Prayer for the Downfall of Israel’s Enemies

“Often have they attacked me from my youth”—let Israel now say—“often have they attacked me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long.” The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward. Let them be like the grass on the housetops that withers before it grows up, with which reapers do not fill their hands or binders of sheaves their arms, while those who pass by do not say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 129:1-8, NRSV)

When we trust in God and follow where He leads us, no foe will have any power over us.

They will seem to make headway and paths into our destruction but it will not actually be.

God has cut the cord of the wicked and made their harvests have withered before they were collected.

God will provide for those who love Him and follow Him.

The Happy Home of the Faithful

The Lord bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

May you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

(Psalm 128:5-6, NRSV)

May you be blessed by God so that you can see your children’s children…

May God allow you to live to see your grandchildren, and peace will be upon the land.

And your home will be truly blessed.

The Happy Home of the Faithful

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.

(Psalm 128:3-4, NRSV)

I can attest to this being correct. That is not to say that my wife and I have always seen eye to eye or even gotten along all the times. Or that my children have always behaved the way I expected them to. But they are a blessing to me from God.

And I am a blessed man because they are in my life!

What are your blessings?

The Happy Home of the Faithful

Happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways.

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.

(Psalm 128:1-2, NRSV)

Interesting the reading here says happy and the image says blessed.

Same word different translation.

So does blessed mean happy?

Does happy mean blessed?

Does the state of one being happy or blessed mean that they are without hardship or troubles?

Is it possible to be blessed and going through troubles?

Is it possible to be happy and to have things in life not going for you?

If you live your life in God, He will help you be happy/blessed regardless of your current situation.

God’s Blessing in the Home

Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one’s youth.

Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

(Psalm 127:3-5, NRSV)

A blessing to any home is a child and the blessings become exponential when there is more than one.

They are like arrows to the warrior’s quiver, and a warrior can only fight when he has his arrows.

God blesses the home with children!

God’s Blessing in the Home

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.

(Psalm 127:1-2, NRSV)

Unless the Lord does it, it is in vain…

For everything done in the Lord is done for the right reasons and not for personal gain.

So unless the Lord is in it, it will not prosper. It may at first appear to be good, but then it will all be for not, for unless the Lord is in it, it is in vain!

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone. (John 2:13-25, NRSV)

Always remember when someone says, “What would Jesus do?” that fashioning a whip and going to town on people would not be out of the question!

We always want to think of Jesus a meek and mild and welcoming the sinner and the stranger and this He was, but when the rubber met the road, He would also get down to business.

I find it interesting that the reading says that many believed in Him because of the signs He was doing. Does this include the whipping?

Is this image of a crazed man, driving animals and people from the temple and throwing money instill you with belief?

It is intermixed in our reading with commentary of the disciples and the temple destroyed being His body. But people believed because of His actions. So what were they looking for?

What are we looking for in a Messiah?

What are we looking for in a savior?

Meek and Mild, or whip-bearing, temple cleaning?

God the Creator and Provider

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works—who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:31-35, NRSV)

I will bless the Lord with all of my being for everything He has done for me.

I pray that my meditation will lead me closer to Him and help me to show His love more in my life.

This will give me, even more, reasons to praise the Lord!

Why will you praise and bless the Lord?

God the Creator and Provider

These all look to you to give them their food in due season; when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. (Psalm 104:27-30, NRSV)

When you send forth your Spirit, they are created and the face of the earth is renewed!

Your Spirit brings us your power and life.

It is our breath!

God the Creator and Provider

Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. (Psalm 104:24-26, NRSV)

God created Leviathan for the sport of it!

God has a sense of wonder and humor.

God does things that make Him happy.