Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Psalm 128 (NIV)
A song of ascents.
1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord. 5 May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. 6 May you live to see your children’s children—peace be on Israel.
Psalm 128 has two main metaphors: 1) a farmer producing and enjoying his crops and 2) a family that produces a lot of children (like olive shoots!). Our world constantly tells us we need to “get ours” and look out for ourselves. This is based on the lie that life is a “zero-sum” game. If there is only so many resources, goods, or wealth then we are told we must take our piece of the pie! If we do not, then we are going to be left high and dry. Faith in God is a rejection of this zero-sum lie. God loves to bless and as we trust God more He uses us to produce more blessings for others. By faith we produce a fruitful crop and a large “family”. This Psalm is an invitation to step out of the dog-eat-dog race of life and into a life of receiving and producing blessing. Who can you bless today?