To determine what Psalm to post this week, I decided to actually open up my NIV Study Bible and read a few until one seemed right. I settled on Psalm 123 because it fit with the ideas of humility and reliance on God that I have been pondering lately, and sometimes writing about.
Because I was reading in my Study Bible, I thought I would check out what the study notes had to say about this Psalm. I found this interesting footnote on verse 4:
the proud . . . the arrogant. Those who live by their own wits and strength . . . pour contempt on those who humbly rely on God, especially when those who rely on God suffer or do not prosper.
It seems nothing has changed in the thousands of years since this Psalm was written. The proud still ridicule the children of God for believing in Him. But our God is greater than all the arrogant people in the world put together, and His love and mercy will endure forever.
Psalm 123
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you whose throne is in heaven.
2 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,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured much contempt.
4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
much contempt from the arrogant.