Untitled Sermon

The Lord is the Master Builder –

The Lord is a Mighty Bulwark –

The Lord is a

The Lord is a Merciful Benefactor –

Intro: Good morning everyone; I am so happy to be back. Now where do we start? We are builders, we do not stand around waiting or watching or wondering what others are doing.

A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.

127 Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it;

Question: How do we know the Lord is building the house?

Your work is fruitful – it will be productive

Your work is protected – it will last forever

The work is of grace – grace will prevail

Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

1. v. 1 “Unless the LORD”

o Psalm 127 focuses on the Lord’s essential involvement in whatever

His people attempt.

o Solomon makes no allowance for self-reliance in any labor.

o God alone performs as the agent of success — especially in regard to

the family.

o “Labor is to be a matter of collaboration with God (1 Cor 15:10, 58).”

— Leslie C. Allen, Psalms 101–150, Word Biblical Commentary

(Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983), 181.

o Compare John 15:5 and Colossians 3:23–24.

1. v. 1 “builds the house”

o Differing viewpoints propose two different references for this “house.”

The Temple or palace that Solomon built. Raising a family — “build” can mean to “have/obtain children”

(Gen 16:2; 30:3) and “house” can refer to a family (Exod 1:21; Ps

113:9).

Solomon’s son Rehoboam undid much of what Solomon had produced, reducing the glory of both Temple and palace, exceeding the idolatry allowed by Solomon, and rupturing Solomon’s peaceful coexistence with neighboring powers (1 Kgs 14:21–30).

· The dynasty (“house”) of David declined in stability, unity, wealth, power, and influence during Rehoboam’s brief reign.

· Compare Ecclesiastes 2:18–23.

o

2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To [a]retire late, To eat the bread of [b]painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

· v. 2 “To eat the bread of painful labors”

o Solomon is not slighting honest labor. He shows the futility of

feverish, fretting, and fanatical labor. This text addresses the

workaholic and those who are fiercely self-sufficient.

o Scripture demands work to support one’s family and not be an

unnecessary burden to others, but condemns laziness. Genesis 3:17; Proverbs 21:25; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians

4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:8.

· v. 2 “beloved”

o The Lord instructed the prophet Nathan to name Solomon Jedidiah

(“beloved of Yah”; 2 Sam 12:25).

o Thus the names of Solomon bracket the first half of the psalm and

provide the means of emphasizing divine care and provision for His people.

· v. 2 “sleep”

o “Sleep” plays on the word “vain” — both are 3-letter Hebrew words

with identical first and third letters. The middle letter of both have a

similar appearance, though different letters.

o Even the meanings are somewhat parallel. “Vain” has the idea of

“empty” or “nothing.” In sleep working hands are empty and the mind

works on nothing.

o Thus, the strophe has cohesion.

o NAU’s “even in his sleep” represents a less direct way of reading the

text. It is better to read it as “He gives to His beloved sleep.” Compare Psalm 4:8; Proverbs 3:24; 19:23.

3 Behold, children are a [c]gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

· v. 3 “Behold” The second half of Psalm 127 commences by calling attention to the

ultimate illustration of divine care and provision — children.

· v. 3 “children” This word (bānim) sounds very similar to “build” (bōnim) in the first

half of the psalm (v. 1). The assonance helps unite the poem.

According to John Phillips, Exploring Psalms, 2 vols., John Phillips Commentary Series (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2002), 2:487–89, children are: Our Heritage (v. 3), Our Helpers (v. 4), and Our Happiness (v. 5).

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.

v. 4 “Like arrows”

· Some commentators argue for limiting verses 3–5 to “sons” rather

than to “children.” One of their arguments involves the military simile. “Protection and defensive power are guaranteed by the sons.” —

Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalms 60–150, trans. by Hilton C. Oswald,

Continental Commentary (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993), 455.

· Another argument involves the civil issue of support in court cases

heard in the city gate, a place where the men of the city conducted judicial and governmental business.

5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

1. v. 5 “blessed”

o What a contrast to “vain” in the first half of the psalm. Even the

sounds of the two words are reversed (v. 5 ’asherey vs. v. 1 shawe’).

o Compare the Psalter’s other beatitudes: 1:1; 2:12; 32:1, 2; 33:12; 34:9;

40:4; 41:1; 65:4; 84:4, 5, 12; 89:16; 94:12; 106:3; 112:1; 119:1, 2; 128:1, 2; 137:8, 9; 144:15; 146:5.

v. 5 “gate”

§ References to the city (v. 1) and the city’s gate (v. 5) bracket the

psalm.

§ A city is only as strong and secure as the families within its walls.