Elohim’s Blessings Upon the Family

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Psalm 127 along with Psalm 128 are two of the greatest pro-family passages in the Bible.

Psalm 127:1, Unless. Building, creating, achieving anything in life that is of meaningful and of redeeming value is difficult enough as it is, but even more so without YHVH’s help. Additionally, our spiritual endeavors unless sanctioned and supported by Elohim will, at the very least, be a monument to human achievement, if even that, and nothing more, and at the most will be a fruitless effort that is doomed to failure (in the full and ultimate sense, that is, temporally and eternally). This goes for just about everything we do, unless we put Elohim first and seek his highest ways.

Psalm 127:3, Children. Two of the first seven implicit and explicit commands that Elohim gave to the first humans in Genesis chapters one and two involved procreation: be fruitful and multiply and engage in marriage. Anyone that deems having children is a curse goes against the will of the Creator and is listening to the devil who wants to kill, steal and destroy. He is liar, murderer and destroyer of all that Elohim called good including marriage, children and families.

Contrary to what the selfish atheists, secular humanist and murdering abortionist nihilists will tell us, children are a blessing from Elohim, and with them comes blessings as this and the next two verses declare. Anyone or any philosophy or ideology that says otherwise is a damnable, devilish lie. Too much of society has embraced this lie that includes other lies such as the legality and acceptability of abortion, the need to de-populate the planet by having less children, and the idea that pedophilia and the sexploitation of children is acceptable. These things are manifestations of an all-out war by Satan against Elohim’s grand and glorious design to recreate himself, in a small sense, through marriage and family.

Heritage. Children are a blessing from YHVH. Those who listen to the devil, knowingly or unknowingly, believe the opposite. Such are selfish and miserable people. Do they ever stop to think that if they’re parents had had their attitude toward children, they would never have granted the gift of life?

Reward. What comes from the womb is a reward, not a curse, contrary to what the God-hating, secular humanist atheists, nihilistic, materialistic evolutionists would tell us.

Psalm 127:4, Like arrows. As arrows are shot out to hit targets, so are children in the hand of a father. Through children, families can accomplish goals, create enterprises, advance the kingdom of Elohim, combat evil and create more children.

Psalm 127:1, 3, Builds the house…Children. What does building a house and having children have to do with each other? Why does the psalmist juxtapose these ideas in the psalm? Simply this. A house is more than a building. It’s purpose is to house families. The home and family are the foundation of society, which is comprised of houses or families. One who has a home full of children is blessed and happy, and with a large family comes honor (not shame, v. 5) and influence with if not power over one’s enemies (v. 5).

Psalm 128:1, Fears YHVH. The fear of YHVH and walking in his ways is the basis for a blessed life, since such a mental disposition and spiritual orientation in one’s life ensures that one is lined up with the Word, ways and will of the Creator, which bring life, prosperity, blessing, love, joy, peace and happiness in this life and eternally. The Bible is clear on this and human history, starting from the fall of man at the tree of knowledge, proves that when people go against the Word, will and ways of Elohim, things don’t go well for him.

Psalm 128:2, Labor of your hands…happy. One of the benefits of fearing YHVH (vv. 1, 4) and walking in his ways is that we will experience joy, fulfillment and happiness in the work of our hands no matter what it may be. This shows that mental attitude and spiritual orientation is the key to success and happiness in life regardless of one’s circumstances.

Psalm 128:3, Fruitful vine…children. Those who fear YHVH (vv. 1, 4) will be blessed with a fruitful womb and a large family. Nowhere does the Bible state that children are a curse, only a blessing. Only those who are tuned into the voice of the devil, who is intent on killing, stealing and destroying, view children as a curse, a burden and an inconvenience.

Psalm 128:6, Peace. Heb. shalom. Shalom here is spelled here with all of its letters and not defectively minus the letter vav. This indicates a full, undiminished peace from Elohim—a peace that is full and complete and that covers all areas of life present and future. Such is the blessed heritage of those who fear YHVH and walk in his ways (vv. 1, 4). This psalm shows that marriage and families combined with fearing YHVH and walking in his ways are what bring this blessing along with YHVH full peace.

 

Why gather together for the three pilgrimage feasts?

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Exodus 23:14–19, Three times you shall keep a feast. The Scriptures teach us that during the three biblical pilgrimage festivals of Passover/Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and Tabernacles all Israelites were to leave their places of individual isolation and were to go up to where the presence of Elohim of Israel was. This sacred rendezvous was to occur according to the festival cycle or circle (Heb. chag) around the common sanctuary (where YHVH had chosen to place his name, Deut 16:2, 11, 15). 

