SPIRITUAL DIARY
FOR 10/19/2012 9:28:31 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 128
PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 128:1-2
Message of
the verses: We will be looking at
several introductory comments from different Bible commentators in order to
better understand what the 128th Psalm is about. We are in the midst of looking at what the
Bible calls the Psalms of Ascent which goes from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134. This group of psalms was recited as the
children of Israel would climb the hill to get to Jerusalem on the different
feast days like Passover and Tabernacles.
“This psalm very probably was
written by the same hand as the former, and seems to have some connection with
it; as that shows that all things depend on the providence and goodness of God;
and that all blessings, particularly children, are the gift of God; this points
out the blessings, civil and religious, that belong to good men; and, among the
rest, a numerous offspring.” (John Gill)
“Title: A Song of Degrees. There is
an evident ascent from the last Psalm: that did but hint at the way in which a
house may be built up, but this draws a picture of that house built, and
adorned with domestic bliss through the Lord’s own benediction. There is
clearly an advance in age, for here we go beyond children to children’s
children; and also a progress in happiness, for children which in the last
Psalm were arrows are here Olive plants, and instead of speaking "with the
enemies in the gate" we done with "peace upon Israel." Thus we
rise step by step, and sing as we ascend.
“Subject: It is a family hymn, — a song for a marriage,
or a birth, or for any day in which a happy household has met to praise the
Lord. Like all the songs of degrees, it has an eye to Zion and Jerusalem, which
are both expressly mentioned, and it closes like Psalms 125, 130, and 131, with
an allusion to Israel. It is a short Psalm, but exceedingly full and
suggestive. Its poetry is of the highest order. Perhaps in no country can it be
better understood than in our own, for we above all nations delight to sing of
“Home, sweet home.’” (Englishmen,
Charles H. Spurgeon)
“Because families traveled together
to the annual feasts in Jerusalem, it is only right that another psalm be
devoted to parents and their offspring.
The previous psalm pictured children as a rich heritage and as arrows
for defeating the enemy (127:3-5). This
psalm uses agricultural images for both the wife and the children. In one form or another, the word ‘bless’ is
used four times, but it is the translation of two different Hebrew words. In verses 1-2, it is the word asher which is often translated ‘happy’
(Gen. 30:12-13), and in verses 4-5, it is barak,
which means ‘blessed of the Lord.’ The
later word is used by the Lord when He blesses people; the former word is used
to describe the good that comes when people do that which pleases the Lord. Like 127 and Jeremiah 29:4-7, this psalm
deals with protection (v. 1), working (2.), the family (vv. 3-4, 6), and God’s
blessing on Jerusalem (v.5). While the
writer includes all who fear the Lord (v.1), the psalm is addressed especially
to the man of the house (v.3). We see a
happy man and woman as they go through several stages of life.” (Warren W. Wiersbe)
Godly Believers (v.1)
“1 A Song of Ascents:
How blessed is everyone who fears the
LORD, Who walks in His ways.”
I am not sure how marriages are in
the near East today, but in the times when this psalm was written marriages
were arranged by the parents, however we can see from the stories of Jacob and
also Ruth that there was love involved in these marriages. We see the words “fears the Lord” in this
verse and fearing the Lord is seen throughout the Scriptures. Dr. Wiersbe’s definition of fearing the Lord
is “To fear the Lord means
to reverence Him and seek to please Him by obeying His Word.” By doing this in marriage the marriage will
be happy for it actually takes three persons to make up a happy marriage, the
husband, the wife, and the Lord. After
all it was the Lord who performed the first marriage in the Garden of Eden and
we must remember that it was a marriage between Adam and Eve, and not Adam and
Steve. Marriage is made up of a man and
a woman and this is the way that God designed it and the way it is forever in
spite of what we may read about today.
Verse one is the OT version of
Matthew 6:33, “’But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these
things will be added to you.’”
Successful Workers (v.2)
2 When you shall eat of the fruit of
your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you.”
This is something that is being lost
in our country today and also something that was being lost in the NT era for
Paul writes these words to those in Thessalonica, “2Th 3:10 For even when we
were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to
work, then he is not to eat, either.”
When we read Deuteronomy 8:18 we
find out that it is the Lord who gives His people ‘power to get wealth’ but there are some who
think that if comes from our own planning and skill, and our hard work
accomplished it all. “’But you shall
remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make
wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it
is this day.’” Dr. Wiersbe writes “As we
saw in the previous psalm, without the blessing of the Lord, all our labor is
in vain. Each Jew was required to give
tithes to the Lord, but the Lord wanted the workers to share the fruit of their
labor.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I think
that this is a wonderful principle that we have seen in these first two verses,
for we have seen that in order to be happy in our marriages we need to fear the
Lord, both marriages partners. We are to
follow the Lord in the keeping of His Word just as Jesus said, “John 14:15 “If
you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John 15:10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just
as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
We also learned that we are to work
for the things that we get and trust the Lord to make us as rich in material
things as He wants for us. I have always
liked the verse in the Scriptures that talks about God give me enough so that I
will not have to steal, but don’t give me too much so that I will begin to
trust the gifts that you give me instead of the Giver of the gifts.
My Steps of Faith for Today: This
principle that I talked about above is a part of learning to be content.
Memory verses for the
week: 1Cor. 13:8-11
8 Love never fails;
but if there are prophecies, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they
will cease; if there is knowledge it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophecy in
part, 10 but when the perfect comes the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child I use to speak like a
child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man I did away
with childish things.
10/19/2012 10:35:46
AM
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