Psalm 127: Lessons From Solomon Regarding the Blessings That God Offers You When You Seek to Fulfill His Will
Introduction: This is the eighth Song of Ascents (Ps. 120–134). “It is also the only psalm in the Psalms of Ascent attributed to King Solomon. In fact you can find his name hidden in the psalm. You know how artists sometimes hide their names in their paintings? Well Solomon has done the same in this psalm. The word translated ‘those he loves’ in verse two is the Hebrew word ‘Jedidah,’ which means ‘beloved.’ This was the special name God gave to Solomon in 2 Samuel 12:25. Normally we think of Solomon as a writer of proverbs rather than psalms, but the Bible tells us that he wrote over a thousand songs. (1 Kings 4:32).” (Ray Fowler on Ps. 127).1 Solomon lived hundreds of years before Babylonian captivity. But this psalm was likely placed here because it held great wisdom for the Jews returning from captivity. They sought to rebuild the Temple, Jerusalem, the nation of Israel, and the Davidic monarchy. They previously failed as a nation when they abandoned God. Their success in rebuilding would depend upon whether they would seek to fulfill God’s will or their own. These lessons also apply to believers today. When you seek to fulfill God’s will, He can pour out multiple blessings in your life. These include: (1) success, (2) protection, (3) provision, (4) rest, (5) fertility, (6) legacy, and (7) honor.
First, Solomon warned that a person’s efforts to anything will ultimately fail if it is not part of God’s will. When you seek to fulfill God’s will, He provides the foundations for lasting success in any endeavor for Him. Second, Solomon further warned that a person’s efforts to watch over their endeavors will be futile in the long term if they are not part of God’s will. When you seek to fulfill God’s will, He will watch over and protect your endeavors to ensure that His will is accomplished. Third, Solomon also warned that a person labors in vain if God is not involved. When you seek to fulfill God’s will, He will provide for your needs but not necessarily your wants. Fourth, Solomon revealed that God provides rest for those who labor for Him. When you seek to do God’s will, He will bless you with rest and freedom from worry or anxiety. Fifth, Solomon stated that children are a blessing from God. Parents are meant to be stewards to raise their children to glorify God. When you seek to do God’s will, He can bless you with fertility. Or, He can multiple your results for His glory. Sixth, Solomon stated that children can either be a blessing or a burden depending upon whether you raise them in His ways. If you raise your children in the Lord to fulfill His will, He can bless you with a legacy in Him. Finally, Solomon promised that those who raise their children in His ways can find honor in Him, even in the face of attacks. If you seek to do God’s will, He can bless you with honor in face of your adversaries.
1. Success: When You Seek to Fulfill God’s Will, He Provides the Foundations For Lasting Success in Your Endeavors for Him. Ps. 127:1a.
If you labor for your glory as opposed to God’s, your success will be fleeting. Solomon warned that any effort to build a family, a dwelling, or any other endeavor will ultimately be futile if it is not part of God’s will. “A Song of Ascents, of Solomon. 1a Unless the Lord builds a house, they who build it labor in vain;” (Ps. 127:1a). “Psalm 127 is a Solomonic meditation on God’s 2 Sam 7 covenant with David. The Lord promised to build David a house, a dynasty (2 Sam 7:11; 1 Kings 2:4) and to raise up after him his temple-building seed (2 Sam 7:12-13). David’s son Solomon then built the temple, and the promised line of descent would culminate in Jesus, the ever-reigning seed (2 Sam 7:12-14), who promised to build his church (Matt 16:18), the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16) ... Those who hoped to return from exile would expect the rebuilding of their own dwelling places, the rebuilding of the temple, and the rebuilding of the Davidic throne (see 122:5). Solomon, Israel’s wisest king (1 Kgs 3:12; Eccles 2:9), warns that for such projects to be anything other than emptiness, Yahweh must execute them. God’s kingdom will come by God’s power, not man’s.” (James Hamilton on Ps. 127:1).2
If your endeavors are not based upon God’s will, they are highly unlikely to endure.3
God alone ensures the success of any endeavor. David, Solomon’s father, taught that a person of faith trusts in God’s sovereignty: “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way.” (Ps. 37:23). In Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving, she also declared, “He watches over the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; for not by might shall a person prevail.” (1 Sam. 2:9). “The success of all our undertakings depends so entirely upon God’s blessing, that it is in vain to attempt anything without it: in vain is it to build houses and cities, or to endeavour to uphold families, or establish states, unless he prosper the design: and the care of the watchman, of the soldier, or magistrate, is to no purpose, unless the divine providence be likewise the guard.” (Joseph Benson Commentary on the Bible, Ps. 127:1).4
Without God, the foundations of any achievement will eventually crumble. David also warned that a believer’s success will not last if the believer walks away from God. “The king is not saved by a mighty army; a warrior is not rescued by great strength.” (Ps. 33:16). God warned through Moses that if the Jews turned against God, their strength would slowly disappear. “Your strength will be consumed uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.” (Lev. 26:20). A person building a physical house may also never be able to enjoy it and live in it if it is not God’s will or if the person is in open rebellion against Him (Dt. 28:30; Zeph. 1:13). Thus, the Jews returning from Babylon could not succeed in rebuilding Jerusalem and Israel if they again abandoned their faith in God and pursued their own interests.
