Psalm 134 — Night Watchmen — Aneel Aranha

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

Psalm 134 is the last in the collection of short psalms known as the Songs of Ascents. This psalm emphasizes praising and blessing the Lord, which beautifully encapsulates the spirit of worship and reverence found in this entire collection.

The psalmist begins by singing: Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. This imagery of the night watch is intriguing. Why the emphasis on the night? And what can we learn from it?

The night watchmen in the temple had a unique role. While the world slept, they remained awake and vigilant, ensuring the temple's sanctity and safety. Theirs was a quiet, often solitary duty. Still, they could experience a profound closeness to God in the stillness of the night. The psalmist recognizes this and calls them to use this unique position to bless the Lord.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read about shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks at night when an angel appeared to them with the good news of Jesus' birth (see Luke 2:8). Like the temple watchmen, these shepherds were awake in the quiet hours, performing a task that might have seemed mundane or even thankless. Yet, in the stillness of the night, it was to them that the glory of the Lord shone around, and they were entrusted with the first announcement of the Savior's birth.

Blessing God, especially in the quiet, unseen hours, is an intimate expression of devotion and reverence. We can all do it. And the psalmist assures us that blessing God elicits a blessing in return from the Maker of all things. Right through Scripture, we find the act of blessing is a two-way street. It is a reciprocal act, where blessing God and others loops back, showering the blesser with divine favor and recognition. 

Do you want to be blessed by blessing others? We pray for hundreds of brothers and sisters each week in the House of Prayer. We have sessions on Zoom every Wednesday and Sunday. If you want to join us, please WhatsApp "JOIN" to +97150 6258365. You'll find the number in the transcript. I hope to see you there.

God bless you.