Psalm 134

Here is the shortest of the Psalms but nevertheless it packs quite a powerful spiritual punch for it’s size because it exhorts the servants of God to be a blessing to the LORD Jehovah: ‘Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.’

As a new Christian in 1981 I can remember driving out west with my wife and three children, singing a praise song that incorporated the first two verses of this beautiful Psalm which is a song that was sung by the Hebrew people as they ascended up to Jerusalem to worship the LORD. One of the songs of degrees referring to the degrees of ascent on their way to worship the LORD at the temple in Jerusalem.

This Psalm also lays credence to the saints gathering in the evening to pray and worship the LORD in song, a Wednesday night tradition here in the Western Hemisphere church, although some choose to meet on other evenings.

However, as taught in I Chronicles 9:33 ‘And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night’ the LORD in that day was worshipped 24/7 as we might say today. Worship was continuous in the temple, and the singing of praises to the LORD was done by those ‘which by night stand in the house of the LORD.’

The last two verses: ‘Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. The LORD that made heaven and earth, bless thee out of Zion’ demonstrate the way in which the LORD was blessed by the lifting up of hands exalting the LORD and emphasizing the holiness of the worshipper.

The New Testament also lays emphasis on the holiness of the one who takes part in this Biblical form of exalting the LORD in hallowed worship: ‘I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (I Timothy 2:8)

The final verse invokes blessing on the one who participates in worshipping the LORD keying in on the LORD’s creative work showing that He is able to bestow the blessing, the LORD Jehovah Who alone can provide blessing to His servants.