Ancestry.com

Background to passage: I want to start a summer series today on the family. We will take up several aspects of family, children, youth, singleness, marriage, fatherhood, etc.

The title says a song of ascents, so this was a song that was sung on the way “up” to Jerusalem for the required feasts during the year. There were every kind of people en route to Jerusalem, so this was sung by all. It has a double meaning as the temple was probably under construction, but spoke much of the home and children that the “house” referred to is probably the family. With that in mind, consider what it must have been to have a long “road trip” with many children in your family, and others that are with you. One thing to note, this was a song sung by all. The Jewish culture was very community oriented. As the church, a family in Christ, we are also expected to have a community view of child rearing. Understand that Christ’s blood is thicker that family bonds. This word is to all of us.

Psalm 127 ESV

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Opening illustration: Ancestry.com and 13-hour road trips...

Main thought: This morning I want to take up one aspect of children in relation to the family.

1) A Blessing Not A Burden (v. 3)

Psalm 127:3 ESV

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

1) A Blessing Not A Burden (v. 3)

Explanation: Psalm 127 was written to parents, biological and spiritual/relational. We tend to think of all of the ancient world loving children and having big families. We think of the pain portrayed in instances of the inability to have biological children. However, as Solomon says in another book, there is nothing new under the sun. Especially on road trips, there were probably many Israelites that wondered whether or not 12 kids was a blessing or not.

It was probably less so then, but the state of our culture now, and has for decades now, considered children something of an option, an accessory, a decision to have or have not, and if have, just one, or maybe two at the most. Why? We live in a self-centered society that doesn’t want children to get in the way of their goals. Financial, educational, vocational, recreational goals, and even marital goals, drive people to have few or no children; and if so, late in life once all the goals and some bucket list things are checked off.

Argumentation:

Illustration: Mr. Marsh’s English class, or marriage: “the ol’ ball and chain”

Application: This text and the testimony of the whole bible is that you will be happy with lots of children. Now, the bible assumes that these children come from the union of a man and wife, but others situations like adoption would be very biblical too. Just heard about a man who had 26 different children in a city by many women, don’t think that is what the bible has in mind. However, it is ironic that this text is written by a man with 700 wives and 300 concubines.

The point is that the biblical truth is that children are not a burden, but a blessing. I know that sometimes there are moms or dads that may question that, but we must affirm it. Our lives are not just about ourselves. All the “happiness” that those goals we want to attain before we get married and have children doesn’t compare to the joy of children.

What do we think of when the mini-van pulls up and seven children come out? The men’s ministry leader that we have been considering partnering with has 11 children. Do we make comments, think thoughts like “don’t they know what causes that?”

2) Purposeful Not Just Enjoyable (v. 4-5)

Psalm 127:4–5 ESV

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

2) Purposeful Not Just Enjoyable (v. 4-5)

Explanation: Solomon gives us an image here that we can draw several truths out of; the most important of which is that children have purpose. We will be happy with them, but it is not only for our happiness. It’s like marriage, it’s not ONLY for our happiness. It is part of God’s plan, God’s mission to glorify himself through the multiplication of the image of God to all of creation.

Arrows have a purpose. There purpose is not to stay in the quiver, but to be shot from a bow. Whether to strike a target or draw blood, they are no good to sit in the quiver for looks.

Genesis 1:28 ESV

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Psalm 78:4–7 ESV

We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

Illustration: The goal of most Americans: Experience rich, relationship poor. We want our kids to succeed! Taking them to all manner of sports. I would suggest we reverse that phrase. Our goal should be to make them relationship rich, even if it means they are experience poor. Who they become is more important than what they do.” -J. D. Greear,

Application: “We’re fine if our children never climb a mountain as long as it guarantees they never get hurt. But what if your children were made for the mountains?...The ultimate mission of the family is not to protect your children from all harm but to mobilize them for the mission of God.”

Solomon moved back to real life example when he spoke of a man and his sons standing as one in the gates against anyone who raised a hand or an accusation or an issue. There is strength in numbers. It’s not about us. It’s not only about family. It is about family with a purpose. Parents, what do you think about when you think about the mission for your children? What do you want for you and your children? What about their children? Will they have children? We do not see ourselves as people on a mission for much outside of ourselves. Create a family mission statement. Create a personal one. Young people, single people, married with children, empty-nesters, even if you have never done it before.

