Psalms 127 - Printer Friendly

The psalmist here is Solomon. This is a "song of ascents," meaning it was used as pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem for one of the required feasts (Exodus 23:14–17).

The first part of this psalm notes the futility of working without considering godly truth. Without God's will, or His approval, or His wisdom, all human effort is ultimately pointless. That applies both to things we attempt to build and those things we have and try to keep. Jesus delivers a parallel message in Matthew 7:24–27. No matter how much stress, or effort, or loss of sleep a person suffers, they cannot overcome starting from godless foundations (Psalm 127:1–2).

The second part of Solomon's song celebrates the blessing of children. This is tied to the earlier theme of building according to godly wisdom. When someone has children in their youth, those offspring become part of their defense and support in their old age. In that sense, a person with many children is fortunate in the same way as a warrior is with a full quiver of arrows. Solomons' meaning is not that people are obligated to have as many children as possible. Rather, this is a celebration of the value each child brings and the blessing God implies when they are born (Psalm 127:3–5).

Psalm 127:1–2 asserts how futile it is to work for something without considering God's perspective and will. Whether it's building something, or protecting that which has been built, any approach that ignores the Lord is ultimately useless. Even worse, the strain of trying to work contrary to truth leads only to negative stress and sleepless nights. In contrast, reliance on the Lord leads to a good night's sleep at the end of each workday.

Psalm 127:3–5 continues the theme of reliance on the Lord. However, it changes the emphasis from building and daily work to home and family. It is not only important to rely on the Lord in a career or in chores; it is especially critical as we live with our families and rear our children. Children are blessings from God.

This psalm insists any work, whether it is constructive or defensive, is pointless when it's not aligned with God. Anything not grounded in godly truth is bound to fail, eventually. Long days spent striving to get what the Lord has not willed are just stress leading to sleepless nights. Keeping the theme of building for the future, children are not a burden but a blessing. The Lord rewards parents with children who help them achieve victory over life's challenges. The father of many children is blessed. Children help provide protection against every enemy that threatens the family's security.

Solomon wrote this "song of ascent." Like the others (Psalms 120–126, 128¬–134), it was sung by the people of Israel as they traveled to Jerusalem to observe an annual festival. The psalm points out the futility of making plans and trying to carry them out without relying on the Lord. Connected to this is the idea of children and the blessing they bring.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.