Psalm 127
Unless the Lord Builds the House
Rev. Cynthia O’Brien
November 12, 2006
Before we read Psalm 127, let me give you some background.
Psalm 127 is a “song of ascent.” There are 15 consecutive psalms, from Psalm 120 to 134, that bear the title “A Song of Ascents.” So let me explain a little about them as a group. The word we translate “ascent” means “going up” as in going up to Jerusalem and going up the steps of the Temple and the steps to the city of David. This is the songbook for people on the road, making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The well known Psalm 121 is a good example, seeing mountains in the distance “I lift up my eyes to the hills” and being concerned with safety and the need for protection.
All but one of them are relatively short and easy to memorize. They are very practical. They deal with matters of daily life, like where you live, routine activities, the importance of spouse and children, family and friends. They are ordinary songs for ordinary people going to worship God.
Psalms 120-126 are mostly about the people’s need in a hostile environment. This psalm reaffirms that it’s important to trust in God, but it introduces a new concept: the possibility of happiness, in verse 5. After this psalm, the rest of the psalms of ascent are more upbeat. It’s a turning point in the songbook of ascents. It is also the only one of the group attributed to Solomon.
With that in mind, try reading the Psalms of Ascent as a group this afternoon or this week.
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
PS 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
PS 127:2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat--
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
PS 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
PS 127:4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.
PS 127:5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
Does anyone know the musical “Rent”? The opening song, “Seasons of Love” starts out like this:
525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes –
how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
How do you measure a year in the life?
The song goes on to ask, “How do you measure the life of a woman or man?
In the truths that you learned, or in times that you cried,
in bridges you burned, or the way that you died?”
How will people measure your life?
For a long time, Bible scholars viewed this psalm as two different wisdom sayings, the first about “unless the Lord builds the house” and the second about “children are a reward.” Let’s look at verses 3-5 first.
PS 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
PS 127:4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.
How do you measure the life of a woman or man?
One way is through the children you raise.
I babysat a 2-year old yesterday and I was worried that it would negatively impact today’s sermon. (It almost did!) “Children are a reward..” This is one of the messages of the Bible that I never heard as a teenager and young adult. That children were a reward. I knew about children. Children screamed in restaurants and cried during church. They were expensive. And there was that whole thing about diapers. Who would want to have children?
But those of you who have been down that road know what a blessing children can be. They make mud pies for you, give you sloppy kisses, let you pay their car insurance and college tuition, and if you’re really lucky, they give you grandchidren and choose a nice nursing home for you.
Couple of weeks ago, Michael and I were in Nordstrom Rack downtown, scoring a suit for Michael at 99% off the lowest marked price, and I struck up a conversation with the salesman who was helping us, Tom. He told me that he was almost 80 years old, never could retire, loves his work, and so forth. At one point he mentioned his last name was Hallman.
“Hallman,” I said. “Tom Hallman? Are you related to…”
He broke into a huge smile and said, “He’s my son.”
Tom Hallman Jr. is the writer for the Oregonian who does large feature stories, and when I see his byline in the paper I always set aside some time to read what he wrote. He did that piece a few years ago on Sam, the young man with the huge inoperable growth on his face who just wanted to live a normal life. I remember that Sunday when I read the first installment. I was so impressed with his description and analysis of Sam that I wrote Tom a letter. In fact, over 10,000 readers wrote letters to the Oregonian about that story. Tom won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for that series and the story was published as a book in 2003.
Tom Sr is so proud of his son that we stood there in the men’s dressing room for another 20 minutes as he talked about Tom Jr’s character, accomplishments, and family. He said, “People used to ask him, Are you Tom and Beverly’s son? Now people ask me if I’m Tom Hallman’s dad.”
Tom Sr may love his job, but his legacy is his son’s character and accomplishments.
PS 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man? When it comes to the end, one of the measures of your life is the kind of people you raised. The funerals I appreciate the most are those where the deceased loved his or her family and was loved in return, where the brothers and sisters all got along or were willing to set aside their differences. The worst funerals involve family members who are alienated or fighting. Now I know that the matriarch or patriarch can’t control what their children and grandchildren do, but it’s a fact of life that part of how your life is judged is by the kind of people you raise.
How do you measure the life of a woman or man? Another way is how you ordered your priorities while you were alive.
PS 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
PS 127:2 In vain you rise early and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat-- for he grants sleep to those he loves.
The psalm gives three activities that are described as “vain”:
in verse 1 building a house, standing guard, and in verse 2, working long hours
…“vain,” meaning ultimately worthless and without purpose, if God is not involved.
Building a house, or building a family, or working long hours are only successful if they are done according to righteous principles, and only if we acknowledge that all success comes from God.
How can you apply this scripture to your life? Here’s one idea. If you haven’t done so in a while, sit down and write down what’s most important to you for your life and your future. Make a simple list: Things that are most important in my life and for my future. Then check it against real life. Look at your typical weekly schedule of activities. Where are you putting your time? Look at your checkbook and your credit card statement. Where is your money going? If a person you respect were to evaluate your life based on what you spend your money on, what would they say?
The other day in the comic strip “Adam,” Adam’s wife said, “Money is tight this month, so can you limit yourself to one latte per day for a while?” And of course in the next frame you see him ordering an extra large, super vanilla caramel latte with extra shots and extra whip. It’s really hard to change. This is the push and pull we all experience between our available resources and our personal priorities.
I know my week is not going well when I wander through a store just because I want to buy something, or when I watch three hours of crime dramas in one night. I know my priorities are off when I look back on a day and I’m unhappy with how I spent my time. It helps me to remember that my daily work is only meaningful when I allow God to prioritize.
How do you measure the life of a woman or man? You can apply this more broadly to a congregation.
Look at our church’s schedule. What are our priorities? You will see an increase in neighborhood outreach over the last year, partly because the Session read an inspiring book together called “The Present Future” and we are catching a vision for being more outwardly focused. If you were to look at my daily calendar, you would a greater percentage of my time spent out in the community, making connections for our church with government officials and local businesses. I expect to see more of you spending more of your volunteer time outside the walls of this church, as we streamline the efforts needed to run the church and empower you to spend more time pursuing the mission of Jesus Christ in the world.
I heard a song years ago on KBVM, 88.3 by a country singer named Buddy Greene which has stuck with me. I’ve ordered a copy of it so we can play it for you sometime, but let me quote a few of the lyrics. It’s called, Jesus has left the building.
Jesus has left the building
He's back out on the street
He's busy dealing His mercy
To every hurting soul He meets.
He's out helping the homeless find shelter
He's out helping the jobless find work
He's donating His time to the feeble of mind
And for this some people think He's berserk
But He's just helping the helpless find justice
And mercy in a cold, cruel world
You see, His heart aches for all kinds of people
For every man, woman, boy, and girl
And that's why...
Jesus has left the building
He's back out on the street
He's busy dealing His mercy
To every hurting soul He meets.
Back inside some people just keep on waiting
And prayin' that He would come down
But Jesus has left the building
He's out spreading His love all around.
So, How will God measure your life?
One person suggested the kinds of questions God will and won’t ask you at the end of your life.
God won't ask what kind of car you drove.
He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
God won't ask the square footage of your house.
He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet.
He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.
God won't ask what your highest salary was.
He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
God won't ask what your job title was.
He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
God won't ask how many friends you had.
He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?
How will people measure your life?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
Let us pray.
Gracious God, we hear that our work is in vain unless you are involved, unless we have your priorities. That’s fine to hear but hard to follow. Give us wisdom to see how your words apply to each of our lives, and to the raising of our children and grandchildren. Amen.
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