One principle we are called to consider in the psalm is temporary vs. permanent. The participation in the creation of a human soul that will bear the image of God and live for eternity with absolute unending joy is greater than all the wealth one could ever accumulate. With children and the gospel, we are laying up treasure in heaven. We are thinking long-term, eternally. Permanent glory is multiplied through children.

3) Conclusions

Encourage babies: In our church, in our families, encourage children. Speak of them desirously. Adoption should also be encouraged. Phyllis shared some of her story the other night, and her adoption experience was the most life changing thing they’ve ever done. Fostering should be encouraged. We have 7 families in Troup County who foster. If you are single or past the time, work with our youth and children. They need you. Our workers need you.

Rear them as a community: The church cannot take the place of the family, but it is to be a support and help fill in gaps. Build relationships with other’s children. Mentor young people in the faith. Go on trips with our young people. Take them on trips.

Intentionally develop missiles: “I do not wonder that you were saddened at the word of my going to South America … but remember how the Psalmist described children? He said that they were as an heritage from the Lord, and that every man should be happy who had his quiver full of them. And what is a quiver full of but arrows? And what are arrows for but to shoot? So, with the strong arms of prayer, draw the bowstring back and let the arrows fly—all of them, straight at the Enemy’s hosts.

‘Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious, Give of they wealth to speed them on their way, Pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious, And all thou spendest Jesus will repay.’ ” -Jim Elliot

J. D. Greear Sermon Archive (Ready to Launch: Psalm 127)

When God designed a kid to be an arrow, and instead you treat him like a piece of furniture you plan to keep in your house, or like a remote control that would make your life easier, you are not only stunting their development but discouraging them from finding God altogether.

4. Fortify families and the family of God: “You’ve got to decide what is most important about your kid: who they are, or what they do? What is success? Getting into college on a baseball scholarship, or becoming men and women who love Jesus and serve the mission? Not that they are at odds, but what you value you’ll place priority.”

Closing illustration: ZPG (Population Connection) ‘The results were horrific,’ says Betsy Hartmann, author of Reproductive Rights and Wrongs, a classic 1987 exposé of the anti-population crusade. Some population-control programs pressured women to use only certain officially mandated contraceptives. In Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, South Korea and Taiwan, health workers’ salaries were, in a system that invited abuse, dictated by the number of IUDs they inserted into women. In the Philippines, birth-control pills were literally pitched out of helicopters hovering over remote villages. Millions of people were sterilized, often coercively, sometimes illegally, frequently in unsafe conditions, in Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, Indonesia and Bangladesh...

India’s prime minister at the time, Indira Gandhi, used this theory to justify massive sterilization campaigns. In some cases, this came in the form of population education; in many others, states required sterilization to get water, medical care, electricity, education for children, and ration cards. In even more extreme cases, authorities used coercion...

Tanton was deeply interested in the theory of eugenics and believed in the idea popular among the eugenics movement that the intelligent are more worthy of reproduction. In a 1992 letter to his friend, fellow eugenicist Robert Graham, he wrote, “Do we leave it to individuals to decide that they are the intelligent ones who should have more kids? And more troublesome, what about the less intelligent, who logically should have less? Who is going to break the bad news to them?”

In South Korea, President Moon Jae-in launched several policies to try and incentivize women to have more children, including cash incentives for families. Under the scheme, every child born from 2022 onwards receives a cash bonus of 2 million won ($1,850) to help cover prenatal expenses, in addition to a monthly payout that increases every month until the baby turns one. Other incentives include free daycare, subsidized pay during childcare leave, and even group blind dates for public servants to try and matchmake couples.

In China, many experts say the reversal of the one-child policy may have come too late. After seeing an initial uptick in births, the number has steadily declined by nearly 50%—from 17.86 million in 2016 to just 9.56 million in 2022, according to a report published by the National Health Commission. The Chinese government also tried to introduce new policies to encourage couples to have more children, enhance childcare and improve housing facilities for families with children. Recently, some academics have even proposed taxing couples for having too few children, while making access to abortion and divorce harder.

Conservative Protestants who believe the Bible is the Word of God have higher fertility rates (around 1.8 children per woman) and less-negative conversion rates, meaning they only need to have around 2.4 children per woman. As a result, liberal denominations can expect a 48% decline in a generation, vs. just a 26% decline for conservative denominations

Encouraging members to have one more child (on average), successfully integrating a modest share of immigrants into their congregations, or achieving conversion rates within the range of those experienced by some currently faster-growing religious movements could help stave off decline.

This is a gospel issue.