Psalm 134: Clean hands, praising hearts

A song of ascents.

[Preliminary Comments: This fifteenth and final very short psalm of ascents, concludes the ascent with worship and praise.]

v.1 Worship at the end of the day is especially precious

v.1 Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
    who minister by night in the house of the Lord.

v.2 Come open-handed with mouths full of praise

v.2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
    and praise the Lord.

v.3 As you come like this, may our Creator bless you

v.3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
    he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.

[Additional Comments: There is discussion about who the ‘servants’ are in v.1. They may be the priests on the evening shift, or they may just be the pilgrims coming to the end of the day of their pilgrimage, coming to serve, minister and just worship God. Lifting hands is a sign of presenting open, empty hands for inspection by God, a sign of coming with vulnerability and accountability as the heart worships [v.2]. From this place, in the presence of the Lord, people of God may expect to receive the blessing of God. Worship is a two-way activity. The believer offers themselves to God in humility and in return He decrees goodness over them.

After perhaps going back and meditating on individual verses, now read it meaningfully out loud straight through

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.

3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
    he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: