Please read Psalm 123 (4 verses)

The Psalmist is suffering under the oppression of the utter contempt for his person and position. The wicked are troubling him and putting him down in human and spiritual terms. He is held up to ridicule by the arrogant people around him, who do not believe in the Lord and think he is foolish to do so. The pride in the hearts of these godless people has taken hold of their mind and they are scathing and derogatory about what the psalmist believes and holds as dear to him. It all seems never ending and there is no human strategy of resolution for these issues, so the psalmist struggles on under a dark cloud.

He does what is wise. He appeals to the highest court for reprieve and justice. The writer knows the Lord, and has a right view of God’s exalted position and power, and can therefore appeal to Him to intervene and resolve the situation. As the eyes of a slave would look dependently up to his human master, so the Psalmist looks utterly helplessly to his Lord and God. The psalmist knows there will always be repression in this world for him, but he seeks the inner strength to cope with it and to make him more resilient when facing these kinds of threats. Only the Lord can give such gifts to His people.

Persecution is hard to bear and difficult to combat, as it springs from prejudice and hatred. The natural human heart is full of these vices and they are often poured out on the people of God, for our remit is to give love for hate, therefore there will be no recriminations for the oppressor. God is not so, and will administer justice for the oppressed. This is why we can trust in Him at all times. This is why the psalmist lifts his eyes to the Lord, his Master and Redeemer. He is totally dependant on the mercy of the Lord and calls out to Him to come to his aid. The psalmist will petition the Lord until the Lord shows His mercy.