1. Psalm 128: The Person Who Fears God
Wisdom From God
Psalm 128: The Person Who Fears God

2. Finding The Source Of Fruitfulness
Psalm 128 complements Psalm 127
The former explored great blessings given by God
The latter examines our responsibility to live in awe of the God of all blessings.
Do you want your best possible life?
Here’s How!

3. The Blessed Happy Life Of Fear
Is this an oxymoron? Why…no. It’s not!
Stanza One – verses 1-4
Who is the one truly blessed?

4. Verse 1 The blessed person who fears God
“How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.”
A universal blessing for specific people.

5. Reflections Of Psalm 1:1-3
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”

6. Psalm 34:7
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.”
Does God still encamp around His people today?
Hebrews 1:14 – “Are (angels) not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”

7. How Blessed Are God’s Ways?
“God's ways are blessed ways; they were cast up by the Blessed One, they were trodden by him in whom we are blessed, they are frequented by the blessed, they are provided with means of blessing, they are paved with present blessings, and they lead to eternal blessedness: who would not desire to walk in them?”
Charles Spurgeon

8. Fruitful Life Of Honest Labor
Defines the truly happy life.
Verse 2: “When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, you will be happy and it will be well with you.”
The truly happy life is one where we labor and earn with our own hands, and not expect to live off the labor of another.

9. God Demands We Labor
Exodus 35:2 – “For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.”
We focus on the “rest” but forget God first commanded the “labor”

10. 2 Thessalonians 3:10
“For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”
Doesn’t address legitimate handicaps that limit ability to work. But not every handicap limits every kind of work.
Does address a welfare entitlement mindset that refuses to learn or improve ones’ marketability to work, and results in generational welfare dependency.

11. God Always Intended Work
Adam was placed in the garden to work the garden for his food.
Think about Gollum/Smeagol: “All the great secrets under mountains had turned out to be just empty night: there was nothing more to find out, nothing worth doing, only nasty furtive eating and resentful remembering.”
J.R.R. Tolkien

12. Blessings Extended To Family
The wife of the blessed man
Blessed men have wives. It is, “not good for man to be alone…”
Verse 3a -- “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house….”
1 Kings 4:25 – “So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree….”

13. Husband’s Responsibility To Wife
Ephesians 5:25, 28, 33: “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her…. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself….Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.”
Him = LOVE (AGAPE)
Her = FEAR (PHOBOS)

14. Why FEAR As Response To LOVE?
Concept is moral reverence toward God
Same response from a wife who has a husband who loves as Christ loves and as God loves.
Matthew 10:28 – “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Do we LOVE God, or FEAR God? YES!

15. Children Of The Blessed Man
Verse 3b – “Your children like olive plants around your table….”
Not suggesting your children are vegetables – though they might be!
Rather, they are fruitful as well – blessings to their parents.

16. A Picture Of Complete Health
John 15:1-2 – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”
Those who dwell in Jesus are fruitful, blessed people.

17. Repetition To Accent The Message
Verse 4: “Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord”
Isn’t having a blessed family and blessed life reason enough to walk in fear of the Lord?
But – there’s more!

18. Blessed Stability and Longevity
Verses 5-6 – “The Lord bless you from Zion, and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Indeed, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!”
Children’s children: Longevity
Zion = Heaven/Jerusalem
Jerusalem = City of Peace
Peace = Shalom