"Those Who Fear the Lord"

 

 

 

 

[Psalm 128]

 

 

Last week, during our Wednesday prayer meeting, we meditated on the message of Psalm 127, where we learned that unless God builds our homes, our churches, and our nations, the labor of those who build is in vain (v. 1). In other words, we learned that any work done without trusting in God is futile (v. 2). However, in the passage we meditate on today, Psalm 128:1-2, the Bible tells us: “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.” In other words, the psalmist is teaching us that those who fear God and work will surely reap blessings. Here, we can see a connection between Psalms 127 and 128. Psalm 127 encourages us to work with trust in God, while today’s passage, Psalm 128, teaches us that we must work while fearing God. When we do so, our labor will not be in vain, and we will receive blessings from God.

Now, in the passage from Psalm 128, the Bible tells us that those who fear the Lord will reap blessings from their labor. What exactly are the blessings that God gives to those who fear Him? The Bible teaches us three things in today’s passage.

First, God blesses the work and labor of those who fear Him.

Let’s look at Psalm 128:2: “You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.” Last Thursday during our early morning prayer meeting, we meditated on Deuteronomy 8:18: “But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” This verse was spoken by Moses as a warning to the Israelites before they entered the promised land of Canaan, a land that was "a good land" (v. 7) and "a land where you will lack nothing" (v. 9). Moses warned them that when they entered this land of abundance, they should not become proud. They were to remember that it was God who gave them the ability to prosper, and they should not forget Him. When they entered this land of plenty, they were warned not to think that they had gained wealth by their own strength and efforts (vv. 12-13). Moses was concerned that they might forget the God who had rescued them from Egypt and led them through the desert, providing them with food and protection for 40 years. He warned them not to become proud and forget the Lord, their God (v. 14). Moses feared that the Israelites, living in a land flowing with milk and honey, would think they had prospered by their own abilities and forget the salvation of God (v. 17).

Therefore, Moses told the Israelites: “Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth” (v. 18). We must believe that God gives us the ability to obtain wealth. We should never think that we gain wealth solely through our own abilities. It is God who gives us the power to acquire wealth, and only by His grace can we enjoy abundant life. And when we experience this abundance, we should look forward even more to the true, heavenly riches in God's kingdom. We must never mistake the blessings of this world for our true home. We should live wisely, enjoying the blessings of this world while eagerly anticipating our true, heavenly homeland.

In today's passage, Psalm 128:1-2, the psalmist says that to receive blessings of material wealth and prosperity, we must fear the Lord. If we refer to Psalm 112:1, which we have already meditated on, the psalmist says: “Hallelujah! Blessed is the one who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.” In other words, those who fear God also take joy in His commandments. Those who fear the Lord keep His commandments, and those who keep and delight in His commandments are blessed. One of the blessings they receive is material abundance. In Psalm 112:3, it says: "Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever." Those who fear God and keep His commandments receive the blessing of wealth. In other words, those who keep God's commandments are the true rich. A true rich person may not have vast amounts of wealth, but because God is their inheritance, they always feel content and are generous toward others. If a person has wealth but does not feel content, such a person is a slave to greed, lust, and stinginess, and is certainly not truly rich (Park Yun-sun). Believers who fear the Lord and act upon His word (128:1), as well as work diligently and earnestly (v. 2), will receive blessings on their labor.

Secondly, God blesses the families of those who fear Him.

Look at Psalm 128:3: "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table." The blessing God gives to those who fear Him in their families is the blessing of a wife and children. The wife, whom God blesses, is described as one who supports her husband and fulfills the role of a godly woman, serving quietly and diligently in the home (Park Yun-sun). The fact that she is compared to "a fruitful vine" indicates that she is blessed with many children and raises them in a godly manner (Park Yun-sun). Such a wife is truly blessed and virtuous, a woman who is both wealthy and righteous (Proverbs 31:10-31) (Park Yun-sun). God blesses those who fear Him with such a wife as a blessing. That is why the Proverbs writer says in Proverbs 18:22: "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." The "wife" mentioned here is a "noble woman" (12:4), a "wise wife" (19:14), and a "virtuous woman" (31:10). Having such a wife is a blessing from God. How should we respond to this blessing? The Bible, in Ecclesiastes 9:9, says: "Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life, which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun."

Moreover, God blesses those who fear Him with children. In today’s passage, Psalm 128:3 says: "Your children will be like olive shoots around your table." Olive trees grow strong, beautiful, and healthy. The children, who are like olive shoots in this passage, symbolize the blessings that come from having children who grow strong in the Lord. When we think of children gathered around the table, we are reminded of the joy of a happy family life and the blessings of a godly household (Park Yun-sun). This is a beautiful picture of a blessed family. To achieve such a beautiful, God-blessed family, you and I must fear the Lord. When we do so, we will be able to sing with heartfelt gratitude, as in the hymn, “Our family, working together, united in joy, gathers around the table in peace. This is our paradise, our heaven on earth.”