Psalm 127

(Note: I originally wrote this over a year and a half ago. For some reason, I didn't think it was ready to share, so I just saved it as a draft. Now, as I read it, I don't know why I hesitated.)

First, a translation:

Psalm 127

A Song of Ascents, of Solomon
If YHWH does not build a house, the builders exert themselves in vain.
If YHWH does not watch over a city, the watchman is vigilant to no avail.
It is worthless for you to get up early, to delay sitting down, 
you who eat the bread of hardship, for He will give sleep to His beloved.
You see, children are given by YHWH; the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a hero, so are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the young, strong man who fills his quiver with them.
They will not be ashamed, for they will speak to their enemies at the gate.

When one becomes a parent, this is truly a gift from the Lord. Although we can explain the whole process of reproduction biologically, something about the privilege of being used by God to create a new life is truly breathtaking. In fact, seeing the face of one’s child is one of the greatest joys in life. To quote cartoonist Stan Lee, however, “with great privilege comes great responsibility.” Post-baby, life has suddenly changed. We are no longer free to follow our own whims and to live footloose and fancy free. This 8 pound bundle changes everything.

As a husband and a father, my main concern is to be a provider and a protector for my family. Safety and security are basic human needs, and it is our job as parents to provide them for our children. As breadwinners, we earn money to feed and clothe our children. As nurturers, we build their self-esteem and give the needed assurance that they are loved. We teach and train them, and we hope that they will grow up to be good, responsible citizens. But there are no guarantees.

So what does this have to do with Psalm 127? Everything! I think that the whole psalm is about childrearing. At first reading, it appears that verses 1 and 2 have little to do with verses 3-5. In fact, some interpreters have speculated that these are two different compositions that have been joined to form this short psalm. However, this conclusion seems unwarranted.

Verse 1 speaks of “building a house.” Is it a stretch to relate this to building a home (a family)? I don’t think so. In Genesis 16, for example, Sarai refers to having children as “building a family”. In fact, the verb “to build” (bana) may derive from the noun for “son” (ben). Providing (v. 1) and protecting (v. 2) are integral parts of building a family.

How do I as a dad relate to building a home? I immediately think of being a breadwinner (verse 2) and providing for the material needs of my family. In addition, I want to establish in my children a sense of responsibility, of morality, of kindness, and of self-esteem. I want my children to be established in the faith; thus, I must not only teach, but model a life built in relationship with Jesus. If I hope for such a home, the Lord needs to be the architect and the contractor.

"Unless the LORD build the house..."

What about the lengths we go to in trying to make our family safe? There are so many baby safety products, so many rules, so many precautions, so many doctor visits, and so much advice. So do I rely on Parent’s magazine, immunizations, and 5-point safety harnesses to “guard” my family? Am I to put my trust in teachers, extracurricular activities, and sex-ed programs to guide my children’s choices? Unless the Lord is watching over them, all our precautions are worthless.

"Unless the LORD guard the city..."

In fact, all of our efforts, our strivings, are useless if the Lord doesn’t mold and protect our families. We need Him. He is not an optional extra. He is the foundation, the only source of the Life that is truly Life. It is a matter of entrusting the home building to Him. It is a matter of trust. Derek Kidner, in his commentary on this psalm, points to a parallel in Genesis 11. While men rely on their own ability to build a tower that reaches the heavens, God is choosing a man whom He would bless with a son, through whom He would build a great nation.

Verse 2 speaks about the uselessness of breaking one's back to "get ahead" in life and pile up possessions. The psalmist contrasts the "bread of hardship" (or pain) with "sleep." The frenzied striving of the overachiever is shown to be ultimately fruitless.

Luke 12:20 But God said to him, "Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?"

The beloved of God can close his eyes and sleep, knowing that God will provide for all of his needs.

