Getting Better by Degrees (Psalm 128)

The Songs of Degrees (Psalms 120-134) are organized in triads. There are five groups of three. The trinity goes: (1) trouble, (2) trust, (3) triumph. God allows trouble so we trust him, and we move through trust to triumph. So when you look at Psalm 128 you see the closing song of the third series.

It pictures what heaven is like. Wait. You better blow the dust off your Bible and read it, because Psalm 128 pictures the happiness that Israel and humanity enjoy when Jesus is seated as King in Zion.

Can I take a teaching moment right here? According to the gospel of Mark, the first word Jesus preached was about the kingdom. I know you don't believe me, but you ought to believe the Bible.

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:14)

Jesus calls all the nation to repent in light of the "good news" about "kingdom come." But when the Bible talks about the "kingdom of heaven," the word heaven is not being used of a far-off place in "the sweet by-and-by" (or even the land of Far, Far Away). Nor is it a shorthand reference to a generic eternity (like the perfume that was invented by Calvin Klein only in 1988, yet called "Eternity").

"Heaven" is God's "kingdom," which is a space and time expression of God's perfect will. I think I said something; you just missed it. The Psalms of Ascent drag it down from the lofty heights so we can make it visible in life. When Zion becomes the capital of the King, it becomes the center around which the world revolves. That means that it becomes the center of all blessing. Happiness will be general (v 1) and specific (v 2), the curse on the earth will be reversed (v 2), no one will be childless (vv 3,6), longevity will be restored (Isa 65:20; Zech 8:4), and there will be peace and prosperity (vv 5-6).

Don't get it twisted. This is heaven. Heaven is not above. Heaven is when Christ the King comes.

Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. (Ps 128:1)

Everyone is blessed who fears the Lord. Fearing the Lord is believing he is who he says he is and who he reveals himself to be, and then submitting to his Lordship. Walking is step-by-step living. Verse 4 starts with the adverbial interjection: Behold! Behold is a verbal hand-clap calling attention to the sad situation that too many of God's own people do not fear him.

Blessing is portrayed four times and two ways in this text. The word in verse 1 (asher, as in the son of Leah) means "happy." The word in verse 4 (barak as in Obama) means "successful." Why did the James gang use one word for both? Because blessing describes the good that comes to people that please the Lord. BlessedNESS comes from God's blessING. So if you bless God you are blessed by God. Let me be kind and rewind. Happiness is tied to holiness just like obedience is tied to fearing God. Hello somebody! Reverence for God is visible-ized by conformity to his will. Being pleasing to him is visible-ized back in "blessing."

Can I give you my "sidewalk definition"? Blessing is God's glory formulated for your good.

I didn't hear you shout, but you should have. When God pronounces you blessed (v 4), you are. Period. So no matter how bad your life is right now, if you are obedient you have his blessing—so you ought to be happy! (Great little counseling tip right here.) Why don't you tie your happiness to your holiness instead of to your happenstance? I mean, why wouldn't you want to be happy with his fellowship even if you were suffering, and with his blessing even if it didn't give you what "you wanted"?

Do you have a burden for blessing? What do you want heaven to be? How about faithful saints (1), successful servants (2), productive parents (3-4), social justice (5), and satisfied seniors (6). Only a dark, "reverse negative" awaits the ungodly.