Skip to main content

Building and Protecting: Thoughts on Psalm 127:1

Image
By
“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” (Psalm 127:1).

Psalm 127 was written by King Solomon as a “Song of Ascents.” These Psalms were sung in ancient days by the Israelites as they traveled up to Jerusalem for an appointed feast or necessary gathering. So picture a group of people walking up a mountain pass and singing along the way, and as their eyes light upon the sacred temple in Jerusalem they begin to sing the words, “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.”

In their day, Solomon was building many things. He built the Temple, a magnificent palace, and other civic and cultural structures. Tens of thousands of Israelites served as laborers in the King’s endeavors, and so for the people of that day these words were particularly pregnant: “Unless the LORD build the house, those who build it labor in vain.

Additionally, as it is today, the city of Jerusalem was the most sacred city in Israel. It was surrounded by a magnificent wall on which were stationed “watchmen” who kept guard over the city and warned its citizens of approaching armies or various threats. The responsibility they bore was enormous, for if they failed at their job, they paid with their lives. The people were well aware of this, and so for them these words too were particularly pregnant: “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

From their point of view, what do you think these twin phrases meant? Here’s my best guess. They meant that God’s will supersedes human will; that God’s endeavors supersede human endeavors. And the implication is that before we begin to labor on this or that, we should take the time to discern what God himself is laboring on. Fruitfulness and success comes from building what Christ is building.

Further, unlike the Israelites, we don’t watch over cities from ramparts and walls, but we do protect many things in our lives: our family, homes, possessions, investments, relationships, etc. Therefore, we should take the time to discern what God is protecting and join him in protecting those things, rather than seeking to shield things that God may desire to destroy.

And it seems to me, that this really comes down to the daily discipline of prayerful Bible reading, study, and memory. Our fruit, success, and joy come from being involved with the things God is involved in, and this requires that we take the time to listen and discern. So let us search our hearts and habits, and resolve to seek the One who is building and protecting that we might join in his most sacred work.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Worship Songs, October 15, 2017

By
We post these worship songs leading up to the worship service so that parents may listen to them in the house or in the car within the days leading up to the worship service. Our hope is that children will hear the songs prior to and it will prepare them to participate in worship on Sunday mornings. My Redeemers Love Hope Has Come I Will Glory In My Redeemer Blessed Be Your Name Here In Your Presence Your Glory Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest) -- Sermon Text: John 11:1-16 That the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).
Post a Comment
Read more

Deacons - How They Serve and Strengthen the Church (Part 1)

By
  One of the next important priorities for GCF is to establish deacons in the life of the church. On March 14, 2021 we were able to establish an elder team. Currently, we have a team of four elders overseeing the congregation of GCF.  However, there is more work to be done. I have come to see that establishing an elder team was the bare minimum that needed to happen for GCF to survive. I believe GCF now needs to turn our attention to raising up a team of qualified and willing deacons to serve the congregation so that it will not only survive but thrive.   I would like to begin a series of blogs on deacons to help us understand who they are and what they do in the life of the church.  In this blog let me provide three reasons why I think deacons should be near our top priority.  Number 1: It is Biblical. Paul instructs Timothy to install elders who will help him pastor the church. For whatever reason, it seems the churches in our circles treat the installmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Secret of all Failure is our Failure in Secret Prayer

By
“We may be assured of this—the secret of all failure is our failure in secret prayer” (12). So writes the anonymous author of the classic little book on prayer entitled, The Kneeling Christian (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids: 1971). He means that the reason we so often fall into sin or live in discouragement or fail to bear fruit is because we do not cling to God in Christ above all things. We do not diligently seek him or lean on him or plead with him or draw on his strength. We give ourselves to busyness over communion with God and in this way we seek to accomplish in our flesh what can only be accomplished in the power of the Spirit.  Giving first place to what our dear author calls “secret prayer” is indeed a key to the Spirit-filled life but let’s be clear: prayer is not magic, rather, it’s a relationship. It’s not as if we simply have to file requests with God, being careful to use just the right words so that we can get him to respond as we wish. God is not a vendi...
Post a Comment
Read more