Luke 12:24 Think of the ravens. They do not sow or reap; they have no storehouses and no barns; yet God feeds them. And how much more you are worth than the birds!
Luke 12:27-31 Think how the flowers grow; they never have to spin or weave; yet, I assure you, not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of them.
Now if that is how God clothes a flower which is growing wild today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he look after you, who have so little faith! But you must not set your hearts on things to eat and things to drink; nor must you worry. It is the gentiles of this world who set their hearts on all these things. Your Father well knows you need them. No; set your hearts on his kingdom, and these other things will be given you as well.

As the saying goes, the best things in life are free. Children are one of those blessings, a gift from the Lord. We do not deserve them. We did not earn them. They are graciously entrusted to us, and yet do we dare try and raise them on our own? Do we trust in our own power and wisdom to rear our children? No, we dare not. They are a blessing, but they must be given back to the Lord's care. We must teach them to walk in the fear of the Lord. We must cover them in prayer. We must ask the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in them. We must train them up in the way they should go. We must speak the strong name of Jesus over them as a shield. In short, we must lift them up and give them over to God. As Abraham surrendered Isaac, and Hannah devoted   Samuel, so must we entrust our children to the care of the Lord.

Only in the Lord can we have the assurance that they will be well. Only in God is our soul at rest (Ps. 62:1). He is the Father, the Daddy who can look after our children and provide for them in ways that our sins and shortcomings would never allow. He gives grace in our parenting flaws. He can understand, comfort, guide, shape, and protect our children in ways that we could never imagine. Trust Him. They will deal with their enemies and will not be put to shame (verse 5). They will be established by the Lord. They will not be moved.

Love them. Pray for them. Teach them the fear of the Lord. Then sleep, knowing that He who gave those little blessings to you is faithful. So shoot your arrow. Let God guide, build, and protect your home.

Psalm 125

First, a translation.

PSALM 125
A song of ascents (a going up song)
Those who trust in YHWH are like Mount Zion.
They will not be made to stumble, abiding for eternity.
Jerusalem, the mountains surrounding her,
and YHWH surrounding His people for all eternity.
For the rod of the wicked will not rest
on the lot of the righteous,
so that the righteous will not let their hands go to wickedness.
YHWH, treat graciously the good and upright in heart.
But those branching off on their twisted, winding paths
YHWH will send off with those who practice sin.
Peace be upon Israel.


Imagine a group making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. They see the mountains ahead of them. As they ascend to the dwelling place of God, they sing this hymn. They equate the protection, majesty, and surety of the mountains with the strength and certainty of God. Those who trust Him will be made like these mountains.
“My dear friends, stand firm and don't be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Those who trust will not be moved. They won’t totter or be shaken.
(Cue “Those Who Trust” from Enter the Worship Circle.)
It isn’t that they won’t experience trouble or hardship, but the LORD is surrounding them. His protection is sure.

Yes, the Lord protects. But what about the wicked who seem to be in control? How can that coincide with the LORD’s protection? Why do they prosper and thrive?

Psalm 125 says that such a situation is temporary. The rod of the wicked may indeed lean upon the upright, but it will not remain there. If it did, good people might be tempted to get ahead by joining in with the evildoers. Too many people fall into this trap. They see a "shortcut" to happiness and abandon the Way.

Psalm 73 explores this temptation so well. Here the psalmist is frustrated by the prosperity of the wicked. Where’s the justice?! But then, he sees their end. Believers can’t be shortsighted. We must be among those who TRUST. So, though the days are evil, and though the tares and the wheat grow side by side in the field, their end is coming. The rod of the wicked will not rest upon the lot of the righteous.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

In verse 4, the psalmist prays for the Lord to be gracious to those who are good and upright in heart.

He was…
and His graciousness cost Him His Son.

The psalmist’s prayer was answered in a more profound way than he could have imagined.

