The Blessing of Fearing and Obeying the Lord
Psalm 128 is all about blessing.
Psalm 128:1–6 (ESV) 1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6 May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!
The man who fears the Lord is blessed. There's no doubt about it. The Psalms are songs sung by the congregation. Weekly reminders of the blessing of doing life God's way.
Notice the outward thrust of blessing from the man to his legacy. Those who fear the Lord are blessed with their own efforts and labor. Life will be good for them personally!
Secondly, life will be good for them maritally. There will be growth and development in the wife of the man who fears the Lord. She will be like a fruitful vine. But this means care and tenderness. What a picture of how a man should approach his wife.
Thirdly, the children of that man will grow strong, even though it will take long. Olive trees take a long time to mature and become profitable. They require tremendous patience as they are cultivated. Eventually they become valuable and continue to produce a profitable crop for centuries, longer perhaps than any other fruit-producing tree or plant.
These two blessings are not staples either. These fruits (grapes and olives) are bonus blessings. That means the man who fears God does not simply get by with his needs, he lives in abundance!
Fourth, the man's city will be blessed. He will see his city prosper in his days. We need more men like that in our cities of America.
Lastly, the man will see his grandchildren. He will live long enough to watch his legacy take shape. What a promise to the man who fears God.
But all these blessings do not come quickly and effortlessly. All these things: spouses, children, cities - they take decades to mold and shape in positive ways. In the midst of those decades we can get impatient and seek escapes. This Psalm is a wonderful reminder to have long-term vision for your life and heritage.
Amen.
Psalm 128:1–6 (ESV) 1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6 May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!
The man who fears the Lord is blessed. There's no doubt about it. The Psalms are songs sung by the congregation. Weekly reminders of the blessing of doing life God's way.
Notice the outward thrust of blessing from the man to his legacy. Those who fear the Lord are blessed with their own efforts and labor. Life will be good for them personally!
Secondly, life will be good for them maritally. There will be growth and development in the wife of the man who fears the Lord. She will be like a fruitful vine. But this means care and tenderness. What a picture of how a man should approach his wife.
Thirdly, the children of that man will grow strong, even though it will take long. Olive trees take a long time to mature and become profitable. They require tremendous patience as they are cultivated. Eventually they become valuable and continue to produce a profitable crop for centuries, longer perhaps than any other fruit-producing tree or plant.
These two blessings are not staples either. These fruits (grapes and olives) are bonus blessings. That means the man who fears God does not simply get by with his needs, he lives in abundance!
Fourth, the man's city will be blessed. He will see his city prosper in his days. We need more men like that in our cities of America.
Lastly, the man will see his grandchildren. He will live long enough to watch his legacy take shape. What a promise to the man who fears God.
But all these blessings do not come quickly and effortlessly. All these things: spouses, children, cities - they take decades to mold and shape in positive ways. In the midst of those decades we can get impatient and seek escapes. This Psalm is a wonderful reminder to have long-term vision for your life and heritage.
Amen.
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