Martin Luther on Psalms 123:2

Verse. 2. Behold, as the eyes of seruaunts looke vnto the hande of their maisters, and as the eyes of a mayden vnto the hand of her mistres, so our eyes waite vpon the Lord our God, vntill he haue mercy vpon vs.

Here the prophet setteth forth by similitude the nature of true pietie. As if he sayd: Great is our affliction, and yet the Lord prolongeth his helpe, neither easing our miserie, nor reuenging our wrong. He suffereth the cruel, the proude and the scornful to trea[illegible: 1 letter] vs vnder foote, and to prosper in our sight. This delay is tedious & greuous vnto vs. Notwithstanding we will not murmure or become vnpatient in these our afflictions, but as good seruaunts in their distresse looke to the hand, that is, for help and succour at the hand of their masters & mistresses, so will we attend vpon y• Lord our God vntill he haue pitie vpon vs. God sometimes prolongeth his help in tentation. Thus we see that the Lorde sometimes deferreth his helpe, neither shewing how nor when he will help, but leauing his Saints in such perplexitie as though he had no regard either of the time or of ye maner of their deliuerance so that they seme to hang (as it were) in the middes betwene heauen and earth. These things are greuous and excedingly encrease the tentation. Therefore we must lay sure hold on this consolation which the Prophet here setteth forth, that our tentation shal haue an end: but not as we would, lest we seeme to appoint the time and maner of our deliuerance, which ye lord reserueth to him self alone.

And here is an example set forth vnto vs, The patience of the faithfull. patiently to wait vpon the Lord in the time of trouble, to be instant in prayer, and neuer to let our hands fall, or turne our eyes from the Lord: but constantly to perseuere in sure hope & expectation of his gracious deliuerance, and of his helping hand to be present with vs in our necessitie: whereof our Sauiour Christ also warneth vs in the Gospell of the woman and the vnrighteous iudge, who although he neither feared God nor man, yet because this woman neuer ceased to call vpon him, he was compelled to heare her cause. For if the worst man be not yet so wicked, but he may be ouercome with instant and continuall prayer, what shall we not hope to obteine at Gods hand, which willingly offereth him selfe to heare our prayers, and also commaundeth vs to pray: yea and is more ready to graunt our petitions then we are to aske. For in that he differreth his help, he doth it not because he will not heare vs, but to exercise and stirre vp our faith, and to teach vs that the wayes whereby he can and doth deliuer vs are so manifold & miraculous, that we are neuer able to conceiue them. Therfore let vs thinke that the thing which we aske is not denied but differred, & assure our selues that we are not neglected because of this delay. The patient abiding of the afflicted (saith Dauid in an other Psalme) shall not perish: yea the Lord will not lose the glory of his name which Dauid in the same Psalme attributeth vnto him; namely that he is a helper in time conuenient.

And here is to be noted by the way, that the holy Ghost commendeth the gouernment of housholds and families in this place, and signifieth that to serue is a vocation which pleaseth him, if it be done in faith. For seruauntes are here mentioned for the comfort of all good seruauntes, and in them is commended, not onely their patience but also the confidence and trust which they haue in the goodnes of their maisters, assuredly trusting with patient tarying to finde mercie and fauour in their sight in time conuenient. But in deede Dauid speaketh here of better seruauntes then are commonly seene at this day: for there is no kinde of people more deceitful, negligent and stubborne, euen when there is great cause of sharpe and seuere correction. Wherefore let all such as will be counted good seruaunts, remember the example and rule set forth here by the holy Ghost, and obserued of all good seruaunts: which is, that they are not froward and stubborne, but patiently endure all things and do the duety of true and faithfull seruaunts, hauing alwayes a watchfull eye to the hand of their maisters.

The humilitie of the faithfull. And further note how humbly the faithful think of them selues in the sight of God. They are called and chosen to this dignitie, to be the heyres and children of God, and are exalted aboue the Angels, and yet notwithstanding they count them selues no better in Gods sight then seruauntes. They say not here: beholde, like as children loke to the hand of their fathers, but as seruaunts to the hand of their masters. This is the humilitie and modestie of the godly, & it is so farre of that hereby they lose the dignitie of Gods children to the which they are called, that by this meanes it is made to them more sure and certaine.

Moreouer here is to be obserued that Dauid sayth not simply: VVe lift vp our eyes to the Lord, but he addeth moreouer: to the Lord our God: that is to say, that God which hath reuealed him selfe to vs in his word: for otherwise he were not our God. The gods of the Gentiles & idolls which men deuise vnto them selues, are called gods: but he is the true God and none but he, which hath declared him selfe to vs in his word and promised in the same that he will be our God, &c. The Papistes haue deuised vnto them selues a seruice and worship of God contrarie to the word of God, and therefore they worship not the true God in deede, but an idoll of their owne heart: yea they worship a crea[illegible: 3 letters] made and fashioned with mans handes for the almightie crea[illegible: 3 letters] of heauen & earth. But our God is he, not whom we haue deuised, but which hath paynted and set out him selfe in his Scriptures, how and by what meanes he wil be serued and worshipped. This our God because he seemeth oftentimes to estraunge him selfe from vs, and to haue no care of vs, the wicked doe shunne and forsake, and seeke helpe of Peter and Paule, and many times of Satan through sorcery and witchcraft and other deuilish meanes, thinking (because God prolongeth his helpe) to finde thereby more speedye succour. But thus our God is wont to deale with vs: first (as is sayd) to proue and exercise vs, and so to bring vs to the knowledge of our selues, that we may see our owne weakenes and frailty, which are so readie to be ledde away from him: then also to bring vs to the knowledge of him, whereby we may see both how willing he is, and also howe able by farre better meanes to helpe vs then mans heart can conceiue.