In fulfilling this command,each Israelite would become conscious in a real way that he was connected to all the other members of the nation of Israel, with YHVH Elohim, and with the Torah (The Pentateuch—Deuteronomy, p. 310, by S. R. Hirsch). 

In biblical times, the Israelites would gather wherever the tabernacle had been placed. When the temple was built in Jerusalem, this city became the destination point for the Israelite pilgrims during these three biblical feasts. 

For the saints who celebrate the biblical feasts now, there is no temple in Jerusalem to gather around. The saints are now the spiritual temple of the Spirit of Elohim (1 Cor 3:16). Moreover, Yeshua has promised to be in the midst of his people when they gather together (Matt 18:20). In light of these spiritual realities, YHVH’s people need to pray and seek his face to find out where he wants them to gather for his feasts, and then obey him in faith believing that he will be with them.

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Why use the Hebrew names for deity?

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Exodus 23:13, Make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth. (See also Ps 16:4.) Not only is YHVH against the worship of pagan deities and wants their names to be destroyed (Deut 12:3), but he says that he will take from the lips of his people the names of pagan deities (Hos 2:17), and eventually, he will restore a pure language (presumably one that is free of pagan names) to his people (Zeph 3:9). 

Obeying this Torah principle today is difficult, since so many common words such the days of the week and some of the months of the year are named for pagan deities making normal communication without using these names difficult. Nevertheless, the redeemed righteous of YHVH will endeavor to be mindful of this command and speak as cleanly as possible. 

Since this commandment immediately follows commands regarding the weekly Sabbath and the biblical feasts, which are times YHVH has commanded his people to assemble, this is a clear remez or hint that YHVH’s saints should guard against mentioning the names of pagan gods when they gather together to worship Elohim. To mention the names of pagan deities is a slap in the face of the one and only true Elohim!

If one trains ones mind and mouth to use the biblical Hebrew names of “God,” then one will be fulfilling this command. Here is a list of the common English names for deity and their biblical Hebrew equivalents:

  • God = Elohim, El (for short)
  • LORD = YHVH (pronounced Yud Hey Vav Hey), Yah (for short)
  • Lord = Adonai
  • Jesus = Yeshua
  • Christ = Mashiach (or Messiah)
 

The Transformative Power of Forgiveness

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Luke 23:34, Father, forgive them.Yeshua said this for his and our benefit, and not because it made any difference in the lives of those who crucified him. It was for his benefit, so that the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness wouldn’t take root in him. It is for our benefit, so that we’d have his example to follow when dealing with our enemies. 

There is a deep and transformative truth in the power of forgiveness. When we forgive our offender (it doesn’t matter whether they know about it or not), it prepares the way for the relationship to be restored. The miracle and beauty of the forgiveness process is that now we get to help those who have sinned against us in the healing of their own sin. 

Like so many of Elohim’s truths and Yeshua’s practices, this is counter intuitive to the natural way man thinks. When sinned against, man’s natural, knee-jerk response is to hold on proudly to bitterness and offense in hopes the other person will recognize their error and humbly repent of their sin to us, the offended party. This is delusional thinking on the part of the one sinned against, since it seldom works this way. 

Because of human pride, both the sinner and the one sinned against—if each follows their own natural and self-defensive inclination—will usually dig in and fortifies the position of their own self-rightness. The sinner is certain he is justified in his actions against the one he sinned against, while the offended party feels it is his right to walk in offense until the sinner admits his sin and repents. As such, each party remains frozen and polarized in his position and the break in the relationship is never resolved. Division and strife becomes the etched-in-stone norm. This is all based on human pride, which heads the list of the seven deadly sins that YHVH hates the most and views as an abomination (Prov 6:16) resulting in division between brethren (Prov 6:19). 

It is the devil who is our adversary, is the one who destructively divides (John 10:10) and accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10), and the one who comes to kill, steal and destroy loves this. When we hold on to bitterness and unforgiveness against someone, we become their adversary and accuser. This results in strife and division between people.

This prideful division between people is not resolved until one of the parties chooses to follow the instructions and example of Yeshua to become a blessed peacemaker (Matt 5:9) and humbles himself and forgives his neighbor, so that the healing process can occur. On the cross, Yeshua initiated this process of relationship restoration in preparation for his role in heaven as our Great High Priest to act on our behalf before his Father to reconcile sinful man through himself to Elohim.

 

What do YOU lift your eyes up to?