Solomon succeeded in building the first Temple only because it was part of God’s plan. The Jews returning from Babylonian captivity sought to restore Jerusalem to its grandeur under King Solomon. But their efforts would succeed only if it was God’s will. “When Solomon resolved to build a house for the Lord, matters were very different, for all things united under God to aid him in his great undertaking: even the heathen were at his beck and call that he might erect a temple for the Lord his God. In the same manner God blessed him in the erection of his own palace; for this verse evidently refers to all sorts of house building. Without God we are nothing. Great houses have been erected by ambitious men; but like the baseless fabric of a vision they have passed away, and scarce a stone remains to tell where once they stood.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 127:1).5 Thus, every believer should be praying for God’s will to be done as opposed to their own will.
2. Protection: When You Seek to Fulfill God’s Will, He Will Watch Over and Protect Your Endeavors to Ensure His Will is Accomplished. Ps. 127:1b.
Those who rely upon themselves for protection cannot prevent the enemy’s attacks. Solomon further warned that the Jews’ efforts to guard themselves would also be futile in the long run if they did not follow God’s will. “1b Unless the Lord guards a city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Ps. 127:1b). “The allusion is to the watch or guard appointed to keep a city, and the idea is, that, whatever may be the diligence, the care, the fidelity of one thus appointed to guard a city, its safe-keeping must depend on God alone. Fires may break out in spite of the watchmen; a tempest may sweep over it; bands of armed people may assail it; or the pestilence may suddenly come into it, and spread desolation through its dwellings.” (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Ps. 127:1b).6
The Jews’ efforts to protect the rebuilt nation of Israel depended upon God’s will. Under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jews rebuilt first the Temple, Jerusalem, and then Israel. But the success of their efforts in the face of enemy attacks depended upon their continued pursuit of God’s will. “Without the blessing of Him who has promised to build the house of Israel (Amos 9:11; Jeremiah 31:28) and who is the Watchman of His people (Psalm 121:4), the most strenuous efforts of the leaders of the community can avail nothing.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Ps. 127:1).7
Unlike any person, God never sleeps and no enemy can escape His watchful eyes. When you seek to do God’s will, He is ever vigilant to ensure that His will is performed. “He will not allow your foot to slip; He who watches over you will not slumber. Behold, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Ps. 121:3-4). Thus, if you pray for God’s will to be fulfilled in your life, He will guarantee that His will is fulfilled.
Take refuge in God, and He will also be your shield when the enemy attacks. God offers protection to all who take refuge in Him: “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the LORD is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (2 Sam. 22:31). “For You bless the righteous person, LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” (Ps. 5:12). “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Prov. 30:5). Satan complained about a “hedge of protection” that God had placed around Job (Job 1:10). If you want to receive God’s shield or His hedge of protection, you need to submit to Him. This includes seeking to fulfill His will for you.
