The Enjoyment of a Mature and Life-giving Labor


	PSALM 128: The Enjoyment of a Mature and Life-giving Labor After Experiencing Transformation, We Can Enjoy the Fruit of Our Labor Psalm 128 begins, "Blessed is everyone that fears Jehovah, who walks in His ways. You will indeed eat the labor of your hands; you will be blessed, and it will go well with you" (v. 1-2). At the beginning of Psalm 127 we labored in vain. Now in Psalm 128 we eat the labor of our hands. Because we have slept, and because we have been equipped and prepared unto every good work, we can rise up and serve the Lord effectively. Then we can enjoy the fruit of our labor. The psalm continues, "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house. Your children will be like olive shoots round about your table" (v. 3). This verse is not meant to be taken only literally. Instead, we should apply it to ourselves. After we have experienced what has been described in the previous psalms, we are like a "house." Furthermore, within our house there is a table. A house is for resting, while a table is for standing. This means that we are able to give others rest, and we are able to help others to stand. In our house there is a "fruitful vine." Not only do we have wine, we produce wine. Furthermore, we also have olive plants. We produce wine, and we also produce oil. This is marvelous. When the good Samaritan took care of the wounded man, he ministered oil and wine (Luke 10:34). Oil and wine represent the life supply from the Lord for anointing and for enjoyment. The Lord as the good Samaritan healed the wounded one with these two items. After we learn how to sleep, and after we become like a mighty man with arrows, then we are able to labor. Within ourselves we produce oil and wine for others to enjoy. We become like a vine tree and an olive tree. Wherever we go, oil and wine go with us. We are just as the Lord was in His ministry. As we labor, wounds can be healed, and people can be restored. We can bring people to joy. We should all desire to be such a person in the church life. We don't just enjoy wine for ourselves, we produce it for others to enjoy. We don't just have oil for ourselves, we produce oil to anoint others' wounds. We are like a house and a table that can bring people to rest and cause them to stand. As we labor and serve in such a way, we minister Christ to people in full. Then we ourselves have the rich enjoyment of our labor. We eat the labor of our hands. Our Life-giving Labor Makes Us a Blessing for Many Generations The psalm continues, "Thus will the man be blessed who fears Jehovah. Jehovah bless you from Zion; and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life" (v. 4-5). Now we are blessed, and we become a blessing. When we live such a life, we become a profit to the Lord's testimony. The next verse says, "May you also see the children of your children" (v. 6a). Our being a blessing to the churches is no longer limited. The blessing here is for generations to come. When a true servant of the Lord departs there is still a blessing for many generations. For example, Watchman Nee is gone, but we are his "children's children." We still love him and enjoy him. He was just like a vine tree and an olive tree. Brother Lee is the same. These two brothers are examples of men who became a real life supply, because they learned how to "sleep." They learned how to fall into the ground and rest in the Lord's hand. They became ones who could impart the oil and the wine. That is why they have been such a blessing. Their blessing will continue from generation to generation. The psalmist concludes, "Peace be upon Israel." When there are brothers in the church life who are as a wine tree and an olive tree, then there is peace. We should pray, "Lord, I desire to grow and be transformed in such a healthy way. I want to know how to rest in You. I want to learn how to submit to Your arrangement for me. I pray eventually that there would be oil and wine within me. I pray that I could labor with blessing to the church." May the Lord have mercy on us that we would all become such a blessing. To purchase the book Journey of Life; the Psalms of Ascent and Song of Songs