Meditations on the Psalms

The Humble Soul

A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1 LORD, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me. 2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.

This psalm is an excellent expression of submission to God and total surrender to His will. It encourages the believers to be filled with a living hope in their good God. David, the author of the psalm, learned to be humble before God. He placed all his earthly ambitions in their rightful place, giving the first priority to doing the will of God.

As the pilgrims celebrated the feasts in God's presence and God's house, they sang the Psalm of Repentance (Psalm 130). Then, with all humility, they sang this psalm, recalling God's favours towards them, which would make them more humble. Such humility was felt by their ancestor Jacob as he exclaimed, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies" (Genesis 32:10).

This psalm of David is a song describing his true and honest humility. Since he was anointed by Samuel, the Spirit of the Lord had fallen upon him, yet he did not contract the disease of pride. When enquiring about the reward of the man who would defeat Goliath, his big brother Eliab was angry with him and said, "I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle." David, however, did not answer his brother in the same cruel way his brother spoke to him, but was content to say, "What have I done now? Is there not a cause?" (1 Samuel 17:28,29). Later, after David was made king, he never abandoned his humility. When the ark of the Lord was brought up to the City of David with gladness, David danced before the LORD with all his might. Michal his wife, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw him leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. As she met him afterwards, she scolded him. He answered that his humility was "before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor" (2 Samuel 6:12-22).

David learned humility in the school of suffering. He put all his trust in the Lord when Saul was pursuing him, and the Lord stood by him and rescued him. From that time on he knew that he owed his life and what he possessed to the Lord.

Charles Spurgeon said that this psalm is one of the shortest psalms when you read it, but one the longest when it comes to learning and applying its lessons.

The psalm contains the following:

• First: Giving expression to humility (verse 1)

• Second: Humility teaches submission (verse 2)

• Third: Humility teaches hope (verse 3)

	First: Giving Expression to Humility

(verse 1)

1. He did not wax proud: "LORD, my heart is not haughty" (verse 1a). David addresses God in all humility with the word "LORD," because He is his Creator, Master, Leader and King. Pride did not enter his heart after he was made king. Solomon, his son, learned the same principle from him, for he said, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life ... Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD" (Proverbs 4:23; 16:5). David neither spoke of his own humility nor overestimated himself. He neither gloried in his humility, nor praised his psalms, nor felt superior because of his godliness. He neither boasted over his past since it was God's gift, nor over his present since only the Lord knew it and secured it. Therefore the Lord testified in his favour, saying, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will" (Acts 13:22).

   Anyone who boasts is like the Pharisee who, according to Christ's parable, stood and prayed thus, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector." But David was like the tax collector who went to the temple and, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Christ said that the repentant sinner went down to his house justified, rather than the proud Pharisee. Then He added, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (see Luke 18:9-14).

   David ruled his spirit and was humble, so the Lord exalted him because "Better... a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city" (Proverbs 16:32 NIV). But his descendant, Hezekiah, learned the lesson of humility at a great price. The Scripture says that "Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah" (2 Chronicles 32:25,26) "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones' " (Isaiah 57:15). So let us thank the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, yet who dwells with the contrite and humble in spirit.

2. He did not covet: "Nor my eyes lofty" (verse 1b). What the heart desires will show in the eyes. The pride in one's heart will also show in one's looks. "The lamp of the body is the eye" Christ said. "If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22,23). What great advice God gave Baruch (Jeremiah's secretary), "And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them" (Jeremiah 45:5). All we see in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. This is not of the Father but of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:16,17). The desires of David's heart were under God's control, so he was able to control his looks and say to the Lord, "You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks" (Psalm 18:27). For the Lord says, "the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure" (Psalm 101:5).

   Christ said, "Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26-28). As He noticed how the guests of a certain banquet chose the best places He said to them, "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:7-11)

3. He was not greedy: "Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me" (verse 1c,d). David did not aspire to take more than what the Lord gave him. He did not rush the fulfilment of the divine promise to be king over Israel. When King Saul was pursuing him to kill him, David was sure that Saul's role was over and that his own role had already begun. Twice Saul fell into the hands of David, who could have killed him and assumed the role of king, which the Lord had promised him. Even his own followers urged him, "This is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you'" But he replied, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD" (1 Samuel 24:4,6; 26:11). With his heart submitted to the Lord, David comprehended the meaning of the wise saying: "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:6).

