Confidence in God in a time of affliction. This is the first of the second group of Songs (Ps 123; 124; 125); we read of dependence upon God, the experience of protection and deliverance, and of the attacks from the enemies of God's people.

v1-2: Persistent prayer for mercy. We make the mistake of assuming that references to prayer are to a single person praying at a moment in time; the reality is often that the people prayed together persistently for many days. Such prayer is described as lifting up the eyes, addressing the God of Heaven. Here such prayer is likened to:

• slaves looking to the hand of their master; and
• a maid looking to the hand of her mistress.

This prayer is seen as both personal and corporate.

We see too that we are not in any position to demand anything of God; rather we are looking to God, waiting to receive from Him. We do not say that God is late or slow, but He may delay giving His answer.

v3-4: We need mercy from God because we suffer at the hands of men. The problem is people who are full of scorn, and of contempt for spiritual things, see Ps 120.5-7. These people mock the spiritual desires of the godly.

Our confidence is that God's mercy is greater than any human attack.