Psalm 127 | Like Arrows

Psalm 127 - Like Arrows

Story about Godly heritage- passing on a Godly/ungodly legacy.

-ESV Study Notes: Psalms 127-128 are wisdom poems in the Songs of Ascents. Wisdom themes are suited to worshipful pilgrims, because in the Old Testament, faithfulness in everyday life and vitality in worship go together.

We are called to be intentional about discipling children to be Godly arrows shot into this dark world to advance the kingdom of God.

1. God is the Foundation (Builder)

Psalm 127:1 ESV

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.

*Anything we do on our own, without God’s help and wisdom, is empty, meaningless, and futile.

Even seeking to build a home and a family apart from God is a waste because no matter how diligently you apply yourself, your human efforts are limited without God to back them. What we need in our households is his involvement and blessing—combined with our faithful labor. No matter how many books on marriage and parenting you read, or how much advice you receive, all falls short unless your foundation is built on God.

Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), Ps 127:1–2.

*God is the architect and master designer and has given us the blueprints in the Bible for how we are to teach, train, and lead our children. God needs to be the foundation and we need to let him be the builder of our families. We need God’s Power, God’s grace, and God’s Word to build a Godly family.

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

*As a family we must be resting on the right foundation. Are we like the wise man or the foolish man. A lot of Christians try to mix the rock, which is God’s point of view....and the sand, which is the worlds point of view, human wisdom, and going our own way. It does not work to mix rock and sand. We have to choose.

Joshua 24:15 (ESV)

15 ...choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

*Are we going to try to keep up with the “Joneses” (The world around us) or are we going to submit our lives in obedience to how God has told us to parent and to live. We need a deep sense of dependence on God. Family life as well life “in the city” are in jeopardy unless it is centered on the Lord.

2. God is the Provider

Psalm 127:2 ESV

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.

*If it is in our own effort- rising early, staying up late and working non-stop, it will wear us away. We can not let work take the place of our relationship with God and our family. These verses are not saying that we should not work, other passages call us to work hard and do our best for Him, it is talking about human activity that believes that we can do it on our own, while ignoring God. We need to recognize our need for God and his involvement in everything that we do.

3. God is the Rewarder

Psalm 127:3 ESV

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

*Each of you as parents have been called, chosen, and equipped by the Holy Spirit to be your children’s parents. Each child in your house God has specifically given to you and gifted you to raise. He has sovereignly chosen you to care for and bring up in all that he has commanded.

-As parents we need to recognize that every child is a gift and a reward from God. Children are a blessing from God not a burden. How do you view your children? Do you view them as a burden or a blessing? The world around us has 2 views of children. They are viewed either as burdens who are taking time and energy away from what the parent wants to do. Or they are viewed as the center of the family's existence. Like little kings and queens. Neither one of these views of children are scriptural.

*We are called as believers to be a blessing to the world around us.

4. God is the

Psalm 127:4 ESV

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

-In this verse the father is pictured as a warrior, and the children as his arrows.

-Steve Lawson says, “Arrows are indispensable for a warrior to succeed in defeating the enemy. So are children invaluable to parents in warring against the enemy of God’s kingdom, Satan. Children are invincible weapons to be shot into the world for the kingdom of God.” It was necessary, while in war, to have arrows to defeat the enemy.

*Matt Chandler says, “If you are a parent, you are automatically in the position of disciple-maker in your child’s life. A disciple-maker is not, as some might believe, a role reserved for so-called super-Christians. Making disciples is the job of every follower of Jesus. Your faith is more influential than you think. Your family is the primary instrument and environment for discipleship in the life of your child, and your calling in this life is to give the discipleship of your home your unique best.”

*Matt Chandler says, “Discipling your family is one of the most crucial, weighty, and enjoyable jobs you will every undertake. It is simultaneously rewarding and draining, fulfilling and frustrating. It is a fantastic daunting privilege, one that should never be taken lightly. Because it is an assignment directly from God himself, we believe focusing on doing it well is worth earnestly putting in all the time, energy, emotion, and painstaking work it may demand. With all your family has going on, you may thing you don’t have time for family discipleship. The truth is, with all your family has going on, you can’t afford not to be dedicated to family discipleship.”

