Daily Meditations

Psalm 134:2 Lifting our hands When I look back at my early years as a Christian, and the many chapel congregations that I visited as a young preacher and children’s / youth worker, I cannot ever recall seeing hands lifted to the Lord. It just was not the done thing, in fact any demonstration of emotion or physical engagement in worship was frowned upon, corporate worship and prayer were sombre, dignified and serious matters, and God was an awesome figure before whom we must stand in reverence, exhibiting self-control. How things have changed, and for the better, although there is much to be learned about veneration and humble obedience for today’s congregations! Interestingly, the reading of numerous Scriptures enforces the view that, in Biblical times, hands were lifted to the Lord primarily in prayer rather than in worship, although the latter obviously can be prayer. This verse is quite unique in that it encourages those Levites who were on night duty, to lift up their hands and pra...

Psalm 134:1 Ministering by night This is another short Psalm, believed to be exchanged by worshippers as they left the Temple courts at the end of the day. A Jewish day began at sunset or around 6.00pm, and the last event of the day was the evening service or sacrifice. As soon as this was completed and the final notes of the Temple music had died out, the worshippers would retire.   Already the day is fading out in the west. The new company of priests and Levites who are to conduct the services of the next day are coming up from Ophel under the leadership of their heads of houses, their elders. Those who have officiated during the day are preparing to leave by another gate. They have put off their priestly robes, depositing them in the appointed chambers, and resumed the clothes of ordinary laymen.  As for the Levites, they had no clerical dress at all but only wore white linen. (2 Chronicles 5:12) The Levites kept the Temple watch through the night for it was one of the...