We are continuing in the Psalms and continue these Psalms about the ascents. We're looking again to Psalm 128 today. 128, God's Word. A song of ascents. How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, you will be happy, and it will be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion. You may see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Indeed, you may see your children, children. Peace be upon Israel. Beloved congregation, these psalms of ascent were psalms that the pilgrims sang as they made the arduous ascent up to the city of Jerusalem for the purpose of participating in one of the regular scheduled feasts of praise, worship, and thanksgiving to Jehovah God. Here's another psalm that we do not have any real knowledge of when it was written, nor do we have any real knowledge by whom it was written, nor what its original purpose was. It had been included in this group of psalms that the pilgrims sang as they kept ascending up toward Jerusalem. As they progressed toward their goal, They took great delight in their God. They took great delight in their faith in him. And they took great delight in the blessing that their God promised them and which they received from his most gracious hand. As they drew closer to Jerusalem, they were reminded indeed of the many blessings of the covenant. that were received by the believing traveler, that is, the one making the ascent up to Jerusalem again. We must never forget that the believer today is making a similar ascent up to the spiritual Jerusalem, that is, the ascent to the local church, and the ascent up to the heavenly Jerusalem, and that means heaven itself. This evening we're looking at this text in three heads. Number one, believing traveler is blessed. Secondly, the believing traveler walks in Jehovah's ways. And thirdly, the believing traveler will see Jerusalem blessed. Well, with that background, here we go again. Here's number one. The believing traveler is blessed. Now we're looking at verses one through three. The psalmist in this text was describing the person who was being blessed. The blessed believer is, first of all, the person making the ascent up to Jerusalem for the purpose of worshiping Jehovah. But it is important to note that the believing traveler was not making the ascent up to Jerusalem out of some kind of legalistic necessity Of course, some travelers did exactly that. That is, some travelers would make the physical ascent out of a legalistic necessity. Oh, beloved, the true believer traveler who is presented to us in Scripture tells us that the believing traveler is blessed. This is what the text tells us once again in verse 1, quote, How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. The believing traveler is making the ascent because he is a person of faith, and that kind of a person truly fears the Lord. I truly trust, beloved, that you are truly a person of faith. O beloved, the truly blessed traveler believes in Jehovah God, and he believes the covenant that Jehovah God had made with Israel. The believing traveler is a person who has entrusted himself to Jehovah God, and he knows that he is safe and secure because of who Jehovah is. That is, the believing traveler knows that Jehovah God is the God of truth, and because Jehovah God has made this covenant with the believing traveler, and he will fulfill all of the promises of the covenant. from our place in the history of redemption. That means that the one making the ascent understands that, quote, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. O Beloved, that is the way that God has fulfilled His covenant promises to be our God by sending His Son to pay for all of our sins by His suffering and dying upon Calvary Cross. In that once-for-all act that covenant was confirmed and established forever, and the person of faith believer in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and has entrusted himself totally to Jehovah as the God of covenant faithfulness. Now, the psalmist in this text was describing the person who was spiritually blessed. Oh, beloved, you must understand that the blessing of the covenant are primarily spiritual blessings. But that, Paul wrote, that is what Paul wrote in Ephesians 1, verse 3, quote, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Paul then goes on to enumerate some of those spiritual blessings that we have because of our union with Jesus Christ. Now, the one who trusts in Jesus Christ has been chosen from before the foundation of the world. The one who trusts in Jesus Christ has been chosen to be blameless and holy before God. The one who trusts in Jesus Christ has been adopted into the family of God, and he knows God as his father, and he knows Jesus as his elder brother. The one who trusts in Jesus Christ has been redeemed by Jesus as Christ's blood, and he knows what it means to have all of his sins forgiven. The one who trusts in Jesus Christ has been sealed with the Holy Spirit. The one who trusts in Jesus Christ has become an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus, and he has an inheritance that is eternal in the heavens, and that inheritance can never fade away. O Beloved, the person of faith is a person who is truly blessed beyond what the human mind in and of itself can conceive. It is no wonder that the psalmist begins this psalm in verse 1 this way again, quote, how blessed is everyone who fears the Lord. Now, the psalmist in this text was describing the person who was also physically blessed. The spiritual blessings, beloved, would be sufficient if that were all of the blessings in Christ. But the blessings of the covenant are not only spiritual blessings, but they include physical blessings also. So the psalmist says in verse two, quote, when you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, you will be happy and it will be well with you. Certainly this verse reminds us of the verses of Deuteronomy 28 verses 1 through 14, which took Israel about many of the physical blessings and the many spiritual blessings that were promised to Israel when they were faithful to their covenant obligations. I hope that maybe tonight you can finish reading that. We don't want to have time, maybe a little longer, to read Deuteronomy 28 verses 1 through 14. It is marvelous. I hope you take time to read that, Deuteronomy 28 verses 1 through 14, maybe tonight before you go to bed or very soon. Keep going. in Deuteronomy 28, 1 through 14, and grant that the member of this congregation can understand those blessings, physical blessings, in those verses. Although the main blessings of the covenant are not physical, Certainly, in any real view of the unity and continuity of the covenant brings with it the assurance