   David never strove to gain a position that was not his, unlike Saul, his predecessor, who assumed the office of priest and offered up a sacrifice. Because of this incident the prophet Samuel said to him, "You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel" (1 Samuel 15:26). How often are we not content with what the Lord gave us and look to what He did not give us. It is a good thing to receive the great things He gives us out of the goodness of His heart. But even if He does not give those things to us, we ought to know that they might be good for others. Let anyone of us not "think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but ... think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3). "God resists the proud," said Peter, "but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5; see also Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6).

	Second: Humility Teaches Submission

(verse 2)

David's heart was not proud, nor his eyes lofty, therefore he learned true submission.

1. Submission to learn: "Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother" (verse 2a,b). David succeeded in reaching a state of spiritual calm and quiet after he moved spiritually from a state of nursing to a state of weaning. A nursing baby shouts for food, but a weaned child is usually calm and content. He is no longer in need of a baby's food; he begins to eat solid, adult food. At weaning the child, for the first time, feels deprivation of what he was used to have since he was born. When a child is weaned, he screams, not necessarily because of being hungry, but because he protests against his mother and doesn't like how she behaves towards him. The mother knows she must wean him for his own good. She will not leave him hungry, but will give him food suitable for his age. After so much screaming and protesting, he submits in defeat, calms down and suddenly feels happy and grateful. Now he is bigger and more mature.

   At the beginning David saw himself as an agitated, enraged weanling. He felt his emotional needs speaking loud and rebelling. He knew, though, that this rebellion is not good for him, so he made up his mind to calm and quiet his soul. He managed to subdue his emotions like a child who still cherished his mother although she stopped nursing him. She is his mother, nonetheless, even if she denies what he used to consider his inherent rights. The soul of every believer goes through the same experience. As a result, it learns to be humble and surrenders to God because He is the Creator, the Caretaker and the Redeemer, even if it seems to the believer that God deprives him of things he desires. He knows that God only denies him things to bring his faith to maturity and increase his reliance on Him. The more the believer practices the acceptance of deprivation that God allows, the more he learns submission, because the Giver and His love satisfy him more than the gift. The Lord Himself becomes the source of his comfort and joy, not the things he receives from Him. At that time he will be able to join Habakkuk in saying, "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation " (Habakkuk 3:17,18). Truly, "it is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD" (Lamentations 3:26).

2. Submission of prudence: "Like a weaned child is my soul within me" (verse 2b). After the psalmist managed to calm and quiet his soul, the psalmist's soul was like a submissive weaned child within him. He applied good judgment and reason, and his emotions submitted completely to his reason after he had lost what he loved. His will only had to follow the right principles, as Paul said, "Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things... I discipline my body and bring it into subjection" (1 Corinthians 9:25,27). Blessed is the man who suffers with the result that his suffering helps him subdue and wean his emotions, so that he may become mature and learn to be spiritually balanced. This, in turn, teaches him to love God in good times as well as in times of suffering and tribulation. It would do him good, too, to learn from Job, who thanked God in his prosperity as well as in his misfortune, and said, "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD... Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 1:21; 2:10). Thus he may be able to say with Paul, "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:11-13).

	Third: Humility Teaches Hope

(verse 3)

1. Hope in the Lord: "O Israel, hope in the LORD" (verse 3). After the psalmist humbled himself and calmed his soul before God, the Lord Himself became the object of his hope and comfort, as he had said earlier, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him " (Psalm 42:5). The Israel that hopes in God is the people who love Him and obey Him everywhere, regardless of background, language or country. The Bible says, "they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham... That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed" (Romans 9:6-8). This means that there is an "Israel" that is the descendants of Abraham, yet who do not have the faith of Abraham. These are the physical Israel. There is also "the Israel of God." They are those from every tribe and nation that believe like Abraham. The physical Israel do not receive the blessing because they rejected Christ who "came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:11,12). "The Israel of God" is the new creation that accepted Christ. They are those who bear in their bodies the marks of Christ, those who crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. The scripture says, "in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God" (Galatians 6:15-16). Peace be upon the spiritual Israel, i.e., all those who have the faith of Abraham, God's friend, and follow the Lord with determination and strength of heart.

   The coming of the Messiah was the greatest hope of Israel. They still wait for the fulfilment of the prophecy: "The virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel... For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6). This hope came true when Christ came, born of a virgin. And today we hope for Christ's second coming to the earth to judge all beings with justice. His first coming was humble, but His second coming will be glorious: "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:30,31).

   Our hope, however, is not confined to things to come; it is a matter of the present and it lasts forever. Therefore we say, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You... God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:25,26).

