Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labour in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalm 127:1)
King Solomon had the privilege to build the Lord's temple during his reign in Jerusalem. The project was gigantic. He must have acquired good experience during the supervision of the project. (Compare 2 Chronicles chapter 3 and 4).
Watchmen were known to stand on the walls of Jerusalem to help keep the inhabitants safe. They served as tangible evidence that the ruler of the city cared for his subjects. In addition, they were trained to raise an alarm system for any approaching danger. As a king, Solomon must have appointed watchmen to guard the city of Jerusalem during his reign.
Despite these good experiences Solomon had, an important truth revealed to him: "Unless the LORD builds the house, They labour in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain."
For instance, the destruction of the walls of Jericho would illustrate this point better. The people of Jericho trusted their high walls for protection. But since the LORD did not build the walls, a great shout from the Israelites fell the walls flat. Though they had watchmen on duties, it could not stop the sudden destruction because the LORD was not with them. (Compare Joshua 6:1-21)
There is an important lesson for each Christian in this account. In a sense, each individual is building their life (spiritually, family, career etc.). We desire to increase our faith capacity in this race of eternal life, to make our family happy, to enhance our productivity in academics and secular careers. We are building a house that requires careful planning. Our Lord Jesus Christ confirmed the importance of planning. He said, "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it? (Luke 14:28) A wise person sits down to plan, which leads to success.
During the process of planning, it is essential to allow the Lord to take over. When we commit our endeavours into His hands, He will make our ways successful (Proverbs 16:3). In the same line of thought, Proverbs 3:5,6 advises us to trust in the LORD, with all our hearts, and lean not on our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct our paths.
The Lord is the creator of everything and has superior knowledge and understanding. He laid the foundation of the earth in wisdom. Like an experienced architect or engineer, the Lord has the incomparable wisdom and understanding to build every area of our lives. This implies that everyone must commit their plans into God's hands. Going contrary to that will only lead to disappointment because the house will collapse similar to a building without a good foundation.
To ensure that our labour is not in vain, we must co-labour with God and involve Him in the building process through intercession and worship.
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:2)
We can safely assume that Solomon did not condemn hard work because some of his proverbs reward the diligent worker who gets up early (Proverbs 6:6-11). From the opening line of this psalm, we can deduce that Solomon was referring to the faith many people place in their hard labour, as well as the uneasiness that comes with totally relying on oneself rather than God (to eat the bread of sorrows).
He addresses his remarks to the aforementioned individuals, the builders or watchmen, both of whom employ the following course in large numbers.
If one's hard effort is just for the goal of supplying daily food and clothing for oneself and one's family, the psalmist considers it an inferior way of living. Trusting the Lord in one's employment is the first step toward a better life.
People who are adversely affected by their reliance on their own work face distress. God's blessing is for His loved ones to be able to sleep peacefully. They can rest assured that God's finger is at work all the time, and moreover, His eye is on them even while they slumber.
On another note, to strike some balance, the blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it (Proverbs 10:22). It is in vain to toil, rising up early and going to bed late. This verse acknowledges the blessings of God to make one rich. We don't have to be workaholics to meet our needs. It will instead damage our health. The key to a productive life is from the Lord. He blesses his beloved while giving them rest.
However, benefiting from God's blessings requires complete obedience to his voice and commandments. (Compare Deuteronomy 28:1).
3Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5)
God created the first couple with the desire to have children. The Bible rightly says: "children are a heritage from the LORD" What does that mean?
Imagine that a close friend asks you to look after a large amount of money for him. How would you feel? Likely, you would be honoured that he trusts you. But you might worry about how you will keep the fortune safe. The Lord, our closest Friend, gives parents something to look after that is far more valuable than money. He entrusts them with the welfare and happiness of their children.
What are some things that parents can do to help their children learn to love the Lord? How can they protect their children from moral dangers? Consider some steps that parents can take.
1. Pray for God's help
Note the example set by Manoah and his wife, who became the parents of Samson. When Manoah found out that he and his wife were going to have a son, he pleaded with God for guidance on how to raise their child. (Judges 13:8)
2. Teach by example
What you say is important; however, what you do will likely have a bigger impact on your child. We can be sure that Joseph and Mary set an excellent example for their children, including Jesus. Joseph worked hard to support his family. In addition, Joseph encouraged his household to appreciate spiritual things. (Deuteronomy 4:9, 10)
Though Joseph was not required by the Law to take his family with him to Jerusalem “from year to year” to celebrate the Passover, he did. (Luke 2:41, 42) Some fathers in his day may have viewed such a family trip as inconvenient, time-consuming, and expensive. Yet, Joseph obviously appreciated spiritual things and taught his children to do the same. Also, Mary knew the Scriptures well. By her words and actions, she no doubt taught her children to love God’s Word.
3. Help your children to choose good associates
Both mother and father need to know who their children are associating with and what they are doing. That includes the parents’ knowing whom their children are communicating with through social media and on their mobile phones. Those associates can impact how children think and act. (1 Corinthians 15:33).
4. Start training children as early as possible
The earlier parents begin training their children, the better. (Proverbs 22:6) Consider Timothy, who in time travelled with the apostle Paul. Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and his grandmother Lois trained him “from infancy.” (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15).
Children are compared to arrows in the hands of a soldier, that’s a sign that children are spiritual weapons. If children are not raised up for God, the enemy will hijack them and use them against the kingdom of God.
Following these wise steps to protect our children reveal how much we cherish the heritage. The parents will be happy like the Psalmist concluded the song, "Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate."
This is the blessing of Abraham, "Your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies"; and it is a blessing to all the beloved of the Lord in a sense.
Chapters
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40
- Chapter 41
- Chapter 42
- Chapter 43
- Chapter 44
- Chapter 45
- Chapter 46
- Chapter 47
- Chapter 48
- Chapter 49
- Chapter 50
- Chapter 51
- Chapter 53
- Chapter 54
- Chapter 55
- Chapter 56
- Chapter 57
- Chapter 58
- Chapter 59
- Chapter 60
- Chapter 61
- Chapter 69
- Chapter 70
- Chapter 71
- Chapter 72
- Chapter 76
- Chapter 77
- Chapter 79
- Chapter 80
- Chapter 81
- Chapter 82
- Chapter 83
- Chapter 85
- Chapter 86
- Chapter 87
- Chapter 88
- Chapter 89
- Chapter 90
- Chapter 105
- Chapter 127
- Chapter 128
- Chapter 130
- Chapter 131
- Chapter 132
- Chapter 133
- Chapter 138
- Chapter 139
- Chapter 140
- Chapter 142
- Chapter 144
- Chapter 145
- Chapter 148
- Chapter 149
- Chapter 150