Building a Blessed Home: God's Blueprint for Family Security

Bible Passage: Psalm 127, Psalm 128

Summary: Psalm 127 and 128 emphasize the importance of God's role in building a home and blessing a family. They highlight the futility of labor apart from God and illustrate the blessings that come from fearing the Lord and following His ways.

Application: This sermon can help Christians understand that true security and fulfillment in family life come not from worldly measures but from dependence on God. It encourages individuals and families to seek God in all they do and trust in His provision, especially during challenging times.

How this passage could point to Christ: In the context of Scripture, Christ embodies the fulfillment of God's promise for family and community. He is the cornerstone upon which we can build our lives and families, offering strength and security.

Big Idea: True security and blessings in family life come through reliance on God and obedience to His Word.

Introduction:

Before we open to Psalm 127 and 128 this morning, I want to say a brief word about the Father’s Day. For some, this is a joyful day. Perhaps you had a good dad, or maybe you are a dad yourself and you’re being celebrated. To you, we give thanks to God for the gift and weight of fatherhood. We honor you, and we pray for strength and grace as you lead and love your families in the fear of the Lord.

But I also know, for many others, today is complicated. Some among us never knew their fathers. Others carry deep wounds from fathers who were absent, harsh, or distant. Some are grieving a father who has passed. Some long to be fathers but carry the weight of infertility or loss. Some walk the long road of fatherhood feeling unnoticed, overwhelmed, or estranged from their own children.

In other words—this day is tender.

That’s why it’s important to say this clearly: whether you are a father or not, whether your earthly father was a source of blessing or of brokenness, the psalms we’re about to study speak to all of us. Psalm 127 and 128 are not just about fatherhood—they’re about the God who builds, the God who blesses, and the God who is always faithful, even when human relationships fall short.

These psalms call all of us—fathers, mothers, single adults, grandparents, widows, teenagers, spiritual mentors—to trust in God’s design for the home and to walk in His ways. They remind us that the security of a family, a future, or a legacy does not rest on human effort alone, but on God’s gracious work. And they invite us to build our lives—not just our families—on the foundation of God’s faithfulness.

So, wherever you are today—grateful, grieving, striving, or healing—these words are for you.

Let’s turn now to the Scriptures and hear the voice of the Father who never fails.

Please stand, if your able, for the reading of God’s word.

English Standard Version Psalm 127

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

1 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.

2 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.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward.

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one’s youth.

5 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.

A Song of Ascents.

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!

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you for your word, for the institution of fatherhood and family, as you have established both. Lord, many in here have spectrum of emotions as we approach father’s day. I ask that whatever experience we have with father’s today, that you help us understand that you are our heavenly Father. And you are eternal, unwavering, you love us perfectly and you will never abandon us. Lord open our hearts as we go through these psalms, in Jesus mighty name we pray, Amen.

i. Hook:

As I was preparing for this sermon, I was captivated by the very first verse. Which is why I understand both of these psalms to unfold in light of this verse. Its about building a house.

In this very first verse we can almost picture a situation where a young family is working with architects on creating a blueprint for their dream home. In this blueprint, our young family obsesses over every last detail. I mean from the color and material of the front door to the foyer as soon as you walk in. The couple wants stone tile and an open area, that causes everyone that walks in to look down and slowly bring their heads up in amazement.

The kitchen, oh, and we can’t imagine not talking about the kitchen. State of the art and professional grade oven, for those times when you host. Giant fridge, the kind that you can lock yourself in. And countertops, beautiful stone countertops.

The bathrooms, majestic. The young couple has not children yet, but we have to have enough rooms for when they come, and they will come.

Were not done yet, the back yard, we have to make sure that we have a pool, and an area to host all of their friends.

So, by the time everything is said and done, they begin building.

It takes some time, but they complete the home.

And for a while they were happy, but eventually it all fell apart. The couple divorced, and the house was empty.

The young couple understood at that point, after everything fell apart that a blueprint was not enough. All the work that was done by them and the architects were in vain. Something was missing.

Without God, our attempts to build a lasting home or legacy, is in vain.

The interesting thing about this psalm is that it was written by a very wise King, his name was Solomon, son of David.

ii. Contextual Setup:

It’s always important to look at the historical context of our passage. Not all of the psalms give us a way to place it in history, but psalm 127 does. And many theologians believe that psalm 128 is closely connected to 127.

