Sermon Tone Analysis

Overall tone of the sermon

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*PSALM 127  *
Psalm 127 is the eighth in the collection of songs of ascents (Psalms 120-134).
* The Psalm acknowledges dependence on God in the basic areas of ordinary life.
* Used as a song for pilgrims, it discloses an important reason why the pilgrims make the journey to give thanks to God.
* Work and family were the two constitutive dimensions of ordinary life in Israel.
* Life was set in the social unit of the family and supported by work.
* Psalms of ascent (127; 128; 131; 133) reflecting domestic life in good order.
They are the voice of genuine gratitude and piety for such rich blessings.
* Yahweh’s smile of favour, or rather his active involvement in the undertaking, is essential.
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*THE DOMESTIC SCENE   *
*1.        **The Building    *
Human effort is spent: “/build the house/…” [127:1].
§  בַ֗יִת - “/house/” [127:1], ‘temple’; ‘dwelling place’;
*a.       **A Home *
The “house” can be a ‘dwelling place for a family’:
§  Lot: “/turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house/…” [Gen.19:2].
§  Laban: “/Laban…brought Jacob to his house/” [Gen.29:13].
*b.       **A Family *
The “house” can be a reference to the family itself:
§  Noah: “/Come thou and all thy house into the ark/…” [Gen.7:1].
§  Israel: “/like/ /Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel/…” [Ruth 4:11].
*c.        **A Life *
The “house” can be a reference to life as a whole:
§  Jesus: “/a wise man who built his house upon a rock/…” [Mat.7:24].
§  Paul: “/I know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle/…” [2Cor.5:1].
*2.        **The Human Endeavour  *
The human effort: “/build the house/…” [127:1].
§  לֹא־יִבְנֶ֬ה - “/build/” [127:1], ‘to make, erect, construct’;
§  Creativity: “/the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman/…” [Gen.2:22].
*3.        **Trusting in God *
*a.       **The Work of God*
The necessity of God’s activity: “/except the Lord/…” [127:1].
§  אִם - “/except/” [127:1], ‘if’; ‘a conditional clause’;
§  יְהוָ֤ה - “/Lord/” [127:1], ‘the covenant God of Israel’ [Exo.3:15].
*b.       **The Fruitless Effort *
The fruitless and pointless efforts: “/they labour in vain that build/…” [127:1].
§  עָמְל֣וּ - “/labour/” [127:1], ‘put forth considerable energy and toil’;
§  שָׁ֤וְא - “/in vain/” [127:1], ‘that which has no result or use’;
§  | The MERCY of God§  Barrier to complete chaos |
To build a house was no guarantee of prolonged habitation: another might live in it [Isa.65:22-23;
Amos 5:11; Deu.28:33].
*Application*
The enterprises and conflicts of ‘domestic life’:
§  Chaos: family breakdown; marriage breakdown; natural love bonds;
§  Immorality: relationships;
 
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*THE NATIONAL SCENE *
*1.        **The City  *
Man’s environment: “/keep the city/…” [127:1].
§  עִ֝֗יר - “/city/” [127:1], ‘permanent settlement’; ‘population centre, large or small’;
*a.       **The Significance *
The “city” was significant in that it was central to Israel’s life:
§  Commercial centre: “/land of trade; city of merchants/…” [Eze.17:4].
§  Religious centre: “/the tribes go up to the testimony of Israel/” [122:4].
§  Security: “/tell her towers; mark her bulwarks/…” [48:12].
*2.
**The Human Effort *
The human effort: “/the watchman wakes in vain/” [127:1].
§  שׁוֹמֵֽר - “/watchmen/” [127:1], ‘guard’; ‘cause a state or condition to remain’;
§  שָׁקַ֬ד - “/wake/” [127:1], qal perfect, ‘to be awake’; ‘to watch out for’;
*a.       **The Fruitlessness *
The fruitlessness of human effort: “/wake in vain/…” [127:1].
§  שָׁ֤וְא - “/in vain/” [127:1], ‘that which has no result or use’;
*3.        **Activity of God  *
*a.       **God’s Activity *
The necessity for God’s activity: “/except the Lord keep the city/…” [127:1].
§  לֹֽא־יִשְׁמָר - “/keep/” [127:1], ‘guard’; ‘cause a state or condition to remain’;
§  אִם - “/except/” [127:1], conditional clause, ‘if’;
§  עִ֝֗יר - “/city/” [127:1], ‘population centre, large or small’;
*b.       **Jerusalem *
The city of Jerusalem: “/the city shall be flourishing/…” [72:16].
§  Building: “/Lord doth build up Jerusalem/…” [147:2].
§  Prosperity: “/the city of our God: God will establish it for ever/” [48:9].
§  Watching: “/he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep/” [121:4].
*c.        **The Tower of Babel *
Humankind in rebellion against God: “/be fruitful…replenish the earth/” [Gen.1:28].
§  Human effort: “/Go to, let us build a city and a tower…/” [Gen.11:4].
§  The goal: “/let us make us a name/…” [Gen.11:4].
§  Fruitless: “/Lord scattered them abroad…ceased to build the city/” [Gen.11:8].
| The MERCY of God§  Barrier to complete chaos |
*Application*
The ‘centre of national life’; need watchfulness:  
§  City analysts; investment managers.
§  Absence of God: religious world; business world; security world.
§  The challenge: political; financial; religious.
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*THE LIFE OF TRUST IN GOD *
*1.        **The Toil of Human Effort *
The restless toil of human effort: “/it is vain for you…/” [127:2].
§  שָׁ֤וְא - “/vain/” [127:2], ‘that which has no result or use’;
*a.       **Early Rising *
The early rising: “/to rise up early/…” [127:2].
§  ק֡וּם - “/rise up/” [127:2], ‘to stand up, get up’;
§  מַשְׁכִּ֪ימֵי - “/early/” [127:2], ‘take action early in the morning’;
*b.       **Late Working *
The long hours: “/to sit up late/…” [127:2].
§  מְאַֽחֲרֵי – “/late/” [127:2], ‘to remain’; ‘to extend a period of time’;
§  שֶׁ֗בֶת - “/sit up/” [127:2], ‘to inhabit, stay in one place’;
*c.        **The Toil *
The toil of work: “/eat the bread of sorrows/…” [127:2].
§  אֹ֭כְלֵי - “/eat/” [127:2], ‘to consume food’;
§  לֶ֣חֶם הָעֲצָבִ֑ים - “/bread of sorrows/” [127:2], ‘pain, trouble, difficulty’;
§  The frustrating labour: “/in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of thy life/…” [Gen.3:17].
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