The world has its own way to measure happiness and what is admirable or enviable, but God has a totally different yardstick. This psalm declares, “Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, who walks in his ways!” (1). In God’s eyes, the truly happy or admirable person is the one who has respect for God and a reverential awe of God that is seen by obeying and submitting to his will. I cannot say I fear or respect God if I don’t obey him. What is truly admirable to God is total yielding of ourselves to him & his will for us. True well-being begins here (2b). In Jewish culture, God’s blessing was seen in fruitful labor (2a) and a fruitful family (3-4). The head of household was the one to set the general tone & atmosphere for the family life so that the whole family respected God & submitted to his will as revealed in the covenant laws. Some families had lots of children, but others did not. Regardless of the number, every child was like a tender olive shoot that required lots of nurturing (something I’m sure I didn’t do all that well with my “shoots”).
In the Jewish context, having large families was a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:15-18). But I see another kind of blessing in verses 5-6: the blessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ that first began to be preached in Jerusalem (“Zion”) and then spread throughout the ends of the earth as a means of blessing all nations (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). This would fulfill another aspect of God’s promise to Abraham, that in him all the families of the earth & nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). Jesus Christ was the ultimate fulfillment of that promise, and the message about him started in Jerusalem and has spread throughout the world. I’m glad I am able to be a part of spreading that blessing, and I’m thankful for a church family that has experienced that blessing and desires for those who have not yet heard of Jesus to experience him, too. The peace that is upon the Israel of God (6b; see also Galatians 6:16) is spreading throughout the world by those who bring the message of peace from God. True well-being comes from knowing the Prince of peace, Jesus Christ. His family is very large, and I’m thankful to be a part of it.
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