Father’s Day 2025

Psalm 128 KJV (WS)

1 A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. 5 The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

Introduction

Men are often maligned and mocked as dumb and disengaged.

The men that I know are aware of their responsibilities.

They are desirous of fulfilling the responsibilities and roles that God has given them.

There are so many different facets of our life that it can be difficult to juggle it all.

work, marriage, kids, kingdom…

How can we hope to meet all the demands?

Well I have good news for you.

God tells men that there are just two things that need to focus on if they want to find fulfillment in this life.

2 things that will open up our life to greater effectiveness and fulfilment.

These things are found in Ps 128.

A blessing for fathers.

This Psalm is what is called a Song of degrees.

The song is meant to mimic the ascent up a flight of stairs.

It follows the pilgrims approach to Jerusalem which was an uphill climb no matter which direction you came from.

You could sing or recite these psalms as you got closer and closer to the city.

We know that Jewish families were required to make that journey at various times of the year for the different feasts.

This particular song is specifically written for fathers.

It deals with many of the things that fathers are concerned about.

I think we’ll see that this psalm speaks to things that today’s fathers are concerned about too.

But, before we can examine the specific areas which a father is concerned about, the psalmist lays out a prerequisite for blessing.

That’s really what a Christian father wants, the blessing of God in all areas of his life.

We know we need God’s help, how do we position ourselves to receive it?

There are two traits that must be present in the godly father that seeks to see God work in their life.

First, he must fear God.

Men often feel pressured to put up a front of fearlessness.

There is one thing we must be fearful of, that is God.

One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is from the Chronicles of Narnia books.

The kids ask if Aslan is safe.

They are told that he is not safe, but he is good.

The same is true for God.

Rebels and unbelievers are not safe from God’s justice.

Even believers, though part of his family and recipients of his love, we should still have a healthy fear of the chastisement of our heavenly father should we disobey him.

Those he loves, he chastises.

Dad, as you look around and realize that God has laid a heavy responsibility on your shoulders, it should make you afraid that you would prove to be an unjust steward of what God has given you.

If you are not afraid, you may not be taking your responsibility or your God as seriously as you should.

Second, he must walk in his ways.

This doesn’t mean that you have to be perfect dads.

You think about walking along a path…

You might move from left to right on that path.

You may even stop for a moment on the path.

If you stray off the path without returning to it, you will not reach your destination.

Every Christian is going to progress at different rates, but, Dads, you should be able to look back and see some spiritual progress in your life.

Can you see growth in your faith from when you first became a dad to where you are now?

Are there things in the future that you can see you need to improve on?

God doesn’t say that we have to have arrived, he just says we need to stay on the path!

If we will apply these two traits to our lives, then we will be blessed in a number of areas.

Before we talk about those areas of blessing, I want you know something about the word blessed in this Psalm.

It actually has two different Hebrew words and two different meanings.

In verse 1-2 it is the word Asher which means happy. In verses 4-5 it is the word Barak which means blessed of the Lord.

In what ways can we men expect God to bless us when we fear him and walk in his ways?

Blessed in our work.

If you were to study men you would find that, for better or worse, they draw more of their identity and self-worth from their jobs than they do their families.

If you ask a guy to tell you about himself, he will probably start by telling you what he does for a living.

If something’s bothering him it will probably be something that happened at work.

But, if a man fears the Lord and walks in his paths, it will effect his work ethic and work life.

There is no guarantee here of wealth and riches.

However, there is a promise that the labor of his hands will sustain him.

And, a right relationship with God will lead to a right balance with work so that the man who fears God will be happy when it comes to work.

Blessed in our homes.

A man’s relationship with his work is not typically an escape from his family.

It is most often based in our desire to provide for our families.

Men

In our relationship with our wives.

The picture of the wife as a vine indicates the happiness and joy that comes from a home where the father fears the lord and walks in his ways.

Wine was a big part of their celebrations.

We know the story about the marriage at Cana.

When the wine ran out, it was an emergency.

This is what a wife is to a home, to her husband.

She is the fuel for the celebration.

