1 Living Asset

Children (Living Assets) – Psalm 127:3 (KJV) “Lo, children are an heritage from the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is His reward.”

To the ancient Jews, the building of the house and the protection of the city were for the families. Family was the basic unit and most important elements of Jewish society, as they were under constant threat from the enemies

1.1 Children are the Blessing

Children are the blessing for the Jews, writes Rabbi Leo Trepp. “Each child brings a blessing all his own, our Ancestors would say. We rejoice in children because we are a people, a historical people” (“The Complete Book of Jewish Observance,” pg.217).

• An old German Proverb says: “Many children make many prayers, and many prayers bring much blessing.”
• John Howard Hinton’s daughter said to him as she knelt by his deathbed: “There is no greater blessing than for children to have godly parents.” “And the next,” said the dying father, with a beam of gratitude, “for parents to have godly children.” (“Memoir in Baptist Handbook”)

1.2 The well-being of the family is a partnership between God and the parents

Psalm 127:3 (KJV) “Lo, children are an heritage from the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Family was God’s idea. It was God who gave Eve to Adam and told them: “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28).

1.3 Descendants to keep our name and family alive upon the earth.

Another point of building up a house, namely leaving Descendants to keep our name and family alive upon the earth. Without this, what is a person’s purpose in accumulating wealth? To what purpose does he build a house if he had none in his household to hold the house after him? What boots it that he is the Possessor of broad acres if he has no heir?

1.4 God’s blessing on the City (Psalm 127:1-2)

God’s blessing on the City (Psalm 127:1-2), begins with his blessing on the family (Psalm 127:3-5) – Since the family is the basic unit of society, if the families prosper, the nation prospers. If the families are neglected and decline, the entire nation will decline.

1.5 To Build

The connection between the first part (Psalm 127:1-2) of the Psalm and the remainder (Psalm 127:3-5) is better understood if it be remembered that the Hebrew word for “children” is from a root meaning to build.

The teaching on Psalm 127:1-2 is enforced by an example – the concept of the necessity of dependence upon God (Psalm 127:1-2) is carried over into the building of a family (Psalm 127:3-5). A recognition that children are God’s Gift is the basis for building a successful home. Conception is God’s reward to His people (Deuteronomy 28:4,11). The prosperity, alike of States and of Individuals, depends on nothing so much as on an abundant progeny (off-spring) of children. Children are manifestly God’s Gift. Psalm 127 is the middle Psalm of the third Group (Psalm 126 to Psalm 128) of the divisions of the Book of Psalms; and seems to have been chosen by Hezekiah as suited to his own childless condition during the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib (2Kings 18) and longs for the fulfilment of it in his case by the granting of an heir (2Chronicles 6:16; 7:18). Manasseh was born in Hezekiah’s seventeenth year on the throne, that is, the third of the added fifteen years (2Kings 20:18; 21:1).

2 Protection

Psalm 127:4-5a (KJV) “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man (Warrior – NKJV), so are children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who hath his quiver full of them.” – Children are precious – a heritage – and make the home a treasury. But they are also useful – like fruit and arrows – and make the home a garden and an armoury. If we do not raise our children to know and love the truth, who will plant the seeds of truth and fight the battles against lies and evil in the years to come? Children protect their aged parents as effectually as arrows in the hand of a Warrior (Mighty-man – KJV). Happy is the man who has abundant children for protection.

2.1 Speak in Defense

Psalm 127:5b (KJV) “They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” – Children speak in defence of their parents. “The Gate” – was the chief place of the city concourse for commerce, council, court (Deuteronomy 21:19; Ruth 4:1; Amos 5:12). It was the place where judgement was given, and where consequently adversaries were apt to meet, as they pushed their respective causes. The children of the family (father & mother) were to defend their father in the community court which meets at the city gate. A man who has many children to defend him, stands at an advantage.

2.2 Personal Application

A stalwart congregation (“many children”) conveys a sense of influence and power, enough, e.g. to make an unjust adversary hesitate to mount complaints or attacks – Psalm 127:5b (KJV) “They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.“

• Family