“Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. 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. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud.”
Psalm 123:1-4 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.123.1-4.KJV
A Way in the Wilderness
Have you noticed that sometimes life feels like a desert? In moments of pain and anxiety, it may seem like there’s no way out. All we see is an endless wasteland.
The people of Israel faced their worst “desert” when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took its inhabitants captive. Far from home, they lived for decades under oppression. In moments of anguish and despair, they remembered the prophet’s words: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (NIV).
In the ancient Near East, a king’s subjects would “prepare a way” by going ahead of him when he returned to his city. His return implied abundance and protection. The author uses this image to announce a way out of the desert; make a path for the King of Kings, trusting that he will arrive to lead everyone home.
The prophet’s confidence finds a basis in God’s history. God freed Israel from brutal slavery—with ...