Psalm 134:1

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 their tasks to keep guard at the gates and there were 24 stations around the entire complex. Each station consisted of 10 men so there were 240 Levites and a smaller number of priests at work throughout the night hours.  This is the background to Psalm 134.

 

In the light of the above it understandable that there was an encouragement to keep “praising the Lord” for those who were engaged in the solemn night duties of the Levites and priests who were at their stations during the hours of darkness. Their ministry never ended, already preparations were being made for the following morning and even more so on Shabbat or the eve of special Feast Days. 

The worship and praise of our God continues through the night hours, “He neither slumbers nor sleeps.” (Psalm 121:4) It is comforting to awake in the darkness and to know that He is present, and many believers have discovered that the night is the time when they have to be most vigilant. When next we wake and find sleep difficult, let’s remember these words, it’s time to Praise the Lord as we minister by night in His house. Hallelujah!

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