Into The Breach – Christian Fatherhoodနမူနာ

Day 2 — A full quiver

Read: Psalm 127:1-5

The Bible attaches great dignity and value to the role of the father and establishing a family. In Hebrew, to build a “house” has a double meaning: not only to construct a dwelling but also to form a household or family (v. 1 NABRE). So, the psalm is about God’s hidden but decisive involvement in a man’s creating a family and home. Whether in family life or civic life, God must be the unseen Lord, without whom our human plans and efforts are worthless. Without denying the value of human exertion, God also urges men to limit their ambition and to find rest and contentment (v. 2). 

The psalmist says that children are a “gift” from God (v. 3 NABRE). The Hebrew word also means “inheritance.” Yes, our children may inherit our estate from us, but we inherit our children from God. While they may be grateful to us, we must be grateful to God for them. While it might seem peculiar to say that one’s children are like “arrows,” truly one is blessed who has “filled his quiver with them” (vv. 4-5 NABRE). The “gate” of the city was the place of gathering and the place where legal decisions were argued. Children were presented there to offer legal support for a father in the case of a lawsuit and as evidence that one had been blessed by God. When a father contends with his foes at the city gate, the one who has many children is advantaged, just as a warrior is advantaged with a quiver full of arrows.

Although the psalm sings out God’s blessings for fathers who have many children, biblical verses are not the last word on any subject. God also shows compassion to infertile couples in the Bible and offers assurances to those who create in other ways besides having children. Finally, the decisive factor in every life is trust in the providence of God. 

REFLECT: How can I discover the right balance of faith and work in my efforts at fatherhood?  

PRAY: O God, whose providence blesses your people with all things good, may I praise you for my home and family, for my accomplishment and plans, for all that I have and all that I am.