Psalms of Ascents - Program 9
Psalm 134
We now come to the last of the fifteen Songs of Ascents sung by pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem to worship God in the Temple. Imagine the scene - the pilgrims, men women and children had been travelling for some time, steadily going up from the valleys to Mount Zion. They are no doubt tired, but full of excitement at reaching their goal. It is evening, the darkness is descending on the City they are approaching, on the surrounding hills and on the Temple, towering above the walls of the city. Inside the Temple the priests and Levites, their assistants, are going about their nightly duties preparing the evening sacrifices:
“Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth bless you from Zion”.
In the first book of Chronicles in the Old Testament, chapter nine and verses 22 to 34, there is a list of duties for the priests and Levites in the Temple. Morning and evening as the animal sacrifices were offered, the Levites had to stand “to thank and praise the Lord”. Some of the Levites had the duty of being the gatekeepers in the Temple, to guard the Temple from intruders. We read: “they would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it, they had charge of the key for opening it each morning” (verse 27). Others were in charge of the articles used in the Temple sacrifices, others were musicians and others were exempt from duties as such but seem to have been supervisors for “they were responsible for the work day and night” v33. The priests and Levites had to make sure that the burnt offering was to remain on the altar throughout the night till the morning with the fire kept alive on the altar (Leviticus chapter 6 verse 8). It is to these priests and Levites on night duty that the incoming pilgrims sing as here in this Psalm: “Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord.
This is a wonderful word picture of what it means to be a Christian. A Christian’s chief duty is to give thanks and praise to God. It was Martin Luther the German reformer in the 16th Century who reminded us of the Biblical truth that all true believers are priests who have to keep alive sacrifices of praise to God night and day. Christians are called to praise God in the dark watches of the night as well as in the day; not just in words, but in deeds. When things go wrong as we seem in darkness we can still praise God for his goodness.
The pilgrims say also to these priests in the Temple: “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord”, verse 2. The lifting up of the hands in worship is a Biblical way of exalting God, acknowledging his greatness and putting ourselves at his service. The final verse in the Song of Ascents is a prayer made by the Pilgrims to the faithful priests and Levites in the Temple ministering in the night watches.: “May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion”. This prayer will be answered for all faithful pilgrims who set their hearts on journeying to God. The One who made this universe will bless you and there could be no greater blessing than that.
The Temple in Jerusalem is no more, but what it stands for, the presence of God on earth, is here wherever Christ is received and loved. Our pilgrimage is not to a literal Temple of stones and wood, but to the very heart of God himself brought to us in the Person of Jesus Christ.
The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews says to his Christian readers:
“You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.” (Hebrews chapter 12 verse 22). Have you come that far? Have you joined the pilgrimage which is journeying to the Father’s House? You can do so right now as you listen, by turning to Christ for forgiveness of your sins and then, having that burden of sin taken off your shoulders, journey on in faith and joy. We invite you to come.