- Read Psalm 134 from the ESV.
- Read my Psalm 134 poem from A New Song.
Even though Psalm 134 is the final Psalm of Ascent, I think it is appropriate to see it as a new beginning. When we arrive at the top of a set of stairs our climb is finished, but we are also just beginning a new experience at the next level. But before we see what awaits us at the top of the Psalms of Ascent, let’s take a moment and look back to see what where we came from.
If you have the time, re-read Psalms 120-134. Ignore the chapter markers and chapter headings and just read the poetry. I think you will find that the poets begin by stating the oppression they were under from enemies (120), then they acknowledge that only God can save them (123), only God can restore them (126), and only God can forgive them (130). They conclude standing in the presence of all those who love God (133) and praising the Lord forever (134). The reason these are called Psalms of Ascent is that they trace a path from the pit of oppression all the way to the heights of praise in the presence of God.
With that in mind, I think we will see that Psalm 134, as short as it is, packs quite a bit into its few words. The first thing I see is the fact that Psalm 134 is solely focused on praising the Lord. Everyone who is God’s servant and everyone who ministers in his house are called to raise their hands and praise the Lord.
The next thing I see is that the word “LORD” is written using all CAPS. This means we are not speaking of just any lord over people, but THE covenant-making God of the Israelites. Anytime the word “LORD” is found in the Old Testament, we should note that it refers to Yahweh, Jehovah, THE covenant-maker with Abraham and David. It is the Old Testament’s way of showing us that as he has given us his name he has also promisee that he will redeem his people.
Next, we see in Psalm 134 that the LORD has a very real and tangible seat of authority on this earth. He does not reign in some ethereal location beyond our perception, but he reigns in Zion, on the mount where the temples have been built and where Jerusalem stands. It is from Zion, a real place in time and space, that the LORD will bless his people living on the face of the earth.
We also see told that the LORD is the maker of heaven and earth. He is not some impotent “god” humanity created to help them endure a time of self-indulgent need, rather he is THE God who created us for the sole reason that he loves us.
And, if we look forward to Psalm 135 and 136 we will find them to be praise psalms also, meaning that praise does not end in Psalm 134 — it is just getting started. It could be said that Psalm 134 is just the beginning of eternal praise. I am reminded of the words of C.S. Lewis at the end of The Last Battle where Lewis writes, “For them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
The Psalms of Ascent culminates with God’s followers praising God for all he has done: creating us, redeeming us, and reconciling us to himself. There is nothing greater than this for which we can sing praises. But, before we close, I think there is one other observation to be made from Psalm 134 and it is, I believe, quite a doozy.
Good poets carefully choose their words so as to say exactly what they want to say. They labor over the right words to set the proper tone and convey the exact feeling and message they desire. The psalmists are no exception. They wrote poetry, and poetry of the best kind because their poems were inspired by God. And so, as we read this psalm of praise carefully, we should notice that the psalmist has the servants of the Lord standing in the temple at night. I wonder why the author doesn’t have the people praising God during the day? Why not have the sun shining and all around be bright? The people are, at any rate, singing his praise. But why is his praise being sung in the night?
I’m sure there are many answers to this question, but the one that seems the most fitting to me in the scope of the whole book of Psalms is that by using “night” in Psalm 134 the psalmist tells us that our story is not yet complete: there is another chapter…or more! Looking ahead to Psalms 137 through 144 we find some laments and dark themes. But why would those exist after we reach the heights of God’s praise?
I think it is possible that by using “night” the psalmist wants us to realize that even after returning to God, this life still holds troubles for us. It is possible that by using the word “night” the psalmist points forward to a time when it will actually be the day in the house of the Lord. It is possible that by using the word “night” the psalmist encourages us to maintain our praise even in the darkness while waiting for the Lord’s eternal light. It is even possible that John, the author of Revelation, thought of the word “night” in Psalm 134 when he wrote that, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (Revelation 21:22-27)
And I think it is also possible – even certain – that upon turning to God from our exile in sin or suffering we will respond in praise. But the praise we offer in this current darkness is merely a small foretaste of the eternal praise to come. Praise the LORD!