3. Provision: When You Seek to Fulfill God’s Will, He Will Provide For Your Needs But Not Necessarily Your Wants. Ps. 127:2a.
God provides for your needs when you seek to follow His will. Solomon warned that a person would ultimately labor in vain if it is not to fulfill God’s will. “2a It is futile for you to rise up early, to stay up late, to eat the bread of painful labor;..” (Ps. 127:2a). “As we have seen, this psalm is about learning to trust God and, thus, rest in him, rather than working ourselves to death, being fearful of people breaking into our houses, or having too many children, Jesus talks about this balance of work and trust in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?... Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.’ (Matthew 6:25, 31-33) If we can get the faith part right, then we can live without losing our joy. And sleep at night. Perhaps one line encompasses the fruit of the trust that Jesus calls us to: ‘He gives to his beloved sleep.’ (Psalm 127:2b) May God help you balance trust with diligence, so that you can enjoy the Lord in your life. (Ralph Wilson, Ps. 127:2).8
God provides for the needs, not wants, of those who serve and obey Him. The blessing of faith-led obedience also includes God’s promise to provide for your needs, not your wants: “3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.” (Ps. 112:3). All income and wealth are gifts from God. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (Jam. 1:17). Because many wicked people also have wealth, God’s provision is also based upon His grace and His divine plans (Ro. 8:28).
David declared his confidence that God would provide for his needs. Even though he was at times homeless, David always trusted God to provide for him: “A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I will not be in need.” (Ps. 23:1). “Fear the LORD, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no lack of anything. The young lions do without and suffer hunger; but they who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing.” (Ps. 34:9-10). “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.” (Ps. 84:11). Solomon made a similar promise: “The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, but He will reject the craving of the wicked.” (Prov. 10:3). Thus, when you place your trust in God, you can trust Him to always provide for your needs, not your wants.
Jesus also promises to provide for your needs. God’s promise to provide for our needs is repeated in the New Testament: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” (Matt. 6:33). “So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:11). “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19). Thus, Jesus wants you to focus on seeking and following His will and then trusting Him to provide.
Don’t place your trust in your wealth. God wants you to place your trust in Him and not in your wealth: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches;”’ (Jer. 9:23). The psalmist warned against: “Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches?” (Ps. 49:6). “For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire, and the greedy person curses and shows disrespect to the LORD.” (Ps. 10:3). “ . . . if wealth increases, do not set your heart on it.” (Ps. 62:10b). Solomon learned from his mistakes that extreme wealth can become an idol that draws a person off their walk with God: “Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, so that I will not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ And that I will not become impoverished and steal, and profane the name of my God.” (Prov. 30:8-9). Thus, “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I say to you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.”’ (Matt. 19:23; 1 Tim. 6:10). Do you place your trust in your wealth and intellect or in Jesus to get you through trials?
4. Rest: When You Seek to do God’s Will, He Will Bless You With Rest and Freedom from Worry or Anxiety. Ps. 127:2b.
God offers you rest, even in the face of your trials. Even though most people will need to labor hard throughout their lives, Solomon promised that God offers a life filled with rest when you labor for Him. “2b … this is how He gives to His beloved sleep.” (Ps. 127:2b). “A long, industrious day is not wrong. In fact, this is held up as profitable in wisdom literature. But if the food is produced through tiring labor, anxiety, and stress, and the family eats of food so produced, it is a life of fear and worry without trusting the LORD, and it is futile. More than that, it is lethal, physically and emotionally, for such anxiety kills the body just as easily as it kills the spirit … those who place their complete trust in the LORD may rest assured that he knows their needs and will provide for them, and that agonizing and laboring in fear and anxiety will not get any more done than what he chooses to give. The life of faith is a life that rests in him; it may be diligent and industrious but will be free of the restless anxieties.” (Allen Ross on Ps. 127:2).9
David also thanked God for sustaining him when he fled for his life. Although he faced an army trying to kill him, God also blessed him with peace and all that he needed: “5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.” (Ps. 3:5). God directly gave David peace, and He used David’s friends and allies to be His hands to sustain David.
