Psalm 127 begins, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” (verse 1) A house, a family, cannot stay together or cannot be a strong house unless the Lord is the builder of it. In the same way, a city (or a nation) cannot be kept safe unless the Lord is the keeper of it. Strong, stable families result in a strong, stable society.
There are several characteristics which are evident in a household that is built upon the Lord.
- No worry or fret. “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” (verse 2) A household that is build upon the Lord trusts in Him for safety. They do not stay up late with worry or rise up early because they are fretting over things. They can rest peacefully because the Lord gives them sleep. Psalm 4:8 says, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”
- Children are cherished and loved. “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (verse 3). For a Christian family, children should be cherished as gifts of the Lord to train to love and serve Him. There are many efforts in society and the world today that try to teach that people should not have too many children. The fear is that we will fill up the earth too fast and use up all its resources. It has always been the work of the devil to try to control and reduce the population. God said that He made the earth to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18) He blessed Adam and Eve and told them to be fruitful and multiply. He blessed Noah and his three sons and their wives and told them to be fruitful and multiply. God told Noah and his family, “…be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.” (Genesis 9:7) When God blessed the nation of Israel, He caused them to multiply greatly. One sign that God is pleased with a people is that He causes them to increase and blesses them with peace (see verse 2) and causes them to have stable families and strong and dependable youth. (See Psalm 144:9-15)
- Children are trained to work and serve the Lord. “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.” (verse 4) Psalm 144:12 says this of well trained young people, “That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.” These young people are dependable and examples to be looked up to. They are like well established plants and cornerstones of great buildings. They are building blocks upon which a happy and profitable society are built. These are the youth of a society that fears the Lord and acknowledges Him as their God. “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.” (Psalm 144:15)
- Children that know their history and can answer and subdue the enemy. “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” (verse 5) The children of a family built by the Lord knows the history of their people. When the enemy comes to seduce and deceive, they do not believe the enemy nor allow the enemy to come in the gate. They know that the enemy is lying, and they know how to answer the enemy. If they are mocked or accused, they will not be ashamed because they know that they have the truth. The enemy is kept without and the people are preserved.