Psalm 128

From: Songs of Degrees

By: John L. Erisman

Psalm 128 • 15 min. read • grade level: 9

Psalm 128 goes on to full millennial blessing.

(vs. 4-5) “Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.”

Is it not striking here, the expression “shall bless thee out of Zion”? He has once more taken up His place in the midst of His people and can bless them out of Zion. Zion speaks of grace in His choosing a place where He could go on with His people when all else had failed (Psalm 78:56-72⁵⁶Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: ⁵⁷But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. ⁵⁸For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. ⁵⁹When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: ⁶⁰So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; ⁶¹And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand. ⁶²He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance. ⁶³The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. ⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation. ⁶⁵Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. ⁶⁶And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach. ⁶⁷Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: ⁶⁸But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. ⁶⁹And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever. ⁷⁰He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: ⁷¹From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. ⁷²So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. (Psalm 78:56‑72)). The priesthood had failed and also the king of His choice, David (2 Sam. 24:14-25¹⁴And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. ¹⁵So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. ¹⁶And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house. ¹⁸And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁹And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded. ²⁰And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. ²¹And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people. ²²And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. ²³All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee. ²⁴And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. ²⁵And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel. (2 Samuel 24:14‑25)).

Does not the Lord’s gracious provision of Matt. 18:20²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) provide a rallying point at this present time when much failure has come in, as was prophetically foretold in Revelation 2 and 3? There are those who are called upon to be overcomers, such as are brought before us in 2 Tim. 2:22-26²²Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. ²⁴And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, ²⁵In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; ²⁶And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (2 Timothy 2:22‑26) and Heb. 13:11-16¹¹For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. ¹²Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. ¹³Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. ¹⁴For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. ¹⁵By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. ¹⁶But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (Hebrews 13:11‑16).

We have now reached another climax; we have now the house, the city, and millennial blessing. Perhaps it might be asked, What more could be added? But the Lord would prepare the heart more as to Himself personally. So far, we have heard more about the outward things; we have still the Person of the Lord to be brought before us, so we go back and take another beginning.

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