A Father & His Family Series

Psalm 128:1-6. Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! [2] You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. [3] Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. [4] Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. [5] The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! [6] May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel! (ESV)

If you were to think of the picture of an ideal man, what would that look like? Would he be rugged, strong, brave and fearless? A quality like fear, is one of those factors that nobody desires. But what about in the sphere of relating to God? The idea of fearing God has vanished from the contemporary worldview. We suppose that it is left over from the Middle Ages. Some Christians have taught the monstrous opinion that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath and that the God of the New Testament is a God of love. Not only does this destroy the very idea of the covenant, which is based on grace, but it casts a dark shadow upon Judaism and the whole foundation for the Christian faith. This opinion also fails before the facts. Jesus often warned of God’s judgment that is to come. He prophesied the destruction of the temple as a sign of the end (Mark 13:1ff.). The rest of the New Testament joins Him in witnessing to God’s wrath as well as to His grace. In fact, we only can understand this grace in light of His wrath. We need to learn to fear God. Such a disposition is not only biblical; it is also healthy. It is healthy to fear the judge who can sentence us to prison. It is healthy to fear the soldier who can invade our territory and plunder our goods. It is healthy to fear God who can send us to hell. The man who through wisdom knows what to fear and what not to fear has a life in healthy balance.

Psalm 128 calls the person who fears God “blessed.”. This Psalm is a Psalm of Ascent which are psalms that were sung or recited when families would travel to Jerusalem to worship there…Psalm 128 lays the foundation for God and the home. (It) is one of the clearest and simplest pictures of God’s desire for the home. (Platt, D. (2008). The Gospel and Manhood. In David Platt Sermon Archive (p. 1414). David Platt.)

The lesson here for the godly father is the lesson for all of us: We will become discouraged, if we look for encouragement from a fleeting source. This Psalm directs the father, and as extension, all wise people, who fear God and show compassion to others that they shall be blessed. It clarifies for the father and the rest of the household where true encouragement and happiness lay. In Psalm 128:1-6 we see the 3 blessings of a: 1) Blessing Announced (Psalm 128:1) the 2) Blessing Described (Psalm 128:2–4) and it concludes with the 3) Blessing Pronounced (Psalm 128:5–6).

For a godly father and his family we can receive:

1) Blessing Announced (Psalm 128:1)

Psalm 128:1 Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! (ESV)

Blessing is a wonderful word. In spiritual matters it has to do with God’s particular favors to His people. Because God is generous and great, His blessings are generous and great as well. Once we have begun to experience them they seem to be without limit. God’s blessings go on and on, both here and in the life to come. (Boice, J. M. (2005). Psalms (Pbk. ed.) (1123). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books )

Please turn back to Psalm 112

In verse 1 of Psalm 128, the blessing of God is announced for “everyone who fears the LORD.” The word “blessed” is written in the plural, denoting a sense of fullness. It means “happy,” giving us “well-being.” It comes with the good news of God’s favor upon us. Those who are blessed are those who fear God. These actions and attitudes, however, are not arbitrary commitments; rather, they are commitments that signal that a person’s life is congruent with the larger purposes of God. To reinforce this understanding, the writer of Psalm 128 further describes the “blessed” person as one who “walk[s] in obedience” to the Lord (v. 1b) (Tucker, W. D., Jr. (2018). Psalms 107–150. In T. Muck (Ed.), Psalms (Vol. 2, p. 802). Zondervan.).

Psalm 112 explains this concept:

Psalm 112:1-6. [112:1] Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! [2] His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. [3] Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. [4] Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. [5] It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. [6] For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. (ESV)