A Psalm for the Good Life
Reading for Saturday 3.18–Monday 3.20
We spend our lives in pursuit. We pursue pleasure, security, satisfaction, and many other things we believe align with our vision of the good life. But the Psalms of Ascent show us, and Jesus persistently tells us, that the good life is rooted in our proximity to the source of all that is good, God's self.
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Psalm 128 (ESV)
A Song of Blessing
1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!
6 May you see your children's children!
Peace be upon Israel!
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A Psalm for the Good Life.
Psalm 128 is a psalm of blessing. It paints an Old Testament vision for the good life. Key to this vision is the idea that these blessings are directly tied to Yahweh's divine presence. As seen in Psalm 127, any blessing experienced is evidence of Yahweh's activity. Psalm 128 builds on this, suggesting that those who root themselves in Yahweh, trusting themselves to Him and His way of life, will find wholeness.
Like the other psalms of ascent, the 128th psalm likely served a cultic purpose, with verses 1–4 serving as a communal reminder sung by the congregation and verses 5-6 as a benediction pronounced over the community by the priest.
This communal announcement centers on the idea which frames the section, that those who fear Yahweh will be blessed (vv. 1 & 4). Blessing did not merely imply material wealth but was associated with the Psalms of Ascent's consistent theme of Shalom. Both blessing and shalom were directly tied to Yahweh's action and His presence. The psalm thus associates the need for the congregation to experience one within the other. To enjoy the blessing of God apart from enjoying God's self fell short of the wholeness envisioned.
To fully live into the good life the psalm envisions requires one to be bound to Yahweh. Thus the truly blessed are those who fear Yahweh (vv. 1 & 4). The Old Testament's use of fear should be likened more closely with the idea of trust. In the world of Old Testament thinking, terror, or fear of retribution fell short of the fear of Yahweh. To fear Yahweh meant believing Him, trusting yourself to Him, and His vision for life. The one who does this finds wholeness.
The psalm's particular familial vision of the good life is a familiar ideal anyone in that time would have understood. But it is a poetic ideal, not a standard to be forced onto today. It is held up as a picture of what life rooted in Yahweh is like, profoundly blessed. The point is not that God will give big families to those who trust in Him, but rather that those who trust in Him will flourish. In this way, the psalm asks us to envision the good life as a life rooted in Yahweh.
Thus the good life is not the result of obedience, faithfulness to God is not reduced to fidelity to His Law. Instead, the "walking in His ways" (v.1) stands alongside the other psalm's blessings (vv. 2-3) as a result of one's fear of Yahweh. The point is that the one who finds wholeness is the one who roots themselves in and stakes their life on the person of God. There is no wholeness apart from that which springs forth abundantly from Him.
Living a life that thrives will mean entrusting ourselves to Jesus. Jesus is the full revelation of Yahweh and His vision for humanity, offering us the satisfaction and wholeness for which our souls long. Rooting ourselves in Jesus and His divine presence allows us to reenvision the world around us, experiencing the true blessing of the divine presence.
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Reflect with a friend
What is your vision of the good life? How does this psalm’s depiction of the fear of Yahweh as the foundation for the good life challenge your own version of the good life? How do Jesus’ teachings on the good life fit into this?
What things do you tend to trust or fear in place of Yahweh? In other words, what things do you find yourself relying on in place of Jesus because you believe they have the power to change your life and cause you to flourish?
In what ways does this psalm make you want to worship? Does this psalm stir up gratitude, doubt, affection, grief? Bring these stirred up feelings to Jesus feet, and discuss them with your friend.
In what ways has the continued theme of God’s presence being the source of all goodness changed things for you over the past few weeks? Have you been more mindful of it, more grateful, more prayerful, no change at all? Take a moment to unpack this with your friend.
