Tomorrow is the second Sabbath following the Feast of Tabernacles, which has traditionally been set aside for the Blessing of Little Children.

It is such a fantastic tradition that we have in the Church of God, taking the time to recognize God and His role in the lives of our youth, and to take the time to thank Him for the incredible blessing which our children are to us. 

Psalm 127 discusses the incredible blessing of children - as the psalmist was inspired to record: 

    1      Unless the LORD builds the house,
    They labor in vain who build it;
    Unless the LORD guards the city,
    The watchman stays awake in vain.

The blessing of little children takes the opportunity to acknowledge this aspect. The word House in Hebrew is the word, 'bayit'. Which translates as dwelling place, tent, dwelling, house, etc.. this same root word is used frequently with slightly different morphology to describe the family of a person, for example, 'The House of Jacob", or as Joshua stated, 'but as for me and my house.."

So, while it physically describes a house in various contexts, it also figuratively describes that which is within the walls of that house, the family itself. The entirety of the house, the people, it's holdings, etc.

God must be an integral part of this process of building the house, an integral part of the family. For it is He who blesses it, and He who guards it - without God's protection, we can watch, but it is in vain.

    2      It is vain for you to rise up early,
    To sit up late,
    To eat the bread of sorrows;
    For so He gives His beloved sleep.

God is with His beloved, and allows them peace, and calm - as they have faith and trust in His promises. Of his providence and blessing. He gives his beloved sleep - a sleep which none of our own efforts in protecting ourselves can provide.

One of those blessings is enumerated in the next couple of passages. Children.

    3      Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
    The fruit of the womb is a reward.
    4      Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
    So are the children of one’s youth.
    5      Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
    They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate

Children are an inheritance from God, an incredible blessing. They are like arrows in the hand of a warrior, and happy is the man who has his quiver full. 

One of the greatest joys man can experience is parenthood. Having the opportunity to share in the first moments of life, the first splashing in puddles, first fish, first taste of ice cream (or frozen yogurt), there are so many experiences that you can have in the third person which are an incredible opportunity.

Additionally - as we help to guide these small humans, we have a chance to see how God sees us in the moments when we stubbornly put our foot down and decide we wish to exert our own will. As parents sometimes we have to help guide our children in the appropriate way to go, which requires a degree of discipline. Whatever form that might take, it helps us understand more about how God sees us. 

In addition to thanking God for the blessing of these children, the Blessing of Little Children acknowledges that we are raising these children in a society that is hostile to God and His ways, and that these little ones will need His help and assistance to navigate this world safely, building a relationship with Him as they grow.

I'm excited for tomorrow and the opportunity to share in this with all of the congregation and the parents. 

Have a wonderful Sabbath!