Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vols. 13–63

We shall read, this evening, three short Psalms—the 123rd, 124th and 125th. May the Holy Spirit, who Inspired the writers of them, strengthen our faith while we read these songs of joyous confidence!

Psalm 123:1. Unto You lift I up my eyes. Instead of looking downward in despair, or looking to the right hand or to the left to human confidence, or looking within in pride, "Unto You lift I up my eyes."—

1. O You that dwells in the heavens. It is always delightful to the Christian to remember what the title of his God is— "Our Father, which are in Heaven." It is the place of prospect from which God looks down and sees all men, and understands all their ways. And it is also the place of His Power and His Glory. Lord, I look up to You! You dwell in Glory, therefore all power is in Your hands, and You know how to use that power on the behalf of Your people!

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. The servant looks to his master's hand for direction and for support. If he has a work to do that is too heavy for him, he looks to his master to send him help. And he also looks to his master's hand for his reward when his work is done. So, dear Friends, are we, day by day, walking as in our Master's light?

3. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. The best thing that the best of men can ask for is God's mercy! And that mercy is so great, even to the heavens, that, under the weariness of trials and troubles, it is a sufficient help for them. When we are not only in contempt, but even filled with contempt and, as the text puts it, "exceedingly filled with contempt," so that we have lost our good name among men, still may we turn to our God and seek His mercy.

4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud. This was the lot of God's people in David's day. It is the same with Believers, now, and I suppose that, so long as the earth stands, the saints of the Lord will have to cry to Him concerning their adversaries. Let them remember always to use the same remedy that the godly ones of old used and not plead in earthly courts of law, but take the case to the great Court of King's Bench in Heaven! Let not any of the Lord's children ever be concerned about defending their own characters, but let them always go at once to Him whose bare arm is quite sufficient to right all wrongs and to deliver the oppressed.

Psalm 124:1. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say. There is a break here, the sentence is not finished, so finish it for yourselves. If the Lord had not been on your side, what then? You would have been condemned on account of sin! If the Lord had not been on your side as the Redeemer, you would have been left to perish through the natural depravity of your own heart! If He who is "mighty to save" had not been your Helper, just think, Christians, you who are today filled with joy, whose feet are treading Mount Tabor—think what you would have been if the Lord had not been on your side—and then praise and magnify that Grace to which you owe so much!

2, 3. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us. The word, "quick," here means, "living." Before we were dead, they would have swallowed us up, for the anger of men against God's people is always exceedingly great. They called the Master of the house, "Beelzebub," so they are not likely to be very warmly affected towards His disciples! Suppose that we had been given up to the devices of wicked men, where would we have been?

My brethren, a man may live so circumspectly that, outwardly, he may be without fault, yet he may wake up, come morning, and find his character blasted! And it may remain so for years, for the tongue of slander is full of all manner of villainy and, often, the more pure the alabaster of a man's character may be, the more black are the filthy spots which the world makes upon it! Be not too much cast down, O you children of the living God, when you are dishonored among men, for so was it with the Lord God, Himself, who was slandered in the garden of Eden! Expect not, therefore, that you will escape the serpent's venom!

4, 5. Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: then the proud waters had gone over our soul. Here, in this life, we may have troubles, not only from our own evil hearts, but also from Satan and from the world. Truly, if it had not been for the Lord, the proud waters had gone right over our souls! It is a wonder that we are alive, Brothers and Sisters! We can sing with Watts—

"Our life contains a thousand springs And dies if one is gone! Strange, that a harp of thousand strings Should keep in tune so long!"

But it is a ten thousand times greater miracle that we are spiritually alive when there are so many in this world seeking to destroy us! This is a marvel of marvels and the whole world, itself, contains no greater wonders than are to be found in that one little world of Mansoul!

6. Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. We were almost in their teeth, like David's lamb, but David's Son plucked us out of the jaws of the lion and out of the paws of the bear! Now the Psalmist uses another figure. First he spoke of the proud waters, then of the wild beasts—now he mentions the fowlers.

7, 8. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made Heaven and earth. What a blessed conclusion is it to our experience when we can sing of what the Lord has done and so are encouraged by the all of what He will yet do! Let us write this text upon our banners and lift them up in the face of every adversary, "Our help is in the name of the Lord." As John Wesley said, "The best of all is, God is with us," that is the best of all to the Christian, so good an, "all," that he is blessed with that even if he has nothing besides!

Psalm 125:1-3. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abides forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about His people from henceforth even forever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. By, "the rod," is here meant, "the scepter." The wicked shall not permanently rule over the righteous—they may have a temporary dominion and sovereignty but, in due season, their rod shall be broken and their power shall be scattered to the winds.

4, 5. Do good O Lord, unto those that are good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel. May we have faith to lay hold upon that last blood promise and so enjoy the peace of God which passes all understanding! Amen!