Unless the Lord Builds the House, the Builders Work in Vain

Unless the Lord Keeps the City, the Watchman Stays Awake To No Effect

Chapter 1

The title is from Psalm 127, verse 1.

Here are Psalms 127, 128, and 129 from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version--

___Psalm 127

1 Unless the Lord builds the house, they're wasting their time who build it, unless the Lord keeps the city, the staying awake of the watchman does no good.

2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so he gives his beloved sleep.

3 See, children are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4 Like arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth.

5 Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them, they won't be ashamed, but they'll speak with the enemies in the gate.

___Psalm 128

1 Blessed is everyone that fears the Lord, that walks in his ways.

2 For you'll eat the labor of your hands, happy shall you be, and it shall be well with you.

3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine by the sides of your house, your children like olive plants around your table.

4 See, thus shall the man be blessed that fears the Lord.

5 The Lord shall bless you out of Zion, and you'll see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

6 Yes, you'll see your children's children, and peace on Israel.

___Psalm 129

1 They've afflicted me many times from my youth, Israel can now say,

2 They've afflicted me many times from my youth, yet they haven't prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed on my back, they made long their furrows.

4 The Lord is righteous, he has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.

5 Let them all be confused and turned back that hate Zion.

6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops, that withers before it grows up,

7 With which the mower doesn't fill his hand, nor he that ties sheaves his bosom.

8 Nor do those who go by say, "The blessing of the Lord be on you, we bless you in the name of the Lord."

Chapter 2

Building a house costs money. Even if all the labor is donated, you still have the expense of materials.

And usually, the labor is not donated; you have to pay for it, unless you're doing all the work yourself.

So then, there is a significant investment in building a house.

But this passage of scripture tells us that you're wasting your time, unless the Lord is building with you.

___Psalm 127

1 Unless the Lord builds the house, they're wasting their time who build it, unless the Lord keeps the city, the staying awake of the watchman does no good.

In fact, Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Just the decision as to whether to build a house should be made prayerfully.

The Apostle Paul writes in the book of Romans:

___Romans chapter 12

1 Therefore, I ask you please, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you'll prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

So, there is such a thing as the perfect “Will of God.”

James writes--

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that." (James chapt 4)

So James also speaks about the will of God.

Ask the Lord, “Lord is it your will to build this house that we're thinking about building, or shall we go in a different direction?”

We should pray that way because Psalm 127:1 tells us,

Unless the Lord builds the house, they're wasting their time who build it...

You don't want to put in all the effort on a project that is not the will of God, or, it's likely to turn out badly.

And then, we're also told that, Unless the Lord keeps the city, the staying awake of the watchman does no good.

Is that saying that we shouldn't have watchmen?

No, we should have watchmen, but we should couple the use of watchmen with prayer that the Lord will keep the city, because just the watchman alone, without the Lord's help, is not going to get the job done.

Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so he gives his beloved sleep.

Now there is another scripture that warns against too much sleep.

9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you get up out of your sleep?

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,

11 So your poverty shall come like someone that travels, and your want like an armed man. (Prov chapt 6)

So we have to balance these two scripture passages. The Lord wants us to have sufficient sleep, and He will help us to get it, but He doesn't want us to go overboard and sleep so much that it brings poverty.

3 See, children are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4 Like arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth.

5 Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them, they won't be ashamed, but they'll speak with the enemies in the gate.

Some career people have made the decision not to have children, because they think that children would inhibit their careers. I expect that later in life, they are likely to regret that decision.

In verse 3, we're told children are a reward. I'm the father of two, myself.

I heard a man say one time, “...And you're schleping this kid around.” He said it as though it would prove to be an inconvenience.

But I've done some carrying around of children, and it really wasn't a bad thing at all.

The man who said that is now in his sixties, and didn't marry and raise a family. In my opinion he didn't make the best decision.

___Psalm 128

1 Blessed is everyone that fears the Lord, that walks in his ways.

2 For you'll eat the labor of your hands, happy shall you be, and it shall be well with you.

3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine by the sides of your house, your children like olive plants around your table.

4 See, thus shall the man be blessed that fears the Lord.

If you'll fear the Lord, and walk in his ways, things will go well for you.

In Psalm 129, we see about bad things that will happen to the wicked.

___Psalm 129

1 They've afflicted me many times from my youth, Israel can now say,

2 They've afflicted me many times from my youth, yet they haven't prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed on my back, they made long their furrows.

4 The Lord is righteous, he has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.

5 Let them all be confused and turned back that hate Zion.

6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops, that withers before it grows up,

7 With which the mower doesn't fill his hand, nor he that ties sheaves his bosom.

8 Nor do those who go by say, "The blessing of the Lord be on you, we bless you in the name of the Lord."

The Psalms are good for worship and praise. But the Psalms are part of the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament, they sacrificed animals for their sins.

But in the New Testament, starting with the book of Matthew, the New Testament teaches us that those animal sacrifices were only a foreshadowing what was to come.

Now we see that there has been the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of crucifixion, who is also called, “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

So does that mean that all the sins of everyone in the world are forgiven?

No.

Your sins are forgiven if you say “Yes” to Jesus' free offer of salvation.

Jesus says, “See, I stand at the door, and knock, if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I'll come in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:20)

Pray this prayer, “Jesus, save me.” The Lord will hear from heaven, and won't turn you away.

The Bible says, “All that call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Joel chapt 2)

Here's another passage of scripture on salvation--

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation.” (Romans 10:9,10)

But those who say No to Jesus will wind up in a nasty place called Hell, where there's crying and gnashing of teeth, and where their worms don't die, and the fire is never quenched, says Jesus, and I know that Jesus doesn't tell lies.

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.