A Public Service Announcement

Psalm 127:1-5

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for he gives sleep to his beloved. 3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Numerous cities throughout the U.S. enacted new curfew regulations in response to civil disturbances and riots during the summer of 1967. New York City, which was significantly impacted by the Newark riots, was one of the largest urban areas affected. Mel Epstein, the Director of On-Air Promotions at WNEW-TV in New York, instituted a phrase that summer to remind parents to keep their kids off the streets. News anchor Tom Gregory began incorporating a question to open each episode of his program, Faces and Places in the News. At 10 PM, he posed a serious concern that resonated within households: “It's 10 PM. Do you know where your children are?" This unsettling phrase, introduced just prior to the local news segment, was later humorously imitated by various stand-up comedians, novelty song creators, and horror film posters.

Nonetheless, its initial purpose was rather grave. When The 10 O’clock News succeeded the previous program, the on-air and behind-the-scenes personnel changed, but the catchphrase persisted. This engaging question, along with others like “Give a hoot, don’t pollute,” “This is your brain on drugs,” “Only you can prevent forest fires,” “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk,” “Help take a bite out of crime,” and my personal favorite, “…and knowing is half the battle,” are public service announcements that were designed to keep the collective mind of society focused on the things that could, and often did, impact the lives of everyday citizens. The thing about the PSA is that it didn’t point fingers or accuse anyone of being a deviant or un-American. They were, for the most part, designed to be positive and assume the target audience wanted to be a good person.

Conformity and safety are the goals of any safe and prosperous society. My generation, Generation X, is often referred to as the last feral generation. We grew up in good homes but with little oversight as long as we did not get caught doing something considered nefarious. Such catchy PSAs often reminded us of the dangers we most certainly put ourselves into, being unsupervised as we were. I was usually a designated driver. I remember not wanting my brain to look like a fried egg. Most importantly, I learned to put my trash in a proper trashcan and often pick up litter that didn’t make it into the receptacle. Those PSAs from my youth did have a positive impact on me, and I, in turn, passed on those ideas to my children. The notion of public training like this did not originate in the 20th century. We see it in our lesson today in Psalm 127, also known as a “Wisdom Psalm.”

Psalm 127 is the middle of the 15 Psalms, known as the “Song of Ascents.” It is attributed to Solomon. (Robertson, 2015) The 15 Psalms were given this moniker because traveling to Jerusalem from any direction required ascending hills. Every Israelite made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem once a year to offer a sacrifice at the temple. Psalms 120 through 134 are songs that pilgrims sang on their way to the temple. They reveal common thanksgivings for the blessings of God that are memorable, such as, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord” (Ps. 121) and “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.” (Ps. 125). There are also wisdom sayings like, “O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem” (Ps. 130).

Psalm 127 is unique in that it is more of a proverb, a wisdom saying in the form of a public service announcement. It is a reminder of how important it is to recognize God is in control of our fate and fortunes. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for he gives sleep to his beloved” (Ps.127:1-2). Here is a reminder of the vanity of thinking that anything you do in life is worth doing if you are not doing it for God’s glory. All your work, the hours, the lack of sleep, the planning; none of it will last. But when you do God’s work and discern your role in God’s will, you will be given peace and be able to rest. This is no ordinary rest but a sabbath rest, a peaceful rest provided by God. Received by the righteous who follow His will. This is all of Israel calling out to others on the road to Jerusalem, singing, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk… and knowing is half the battle.” It is a warning, but it is also uplifting and inspiring because it encourages others to seek God in all that they do.

This psalm uses the Hebrew word Bayit, translated as “house.” (Interlinear Bible: Psalm 127, 2024). Like so many Hebrew words, it holds multiple meanings. In the context of this Psalm, Bayit has two meanings. 1. The physical dwelling place that we live in. Our goal should not be to have the biggest house on the block, the most comfortable one on the block, or even the most secure house. To strive for these things may not be sinful in and of themselves, but to do so without first making your home for God’s glory makes all your work in vain. Remember what Joshua said, “…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15).

This brings us to the second meaning of the word. Joshua, for example, is the leader of the physical house and sets the priority for everyone in that structure. I remember my dad saying, “If you live under my roof… you live by my rules.” The people who live in the Bayit are also a “house,” such as the House of Joshua, the House of David, or the House of Solomon. I believe the saying is, as the head of the house goes, so goes the people in the house. “Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” (Ps. 127:6). Your family is the house you build that extends your legacy beyond your lifespan. If you have built a house that does not follow God’s will, it will crumble. Imagine this PSA being sung by a group of pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. Imagine the poetic nature of a song, the wisdom of this proverb, warning people to keep their house focused on serving God. It is reminiscent of the news anchor Tom Gregory asking, “It’s 10 PM. Do you know where your children are?”

We have all had conversations about “The good old days.” We reminisce about how things were so much better than they are now. While I believe that we romanticize some of it a little, I think that if we got back to the practice of giving each other encouragement through public service announcements, we might make the world a little better. As Christians, we should learn from the “Song of Ascents” the lesson of working toward the will of God in all that we do, and by the example of this set of psalms, it wouldn’t hurt us to encourage others to do the same. Maybe then, in our homes, which focus on God’s will, we may receive from God a peaceful sleep and Sabbath rest.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Works Cited

Interlinear Bible: Psalm 127. (2024, Nov. 8.). Retrieved from Biblehub.com: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/psalms/127.htm

Johnson, N. (2023, Aug. 2). 10 Memorable PSAs That Attempted to Save Generation X. Retrieved Nov. 2024, from Mentalfloss.com: https://www.mentalfloss.com/mary-jane-shoes-name-origins

NRSVue. (2022). NRSVue Holy Bible with Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Pacheco, G. (n.d.). Top 10 Best PSAs of All Time. Retrieved Nov. 2024, from Watch Mojo: https://www.watchmojo.com/articles/top-10-best-psas-of-all-time

Robertson, P. (2015). The Flow of the Psalms. Phillipsburg, NJ.: P&R Publishing.

Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., J. (n.d.). The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishing Group.

The Origin of "It's 10 PM. Do You Know Where Your Children Are?" | Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/30945/origin-its-10-pm-do-you-know-where-your-children-are