Ps 128 is a psalm of blessing. To be blessed, the dictionary says, is to be divinely or supremely favoured; to be fortunate; to be blissfully happy or contented. It’s a good word! There are two Hebrew words translated ‘blessed’ in this psalm. The word used in Ps 128:1-2 (asre) describes the sense of happiness and wholeness that comes from living in good relationship with God. The word used in Ps 128:4-5 (barak) describes what God does as He shares His abundant life with us in a relationship of salvation. (Eugene Peterson, ‘The Journey’, P 104). Being blessed conveys a sense of overflowing praise, gratitude and thankfulness. Certainly, we have much to be thankful and grateful for (see Eph 1:3), and throughout the Bible, we see God’s desire to bless (see Gen 1:22, 28; Gen 9:1; Gen 12:2; Num 23:20.) The book of Ruth is a parable of God’s overflowing blessing; Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer who rescues Ruth from disgrace, gives her not only stalks of grain to glean but six measures of barley! (Ruth 2:16, 3:15) In the same way, God is not stingy in His blessings: ‘Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’ (Luke 6:38)
Nonetheless, His blessings are for ‘all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.’ (Ps 128:1; see also Ps 1:1-3) We need to offer God our whole-hearted obedience and surrender, for ‘there are ethical standards to follow, there are moral values to foster, there are spiritual disciplines to practise, there is social justice to pursue, there are personal relationships to develop,’ as Eugene Peterson reminds us. (‘The Journey’, P 106) Paul reminds the Ephesians that there is a new way of life to pursue (see Eph 4:17, 22-24), for we cannot cherry pick God’s laws, choosing the ones we want to obey and ignoring the rest. James offers us this sobering truth: ‘whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.’ (James 2:10)
Moses, at the end of a long and faithful life, addressed the Israelites before his death. He told them ‘I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.’ (Deut 30:15) He commanded them ‘to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess’ (Deut 30:16), going on to warn them ‘But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.’ (Deut 30:17-18) Joshua issued similar warnings (Josh 23:9-13). God’s desire is to bless us; we have to make the choice between life and death, blessings and curses, however. God’s commands are not burdensome, but are fences to protect us and keep us safe rather than prison walls to hem us in and restrict us. God’s ways and God’s presence are where we experience happiness that lasts. If we want to live a long life, full of freedom and blessing, we need to fear the Lord and walk in obedience to Him. That’s the easy way. Any other path may look enticing and easy, but will inevitably lead to death and destruction. God gives us a choice; it’s up to us what we choose and how we choose to live. Choose life. Choose blessing. Choose obedience.