Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Psalm 123:3-4 Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.
LORD, HELP ME BEAR PATIENTLY THE WORLD'S HATRED
In this psalm the author prays that Jehovah would look down in mercy from His heavenly throne and bring relief to His people who were suffering severe hardship at the hands of their enemies. The specific hardship they were suffering was "the scorn of those who are at ease" and "with contempt of the proud." In other words, unbelievers were poking fun at them and doing all they could to make their lives miserable because they believed in the Lord and were striving to walk in His ways, rather than the ways of the evil world.
The pilgrim bands would have reason to pray this prayer as they traveled to Zion for worship. Their heathen neighbors must have thought of them as religious fanatics. "How foolish you are to travel to far away Jerusalem three times each year to worship your God, the God who allowed your land to be conquered and overrun by the Babylonians!" Undoubtedly these enemies let their contempt for the Jews and their God show. It was a heavy cross for God's people to bear. How natural, then, that they turn to Him with the plea that He strengthen them to bear patiently the insults of their enemies.
We modern day Christian pilgrims can expect to receive similar treatment from the world as we make our way to the New Jerusalem. The message of Christ Crucified is our dear treasure. But it remains a stumbling block and foolishness to the wise of the world. This will be evident by the spiteful attitude society takes towards the Bible, towards Jesus, and those who seek to abide in His Word. "If you were of the world," Jesus said, "the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master'" (John 15:19-20). Yet we have reason to stay calm and remain joyful because we know the Lord, to whom we lift up our eyes, has promised to strengthen us to "bear the world's dread frown" as we continue our heavenward walk.