Without her, the party is over.

Remember what happened when they brought out Jesus’ wine?

Everybody started commenting about how good it was.

They all were impressed by the flavor of this wine.

The man that fears the Lord and walks with the Lord will view his wife as a major source of joy and happiness in his home.

He will cherish her.

She will thrive in this environment

This is the kind of environment that a godly husband promotes in his home.

He delights in her.

He is faithful only to her.

He sees her for what she is, a gift from God.

We also can see God’s blessings in our relationship with our children.

Jewish couples wanted large families.

The children are pictured as olive shoots which first grow around the base of the parent tree.

These little “suckers” eventually have to be removed so that the parent tree and the child can grow to their fullest.

The olive gardener has to invest for many years before he gets the most out of his olive yard.

They take patience to see them grow.

An olive tree doesn’t reach full maturity until it is about 30 years old.

How do parents translate this to real life?

The family in this passage, is seen gathering around the table.

This is one of the best places to cultivate your children.

If you will make a commitment to eat together, it will anchor your family to a specific point in geography and time.

Here you can engage with your children about their day.

You can talk about spiritual lessons.

Dad, if you are walking in the paths of God, then you should have something from your devotions for that day.

A man that fears and walks with God will be blessed in his family.

Blessed in our country.

This had a nationalistic application for the original readers.

They were in a national covenantal relationship with God.

We live in America, and we do not have a covenant between God and our country.

I don’t think anyone would argue though that it would be good for our country if there were more men and more fathers that feared God and walked in his paths.

As believers we are citizens of a better country that is in a covenantal relationship with God, that is the Kingdom of God.

A man that will fear God and walk in his paths will see the blessing and progress of that country.

Many of the men that were greatly used by God were convinced that their position in God’s country was one of the most important positions they held in life.

They sacrificed for this country.

They advocated for and sought the advancement of his kingdom.

Many even died in service to the kingdom of God.

Men, if you want be involved in something that will last, something that is bigger than you, something eternal…

Get involved with the kingdom of God and see how God will bless your efforts.

Blessed in our legacy.

Before you know it, we are talking about grandchildren.

In just 6 verses, we went from bride and groom to grandchildren.

I’m certainly not there yet, but I’ve got to tell you I love watching my parents and my in-laws interacting with my kids.

When Nina and Poppa or Granny and Paw-dad are around it just lights up my boys lives.

You know how it goes, they all want to show their grandparents the new tricks they’ve learned or the new toys they have.

According to this verse, enjoying your grandchildren is part of the blessings of fearing God and walking in his paths.

All of these goals that so many men hope for and desire stem from the same godly foundation.

Work life, marriage, parenting, spiritual purpose, and a lasting legacy…

These all come as a result of God’s blessings on a man that fears God and walks in his paths.

Application

Do you want God to bless your life?

Think about what God’s blessings would look like in your life.

A job that provides, makes you happy, and stays in balance.

A wife that brings the joy and satisfaction into your life.

Children that are growing in their relationship with their family and with God.

A purpose filled life that comes from living as a citizen of the heavenly kingdom.

A legacy that outlives us.

It must start with the two key and foundational ingredients from vs 1.

A dad that fears God.

A dad that walks in the paths of God.

Do you fear God?

Are you aware of the stakes that come with your role in your home.

Your family is looking to you for leadership.

You will bear the greatest responsibility before God when it comes time for judgment of your home.

Your boss, the neighbors, the kids coach or teacher will not answer for your family.

You will.

That’s scary.

Yes it is.

Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Do you walk in his paths?

Not, are you perfect.

Are you staying on the path.

Taking one step after another.

Are you grateful that we just have to be making progress on the path, we don’t have to have arrived?

If these things are true, then it becomes a matter of trusting God to bless.

Conclusion

We are under a lot of pressure.

God knows this.

Remember, he is a father too.

He wants to help us.

If we will stay focused on our relationship with Him, he will help us with our other relationships and responsibilities.

God is the key for you to be the man, husband, and father that you ought to be.

Do you fear him?

Do you walk in his paths?