Children: Jehovah's Heritage

Minister:	Rev. Ronald Van Overloop
Date:	7/6/2014 PM
Text:	Psalm 127:3
Psalters:	411, 230, 344, 359
Sacrament of Baptism

What is given.
1. The figures of speech.
  1. ?Heritage? is an inheritance.
  2. A ?reward? is usually a payment earned, but when it is given by God, then it cannot be of debt but of grace.
2. Our text declares that the children of believers are this heritage and reward.
  1. Context: there can be no thought of recompense to harmonize with the thought of God?s sovereign control (1, 2).
  2. Having children and having godly ones (siblings of Christ) are gifts of the heavenly Father.
  3. Regenerate persons are a reward to Christ, of His sufferings and death (Isa. 53:10,11).
To whom is this heritage/reward given?
1. The recipients are variously described.
  1. First, they are those who are active in building and watching, but do so consciously dependent on the Jehovah (1).
  2. Second, they are the ?Beloved? of Jehovah (2).
2. This describes every member of the church: singles and childless couples as much as child-rearing couples.
  1. That this is true is evident from the use of the plural: ?children.?
  2. Children are given to the church as an organism and as a whole.
The consequent responsibility.
1. First, we are to view children as evidence of God?s care.
  1. Negatively, we are not to look at the children and young people God has given to the church.
  2. Positively we are to see them as gifts by which Jehovah makes us rich: olive plants indicate prosperity (Ps. 128:3).
2. Second, we are therefore to raise them in His fear, to His glory, and for their salvation.
  1. We all are called to show them Jehovah?s love and law (arising out of His love).
  2. We all are called to show them Jehovah in every circumstance and at every point of life.
3. Third, we concretely learn to pray ceaselessly for God to build and guard the house of the church in which we all labor.