"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
For many who serve the Lord Jesus Christ in small ways or in out of the way places, and may have come to feel that their service to God is of no or little value whether it is thru what they perceive or due to the voice of critics who wish to impose a sense of failure upon them. Or , we may perceive ourselves to be forgotten or unappreciated or even abandon by God.
Small Things
If we feel that our service to our Lord is of "little" importance to God , then , we should consider that where our Lord is working it is of eternal value regardless of it's measurable size and recall the words of the Prophet Zechariah which speaks to us of the hidden value in what we perceive a the "unimportant", the "trivial" or the "small".
"Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?" Zech:4:10
The Prophets words are a reminder that in the workings of God regardless as to where or when it occur it is of extreme value in the eyes of God and not to be taken lightly regardless to what the voice of critics might say.
We should thank God when the ministry in this of life bears fruit in abundance , but we should also thank our Lord equally even when harvest is , in "carnal eyes" , small.
Psalm or Psalter
We find in the Book of Psalms, some times called the Psalter, a collection of writings many of which are prayers while many are Hymns and songs of praises to God in the Temple and later in the Synagogues . The Psalter was in part assembled in the Post-Exilic period by those who served at the Temple of God.
The Psalter in it's final form is divided in to five distinct books, or compilations, often each group is reflective of a thematic device used by each Psalm within a given book and each book of Psalm parallels the first five books of Moses called the Pentateuch.
We find in the fifth book of the Psalters , a collections of fourteen Psalms called the Songs of Accent or Degrees and is referred to by some Scholars as part of a group known as the Great Hallel.
Accent or Degrees
These fourteen Psalms or Songs of Degrees begin with Psalm:120 and conclude with Psalm:134. Some Scholars believe that these Songs of Ascent were used specifically during the Fall Holy Day season enjoined under the Old Covenant called the Days of Awe.
The Days of Awe , was a time to be in humility and give glorification and praise for and to the Lord, pecifically the days between the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Ha-Shanah) and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
During this fourteen day time period a Songs of Ascent were sung , one song a day until they were completed. It is thought by some, that as the evening arrived concluding the Days of Awe and beginning of the first day of Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) and the first service of the Feast of Tabernacles at the Temple of God was coming to it's conclusion then Psalm:134 would be sung as the final Song of Accent.
Psalm:134
This short or "little" Psalm which is liturgy of praise to God , though only three verses in length speaks volumes to each and all , especially those who may feel that their service to God in their lives or ministry has or no real eternal import, or even when the voices of critics attempt to dismiss or diminish and to detract from the value of what God is doing in and thru us .
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". Ps:134
Psalm:134 is a "two voice" Psalm, the first voice we find in verses 1-2 and the second voice is found in the verse three which concludes the Psalm.
The Setting of the Psalm
The setting of Psalm:134 is at the close of the final public worship service of the day. Evening is come, the hymns have been sung the Scriptures have been read,the liturgy is complete the torches have now been lite to illuminate the way thru the temple courts and to the descending abutment and stair ways which will take the worshipers out of the Temple and into the city of Jursalem and to the surrounding area.
It is as the assembled worshipers are about to depart for their homes at the services conclusions that they pronounce a blessing of encouragement upon the Levities and Priests who will remain within the Temple to minister thru out the night watches.
"Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
who minister by night in the house of the Lord."(1)
Few in the Darkness
It is in the night watches when the activities within the Temple of God are slowed, there is natural shadow of the night which surrounds them, there are very few ever who enter and worship in the darkness, only the Priest of God who conduct, what to some may seem a service of little or of no importance. Yet, in this time of night with few to bear witness of the service and what may seem of little consequence is God himself. The Lord is there being honored and exulted, even if it might seem to some as a small thing in the passing watches of the night.
The departing worshipers are moved to offer a word of encouragement to the Priest that they should, even in the nigh, give God glory and offer praise to the Lord , for the Lord is there being honored and exulted, even if it might seem to some as a small thing in the passing watches of the night with few to take note, for God himself honors this small service of few participates.
"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the Lord" (2)
The encouragement is received by the attending Priests and they in turn pronounce a benediction of blessing upon the departing worshipers who have taken note of the Priest and Levities service and took the time and gave them encouragement to carry on even in the empty Temple courts amidst the night watches with few to bear witness.
The encouragement is received by the attending Priests and they in turn pronounce a benediction of blessing upon the departing worshipers who have taken note of the Priest and Levities service and took the time and gave them encouragement to carry on even in the empty Temple courts amidst the night watches with few to bear witness.
"May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth" (3)
In Our Empty Courts
This Psalm of Liturgy of Praise to God give us who today minister in the Temple courts of the Church, to be encouraged and to continue on even when there are few to bear witness of what takes places. When our church members may be few in number and our serves do not attract great crowds when we walk alone among the empty courts of the Church.
It may seem that these night watches of small things which we might find ourselves and our Church in the midst of are of no value; and the voices of critics may have us believe that this is so , yet, as in the unnoticed services of the Priest in the darkened empty Temple which honored the Lord. God takes note and honors the small service of the few. It is his Holy time.
God himself is there and receives the honor from the gathering of the few even as he would in a full and publicly acclaimed service. The Lord has convene it for his purpose and glory not ours. It is no small thing to honor the Great God to "bless the Lord" to worship him to "lift up your hands" before him even in the night watches.
We , even now, if we are in the night watches with few to be present; God is still there and honors that worship and revives that honor. This should encourage all who stand and minister before the Great God even if it seems a small thing in the night watches....Amen
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
The
Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.
2101 Old National Pike.
Washington,
Pennsylvania. www.gcfountainoflife.org
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