Written By,
Camille Ruiz
Psalm 127:1
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
The book of Psalms contains many songs, including psalms of lament, psalms of praise, victory psalms, and psalms of wisdom. Despite the different themes expressed throughout the chapters, the book of psalms expresses worship to God and encourages praise. David, king of Judah and a man after God’s own heart, wrote the majority of the book of Psalms, but Solomon, the wisest man, was responsible for a few additions to the book of Psalms, including Psalm 127. In studying and learning about the life of Solomon and his teachings, we can experience many valuable lessons that we can apply to our own walk with God.
Psalm 127 begins with the word “except.” Except is a conditional word in this text, meaning that a result cannot come without the fulfillment of the outlined condition. The result: valuable work. The condition: God (the word) is the builder. Words that can replace “except” in this verse include “without”, “unless”, or “apart from.” The words “in vain” are comparable to “without success”, “fruitless”, and “to no avail.”
Unless God builds the house, the labor will be without success.
Without God building the house, the labor will be fruitless.
Apart from God building the house, the labor will be to no avail.
The beginning of this psalm of wisdom outlines the centrality of God’s word. Where there is no word, there is no life; additionally, a house laid upon a foundation that is not solid will never withstand the storm. God’s word is the solid foundation that we are to put our faith and our trust in. We look to Him as the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). His word is a strong tower, to which the righteous can run into and find safety (Proverbs 18:10). His word provides our need and acts as a compass for discovering ourselves in Him. If our house is built upon a solid foundation, then the work that follows will be fruitful, is guaranteed to be with much success, and will have no destruction or expected end.
We can view the natural foundation of a physical house as a great visual example of this scripture. If a builder fails to secure a solid foundation, despite the quality of the beams used or the aesthetic of the windows placed, the house will inevitably fall. It is impossible to build a successful physical house without a strong foundation.
But the house that is outlined in this text represents us: our spiritual house. Is your house built upon the foundation of God, or man’s wisdom? The key point here is that without God being the center of your life, despite the amount of work you put in or the effort that you enact to create a successful result, the work will be meaningless.
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