The Father Who Fears the Lord: Psalm 128

The Father Who Fears the Lord

Psalm 128

…your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
Psalm 128:3-4

Father. Dad. Papa. God has ordained that the leader of our families be the man. He is the head of the household and the one God has appointed to shepherd the family. Psalm 128 calls fathers, and husbands, to be men who fear the Lord, because their fear of the Lord blesses not only themselves, but their wives and children as well. 

What does it mean to fear the Lord? To fear the Lord “is an acknowledgment of God’s central place and power. Those who fear the Lord will be humble, not proud, and will listen to God’s laws and advice. Those who fear the Lord thus walk in obedience to him” (Longman). The one who fears the Lord “walks in the ways of the Lord by observing love, fidelity, and uprightness. The person who fears the Lord is one of integrity” (VanGemeren). 

The psalmist of Psalm 34 teaches us what it is to fear the Lord. It is to keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit (34:13). It is to depart from evil and to do good (34:14). It is to seek peace and pursue it (34:14). The benefit for this man is the attentiveness of the Lord to him and his prayers (34:15). His relationship with the Lord flourishes.

The blessings for the one who fears the Lord continue and are numerous:
  • His labors shall be blessed (Psalm 128:2)
  • He receives instruction from the Lord (Psalm 25:12).
  • The secret of the Lord is with him (Psalm 25:14).
  • The eye of the Lord is on him (Psalm 33:18).
  • He shall have no lack (Psalm 34:9).
  • The Lord will have compassion on him (Psalm 103:13).
  • The Lord favors him (Psalm 147:11).
  • Life is prolonged (Proverbs 10:27).
  • He will have strong confidence (Proverbs 14:26).
A father who pursues the fear of the Lord and increasing in it shows himself to be wise and understanding and will be abundantly blessed. That blessing, according to Psalm 128, extends to his family as well. “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord” (128:3-4). How important and weighty then that the head of the household, the husband and father, be one who diligently fears the Lord to walk in His ways. It is the greatest blessing he can bestow on his family. The man who fears the Lord increases his wife’s fruitfulness in the things of the Lord. He carefully tends to the growth and nurture of his children. How happy and blessed is the wife and children of such a man. How many generations will be blessed because a man whole-heartedly pursues the fear of the Lord?

Let’s pray through Psalm 128, that the men in our lives will fear the Lord and walk in His ways. 

128:1-2 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 
Lord, we pray:
▫️You have said that it is blessed to fear You and walk in Your ways. Strengthen the men in our lives to begin to pursue or continue to pursue the fear of You. Ignite in their hearts a strong desire to follow You.
▫️You would bless the fruit of their labors as they seek after You. We pray they would have joy and contentment in their labors, and You would bless them. Without Your help, they labor in vain (Psalm 127:1). Use their efforts to love and provide for our family to build it up, not only physically but spiritually as well.
▫️You would cause it to be well with the men in our families, the husbands who are to love and cherish their wives, the fathers who are to train up their children in the admonition of the Lord. Bless them physically as they work hard. Bless them spiritually as they pursue You. Bless them mentally, to maintain their vigor and sharpness.
▫️They would humble themselves before You and not be proud. They would acknowledge Your central place and power in their lives. They would listen to Your laws and walk in obedience to You.

128:3-4 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. 
Lord, we pray:
▫️The men in our lives would love their wives as Christ loved the church, willingly laying their lives down for them (Ephesians 5:25). Let the men receive the blessing of a fruitful and faithful wife in whom his heart can trust (Proverbs 31:11). 
▫️Fathers would tenderly nurture the souls of their children. They would be attentive, loving, gentle, firm, intentional, patient, and caring with each of their children. They would have strong relationships with each one, and the children would trust their fathers, seek their wisdom, and follow their instruction.
▫️They would keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit. They would depart from evil and do good. They would seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:13-14). You would bless them with Your presence and attentive ear.
▫️As the men in our lives fear You, You would instruct them (Psalm 25:12), have compassion on them (Psalm 103:13), and favor them (Psalm 147:11).

128:5-6 The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!
Lord, we pray:
▫️You would prolong their lives so that they would see their children’s children and be able to tell them of all the good that You have done for them. Their grandchildren, great grandchildren, and many generations to come would be blessed because they chose to fear and know You. 
▫️We would honor those You have placed over us, forgive their faults, and encourage the good. May we never cease to pray for them and hope for their good. We want to bless them with our own lives of holiness, godly sincerity, and wisdom. May we rise up and be a blessing to them.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.

Photo credit to kellysikkema

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