Psalm 127 is part of a special group of psalms called the Psalms of Ascent. Several times a year, God’s people would travel to Jerusalem for worship at the Temple. They would sing these short, cheerful songs on the way during their pilgrimage as they ascended to the Holy City. These psalms are also some of the most memorable in the whole Bible. Psalm 127 is only five verses long but is filled with incredibly memorable passages. The psalm begins, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” The goal of these words is to impart true wisdom!
This verse has several possible points of application to our own life stories. Perhaps your church has recently undertaken a special project or mission. This verse is a reminder to root our shared labors in the sustaining work of the Lord. Any work that we do apart from God – even work that we think we’re doing for God – has no lasting value if the Lord is not involved. On a more personal note, what is your own work or vocation? How do you pass your days? If God is not a part of it, then your work is done in vain. However, when your life is built upon the life of Christ, even your most insignificant or mundane moments find an enduring legacy and lasting value.
As the psalm continues, it becomes more pointed. “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Much could be said about this verse, yet the modern reader is immediately struck by the absence of a contemporary work ethic. As you think about the values that formed you explicitly and implicitly as a child, observe the conflict between “the early bird gets the worm” and “it is in vain that you rise up early.”
We are often taught that we can achieve anything through hard work and self-discipline. If you haven’t achieved it, you simply haven’t worked hard enough! Hard as it may be to resist this worldview, we must learn to see it as an over-reliance on ourselves and an under-reliance on God. This Psalm, therefore, invites us to reflect on our core narratives.
In what ways do we over-rely on ourselves and under-rely on God? What areas of your life feel like anxious toil? How do we learn to receive rest as a gift from God, given to us, his beloved?
By the way, it’s ironic that a verse about God giving us sleep is followed by a passage about God giving us children! Could there be a connection, possibly tying together themes of building, family, and leaving a legacy?
In verses 1-2, we are easily caught up in the concerns of our household or daily work, yet we are invited to view these humble efforts through an enteral lens. In fact, this psalm invites us to see family as central to the economy of God, worthy of our attention, time, and energy. For those called to marriage and parenthood, this means that children are a gift from the Lord. For those called to singleness, you are still invited into a life of deep relationship and belonging! Your family and friends are to be received as a gift. And so, this Song of Ascent that praises the virtues of both rest and family teaches God’s people to prioritize relationships that are rooted in mutual dependence on God as the provider and the giver of good gifts.
About the author
Daniel Adkinson
The Rev. Daniel Adkinson serves as the founding rector of St. Thomas Anglican Church in Athens, GA. Prior to moving to Athens to plant St. Thomas, he served for almost a decade at Christ Church in Plano, TX. He is married to Holly and they have two children. Daniel and Holly met while in college at the University of Georgia. So, they love being back in the Classic City!