-If our children are supposed to be like arrows, then we as parents need to be teaching and training them from an early age.

Arrows must be shaped- Arrows would not begin by being ready to be shot in a battle. A soldier would have to take the time to whittle and shape a branch into a well-fashioned arrow. It took time and effort to make an arrow that was ready for battle. The same is true with our children. They are not born knowing the ways of God. It is our job to help to shape and disciple our children. Discipleship is the process of becoming a committed follower of Jesus Christ through obedience and service. In parenting terms this would be passing on to the next generation our love for God and telling them what he has done for us. We must train our children at an early age to pursue righteousness. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Training our children involves biblical instruction, consistent discipline, moral correction and teaching, and loving affirmation.

[This is not a guarantee or a promise, because every human has free will to choose or not choose God. But when we do what God’s Word tells us to do, our children are much more likely to follow in our footsteps.]

*Many times we have all sorts of opinions or have even read different books on how to raise and train children. But where is our information and beliefs coming from? PG 89-92

*Discipling our children takes hard work, effort, and energy. It is a long-term, God-ordained process that takes focus and needs to become the main priority in our lives. God has called us in multiple passages in the Bible to teach these things to our children. (Deut 4, 6, Joshua 4) It is not something that just happens, it is deliberate teaching that we do with our children. It was something that God commanded in Joshua and Deuteronomy because he knows how forgetful we can be. He knows how we tend to wander away from our faith and God. Over and over in the OT, Israel walked away from God to follow the culture and the false gods around them. They kept walking away from God and his ways, they were prone to wander, and so are we. That is why God commanded parents to teach their children, and not the priests or the religious leaders. Parents have the most at stake and love their children more than anyone else ever could.

**Do you view your role as a parent as a “calling”? God has called you to be a soul-shaper.

*PICTURES Which of these things will last forever? Which of these can you take to heaven?”

*Moral Store Shelf–what things are you passing on

*Ken Ham says, “Every child conceived in a mother’s womb is a conscious being who is going to live forever and ever and ever and ever–in either heaven or hell.The most important thing for anyone is that they know Christ. Nothing else ultimately matters in the big picture of things. Our lives on this earth are so short–in fact, they add up to nothing compared to eternity. The car, the house, the career…all will vanish with time, but the soul of your child will live forever. Doesn’t that make you want to take a serious look at how you are bringing up your children?””If you are willing and committed, God can use you as a vehicle to help transport your children to heaven…but you have to take it seriously.”

Arrows must be directed- “A well-shaped arrow must also be carefully aimed at the target. An old adage says, “Aim at nothing and you will hit it every time.” This is most true in child rearing. One’s sons and daughters must be directed at the right target while they are in the parents’ hands. They must be directly pointed at God’s enemies, armed with the gospel of Christ, if they are to score a direct hit. This involves teaching and instructing them with God’s Word, as well as modeling it before them.” Steven Lawson

a. Direct them in the Word- *Family Devotions- so many parents think that they do not know enough of the Bible to be able to teach it to their kids. But if you can read, you can teach your children God’s Word. Just open up the Bible and start reading together. I would recommend Proverbs or a Gospel to start with. There are also so many great resources, just pick one and start going through it each day with your family. Sometimes the fear of doing it wrong keeps us from doing anything. Satan would love if never taught our kids anything from the Bible.

*Family Worship Time *When you sit and when you rise

*Spiritual Warfare

b. Direct them in Obedience-

*First-time obedience -it is our job as parents to teach and train our kids to listen and obey the first time. It is not just obedience for obedience sake, but as we teach and train our children to listen and obey right away, it is preparing our children to listen to God’s voice and to be obedient to him right away.