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Psalm 123:1, Unto you I lift my eyes. How many people in our post-Christian era lift their eyes to Elohim anymore for anything? Not many. Even most so called believers put their trust in just about everything else besides Elohim in their time of need whether it’s in medical doctors, money, .self-help psychology, the government, or themselves. For example, when they are sick, most people instinctively call their doctors first before praying to Elohim for wisdom and healing. They seldom seek YHVH when making major decisions in their lives. They rarely seek YHVH’s guidance, direction, wisdom and counsel on anything. They spend more times lifting their eyes up to their electronic devices (a modern version of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) instead of to YHVH and his Word, and they are to addicted to the things of this world and, at the same time, blind to their own idol-worshipping habits to even recognize it. We are a lukewarm and idolatrous people. This was a concern of John, which is why he ended his first epistle with these words, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). If this was true then, how much more so now? YHVH help us!

 

Why pray for the peace of Jerusalem?

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Psalm 122:6, Pray for the peace. In the past, yes, and also in the future, but now? What is there now in Jerusalem to pray for? The temple is gone and an abomination sits atop Mount Moriah, and Jerusalem is full of Yeshua-deniers, atheist, agnostics, secular humanists and misguided religious zealots of one stripe or the other, not to mention sexual perverts and deviants of all kind. The book of Revelations refers to last days Jerusalem as spiritual Sodom and Egypt (Rev 11:8), and it is the city that will kill the two witnesses (Rev 11:7–8). 

There is hope for Jerusalem, though. Many Jews will look up Yeshua at his second coming whom they pierced and put their faith in him. It is also the city to which Yeshua is returning and from which he will rule the world as the King of kings during the Millennium. 

So there is hope for Jerusalem’s future, but presently, it’s a spiritual mess and what is there to pray for?

 

Let’s go up to the mountain of Elohim…

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Psalm 121:1, Lift my eyes to the hills. Hills is the Hebrew word har and also mean “mountain.” This psalm is a Song of Ascents. Ascents is the Hebrew word ma’alah meaning “elevation, that is, the act (literally a journey to a higher place, figuratively a thought arising), or (concretely) the condition (literally a step or grade mark, figuratively a superiority of station); specifically a climactic progression (in certain Psalms).” There are 15 ascent songs recorded in the psalms (from Psalm 120 through 134) that were song as the priests were climbing the steps to the temple; there was one song for each step. This first verse along with its title teaches us several things.

First, for the Israelites, coming into the set-apart or kadosh presence of Elohim was viewed as an upward, progressive movement, one step at a time like climbing a mountain. This was a slow, reverent, thoughtful and deliberate process accompanied by songs of worship and praise at each step. They literally “enter[ed] into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Ps 100:4).

Second, YHVH Elohim’s kadosh presence was metaphorically represented as being located on a mountain, which is the highest place on earth that represents heaven. This is why the temple was located in Jerusalem, which was the located on the highest geographical point in the land of Israel (with the exception of Mount Hermon in the extreme north). For this reason, when traveling to Jerusalem, Scripture almost always refers to it as “going up to Jerusalem,” for this is where the physical dwelling place of Elohim among his people was locate—at the highest point in the land of Israel. 

The laborious act of going up, like climbing a mountain, required physical exertion—especially since travel in ancient times was by foot. Whichever direction the Israelite pilgrim was traveling to Jerusalem from whether coming from the western coastal plains along the Mediterranean Sea or from Jordan Valley at the Dead Sea—the lowest point on earth, or from any other direction, the journey required hard work, perseverance, determination and endurance; all physical obstacles and gravity and fleshly limitations had to be overcome one step at a time. 

This journey to Jerusalem is an apt symbolic picture of the saints spiritual journey against the downward pulls of the world, the flesh and the devil that is required come into the heavenly presence of Elohim. Yeshua likens it to climbing a ladder—Jacob’s ladder (John 1:51).

The idea of Elohim’s presence being on a mountaintop was not lost on the heathens, who, in their perennial attempt to counterfeit the truth of Elohim and subvert humans to their own devilish religious systems, typically located the temples to their demon gods on mountains. 

This psalm, by contrast, enjoins YHVH’s people to lift their eyes up to him and view his presence as symbolically being on a mountain, rather than looking to demon gods, false religious systems and men’s governments and human institutions, which are often also located on hills or mountains. In this light, think of the Vatican located on its seven hills of Rome, or Mount Olympus, the Acropolis in Athens, the mountains of Tibet for those into Buddhism, the stereotypical guru is perched on some mountain top somewhere, Capital Hill in Washington D.C. as well as many churches and hospital complexes. These can all serve as false gods to which many people lift their eyes instead of the one true God of the Bible, YHVH Elohim.