http://biblebitbybit.blogspot.com/2016/02/psalms-123-v-2.html
Posted by Psalms on Friday, 12 February 2016
Psalms 123:2
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
123:2. Behold. See, O Lord, how we look to thee, and in thy mercy look on us. This Behold has, however, a call to us to observe and consider. Whenever saints of God have waited upon the Lord their example has been worthy of earnest consideration. Sanctification is a miracle of grace; therefore let us behold it. For God to have wrought in us the spirit of service is a great marvel, and as such let everyone turn aside and see this great sight.
As the eyes of servants (or slaves) look unto the hand of their masters. Orientals speak less than we do, and prefer to direct their slaves by movements ot their hands; hence, the domestic must fix his eyes on his master, or he might miss a sign, and so fail to obey it: just so, the sanctified person lifts his eyes unto God, and endeavors to learn the divine will from every one of the signs which the Lord is pleased to use. Creation, providence, grace; these are all motions of Jehovah’s hand, and from each of them a portion of our duty is to be learned; therefore should we carefully study them, to discover the divine will.
And as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress. This second comparison may be used because Eastern women are even more thorough than the men in the training of their servants.
Even so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God. Believers desire to be attentive to each and all of the directions of the Lord; even those which concern apparently little things are not little to us, for we know that even for idle words we shall be called to account, and we are anxious to give that account with joy, and not with grief. True saints, like obedient servants, look continuously, for there is never a time when they are off duty. Upon the Lord they look expectantly, looking for supply, succor, and safety from his hands, waiting that he may have mercy upon them. They have no other confidence, and they learn to look submissively, waiting patiently for the Lord, seeking both in activity and suffering to glorify his name. When they are smitten with the rod they turn their eyes imploringly to the hand which chastens, hoping that mercy will soon abate the rigor of the affliction. Though we are sons, have we learned the full obedience of servants? Have we surrendered self, and bowed our will before the heavenly Majesty? Do we desire in all things to be at the Lord’s disposal? If so, happy are we.
Observe the covenant name, “Jehovah our God”: it is sweet to wait upon a covenant God. Because of that covenant he will show mercy to us; but we may have to wait for it.
Until that he have mercy upon us. God has his time and season, and we must wait until it comes. For the trial of our faith our blessed Lord may for a while delay, but in the end the vision will be fulfilled. Mercy is that which we need, that which we look for, that which our Lord will manifest to us. Even those who look to the Lord, with that holy look which is here described, still need mercy, and as they cannot claim it by right they wait for it till sovereign grace chooses to vouchsafe it. Blessed are those servants whom their Master finds so doing. Waiting upon the Lord is a posture suitable both for earth and heaven; it is, indeed, in every place the right and fitting condition for a servant of the Lord. Nor may we leave the posture so long as we are by grace dwellers in the realms of mercy. It is a great mercy to be enabled to wait for mercy.
The Treasury of David by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)
e-Sword v 9.5.1 Copyright 2000-2009 Rick Meyers
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