Psalms 134:1 NIVUK
[1] Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord.
There are sights in this world that are glorious to some people, but that leave others cold and indifferent.
One sight that always lifts my spirit is the lights of Mactan and Cebu islands as my plane banks to prepare for arrival at Mactan airport.
Why does it mean so much to me?
Because to get there I will have been on the road for at least a full day. I will be exhausted. I will be longing for a comfortable bed. Those lights signify my arrival in a country that I love – the Philippines - in a place that I love – Cebu. They also represent a good hotel, a comfortable night’s sleep and heading on to my in-law’s village the next day.
Those lights represent home.
You may wonder why I’m talking about that here.
This Psalm was the last of the Psalms of Ascent – the Psalms sung by pilgrims as they journeyed to Jerusalem. This song appears to have been sung at a very special time.
And I want you to imagine it.
You have journeyed for hundreds of miles, at least, probably on foot, possibly by donkey.
You have finally reached the city walls. It’s late in the evening. Darkness has fallen. The guard let’s you through the city gates. You make your way through the dimly lit city streets on your way to your accommodation.
As you draw closer to the hill around which the city is constructed, you see light: bright light, brighter than the torches in any of the streets, streaming out from the windows of the largest structure in the city. And then you hear a sound: a beautiful, joyous, melodious sound.
The light you see is the light from the Temple.
The sound you hear is the sound of worship.
Your heart soars with joy. After so much time spent among those who do not worship God or have any regard for Him (see Psalm 120:5-7), you have finally made it. You are among the people of God.
You are home.
That is the picture of these verses.
And what a glorious picture!
The first thing I want you to notice here is what is happening in that Temple. That is, The Task.
The priests and worship leaders were uniquely privileged, but also had a difficult task:
Exodus 27:20-21 NIVUK
[20] ‘Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. [21] In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.
Leviticus 24:2-4 NIVUK
[2] ‘Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. [3] Outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. [4] The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord must be tended continually.
The lamps had to remain trimmed and burning 24/7. They could not go out. No matter the darkness in the rest of the city, there had to be light in the Temple.
Let's make no bones about it – that would not be an easy job. It could be why priests retired relatively early (Numbers 4:3, 8:23-26).
Night shifts are very hard work. Human beings were not made to work through the night. It disrupts our Circadian rhythms. It isn’t healthy. My father worked a lot of night shifts. I personally believe it was a contributory factor in why he died so young, aged 48. I’ve worked late into the night, but not through the night. I learned my lesson from him.
However, they didn’t always do this job as they should. We read these often overlooked words around the call of Samuel:
1 Samuel 3:3 NIVUK
[3] The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Now, there are serious questions here about how a young boy, not even from the tribe of Levi, came to be anywhere near the Ark of God, but we also see that Eli, as High Priest, allowed the lamp of God to go out each night, something he wasn’t supposed to do.
This wasn’t the worst sin that was committed in the Temple (see 1 Samuel 2:12-17 and 22-25 to see lurid descriptions of far worse) but it was highly symbolic.
The light was indeed going out in the Tabernacle, in more ways than one.
These lights would have had a very special function: they would help the watchmen who guarded the Temple to prevent impure things from entering and defiling it. So although the job of maintaining them could be laborious and tiring, it was very important that it was done.
So having seen the task these men were carrying out – as well as how challenging it was – we also see The Encouragement in this Psalm for them:
Psalms 134:1-2 NIVUK
[1] Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. [2] Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.
This is an encouragement to worship God. Despite the darkness despite the threat. Despite the tough requirements of the job. Despite the tiredness.
The Psalmist calls on these men to lift up their heads and their hands and their voices in worship to God.
But why?
Because, in the midst of their hardship, they need to remember three things:
· Who God is
· Who they are
· Why they do what they do
Worship – good quality worship – reminds us of these three things.
That’s why we see these admonitions later in the New Testament:
Ephesians 6:7-8 NIVUK
[7] Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, [8] because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
Colossians 3:23-24 NIVUK
[23] Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, [24] since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
1 Corinthians 10:31 NIVUK
[31] So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
The Psalmist is exhorting men with a difficult, challenging, and at times, risky, job to do it wholeheartedly, despite their situation, and to praise God while they do it.
But what difference will that make to them?
My wife works for an accounting firm. Sometimes she has work to do that is time-consuming, but relatively mundane – like receipt and invoice scanning or data entry. During those times, when her head is not buried in detailed and important analysis, she plays Christian music in her office (some days she is there alone). This enables her to worship as she works, lifts her head and her heart out of the work she is doing and is a positive witness to her colleagues – none of whom are professing Christians.
The exhortation, the encouragement, to these men was to do the same, with the huge mental, spiritual and emotional benefits this would entail.
If we jump thousands of years forward, we see two other men praising God in the darkness:
Acts 16:25-26 NIVUK
[25] About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. [26] Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.
Perhaps one of the reasons why our darkness is so dark and our struggles are so tough is because we are not carrying out the Psalmist’s advice: we are not praising God in the darkness.
As well as the task and the encouragement, lastly we see The Dénouement – that is, what results from this:
Psalms 134:3 NIVUK
[3] May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.
What could this mean?
Well, the priests and Levites received their living from the Temple (Numbers 18:21, and throughout the sacrificial instructions in Leviticus). The sacrifices and offerings that came into the Temple largely (particularly the food offerings) came from in and around the city of Jerusalem – Zion. So yes, those working in the Temple were always being ‘blessed from Zion’.
But this seems to be a special blessing. It's as if the Psalmist is asking for God to send them a special blessing, over and above what they would normally receive.
This isn’t time and a half, or double time on high holidays. This is not just a contractual entitlement. This is an extra freewill offering from the plenty God had provided to those who thoroughly deserve it.
The Psalmist is praying that these men working so hard in the Temple would receive an extra blessing from God. Their efforts and struggles are being recognised.
And that is something very special.
So this short Psalm has been something of a TED talk on enduring hardship.
We see the task these men had, and recognised it’s challenges and difficulties.
We see the encouragement they were given to praise God in the darkness, and how this would help them endure.
We see the dénouement, when their efforts were recognised by the Psalmist and he called for a special blessing from God for them.
Before electric incandescent lighting came along, men used to be employed to walk along streets and light oil lamps and candles to provide light. In some cities, they also performed the role of night watchmen. Their job was essential. It kept people safe.
Whether we know it or not, people are watching us: both when we are at our best and at our worst. Our task is to be light for them:
Matthew 5:14-16 NIVUK
[14] ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
We can do this by praising God and working for Him, unhindered by the darkness outside our window.
On a dark winter’s evening, coming home from work, the lights of home were always so welcoming to me.
There are many today who are wearied by their journey through life.
We can be light to them. We can bring them a blessing.
And in doing so, we will be blessed ourselves.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to realise the importance of praising You, even in the darkest of nights, until the dawn breaks. Help me to be a light for others who are struggling, I pray. Amen.
Questions
1. What is so special about thus Psalm? When was it sung?
2. Why was it important that the lamps in the Temple remained lit?
3. Why did the Psalmist call upon the men who ministered in the Temple to praise the Lord? What can we learn from this?
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