So, having assured us of God’s protecting & sustaining presence and answering our concerns about the place of the unrighteous, the psalm ends with a warning—those who abandon God and choose evil will be punished with the ungodly. To receive God’s reward, believers must stand firm to the end. Just glancing over the New Testament, I see that we “stand firm” through faith (1 Corinthians 16:14, 2 Cor. 1:24), prayer (Colossians 4:12), God’s empowerment (2 Corinthians 1:21), holding firm to the Word (2 Thessalonians 2:15), following the example of the saints and anticipating Christ’s return (Philippians 3:17-4:1), wearing the heavenly armor (Ephesians 6), resisting the devil (1 Peter 5:9), and through the Spirit (Philippians 1:27, 2 Thessalonians 2:13)

Eugene Peterson sees this psalm as an assurance of our salvation. God will remain faithful to us through all our ups and downs. We can remain confident, because our souls are secure in His hand. The Good Shepherd protects us. His rod and His staff (His protection and guidance) give us comfort.

Charles Spurgeon has a great quote regarding this psalm:

As Jerusalem is fortressed by the mountains, so are God’s people castled in the covenant, fortressed in the Omnipotence of God, and therefore they are impregnably secure.

No hardship or persecution can separate us from the love of God— not the rack, nor furnaces, nor crosses, nor stakes, nor martyrdom, nor being forced from our homes. Not calumny, scorn, nor slander. Not heresy nor divisions. We are secure.

Though I feel I could write much more, I’ll go ahead and conclude with a hymn that Charles Wesley wrote based on Psalm 125:

1 WHO in the Lord confide,
And feel his sprinkled blood,
In storms and hurricanes abide,
Firm as the mount of God:
Steadfast, and fixed, and sure,
His Zion cannot move;
His faithful people stand secure
In Jesu's guardian love.

2 As round Jerusalem
The hilly bulwarks rise,
So God protects and covers them
From all their enemies.
On every side he stands,
And for his Israel cares;
And safe in his almighty hands
Their souls for ever bears.

3 But let them still abide
In thee, all-gracious Lord,
Till every soul is sanctified,
And perfectly restored:
The men of heart sincere
Continue to defend;
And do them good, and save them here,
And love them to the end.

Amen. Rest secure in God’s encompassing protection!

All Saints' (22) Saint Patrick

Though it is uncertain whether Patrick actually used this prayer, many agree that it captures his spirit.

I find it to be beautiful, powerful, and inspiring.

The Breastplate of Saint Patrick

(translation used by Philip Freeman)

I rise today
With a mighty power, calling on the Trinity,
With a belief in the threeness,
With a faith in the oneness
Of the creator of creation.

I rise today
With the power of Christ's birth and baptism,
With the power of his crucifixion and burial,
With the power of his resurrection and ascension,
with the power of his return for final judgement.

I rise today
With the power of the love of the cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection and reward,
In the prayer of the patriarchs,
In the foretelling of the prophets,
In the preaching of the apostles,
In the faith of the confessors,
In the innocence of the holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I rise today
With the strength of the sky,
With the light of the sun,
With the splendour of the moon,
With the brilliance of fire,
With the blaze of lightening,
With the swiftness of wind,
With the depth of the ocean,
With the firmness of earth,
With the strength of rock.

I rise today
With the power of God to guide me,
With the strength of God to raise me,
With the wisdom of God to lead me,
With the vision of God to see for me,
With the ears of God to hear for me,
With the words of God to speak for me,
With the hand of God to protect me,
With the path of God before me,
With the shield of God to guard me,
With the friendship of God to keep me safe from

The contriving of demons,
The temptations of sin,
The inclinations of my nature,
and everyone who wishes me harm,
far and near,
alone and in the crowd.

I summon today all those powers to protect me
Against every cruel force which may attack my body and soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the evil laws of unbelievers,
Against the false laws of our heretics,
Against the subtle temptations of idolatry,
Against the magic of women, blacksmiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge which corrupts body and soul.

Christ protect me today
From poison and burning,
From drowning and wounding,
So that I might gain an abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ below me, Christ above me,
Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye which sees me,
Christ in every ear which hears me.

I rise today
With a mighty power, calling on the Trinity,
With a belief in the threeness,
With a faith in the oneness
Of the creator of creation.

Psalm 121

Translating this psalm helped me understand and appreciate it more. So did Eugene Peterson's insights. So, here are a few observations on this Song of Ascents (#2 of 15).