God gave David the peace to sleep when his life was at risk. Even when he faced an army that was trying to kill him, God blessed David with peace and rest: “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.” (Ps. 3:5). He also offers you peace. “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” (Prov. 3:24). “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, LORD, have me dwell in safety.” (Ps. 4:8). “Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely.” (Ps. 16:9). “You shall therefore follow My statutes and keep My judgments so as to carry them out, so that you may live securely on the land.” (Lev. 25:18). “When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security,” (Dt. 12:10). If you are stressed out and unable to sleep, turn to God and pray for Him to restore your ability to have restful sleep.
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) “Noon Rest from Work (after Millet)” (1890)10
5. Fertility: When You Seek to do God’s Will, He Can Bless You With Fertility or Multiple Your Results for His Glory. Ps. 127:3.
People receive the gift of children to serve as stewards to raise them for God’s glory. Solomon, a man who struggled with an evil son Rehoboam, stated that children are a gift from God. Thus, they must be raised for His glory. “3 Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” (Ps. 127:3). “If children are withheld it is God that withholds them (Gen 30:2); if they are given, it is God that gives them (Gen 33:5); and they are to us what he makes them, comforts or crosses. Solomon multiplied wives, contrary to the law, but we never read of more than one son that he had; for those that desire children as a heritage from the Lord must receive them in the way that he is pleased to give them, by lawful marriage to one wife. Mal 2:15, therefore one, that he might seek a seed of God. But they shall commit whoredom and shall not increase. Children are a heritage, and a reward, and are so to be accounted, blessings and not burdens; for he that sends mouths will send meat if we trust in him. Obed-edom had eight sons, for the Lord blessed him because he had entertained the ark, 1 Chron 26:5. Children are a heritage for the Lord, as well as from him; they are my children (says God) which thou hast borne unto me (Ezek 16:20); and they are most our honour and comfort when they are accounted to him for a generation.” (Matthew Henry on Ps. 127:3).11
Give thanks for the blessing of children by raising them in God’s ways12
God created every child in their mother’s wombs. Today, many view a pregnancy as an inconvenience that some choose to abort. Others sadly view their lives as meaningless. But God specially created each and every person in their mother’s womb out of love and for a purpose. “For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.” (Ps. 139:13). “This is what the LORD says, He who is your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb: “I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself and spreading out the earth alone,” (Is. 44:24).
Many proud people have been completely helpless in having children without God. Throughout history, proud leaders have falsely assumed that they can obtain anything they want through their wealth and power. But God alone decides who can be blessed with the gift of children. “The great Napoleon, with all his sinful care on this point, could not create a dynasty. Hundreds of wealthy persons would give half their estates if they could hear the cry of a babe born of their own bodies. Children are a heritage which Jehovah himself must give, or a man will die childless, and thus his house will be unbuilt. And the fruit of the womb is his reward, or a reward from God. He gives children, not as a penalty nor as a burden, but as a favour.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 127:3).13
God blessed the nation of Israel when it followed God’s will. Before the Jews entered the Promised Land, God promised through Moses that He would bless the nation with fertility and population growth if their faith produced the fruit of obedience. “And He will love you, bless you, and make you numerous; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain, your new wine, and your oil, the newborn of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.” (Dt. 7:13). “Blessed will be the children of your womb, the produce of your ground, and the offspring of your animals: the newborn of your herd and the young of your flock.” (Dt. 28:4). The repopulation of Israel would also depend upon whether the Jews sought to fulfill God’s will or pursue after their own interests.
God can also make you fruitful in other ways. God can bless His people with the fruit of fertility. But He can also bless any endeavor for His glory. When a person is serving God, His fruit will be visible in their lives. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?” (Matt. 7:16).
6. Legacy: If You Raise Your Children in the Lord to Fulfill His Will, He Can Bless You With a Legacy in Him. Ps. 127:4.
Children can be a blessing or a burden depending upon how you raise them. Solomon warned that a child can either become a source of harm if turned against parents or a great source of protection. “4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” (Ps. 127:4). “Such children protect their aged parents as effectually as arrows in the hand of a warrior.” (Pulpit Commentary on Ps. 127:4).14 Or, like Rehoboam, they can be a source of grief and pain if they are not raised to honor God.