*Are we raising a Jonah or a Samuel?-

c. Direct them with outside influences-

*Education

*Media/Phones

*Ken Ham says, “Remember also that children are not miniature adults. In this world of no absolutes, evolution, sex outside marriage, humanism, homosexual propaganda, and false religions–they will easily be tossed to and fro. They need to know how to recognize the difference between good and evil and choose the right way of thinking before being put under pressure.” (Pg 170)

*look at pg 159-170 KH

*We need the power of the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct us.

Arrows must be released (aimed)-

Pitfalls of Shaping Arrows

Education-

One of the most important questions that we face as Christian parents when we think of discipling our kids is where are they receiving their education from. Jesus says some of the most profound words about education in Luke 6:40, “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Who will your children be like after their education is complete?

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”

Voddie Baucham says in his book Family Driven Faith, “our educational choice must be based on the fact that God cannot and must not be ignored in the process. Any educational system that denies the existence, preeminence, and primacy of God is in violation of this biblical principle and is detracting from, rather than contributing to, the discipleship process. Many object to homeschooling or private Christian schools based on the fact that God has called us to be “salt” and “light” and to evangelize the world. Ironically, this is precisely why we chose homeschooling. The Great Commission states: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I commanded you.” How is this likely apart from Christian education? How can I effectively “make disciples” of my children if I send them off to the government school 45 to 50 hours per week.”

Ken Ham “salt loses it saltiness” 211-212

“All education teaches and shapes morality. It is impossible to separate one's view of God, man, truth, knowledge, and ethics from the educational process. Every day that our children sit behind a desk, they are either being taught to know, love, and obey God or they are being taught to love and obey someone or something that has usurped God’s proper role.” Voddie B

Whatever schooling that you chose to send your children to, you need to make sure it is based on God’s Word and biblically sound. Remember there is no such thing as neutral when it comes to education. What your child is learning is either for God, or anti-God.

Ken Ham, “Mature Christian teachers can also be missionaries in the pagan public system…and they need our prayers because it is becoming more difficult to be light and salt in such situations. Adults ministering in this system are very different than immature students being trained by the system. Until a student has the maturity to discern right and wrong, and know how to diligently defend the Christian faith, the strength to stand up to peer pressure, and the determination to confront compromise, public schools can be a very dangerous place to be.”

1 Peter 5:8-9

Ask God where He wants you to educate your children.

Are you willing to sacrifice to do what God is calling you to do?

Our world revolves around success and doing what we want, not what God wants. Are you willing to be different. God has called us to be set apart. Our families and our kids should not look the families and kids around us in the culture. There should be a marked difference. And if there isn’t, we need to be on our faces before the Lord asking him what we need to do to change.

*Matt Chandler says, “Christian parenting often means knowingly instilling unpopular ideas as we teach our kids to obey all that Jesus commanded. We are raising kids the world may hate, and we want them confident in Christian audacity, ready to swim upstream in a godless culture adrift from holiness. Every step of the way, your kids and you will be tempted “to conform to the patterns of this world.”

Go back to verse 1, Unless the Lord builds the house. God has shown us in his Word that we are to teach, train, and disciple our kids in the ways of the Lord. We are to lead and guide them in God’s truths and His ways. In order to do that we need to be in God’s Word and be obedient to it. We need to let go of the “sin that so easily entangles” and teach them how to walk in obedience to God, His Word, and His Voice. We need a wake-up call, to do a total 180 and turn around from the direction we are going.

What can you do this week

*As long as our children are living are under our roofs, we must take the time to intentionally shape and direct them with Godly influences. Tragically many parents wait until it is too late, put other priorities like work, sports, or success before God, or they pass on their God-given responsibility to others. But God has called us to raise our kids in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord,” (Ephesians 6:4) and this duty cannot be given to a teacher, daycare, school, or church. Each child that God has blessed us with we are called to steward well. Just as we are called by God to steward our finances and resources, we are also called to steward (which is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care) our children.

**WHAT IS THE COST, and IS IT WORTH THE COST

*Reset Button- God wants to push the reset button on our lives, our marriages and our parenting.