that there are physical blessings that attend the covenant grace, whether in the Old Testament economy or in the New Testament economy also. Now, the commentator, Mr. Plummer, wrote, quote, all about what we're saying about that physical blessings. This whole psalm in contradicts the slander of such as deny that godliness is profitable. God's people get not their portion here. but they'll obtain foretastes of heaven in God's blessings on their basket and store on their souls and on their families more. This is what Paul wrote in Philippians 4 verse 19, quote, and my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. At the very least, there is in verse two of our text the promise that in work done by the people of God, there will be a certain satisfaction and a certain feeling of fulfillment. And the reason that was given elsewhere in scripture was that those who were making the ascent up to Jerusalem, that is, those who really trusted the Lord and those who really served the Lord, did their work, whatever their work might be, and their purpose was to serve for the glory of God. And it didn't matter whether that work was digging a ditch or watching a sermon. Beloved, consider the work of a reformed woodworker during the late 1600s and during the 1700s. The woodworker would work hard to make the nicest and the best item. But why? Did a woodworker there do this best to get rich, or Did he do his best to glorify God? Remember what Deuteronomy 18.12 said, quote, the Lord will open for you his good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand. But this is also what verse 1.2 here in Deuteronomy 28 says, quote, Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments, which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God. What about you? Why do you go to work? Do you go to work to make money, or do you go to glorify God? Put it together. Which is more important, the same thing, either maybe painting houses, mowing lawns, selling insurance? What do you work, and why, once again? Do you go to work to make money, or do you go to glorify God? Let me say that again. God blesses the believer who works when a believer is truly motivated not to be praised or to be paid well, but when the believer truly has the desire to glorify God in all that he does. That was known as, quote, the Puritan work ethic. and it was known that God blessed work when the motive for the work was to glorify God. Further, there is a blessedness that comes from the believing and trusting covenant family. This is what the text tells us in verse 3, quote, your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive plants around your table. The reason for that blessedness is once again that the covenant family is aware of its covenant obligations and earnestly endeavors to fulfill those obligations. Particularly, is that true of the covenant father? O Beloved, because that is true, the other members of the covenant family must be trained up by teaching, and the covenant family must be trained up by example, and the covenant family must earnestly endeavor to fulfill their covenant obligations this well. This is the expression of the delight that fills the heart of the believing traveler making the ascent up to the spiritual Jerusalem. That is, the true believer's heart is marvelously filled with delight as he travels up to the local church and as he travels up to heaven. Well, that was the first point. Here's the second point. Secondly, the believing traveler walks in Jehovah God's ways. Now we're looking at verse 4. The psalmist in this text was describing the person who obeys Jehovah's laws. The psalmist indeed described the person who obeys the Lord and who particularly obeys God's laws. Once again, read what the psalmist said in verse 1 again. How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. There is a parallelism here between the last and the first part of verse 1, and now in verse 4, which says, quote, Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. That which is being taught is that which we have seen so often in the Psalms of ascent and elsewhere in Scripture also. That is, that real trust in the Lord is much, much more than only a mental ascent to the principles or even truths. Real trust of the Lord affects everything, and particularly the way one lives. to trust in the Lord with all of your heart has to result in living in obedience to God's word and to doing all, all for God's glory. This is what Jesus taught us in John's 14 verse 15, quote, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. Well, keep going. The psalmist in this text was describing the person who fulfills the covenantal responsibilities. We have already seen in this text that the blessings and the fulfilling of covenant obligations are linked together. One aspect of this is to fulfill vows taken, that is, membership vows. wedding vows, baptismal vows. O Beloved, fulfilling our vows results in blessedness in the family and results in blessedness in the church. The reason for that is that the fulfilling of those vows is merely the application of biblical teaching to the various areas of life. and obeying a biblical teaching is the fulfilling of covenant obligation. This is one of the covenant blessings that the Holy Spirit has inspired the promises in the scriptures in Proverbs 3, verses 1 and 2. Quote, my son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments. for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you." That was the expression of the delight that filled the heart of the believing traveler who made the ascent up to the real Jerusalem. Oh, beloved, this is the marvelous expression of delight that fills the heart of the believing traveler who makes the ascent up to the spiritual Jerusalem, that is, the local church, every Sunday. And this is the glorious expression of delight who makes the ascent up to the celestial Jerusalem, and that is heaven. Well, that's the second point. Here's the third point. And the third point is, the believing traveler will see Jerusalem blessed. Now we're looking at verses five and six. The psalmists in this text were describing the person who will see Jerusalem blessed with good. Notice what the context of this psalm, that is, verse one is, that the blessing of the man who fears the Lord with a truly godly fear and trust will result in his life being affected, that is, he walks in the ways of the Lord. There have always been the remnant of those who feared the Lord and walked in his ways The point being made here is that covenant blessing is blessing upon the covenant community and not primarily the Lord's dealing with individuals, although that is not totally excluded. Notice again, beloved, that the