You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. (Psalm 128:2, NIV)
It is increasingly common to hear professional athletes and other celebrities these days say that they are “blessed.” Or maybe it’s a hashtag added to a social media post of the good things that are happening to them.
As a Scripture-reader, I love the recognition that they have received something above and beyond the ordinary. To some, I would like to pose the question, “Blessed by whom?” As one who believes that “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17), I wonder if these well-known people believe the same.
To offer people blanket promises that the Bible does not is deceptive and sometimes evil.But here’s the thing: Many of us who do believe have been taught to be wary of giving too much credence to blessing. It’s a roundabout warning that comes in the form of what we might call an anti-doctrine. In this case, the doctrine that gets criticized is prosperity teaching—the notion that God’s greatest plan for you is to give you a rich life this side of heaven. We find all kinds of biblical support for opposing prosperity teaching, and there are the testimonies of the martyrs through the ages, which speak loudly of anything but earthly health and wealth.
To offer people blanket promises that the Bible does not is deceptive and sometimes evil. This is what prosperity teaching does.
So what exactly do we do with today’s key verse? Right in the heart of this ninth song of ascent, the people were singing of the good things God would give them. Here. On earth. In their city. In their home.
What we must do with it is recognize that Psalm 128 carries two themes simultaneously. One is blessing. But before this, leading in to the promises of prosperity, is the theme of the fear of God: “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.” And after the outline of blessing is given, a refrain is sung: “Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the LORD.”
The fear of God is not a dread sort of fear, but an obedient respect. It says to God, our authority, “You are infinitely above me. Tell me what to do and I will do it, because my own best ideas and actions are child’s play.” It’s there in verse 1—those who fear the Lord walk in his ways.
But does this bring a guarantee. If I get this fearing right, is earthly blessing surely mine? Wouldn’t that suggest I am sovereign over God, that my actions dictate his reward to me? This cannot be true, and the closing verses of this short psalm make this clearer. The people did not sing of guaranteed riches. Rather, they wished this this blessing on one another: “May the LORD bless you. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem. May your grow old and take joy in your progeny.” It was a wish based on the condition: “May you fear the LORD so that he blesses you.”
We do not need to decry all blessing and reject all prosperity. But we do need to keep these things in mind: Prosperity follows the obedient fear of the Lord. It comes as fruit of our diligent labor. And like all treasures of earth, which “moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19), it is limited in its scope, holding no eternal worth.
—
Jeff Hopper
August 14, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Ascending: Common Complaints (Psalm 120)
Ascending: In God’s Care (Psalm 121)
Ascending: Joy and Peace in Fellowship (Psalm 122)
Ascending: The Mercy We Need (Psalm 123)
Ascending: How Great An Escape (Psalm 124)
Ascending: Stark Lines (Psalm 125)
Ascending: Sorrow and Joy (Psalm 126)
Ascending: Work and Home (Psalm 127)
Ascending: Set Free (Psalm 129)
Ascending: Finding Forgiveness (Psalm 130)
Ascending: Our Waiting, Impatient Soul (Psalm 131)
Ascending: Despite Our Sin (Psalm 132)
Ascending: Together in Christ (Psalm 133)
Ascending: Earth to Heaven, Heaven to Earth (Psalm 134)