Text: Psalm 128:1-6
The beginning of this psalm is entitled “a psalm of ascents”, which means “up”.
When the people of Israel were going UP the hill to Jerusalem (Mount Zion) for one of the annual holidays, this psalm is one of the songs the people sang. The words are reminiscent of the covenant promises in Deuteronomy 28, where God promised to bless His people, if they lived in obedience to His commands.
It is important to remember that their obedience did not give them salvation.
God delivered them from Egypt because of His promise; then after saving them He commanded obedience. Deliverance came before the command.
Obedience is the proper response to grace. Should we think that God would bless His people if they lived disobediently? Of course not.
When the Israelites sang psalms about God’s covenant blessings, it was a kind of confession of faith and pledge to obedience. God made promises, and the people lived accordingly. We, the Church, are the continuation of biblical Israel.
We must do the same kind of confessing and obeying, wherever we are, and not only when going to worship. In your job, perhaps as you are entering the door, sing a hymn or Christian song about the goodness of God. In fact, sing Christian music through the day. This helps make work to be worship.
Meditate on verse 2. How are you going to apply it to your life?
Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, in the name of Jesus Christ, strengthen me so that I eat the fruit of my labour. Amen.