Children Are a Heritage from the LORD A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat—for He gives sleep to His beloved.
Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.”
This is one of the few psalms that might have been authored by King Solomon. While we might not approve of Solomon’s life style and his huge numbers of wives and concubines, it’s still a great psalm.
“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.” While this statement seems self-explanatory, we should still meditate on it a little. What gives you a sense of security? Do you feel secure because of wealth, or a great job, or a good family, or a strong security system at your house? Do you have closed circuit TV monitoring your house so you can identify anyone stealing your Amazon packages? Do you believe that your house is so well built that it might withstand any earthquake, fire, or flood?
In ancient times, some pagans would sacrifice children when they were starting city gates or building city walls. When Joshua was destroying the city of Jericho, he laid a curse such that anyone rebuilding the city would do so at the expense of his eldest son and his youngest son. This curse came true when Hiel of Bethel rebuilt the city. 1 Kings 16:34 tells us that it was under wicked King Ahab’s rule that Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho, but at a terrible cost: He ritually sacrificed his firstborn son Abiram at the laying of the foundation, and his youngest son Segub at the setting up of the gates. This psalm states that only God can serve as a firm foundation for any endeavor, whether it be building a house or a city.
In this age of cyber-terrorism, practically any form of surveillance can be out-flanked. Again, only God is big enough and strong enough to guarantee the security of a city.
“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat—for He gives sleep to His beloved.” The psalmist is not encouraging laziness, but neither is he encouraging us to live in constant dread. Such tension takes its toll on our bodies, rendering us less able to work effectively.
“Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.” In Biblical times, large families were the rule, partially because infant mortality was extremely high. Fathering many children not only proved a man’s virility but also was a form of social insurance. Traditionally, children were to care for their elderly parents. At the same time, most social and business transactions were carried out at the city gates. For a man to be backed up by a number of sons was an enormous benefit, as well as a boost to his ego.
APPLICATION: You might wonder what the term “Gye Nyame” means and there is a Ghanaian adinkra symbol at the beginning of this Bible study. In Twi, “Gye Nyame” literally means “except God,” or “unless God.” The Gye Nyame symbol is one of the most popular adinkra symbols and indicates a reliance on God.
Psalm 127 is short but powerful. We must depend on God for everything in our lives, for unless God moves, nothing good can happen. While there is nothing wrong with being prudent, we still must trust God to care for us. Recent catastrophic events such as earthquakes and floods have graphically demonstrated that even the strongest buildings can crumble and collapse, given the right conditions. Parts of Southeast Asia remain devastated by the 2004 tsunami.
“Fine,” you say. “But what if I am childless? What then?” There are biological children and then there are children of your heart. Of the two, those whom you have helped may be closer to you in spirit than your biological children. We have friends in Mozambique who have a childless marriage but whose ministry is to orphans who are aging out of the orphanage system. These young people still need financial assistance, advice, and spiritual guidance. Our friends’ Facebook page is full of photos of these young people returning to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs, etc. Were we in Biblical times and were our friends sitting in the city gate, these children would be clustered around them.
What’s the take-home message from Psalm 127? Worry is useless! Trust God and work, knowing that He is the One who must handle the results. Don’t torment yourself by staying up late; you will only feel worse and be less productive. And trust God to bring you children, whether or not you have given physical birth to them. And remember: GYE NYAME!!!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help everyone who reads these words to trust You and to give You their worries. Thank You, that You are far more able to watch and to keep than we are. Let all who read these words trust You and stop agonizing in the night. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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