterly merciless. They showed “no quarter”. They took no prisoners. They accepted no surrender. The enemies of the psalmist are described as contemptuous, proud, arrogant. If God wanted to, He would be justified in punishing us all, showing no quarter. He instead offers us mercy.
We experience God’s mercy by trusting in Christ. The author of Hebrews encourages us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4:16). We need to entreat God, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” The blood of Christ satisfies the justice of the Father, enabling Him to show us mercy.
Recovery (verses 3-4)
Many people affected by the attack on our nation will suffer long-lasting traumatic after-effects. Trauma is any experience that appears to threaten our ability to carry on a normal life, overwhelming our capacity to function. Crises expose the frailty of life; they try our ability to cope. We may feel powerless, numb, depressed. We may fear that this experience has forever changed us, as we long to return to calmer times. The goal for people suffering the after-effects of trauma is recovery, a return to normalcy. A New Yorker watching the Twin Towers collapse said, “In that moment, the world as I had known it was redefined…It was the beginning of the end of the way things once were.” Trauma causes distress, which can lead to emotional wounds. We can become prisoners of our pain.
It’s been said, “For every sigh there’s a Psalm.” Psalm 123 ends with a prayer for inner healing for those who have endured ridicule and contempt from an arrogant enemy. The Psalms teach us to ventilate our pain through prayer, to tell God how we’re affected by events. God is ready to restore balance and stability to our lives. He can cleanse us and help us move forward in life. Prayer helps us process the anguish and grief we feel.
When we pray this Psalm, we become people who are no longer defeated by circumstances, because we’re looking beyond them, to God. In His hand lies our destiny. This is easier said than done. What causes us to hesitate to trust God is that much of our life is lived in between the time of God’s promise and His fulfillment. We’re living in the middle, where we don’t know the outcome. When the outlook seems bad, we need to try the uplook.
Do we really expect God to intervene in our lives? Our anti-supernatural bias keeps us from believing God will make a difference. Faith helps us trust the outcome even when our present situation makes no sense. All around us there is fear and confusion, but we’re not looking to our right or left. “Our eyes look to the Lord our God”. We’re looking up.
