Psalms 127

Psalms 127THEME: The vanity of building without GodThis is another great pilgrim psalm. It has been called “The Cotter’s Saturday Night Song,” which is probably as good as any name. It is a mighty crescendo. Here you come to the crest of the psalms. We are at the highest elevation when we reach the temple area and Mount Zion in Jerusalem, but this psalm carries us right into the heavenlies. This is a psalm that is applicable to us in our day, and it reveals an utter dependence upon God. This psalm has been used on several important occasions. It was used at the inauguration of President Eisenhower. Two Bibles were used. One of them was George Washington’s Bible, and it was opened at Psalms 127. The inscription “A Song of degrees for Solomon” does not appear in the Septuagint Version. There are those who hold that the expression “my beloved” refers to Solomon, but the son of David mentioned here is not Solomon; He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Psalms 127:1

The word vain is used three times in these verses. My friend, everything is vain unless God is in it. Everything is dependent on Him and on His blessings. An old German proverb says, “Everything depends on the blessing of God.” I wish we looked at things like that. This is why this psalm has been called “The Cotter’s Saturday Night Song.” The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Mat_6:31-34). In this psalm we find a reference to children. When the pilgrim went to Jerusalem, he took his family to worship with him.

Psalms 127:3

Here is the pilgrim, his wife, and his children, all of them are in Jerusalem to thank God.

Psalms 127:4

His children will defend him. It is a comforting thing to have a child who will defend you, and to have a whole little army of them is quite wonderful. The psalmist who wrote this knew nothing about the population explosion.