1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,

who walk in obedience to him.

2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;

blessings and prosperity will be yours.

3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

within your house;

your children will be like olive shoots

around your table.

4 Yes, this will be the blessing

for the man who fears the Lord.

5 May the Lord bless you from Zion;

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

6 May you live to see your children’s children—

peace be on Israel.

The first verse informs of the blessings that occur to those who fear God and obey Him. Obedience to God’s commands is because we fear God which has to do with the Godly fear where’s he respected, revered, and magnified and glorified as the God of all gods and the Lord of all lords. The blessings will follow to those who obey, so the blessings are conditional based on obedience to the commands of God. This aligns with much of the Old Testament, specifically Deuteronomy where obedience and blessings worked in tandem. Chapter 28 actually lists out incredible blessings for obedience and terrible curses for disobedience.

Verses 2-6 lists out some incredible blessings upon the Israelites when they obey God: They will eat the fruit of their labor (they still have labor and have to work hard — God doesn’t promise an easy life, but a fruitful life), the family will be blessed — (the man is the head of the household and the patriarch in the family — the responsibility of the spiritual life of the family came upon his shoulders), the city will be blessed and prosper probably from security and from trouble from hostile nations. Finally long life is promised especially as they would be able to see their grandchildren, a privilege for any parent. 

Much of the blessings that are promised in the Old Testament are very much based on the land such as the fruit of their labor and peace and security to be on their land. The land from its very beginning was the free gift of Yahweh to His redeemed people from the house of Egypt. From the land of slavery to the promised land where they would enjoy the blessings based upon the promised land.

When we read the New Testament, the Bible doesn’t promise a land and so the blessings in this verse are not directly applicable to Christians. But we are promised Jesus Christ, and the blessings are contingent not on us as we all fail to obey God and do good (Romans 3:23)), but the blessings are based on Christ’ obedience on the cross and to the Father’s will. And so we as believers in Jesus experience the incredible blessings of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Like verse 2 tells of the fruit of our labor, because of the work of the Spirit — we will bear the fruits of God’s Spirit like love, joy, peace, ect…(Gal 5:22-23). That’s such a blessing that the living God dwells in us and we bear incredible fruit! 

Like verse 6 tells of the long life, another blessing in Christ is eternal life that is for us (John 3:36). 

And there are blessings for God’s people as a whole like Israel. 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. -Ephesians 1:3

And Paul outlines very clearly how we, the Chuch, the saints, are blessed we are in Christ Jesus. We are called, chosen before the foundations of the earth, redeemed, adopted, and marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. When we have given our lives to Jesus, there is incredible spiritual blessings that is before us. 

And the greatest reason to obey and fear God is because He offers Himself, the greatest blessing, our friend and savior, soon and coming King, and warrior-like Bridegroom, Jesus Christ!!