Zeal From And For God – Psalm 128

“A Song of Ascents.” [1]

“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” Psalm 128:1

We give our Lord the proper honor that is due Him when we walk in His ways. When the fear of God guides us, our words and deeds glorify God. It is useless to claim that we fear God if we do not faithfully follow His ways or if we treat His commands carelessly.

Obedience to God’s commands is an outward expression of the Spirit of Christ at work in one’s life. As Nicodemus said of Jesus in John 3:2, “No one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him.” Obedience to God’s commands is a sign that God’s Spirit is at work in your life. In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

The devil wants us to hide our light under a basket. He wants us to live in fear of persecution. Jesus says to us in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” In Matthew 10:32, Jesus said, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”

In Numbers 25:11-13, the Lord blessed Phinehas for being zealous with the Lord’s zeal. “Phinehas... has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace. It shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.”

In Numbers 14:30, God announced that only Joshua and Caleb would enter the Promised Land from among those alive at the time of this announcement because they believed God while the others doubted Him. The Lord said of Caleb in Numbers 14:24, “My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.” Caleb welcomed the work of the Holy Spirit in his life.

In Revelation 12:17, the devil makes war with those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Thus, we know that keeping God’s commands (the Law) and proclaiming Jesus (the Gospel) is the witness that the devil most wants to eliminate. But God promises to bless those who witness for Him to others.

“When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” Psalm 128:2

God provides us meaningful work to do and good food to eat. An idle life is an unhappy life. In 2 Thessalonians 3:12, God speaks of working for and eating one’s own bread. There is a special satisfaction in enjoying the results of our own hard work. Just as a laborer enjoys restful sleep, the food earned through honest work is especially satisfying.

“Happy shall you be.” We should receive this promise as though God were speaking directly to us. If we fear God and walk in His ways, we can confidently expect His blessing. Whatever happens in life, God will bring good out of it. It will be well with us while we live, even better when we die, and best of all throughout eternity. [2]

“Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table.” Psalm 128:3

The fruitful vine (yielding clusters of grapes) and the olive plants (yielding oil) are “biblical symbols of the abundant life. They are not food staples like wheat or corn. They symbolize rich blessing. Olive trees take a long time to mature and become profitable. Patiently cultivated, they become quite valuable and continue to produce a profitable crop for centuries, longer perhaps than any other fruit-producing tree or plant.” [3]

Olive shoots are the vigorous offsets from an aged olive tree. “Beautiful; producing abundance; sending up young plants to take the place of the old when they decay and die.” [4]

“Olive shoots” may be applied to the spiritual seed and offspring of Christ. In Psalm 52:8, Zechariah 4:11, and Revelation 11:4 they are anointed ones. True believers in Christ have the anointing of the Holy Spirit in them. They are ever green in Jeremiah 11:16. In Song of Solomon 1:12, our Lord takes delight and pleasure in them. [5]

In October of 1985, I was serving the Lord in Hong Kong. I prayed Psalm 128:3 daily while my wife and baby daughter were in the USA due to health reasons. I missed them so much. I was so very grateful to God when He brought my fruitful vine (my wife) back into the very heart of my house, and brought my olive shoot (my baby girl) back to my table with me.

The Lord compares the wife to a fruitful vine growing in the heart of the house. She is loving, faithful, and willing to work together with her husband. Like a fruitful vine, she bears not only children but also the fruits of wisdom, righteousness, and good management. Her influence extends beyond her home, just as the branches of Joseph spread over the wall in Genesis 49:22. She is extremely valuable to her husband and children. [6]

The Lord compares the children to young olive plants. One day they will grow into strong olive trees. Though every person is sinful by nature, they can be grafted into God’s people and share in His blessings. [7]

“Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.” Psalm 128:4

There is assurance of blessing for all who honor and respect God the way that they should.

“The Lord bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.” Psalm 128:5

God calls forth spiritual blessings to flow from Zion. Zion is another name for Jerusalem. The Book of Psalms and Proverbs were composed there. Many of God’s prophets, such as Jeremiah, spoke God’s Word there. Jesus brought forth the New Testament teaching and ministry in Jerusalem. Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins in Jerusalem. He resurrected and ascended to heaven from Jerusalem. The Gospel was first preached in Jerusalem and the Church was birthed there. His blessing to us! [8]

“Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!” Psalm 128:6

“The blessing to the one who fears the Lord goes beyond the holy city and impacts the holy family.” Families who fear the Lord enjoy the peace of the Lord, and because He watches over them and prospers them. They enjoy life long enough to see their children’s children. [9]

“Peace be upon Israel.” The greatest inheritance is a pure and faithful knowledge of God to pass onto future generations. This is what God gave to us through His people Israel. [10]


[1] “The Song of Ascents” (Psalms 120–134) are songs to sing as one journeys toward God.
[2] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Boise – quoted in the Enduring Word Commentary
[4] Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
[5] Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
[6-7] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[8] Derived from the Enduring Word Commentary
[9] Enduring Word Commentary
[10] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary