Presence Weekly 1/22/2024

[The Devo] Dependence as Virtue

127 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. 

¹  Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. 
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 
²  It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, 
eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 
³  Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, 
the fruit of the womb a reward. 
⁴  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior 
are the children of one’s youth. 
⁵  Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! 
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. 

Washington is an environment that screams, “Your work matters!” Some of us might be inclined to think that means it is all about our efforts. That's because it's also a town that screams, "Make yourself matter!" And while our efforts and work are important, as Christians, our work is only truly meaningful as we are dependent on God. 

On first blush, it would seem that Psalm 127 is suffering from just a bit of an identity crisis. In v1-2 it talks about the vanity of pursuing anything without dependence upon the LORD, and then in v3-5 it appears to be suggesting that everyone should have a lot of kids. But if we look carefully, we may find that this is actually a well written song directing us to dependence on God ; with v1-2 explaining the importance of dependence upon God, and v3-5 illustrating a basis for dependence on God.

Over the next two weeks, we will look at both aspects of dependence. 

What this Psalm (written for congregational singing) is shaping our hearts to see is that all our work must be dependent upon God. The Psalmist writes, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake 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 to his beloved sleep.”

The choir of voices singing this song was being asked to consider the futility of engaging in work that is independent of God – that is, man-centered. The psalmist points to three areas: working on a house (and the passage is ambiguous enough that it could mean an actual house, or a family, or even the Temple – and all of them are possible and appropriate), defending the city that you live in (specifically Jerusalem, but Washington works too), and dawn to dusk vocational toil. Everyone can relate to this, whether you are a man or a woman, whether you work in a Cabinet agency or sub-agency, a policy center, think tank, on the Hill, as a lobbyist, or at home, this speaks to all of us. 

Notice that the psalm is not discounting the value of the work: building, watching-over, or laboring. This is not a song that was directing the singers to stop working. Rather, it is a song that exposed the flaw of work that is not dependent upon God. 

First, work that is dependent on God brings significance.  This is what we are all searching for – significance. And the Psalmist says, if you want to find significance in your work, do so with dependence upon God – otherwise it is in vain! Three times in two verses we are told the vanity of such striving. 

Building the house is in vain if it is done without dependence upon the LORD. Watching over the city is in vain if it is done without dependence upon the LORD. Daylong vocational toil is in vain if it is done without dependence upon the LORD.

That kind of work profits nothing. Work that is not dependent on God will not bring true significance. I am not saying that it does not matter, or that it will not be remembered, but that it does not provide the meaningful significance we were created by God to experience. True significance is measured in the terms of God’s economy - not man’s. Our real significance is a gift rooted in dependence upon God. 

Second, work that is dependent upon God brings satisfaction.  The Rolling Stones said, “I  can’t get no satisfaction.” Perhaps. But that doesn’t mean that true satisfaction is not available. Like significance, I think everyone wants to find satisfaction in their work. To be able to say, “This has fulfilled me in a way that I have been searching for.”  Whether it legislation well-crafted, a regulation aptly deployed, or even a desk well-organized. The implication of the psalm is that despite all our labors, work that is not dependent on God will not bring true satisfaction. We were created to find satisfaction in our work. And that satisfaction is a gift rooted in dependence upon God. 

Finally, work that is dependent on God brings sleep. “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” While this may seem an odd point, I would say two things. It is what the text says, and it is completely logical.  It might also be noted that the word for beloved is Jedediah, which is a name by which Solomon (the Psalms author) is often referred.  

We have all been there.

Waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, your mind going a thousand miles an hour, trying to plan your next day, trying to figure out what you need to do to get ahead at work or school, what you need to do to have a marriage, what you need to do to raise better children, etc. You know how it goes, the loop starts running and it doesn’t stop. And it is often not because you are not working hard enough - perhaps you are burning the candle at both ends. But as you stare at your breakfast, you realize you are only eating the bread of anxious toil.  The Psalmist’s point is, why on earth would you want to do that when “he gives sleep to those who he loves”?

Why? Because the Fall shifted our dependence away from God, and toward ourselves.  It happened because we do not trust God with something that is our biggest fear. We do not want to be put to shame! And so, we move toward dependence upon ourselves and our work to make sure that we are not put to shame. All of our building, all of our defending, all of toil is constantly a battle to be kept from shame. A battle that brings no rest, and therefore, no sleep.

We will talk about the basis for our dependence next week.

Last Things....

Please let us know if you are interested in joining a whole-life cohort and, of course, how we can pray for you!