point being made here is that covenant blessing is blessing upon the covenant community and not primarily the Lord's dealing with individuals. Do you understand the praise? The covenant community? The phrase, again, quote, the covenant community refers to a group who is organized on the basis of the covenant, maybe either technically or not technically organized. That group called the covenant community could be a family, a church, or even a denomination. What is spoken of here, however, is what the community of the covenant sees when the community as a whole is characterized by a faith that results in their walking in the ways of the Lord. Then the promises of the covenant upon the community will be fulfilled such as Verse 5 says about that very thought of that covenant ground here called Zion, the Lord said, verse 5, the Lord shall bless thee out of Zion, and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. These are promises that the believing traveler who is making the ascent up to Jerusalem truly delights in the promises in that verse, that is, verse 5. The psalmist of Zion used the language that reminded the pious Jew of the place of the temple in the presence of God, and that is Yahweh. Also, that language so speaks to the believer today of the spiritual Jerusalem and the heavenly Jerusalem, that is, the church and especially of heaven itself. All of the blessings of the person making the ascent up to Jerusalem are ultimately identified with the church and with God's presence upon the earth and in heaven. The blessing of good upon Jerusalem is seeing the church prosper and God's people more and more learning to trust in him and to walk in his ways. And that is a glorious blessing for the people of God. For they love the church, and so they can sing lustily from the heart, I love thy kingdom, Lord. Several years ago when I was preaching in California, we used this hymn, and there I would read when we had this. But sometimes just reading these words seems kind of a more, I don't know, doesn't seem to quite so well. So I want to do something, I don't do this very often either, but this is quite different. I really want you, as it said a moment ago, that you should be sing lustily and to think about that, really think about it when we hear that. Let's do it. Let's sing Hymn 405, together. You don't have to stand up. We'll sit down. That's good. Listen to this in lustily and joy, knowing that we love the church because we love the kingdom. 405. I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thine abode. The church, our blessed Redeemer, said with his own precious blood. I love thy church, O God. Her walls before thee stand, dear as the apple of thine eye, engraven on thy hand. For her my tears shall fall. For her my prayers ascend, To her my cares and tares begin, Till toils and cares shall end. Beyond my heartless joy, I praise her heavenly ways, Her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise. Jesus, thy friend divine, our Saviour and our King, thy hand from every snare and for thy cheap deliverance bring. Sure as thy truth shall last, to Zion shall begin. The greatest glory's earth shall yield, and brighter blessed of him. Oh, I like hymning in the middle of the singing. That's very interesting. But think about that. glorious thing to love the church. Such it is. Keep going. And so, beloved, seeing that which the people of God truly love, the prosperity of the church, causes the people of God to rejoice because they love whatever Jehovah God himself loves. Do you now understand that for the believing traveler, the prosperity of the Church is their heart's delight? O Beloved, do you truly understand that for the believing traveler, the prosperity of the Church is your heart's true delight? The psalmist in this text was describing the person who will see Jerusalem blessed with peace. O Beloved, this is how the psalmist described the physical Jerusalem and the spiritual Jerusalem, and that the celestial Jerusalem will be blessed in verse 6. Quote, Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children and peace upon Israel. To see one's children's children is to be blessed with children, and with old age, as the Proverbs 17 verse 6 says, quote, children's children are the crown of old men. But more, the promise is that when the people of God are trusting Jehovah and are walking in his ways, that is, in this context, raising their children in the instruction and discipline of the Lord, they will see the covenant promises being poured out on the following generations with the result that the church continues to grow and the church continues to enjoy peace. There is a connection between all of these wonderful psalms. For instance, you must remember Psalm 122. That is, verse 6 through 9, which we studied several weeks ago. This is what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 120, verse 6 through 9, quote, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls and prosperity within your palaces. For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, may peace be within you. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good. First, here you have the prayer and the promise of the believing traveler making the ascent up to Jerusalem. And secondly, you have the promise of Jehovah God upon the perseverance and the faithfulness of the one making the ascent to the physical Jerusalem, making the ascent up to the spiritual Jerusalem that is the local church, and making the ascent up to that celestial Jerusalem which is heaven. O Beloved, you must enjoy and fully understand what glorious promises that are in the Covenant. And Beloved, you must fully understand and obey those awesome Covenant obligations. Oh, how much do we need to depend on the faithfulness of Jehovah? And how much do we need to seek His grace? And how much do we need the Holy Spirit to enable us to make progress in that covenant faithfulness? Finally, beloved, that covenant faithfulness results in blessing upon blessing. That covenant faithfulness results in blessing upon our families. That covenant faithfulness results in blessing on our children. That covenant faithfulness results in blessing on our children's children. And that covenant faithfulness results in blessing upon our church as we make the arduous ascent up to Jerusalem, that is, even up to that heavenly Jerusalem. Amen. Let's pray. Father, Thank you, Father, that every true believer is truly blessed, because you teach us to fear you, and you've taught us to receive many spiritual blessings and also many physical blessings also. Father, teach us to truly trust you with all our hearts, and teach us to do all for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.