So, psalm 127 begins with a superscription, “A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.” Which we understand that to mean that it was written by Solomon.

So, why does this matter? I think it’s interesting to see how these flawed people wrote these texts. These texts that have lasted thousands years. And even today, are still changing lives. Which give support to the idea that these are words that are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. In any event, let us look at why this matters.

Psalm 127 is attributed to Solomon—king of Israel, son of David, the wisest man of his time, and the builder of the temple of the Lord. The language of building, watching, laboring, and heritage fits Solomon well. He knew what it meant to build. He oversaw massive projects, accumulated great wealth, and expanded Israel’s influence like no king before him.

But, here’s the irony: Solomon writes this blueprint for a blessed home…

and ignores it.

He penned these inspired words about the Lord building the house and children being a heritage, but Solomon’s own story serves as a cautionary tale. He violated God’s laws for kings in Deuteronomy 17:

He multiplied horses, which meant that he increase his military might.

He accumulated silver and gold in excess.

And, he took many foreign wives, over 700, which led his heart away from the Lord.

He also built palaces and temples as well as shrines for foreign gods.

Solomon was the last king of the united kingdom in Israel. After Solomon died, the Kingdom split under his son, Rehoboam.

So, while we can know the blueprint, something else is needed.

iii. Main Idea:

So, Psalm 127 & 128 are not about knowing the right verse. They are about living under the rule of the God who builds, blesses, and secures. These aren’t just nice sayings for the home decor aisle. They are divine wisdom for how to build something that won’t collapse.

So the question today isn’t “have you heard this before?” but “Are you living it now?”

1. Prioritize Divine Dependence

So, let’s begin with our first two verses:

Psalm 127:1–2 “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.”

Let’s be honest, when you read this first verse it kind of sounds like it could be written on one of those wooden plaques that you see in those home goods stores? It sounds peaceful, right? But it’s not!

It’s disruptive, especially to the type-A personalities out there, you know who you are…

Argumentation:

Verse one is such a bold claim. This sounds a little more than just a poetic proverb, it’s a confrontation. It stands in our face, it confronts us that any attempt to build a life, legacy or family without God is vain. And this is not an argument against effort. It is an argument about building a legacy without God.

I enjoy the way Charles Spurgeon puts it:

The Treasury of David, Volume 6: Psalms 120–150 Exposition

Trowel and hammer, saw and plane are instruments of vanity unless the Lord be the Master-builder.

Explanation:

So, as I remind you that Solomon wrote these words, he also violated them and we saw the consequences.

Solomon was wise, and used words masterfully. In fact, let me give you and example. If you have been paying close attention, you would notice that I use the words house and home with legacy. This is because in Hebrew, the words ben, which means son, and bath, which means daughter and the word bayith, which means house all share the same root word, banah, which means to build. So these words are interconnected. They share the theme of buiding a family and legacy.

Verse 2 takes it a step further. It speaks of the grind. Many of you know what that means, grinding. It’s an everyday diligent work. I know I did it for many, many years in the New York City Police Department.

I had the idea that whatever I need to make happen, “I” need to make it happen.

But the final clause of verse 2 is the promise of rest. When we build with the master builder, He give us rest.

And again, this is not an argument against hard work. What is condemned is worry and feverish, self-confidence, and both of these violate the principles of this passage.

Illustration:

I bet many of you did not know that Benjamin Franklin cited this psalm.

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin gave a speech. In this speech he was emphasizing the need for divine guidance in the formation of the new government. He stated:

“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”

This quote reflects the idea of Psalm 127, Franklin is communicating the idea that human efforts, such as building a nation, require divine support to succeed. He used this to support the motion for daily prayers at the convention.

Unfortunately, it did not pass.

Application:

So, again, what I’m asking is are you building with these principles?

Maybe your in a season that you feel as though it’s on you to hold your house together.

Now, I would ask this question to you that is a very difficult question. And I would apply this to myself as well. Are you living under the rule of the God who builds, blesses and secures your future?

Again, Solomon is not calling for less work. I mean, we see that don’t we? It’s a different kind of work. It calls us to labor in a way that acknowledges God’s absolute sovereignty in our lives.

