... in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen. Through the prayers of our
holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen. Glory
to You, our God, Glory to You.
O Heavenly King,
the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things,
Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us
from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy
Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the
beginning, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Psalm 127:1-5[1]
A Song of Ascent for Solomon.
Except the Lord builds the
house, they labor in vain who build it. Except
the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes in vain. [It is]
vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: [for] so He gives His beloved sleep.
Lo, children [are] a heritage of the Lord. The fruit of the womb [is His] reward. As arrows [are] in the hand of a mighty man, so [are] children of the youth. Blessed [is]
the man who has his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed. They shall speak with the enemies in the gate.[2]
[1] Because
this is a Psalm of Ascent, it is written after the completion of Solomon’s
temple, possibly as a memorial of the temple dedication. Worship is well established, even
standardized. Even so, we are left with
unanswered questions about the nature and use of the temple iconography.
The house that Yahweh builds and protects is the heavenly temple;
the city is the heavenly city. Jerusalem
and Zion are icons of these heavenly realities; so, as long as the Shekinah
is resident in the earthly temple, earthly icons, the city and temple are safe as
well (Psalm 121:3-4). Because of the
protecting hand of God, the watchmen are free to enter into the rest of God, as
with all the people. As soon as the
protecting hand of God is removed, the city and temple will fall, no matter how
many watchmen, and soldiers are in place.
The psalmist does not make one assertion, only to contradict
himself in the next sentence. Children
are a blessing, but not because they protect the city. Children can never replace the protecting
hand of Yahweh, and countless children will never compensate for Yahweh’s
absence. In fact, children are neither
heritage nor reward if they have not faith.
The arrows are not arrows of war, but the arrows that pierce the heart
spiritually, calling all to repentance and faith. Solomon’s kingdom was marked by its amazing
peace. When children “speak with the
enemies in the gate” it is with words of faith, words which invite believers to
enter, and which offend unbelievers, driving them away with the very same words.
The city itself is the city of faith, filled with faith and
the faithful. There is no place for
unbelieving strangers within its walls.
However, believing strangers are welcomed as children, the children of
Yahweh Himself.
[2] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations,
please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish. No rights are reserved. They are designed and intended for your free
participation. They were freely
received, and are freely given. No other
permission is required for their use.
