Thursday, July 11, 2024
Role Reversal
Psalm 123:2c  so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
                        till he has mercy upon us.
 
            The meditation yesterday focused on the Christian’s status as a slave in Christ. The reason the Christian willing submits to Christ is because of the role reversal Jesus took on in His life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Jesus, who didn’t never felt the consequences of sin—guilt, shame, abandonment by God—became God’s sin-offering in your place. There on the cross Christ Jesus willingly enslaved Himself with our sins and consequences therein. Jesus is the Servant of Yhwh prophesied in Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1–4; Isaiah 49:1–6; Isaiah 50:4–11; and Isaiah 52:13–53:12), Who willing took on the bondage of your sin, and paid the penalty and penalty phase for them. Three days later on Easter morning, The Servant of Yhwh broke through death, the grave, and the chains of sin that rightly should have held each and everyone of us. Now you are free because Jesus stood in your place. This is the great role reversal of God’s plan for salvation, and in Christ Jesus He reversed the curse. This is God’s love for you!
            God has brought us from slavery in the kingdom of darkness to sin, death, and the devil into slavery in God’s Kingdom of Light, eternal life, and Christ Jesus. In thankfulness for what Christ has done the Christian now lives a life submitting to Christ.
           
            “‘Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters… so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us’ (Psalm 123:1). The psalmist shows the intensity of his looking by comparing it to the action of servants (both menservants and maidservants) in watching their masters for orders. Charles Spurgeon gives some ways in which the servants watch their masters to show how the psalmist is watching God regarding mercy.
            • The servant watches the master respectfully. ‘Hand of their masters.’ The looking with much care at the Master shows the respect of the servant for the Master.
            • The servant watches the master attentively. ‘Look unto the hand of their masters.’ The hand more than the voice often gave the servants orders in Bible lands. So the servant watched the hand with great attentiveness. Any small movement could put the servant into action. Watching God attentively for mercy will perceive the slightest act of mercy and inspire one that more mercy can and is coming.
            • The servant watches the master continuously. ‘Eyes… look up to the hand.’ This is denotes continuous watching. To fail to look one moment meant you could miss an order.
            • The servant watches the master singly. ‘Their masters.’ The servants were not watching other servants or other Masters, but they were watching one person, namely, their master.
            • The servant watches the master expectantly. ‘Until.’ The servants expected orders, so the psalmist expected mercy.
            • The servant watches the master submissively. ‘So our eyes wait upon the LORD our God.’ Watching involves waiting. Waiting involves patience. Patience involves submission. So the psalmist watches submissively for Divine mercy.”[1]
 


[1] Butler, John G. Volume 6 PSALMS. Analytical Bible Expositor 6. Accordance electronic edition, version 1.3. LBC Publications, 2012. 810.