Many times our circumstances serve as indicators of whether we are living out what the psalmist is writing. They’re these alarms that go off in our lives.

And God is calling us to rest in Him. Don’t value your work on your own productivity, but in the promises of God.

Transition:

So, verse one and two are the principles on which to build. They inform the rest of these passages. So, applying yourself to build with the enabling power of God, we will see the fruits. What are the fruits?

First, verses 3-5 mention children.

2. Perceive Children as Blessings

Now, there is an internet trend, that thankfully I have not seen lately, but I know is still alive is the concept of a D.I.N.K. I cringe in even repeating this and like many internet trends, I hope it disappears.

But, unfortunately I need it to setup my point. DINK stands for dual income no kids. And we see these couples dancing and gyrating in videos say, “hey, we’re going out to dinner and we don’t need to find babysitting.” Or, “hey, we’re going on vacation and we don’t have to go with children.”

And please, don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying that because you don’t have children, your life is somehow meaningless. I am not saying that. If you decided not to have children, or can’t, or whatever circumstance led you to not having children, you can still lead a meaningful life.

What I am saying is that we have to view children, even if they are not yours, the way that Scriptures views children. As a blessing and a benefit to their parents.

Children are not burdens. They are not things that keep us from being happy or living out our lives. The world my see them as inconvenience, but the word of God says different.

In fact, this is what verses 3-5 say:

Psalm 127:3–5 “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.”

Argumentation:

So, in this passage the psalmist, Solomon gives us a counter-cultural declaration: Children are not a burden, but a blessing. They are not interruptions to your legacy, they are the legacy. This is a stark contrast from verses 1-2. We saw the vanity of labor without God. Now we see the fruitfulness of a God-dependent life.

Solomon transitions from building and watchmen to babies and arrows. But this shows us that God, not man, is the source of blessing.

Children are part of this integral thing that God is building.

Explanation:

Verse 3 states: “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”

The word “behold” is a call to stop and pay attention. Because what follows is not self-evident. Many don’t see children as a reward, this verse is calling the reader to view children as a reward.

And this is in spite of the behavior of the children. Children do not always behave as our reward. I’ve heard someone once say that “God makes children cute for their own safety.”

So, again, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”

Verse 2-5 are a bit more interesting as Solomon uses an arrow as a metaphor for a child. “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!

I think this speaks of the Child’s potential.

Think about it. A warrior, if he wants to be an effective one has to fill his quiver with arrows. But these arrows did not grow out of the ground. They have to be shaped, sharpened before they are aimed and released.

In other words, there are many things that go into preparation of the child before you release them into society.

And this falls in line with the first two verses. We are not being told that we do nothing with our children, no, God works through human means and human means are only fruitful when God is at work.

Illustration:

Let me tell you about a man named John Paton, a Scottish missionary. Before he left for the mission field, friends and fellow ministers tried to dissuade him. One warned, “You will be eaten by cannibals!” But Paton replied, “Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave… and I confess to you that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms.”

But do you know where Paton learned that kind of faith?

He learned it from his father.

He writes in his autobiography about watching his father go into a small prayer closet in their home each day—sometimes multiple times a day—and hearing his voice lifted in prayer for his family, for the lost, and for the nations. Paton said that the memory of his father’s prayers was so powerful that “never, in all my sorrows, did I doubt that God heard and answered the prayers of my father.”

That’s Psalm 127:3–5 in action. His father didn’t write books. He didn’t preach to thousands. He wasn’t known to the world. But he formed an arrow—and that arrow flew across oceans to carry the gospel where Christ had not yet been named.

That’s the kind of house God builds. Not one that just looks impressive on the outside, but one that sends arrows into battle.

So ask yourself: What kind of arrows are you forming?

Because someday, long after your voice is silent and your hands have stopped working, your children—biological or spiritual—will still be flying. The question is: Which direction are they headed?

Application:

So, what does this mean for us?

Children are not a burden or an afterthought in the Christian life. Sure, not everyone in here have children but we ought to look at children biblically. We are to look at their potentiality.

Parents, look at your children in this way. Even if they give you a thousand reasons not to. And this is a message for me too.

And those without children, this applies to you too. You may be in a position to mentor or disciple someone and that can be a spiritual legacy.