First, here's a translation--

Song of Ascents. I raise my eyes to the mountains. From where will my help come? My help is from YHWH, Maker of heavens and earth. May He not give your feet to a shaking, not fall asleep watching over you.
Now please understand. He will not doze off and will not sleep! He is the Guardian of Israel!
YHWH is protecting you. YHWH is your shade at your right hand. By day the sun will not beat on me, nor the moon by night.
YHWH will protect you from all evil. He will guard your life. YHWH will watch over your going forth and your coming, from now until eternity.

The italicized words are all from a single Hebrew root--shamar. The fact that it is used six times in eight verses seems to make it the key word in this Psalm.

I had never understood the image of the Lord being a "shade" at my right hand. The dictionary I used (Holladay) describes this shade as that of a tree, a roof, or a cloud. It is an image of shelter or protection. For someone like me with very fair skin, such shelter (especially pre-sunscreen) can hardly be overvalued. The psalmist then connects this image with an interesting location..."at my right hand." This is the place that an honored person would take. God, the Almighty, the Honored One, is my shade. He not only protects me from trials. He also provides comfort. He "shamar"s me. He watches over me.

Peterson sees three dangers in this psalm: twisting one's ankle, sunstroke, and moonstroke (lunacy). Do Christians not suffer such trials? Sure they do. But we know where to look for help--to the Lord who accompanies us every step of the way. We need not look to the hills (where the pagan shrines were set up). No, this world's remedies are vacuous. God is with us. His love is constant. He will watch over our going and coming, from now until eternity.
May our trust not be in the remedies of pop culture magazines, nor in the numbing escape of prime-time TV. May we rely on Him who guards our soul, both night and day.

I end by quoting Eugene Peterson:
"All the water in the oceans cannot sink a ship unless it gets inside. Nor can all the trouble in the world harm us unless it gets within us. That is the promise of the psalm: 'The LORD will keep you from all evil.'...None of the things that happen to you, none of the troubles you encounter, have any power to get between you and God, dilute his grace in you, divert his will from you."
(A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, pp. 38-39)
"Faith is not a precarious affair of chance escape from satanic assaults. It is the solid, massive, secure experience of God who keeps all evil from getting inside us, who keeps our life, who keeps our going out and our coming in from this time forth and forevermore." (p. 41)

Psalm 103:3

Psalm 103:3 spoke to me this week. Here's my translation:
But you, Yahweh, are a Shield around me, my Glory, and the Lifter of my head.
The Psalm deals with enemy persecution, and the psalmist is in real danger. My devotional material this year is coming from Celtic Daily Prayer, and I've noticed that the Celtic saints place great emphasis on the need for protection. In their mission efforts, they were out confronting pagan religion, and their lives were often in real danger. Thus we have prayers like "The Breastplate of Saint Patrick," caim prayers, and the like.

This verse, however, just struck me as beautiful. In the midst of an oncoming threat, the psalmist is reminded of the Invisible One who never leaves his side.

• God is a shield around him--he provides protection and is worthy of trust.
• God is his glory--he does not have to worry about his earthly reputation. His identity is secure in God; he has the LORD Himself as his glory! (Why settle for earthly praise?)
• God is the Lifter of his Head. This is one of my favorite images...a loving father gently lifting his downcast child's head, as if to say, "I love you. Daddy's here now, and it's all gonna be OK. I'll never leave you. You can do this, because I am with you." He lifts our spirits, gives us confidence, and reassures us in our weakness.

What a great God, huh? Not only does He provide physical protection, but He provides for our self-image and our feelings, too. He's awesome. Later on in this short psalm is where we get the words for the song you may have sung in a youth group: "I am not afraid of 10,000s of people who have set themselves against me. Arise, arise, deliver me, O my God!" I remember singing this song many times while walking alone through the streets of Sofia, Bulgaria late at night. I was praying for physical protection, but I didn't know about verse 3. Now, I can say this prayer, knowing that He really is my "all in all."

Thank You, Lord.