A Beggar’s Psalm
Reading for Friday 3.3–Sunday 3.5
The Psalms are often daring. They express a multitude of emotions, but one of which is utter desperation before God. The Psalms of Ascent are no different. Even among Israel's ceremonious songs, we find the naked, vulnerable, bold, desperate faith God loves to see in us.
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Psalm 123
A Song for Mercy
1 I lift my eyes to you,
the one enthroned in heaven.
2 Like a servant’s eyes on his lord’s hand,
like a handmaid’s eyes on her lady’s hand,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us mercy.
3 Give us mercy, Lord!
Give us mercy!
We’ve had enough humiliation!
4 We’ve been mocked enough
by the complacently wealthy,
and humiliation from the proud!
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A Beggar’s Psalm.
One read's this psalm and immediately thinks of the "Jesus Prayer." Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner. Psalm 123 was likely in the mind of the blind beggar (Luke 18:38; Mark 10:47). It is a slave's psalm, a psalm for the outcast, oppressed, and the needy. It is a Lenten psalm.
The depiction of the psalmist as a servant of God is a specific type of adoration. The worship here is from one who recognizes the one who meets their needs. Like a slave relies on the provision of their master, so the psalmist looks to Yahweh. The politically incorrect metaphor drives the point home: this is dependent worship. The psalmist is sure of one thing, God is merciful and will visit the poor and the needy, filling them with good things. This emboldens them to lift their eyes and raise their voice.
The cry for mercy is not a polite request but a demand. The psalmist breaks hierarchical ranks, commanding God to grant them mercy. Mercy here is not leniency, but rather the dispensing of favors or blessings, it is grace. The psalmist demands God give them what they need, fill them with the good that the one enthroned in the heavens provides. This is not a request for forgiveness, it is a demand for God's restorative gift of grace.
The plight of the psalmist comes into view in the final verse and a half. The psalmist and their cohort have endured oppression. The end of verse 3 literally reads, "For exceedingly we are filled with humiliation." The humiliation comes from the hands of the complacently wealthy (a phrase mirrored in Amos 6:1), and the proud. These are those who have set themselves over the psalmist, debasing them.
This is a psalm for beggars. The needy, downtrodden, and oppressed looking to the heavens for help. This season leading up to Easter is often used to reflect on the ways we've contributed to the brokenness of the world. Reflecting on this can be difficult. But it allows us to humble ourselves and recognize our need. So that we too can come to God as beggars. Give us mercy Lord! Give us mercy!
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Reflect with a friend
Take some poetic license. What is mocking and humiliating you at the moment?
In what ways do you find yourself in the seat of the complacently wealthy, the one doing the humiliating?
Spend a moment reflecting on how the the brazen demand for God’s mercy strikes you. What do you imagine the psalmist believes about God to lead them to this demand? What about your beliefs about God prevents you from crying out in this same way?