God has entrusted parents to be His stewards. God’s gift of children comes with great responsibility. Each parent is entrusted to be a steward of His children, to raise them up in His ways and to have faith. “In many ways children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. •They must be carefully shaped and formed. • They must be guided with skill and strength • They must be given care or they will not fly straight. • They must be aimed and given direction; they will not find direction on their own. • They are, in some respects, only launched once. • They are an extension of the warrior’s strength and accomplishment. • They have potential for much good or evil.” (David Guzik, Ps. 127:4).
Honor God by teaching your children to be builders of His Kingdom15
God’s blessings can also include success for a believer’s descendants. In addition to the blessing of fertility, God also offers to bless a person’s descendants: “His descendants will be mighty on the earth; “His soul will dwell in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.” (Ps. 25:13). “The descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will live in it.” (Ps. 69:36). “The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You.” (Ps. 102:28). “His descendants will be mighty on the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” (Ps. 112:2). One of the best ways to raise your child in the Lord is through your example. “A righteous person who walks in his integrity— How blessed are his sons after him.” (Prov. 20:7). This can include a blessing for a person’s descendants. But it can also be the blessing of a legacy that blesses others because of your faith-led obedience.
God can bless your legacy in other ways. Those who serve out of faith-led obedience but are unable to have children can still find God’s blessing. If you spend your life serving God by helping others, you are more likely to leave a spiritual legacy. This might include helping a sinner to repent. It might also include helping others trapped in bondage, economic disadvantage or physical limitations. You will be honored through the lives that you help to transform to serve Him. Thus, a spiritual legacy can take many forms.
7. Honor: If You Seek to Do God’s Will, He Can Give You Honor. Ps. 127:5.
God will also honor those who seek to raise their children to be faithful believers. Children have free will. But God generally blesses and honors those who raise their children to follow Him. “5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.” (Ps. 127:5). “Parents who have large families of sons are evidently intended.” (Charles Ellicott’s Commentary on the Bible, Ps. 127:5a).16 “The open space by the city gate was the place where justice was administered and the citizens met for business or social intercourse (Deuteronomy 21:19; Psalm 69:12). ‘Speak’ may be used in the technical sense of ‘pleading a cause’ (Joshua 20:4), or in a general sense; and the meaning will be that a man with a stalwart family to support him runs no risk of being wronged by powerful enemies through the maladministration of justice, as was too commonly the case (Job 5:4, and the prophets passim): or that in ordinary business and intercourse he will meet with respect as a man of influence and consideration.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, Ps. 127).17
God can honor an infertile family with fertility. In ancient cultures, it was considered a mark of a curse or shame to be infertile (e.g., Gen. 16:1; 18:10-15; 25:21; 30:1-2; 1 Sam. 1:6). But God has the power to restore a person from any deficiency or reproach. This includes, but is not limited to, infertility. As an example of this, God promised Abraham that he would restore Sarah’s infertile womb at an old age: “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” (Gen. 18:14). Likewise, God healed Rebekah’s womb and granted her children (Gen. 25:21). As another example, God transformed Hannah’s womb and blessed with her son Samuel (1 Sam. 1:9-18). With God, any miracle is possible: “And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”’ (Matt. 19:26). ‘“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”’ (Jer. 32:27). “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2). If you are suffering from infertility, pray for Jesus to restore you. It might not be part of His will for you. But, if it is part of His will, He will respond to your prayers to Him.
God can protect your honor when others attack you. David was frequently attacked. But God was faithful to both protect him and restore his honor: “But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Ps. 3:3). With faith, prayer, and patience, God can also restore your honor when others attack you or slander you.
James M. Hamilton Jr., Evangelical Bible Theology Commentary Psalms (Vol. II: Psalms 73-150) (Lexham Academic 2021) p. 399, 401.↩︎
Allen Ross, A Commentary of the Psalms: Volume 3(90-150), Kregel Academic (2016) p. 683, 685.↩︎
Image credit: Psalm 127:3 | Today's Christian Woman↩︎
Image credit: Psalm 127 Bible Verses↩︎