Imagine the horror of a homeowner if he went down into his basement, or underneath the crawl space beneath his house, and as he looks at the support beams and cross beams he discovers that there is a terrible termite infestation. The formerly strong and sturdy beams have been eaten away, and crumble in his hand. If enough termite damage is done, the whole structure could be in serious danger. That is why it is important to be sure that one never allows termites to get in, as the house, the structure’s stability, strength, and safety depend on it. Our psalm for today speaks of the family, and by extension of the family, the nation. It speaks of the importance it is to have a good, strong, god-fearing family, and the blessings that will bring.
Our psalm this week, Psalm 128, is a short one, whose author is unknown. It is also one of the Songs of Ascent, which are a group of fifteen psalms (Psalms 120 - 134), which Jewish pilgrims would recite or sing on their way to Jerusalem for the holy days. The six verses of this psalm speak of the blessings that one who fears God will receive from Him.
To be called a “God-fearing” person used to be considered a compliment. That’s what most people would have aspired to be. That was what every father and mother wanted to raise their children to be. Today few people have any fear of the Lord or of the coming Judgment Day. Today people would wonder which god should be the one which people should show “fear” or show reverence to, and they would question why anyone should show any fear of God, anyway. Fearing God has been displaced by modern human reason.
The author of this psalm speaks about families, possibly thinking about his own wife and children, or remembering back to his childhood with his own mother, father, and siblings. The psalmist in a poetic style, describes the parents and children as two different types of plants (vs. 3). He calls the wife a fruitful vine. When we think of vines, especially in the Holy Land, we might think of grape vines. At this time of year here in the U.S. we might think of pumpkins. Tomatoes and beans also grow on vines. Then the psalmist calls the children olive plants. Olives are the fruit from an olive tree. Vines and trees, two different types of plants. Children are not little identical clones of their parents. They are uniquely created individuals. Just because the father is an athlete doesn’t mean that his son will be, too. And just because the mother is artistic doesn’t mean her daughter should be, as well. Parents need to let their children blossom with whatever talents and abilities the Lord has blessed them with. As parents, we should direct our children to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and give training in the principles of Scripture, to raise them to become God-fearing people.
Continuing our thoughts about families, we can see that strong, stable families make for a strong and stable community. And strong communities help to build a good, strong, and safe country. When the family unit breaks down, when there is not a good and godly father or mother in the home, when there is fighting or indifference between the two, or one or the other has walked out, or when the parents are never there and the child is basically raised by sitters or caregivers because the parents are too busy at their jobs or their own social activities, the family will inevitably suffer and it will crumble like a termite-infested building. And like a pebble tossed on the water, the ripples will be felt all over. The communities will start to deteriorate and become crime-ridden, and eventually the nation will start to crumble. A nation remains only as strong as its families. A crumbling family life is one of the signs of a crumbling culture. The breaking up of a home eats like termites at the structure of a nation.
Our psalmist wanted to see God’s blessing upon both his family and his nation, in particular the capital city of Jerusalem. He knew that would only come when his family feared, obeyed, and worshiped Yahweh. The same is true today. Do we want God’s blessing upon our family and upon our nation? As our psalm instructs us, let’s fear the Lord and walk in His ways.
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