More on Psalm 127

[Scarlett O.]

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.

Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate."
...............................................................................................

I watched the two documentaries on the Duggar family again last night. They came on the Discovery Channel. And again, I can't find anything critical to say about this family that isn't superficial. I wouldn't dress my little girls that way all of the time, but that is completely irrelevant.

They seem like a very good family and a highly functioning, Godly family.

But that isn't what I wanted to discuss.

I wanted to ask if anyone else had every considered that King Solomon, the author of Psalm 127, probably isn't the best role model for husand-of-the-year nor father-of-the year, (neither was his own father, David).

I definitely believe the bible when it says that children are a reward and happy is the man who has a quiver full.

But King Solomon had a "quiver full" because he had 300 wives and 700 concubines (or vice versa).

And I am sure that he was happy with all of those children, because he didn't have to take care of them as was the culture of the day. :laugh: :laugh:

Children are a blessing, a literal gift from the LORD. No matter there gender, their appearance, their personality, or their ability/disability. Children are a blessing.

But are we to take this passage literally.....meaning that we use this poetic passage to justify no birth control....just blindly breeding with no regard to being able to take care of what children we already have?

I know that some will say that "if God gives them to you, then He will provide". Well, I do believe in the Providence of Almighty God is any and all situations, but isn't just breeding over and over and over for some people similar to "tempting God"?

The Duggars seem OK, but is that for everyone? Are the Duggars more obedient to God than those who have fewer children? And what about those like me who have NO children. What have I not done to have been unrewarded as those who literally hold to this verse would assume?

I find this attitude similar to those who believe in cheap grace who say, "Well, I can sin if I want to......God's just going to forgive me anyway."

It seems that some may mistakenly believe "Well, we'll just won't worry about getting pregnant....God's going to take care of us anyway."

I find this attitude of blind breeding a little arrogant. And it really bothers me that some may believe .....and they do, folks,....that those who have more children are more spiritual, more obedient, and closer to the Divine than those who don't.

I know that there are quite a few QuiverFull organizations across the United States that teach "the more.....the merrier.......and the more spiritually worthy."

I'd be interested in hearing from some other BB members of their commentaries/investigations/insights on Psalm 127.

What do you think?

 

[James_Newman]

I think it is tempting God to bless His promise. We are also commanded to 'be fruitful and multiply'. God is pleased by faith, I don't see how you could fault anyone for grabbing hold of psalm 127 and running with it. I'm reminded of Joash.

2 Kings 13:18-19
18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.
19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

When God says smite, just start smiting till He tells you to stop.

 

[Scarlett O.]

I think it is tempting God to bless His promise. We are also commanded to 'be fruitful and multiply'. God is pleased by faith, I don't see how you could fault anyone for grabbing hold of psalm 127 and running with it.

I'm definitely not going to fault anyone who runs with Psalm 127 as long as they are living it with Godly wisdom and responsibility.

I just don't want anyone to fault me or others who aren't blessed with a quiver full of children, if they interpret quiver full to mean very large families.

When God says smite, just start smiting till He tells you to stop.

:laugh: James, that's what my MOTHER used to do to me when she felt like I needed a whipping!! She just kept on smiting.....!

(And I never deserved it, either!) :saint:

 

[npetreley]

Just a distantly related remark -- Psalm 127 is one of my very favorites.

 

[James_Newman]

Lord willing, my wife will be delivering our third arrow in October. I'm so excited!

 

[pinoybaptist]

I think "breeding" should be tempered by social and economic circumstances.
For example, in my country, the Philippines, (let me talk in terms of dollars) the average household size is five, the average household income is $500.00 a month, more or less, and for a family of five, the bag of goods that will feed them daily will be about $8.00 a day.
Factor in education, clothing, utilities, fare expenses (cars are a luxury, and so one uses public transportation), health expenses, recreation, and so on, and you shoot way beyond $500.00 a month.
Now, how on earth can a Christian family survive on that ?

True, we are taught by the Bible to "trust in the Lord in all thy ways...." but the same Bible quotes Jesus Himself as telling somebody to count the cost before building.

But children ARE always a joy.
My youngest grandson, 1 year old, knows what a plug is for, and his father and mother swears he has never seen them plug anything to a socket before.

I figure since he's always crawlin' around, he sees plugs in sockets all over the house and so knows exactly where to put one and how when he sees one laying around from somewhere.

Now you got a quiverful of these kinds of kids, raised in the fear and admonition of the Lord, they will be a big blessing to you in your old age.

 

[Deacon]

"commentaries/investigations/insights on Psalm 127"

A more literal translation is found in the New International Version.

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.

But I agree with you Scarlett, the attitude of “letting God take care of it” shifts responsibility from our hands to God’s.
In this case, I don't think he asked for the responsibility. :laugh:

Anyway, we already fruited and multiplied plenty IMHO.

I'm eagerly awaiting the day when all my arrows will stop boomeranging back home and leave me with an empty (and quiet) quiver :laugh:

Rob