Transition:

Psalm 128 continues with the nature of the blessings.

3. The Fear of the Lord Bears Fruit

Psalm 128:1–4 “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.”

Argumentation:

So, we move from the idea that what God builds will last to the kind of life that God blesses.

While psalm 127 ends with blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.” And psalm 128 continues with the man’s blessedness. In the historic context a blessed man would have a productive farm with a faithful wife and children around the table. Which is what we saw in 127, this is why many take this psalm to be related to 127.

Explanation:

So, I very much enjoy verses 1-4 because it does something very interesting. It bookends with the idea of “fear of the Lord.” This term isn’t immediately clear, because language changes. So, for many of us, we understand fear the lord to mean a strong reverence of God. And while that is true, in the psalter, this term is usally used to identify the people in covenant relationship to God. So, I have a dictionary of Wisdom literature and it defines the term functionally:

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings 5. Psalms

The phrase “those who fear Yahweh/God” in the Psalms is a way of referring to God’s people. It is found in connection with “the righteous” (

So, I would be accurate to say, the church is filled with those who fear the lord. And that would be accurate.

So, the following promises are for you, the believer who follows the principles of psalm 127.

Illustration:

So, is the converse true? Are those that don’t follow the principles laid out by the psalmist not recieve these blessing?

Remember the story of Solomon, the writer of this psalm. His life serves as lesson for us all.

King Solomon, despite his wisdom and prosperity, experienced significant failures. He departed from the Mosaic law, entered into marriage with hundreds of women and formed political alliances, he acquired massive amounts of gold and silver and built up his army against the mosaic law.

And guess what happened? He was the last king of the united Kingdom. God was merciful and on account of David, God did not rip the kingdom from Solomon’s hand, but he did take it from his son Rehoboam. And the Kingdom was never united after that. It was forever lost.

So, the principles that Solomon laid out, were completely lost on him. And his legacy suffered.

Application:

Am I saying that following these principles, you’ll get a kingdom, no.

What I am saying is that there is a blessing in putting God in the forefront of your plans.

Transition:

Lastly, verses 5 and 6.

4. Promote Communal Blessing

Psalm 128:5–6 “The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!”

Argumentation:

So, in these final verses we move from the domestic to the community. Building a house with God at the forefront is to the benefit of the community. In other words, the blessedness is far from individualized; it will benefit the whole of God’s people.

Explanation:

We see this with the the word Zion. Zion is the dwelling place of God, the city of David, the place of corporate worship, which is the heart of God’s redemptive story. In other words, to be blessed from Zion means to receive blessing through communion with God and his people.

Then we finish our passage today with a personal comfort that many of us want to see, that is to see our children’s children. This is a statement is not only a long and joyous life, and it is that, but the idea to see the fruits of what you accomplished through the Lord.

5. Closing

Visualization:

I want to close with these last four points. If this were a classroom and I was the teacher, I would test you on these four points.

1. Depend on God’s Presence

(Psalm 127:1–2)

You can work hard. You can build wisely. But if God is not in it, it’s all in vain. Lasting security and true rest come only when we surrender our plans to His providence. Stop building anxiously—start trusting actively.

2. Receive God’s Gifts

(Psalm 127:3–5)

Children—biological or spiritual—are not burdens, but blessings. They are a heritage, a reward, and an assignment. God builds through people. So form the arrows. Aim them well. Your legacy is not just what you leave behind, but who you launch forward.

3. Walk in God’s Ways

(Psalm 128:1–4)

Blessing is not found by chasing success but by fearing the Lord and walking in His ways. The fruitful life flows from faithful obedience. Joyful homes, satisfying work, and flourishing families are not luck—they are the fruit of covenant faithfulness.

4. Hope in God’s Kingdom

(Psalm 128:5–6)

Our hope in God’s kingdom is only possible through the work of Christ. Through his death and resurrection, He brings us into the family of God. So, that we are those that fear the Lord.

As the men begin to pass out the elements, we will pray and our very fine Elder, Sal will lead us in communion.

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you because your are the master architect in our lives. Help us understand these principles that the psalmist laid out for us. Inscribe your word in our hearts. So that when we begin to plan and look to the future, we don’t work in vain. We include you in our plans and we depend on you Lord. Thank you again, Lord. Amen.