2. Hope for now: "From this time forth" (verse 3b). We do not simply live on the hope of eternal life, but we lead now a life of hope in God and His love and power. Everyone who puts his trust in God does not rely on his knowledge no matter how knowledgeable he is, or his greatness no matter how elevated his status is, or his wealth no matter how wealthy he is, or his family no matter how respectable it is. All these things change and do not last long. "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him... Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are weighed on the scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor. Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them" (Psalm 62:5,9,10). We may lose things or loved ones but the Lord's face remains with those who love Him.

3. Hope forever: "And forever" (verse 3b). This hope in the Lord will last forever. This is why we wait for the resurrection from the dead and the life of the world to come, because Jesus is and was and is to come. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Let the believers hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.

	Questions

1. How did King David show his humility?

2. What does the psalmist mean by saying, "Like a weaned child is my soul within me"?

David's Vow and the Lord's Covenant

A Song of Ascents. 1 LORD, remember David And all his afflictions; 2 How he swore to the LORD, And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 "Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, Or go up to the comfort of my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids, 5 Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." 6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; We found it in the fields of the woods. 7 Let us go into His tabernacle; Let us worship at His footstool. 8 Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy. 10 For Your servant David"s sake, Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed. 11 The LORD has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: "I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. 12 If your sons will keep My covenant And My testimony which I shall teach them, Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore." 13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14 "This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15 I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17 There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon Himself His crown shall flourish."

This psalm speaks of King David's desire to build a house for the Lord as a dwelling place for the ark, which symbolized the Lord's presence among His people. Until that time the ark kept on moving from one place to another. During the wandering years in the Sinai Desert it was carried along during their journey. Whenever they camped in a place and pitched the tent of congregation they would place the ark inside it in the middle of the camps of the twelve tribes of Israel. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land, the ark went ahead of them to be left first in Gilgal, then in Shiloh where it remained between 300 and 400 years. Once they took the ark to go before them in war. But they were defeated and the enemies took the ark away from them and placed it in the house of their god Dagon, whose upper body was like a man and lower body like a fish. The idol fell over and broke before the ark of the Lord (1 Samuel 5:1-7). The Lord punished the enemies with painful diseases until they returned the ark to the house of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim (1 Samuel 6-7:1). From there it was moved to the house of Obed-Edom and the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom (2 Samuel 6:12). When King David learned that the house of Abinadab was blessed, he brought up the ark to the "City of David" with gladness. David grew more and more uncomfortable living in a palace while the ark of the Lord was lodging in a tent. Therefore he resolved to have a temple built for the ark of the Lord to dwell in. However, the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to say to him, "Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? ... I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Samuel 7:5,12,13). Although God released him from his intention to build the temple, David still decided to prepare all the materials he could for building it. He had stone, iron, wood, silver and gold gathered to assist his son Solomon in building the house.

This psalm was most likely written for the occasion of transferring the ark from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David, as a reminder to the people of David's desire and vow, and of the Lord's reward to him.

The psalm contains the following:

• First: The people's prayer for David (verses 1-5)

• Second: The people's cooperation with David (verses 6-10)

• Third: The Lord's response to the people's prayer (verses 11-18)

	First: The People's Prayer for David

(verses 1-5)

1. They ask the Lord to remember David's affliction: "LORD, remember David and all his afflictions" (verse 1). Would the Lord forget anything despite the fact that He said, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you" (Isaiah 49:15). There is "a scroll of remembrance" before the Lord in which both our past and present are written, together with our needs (Malachi 3:16). Every believer testifies to God's goodness and love for the children of men. God remembered Noah and stopped the flood (Genesis 8:1), remembered Abraham and visited Sarah to give them a son in their old age as He had promised (Genesis 21:1), restored Job's losses and gave him twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10), and remembered the children of Israel and brought them out of Egypt by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm (Exodus 3:7). He still remembers His love and His faithfulness (Psalm 98:3), and will remember His covenant forever (Psalm 105:8). This same LORD remembers both you and me without ceasing.

   The intended meaning of this request is to remember David in order to reward him. His past life was full of troubles. After defeating Goliath, King Saul envied him, bore a grudge against him and pursued him with the purpose of killing him, which greatly afflicted David and wore him out. Again David must have seen affliction and trouble as he attempted to capture the Jebusite stronghold, which he later called "The City of David" (2 Samuel 5:6-9). He brought the ark up to it, and there his son Solomon had the temple of the Lord built. David must have been afflicted, too, as he tried to transfer the ark of the Lord's covenant in a way contrary to what God had prescribed. As a result, the Lord was angry against a young man named Uzza and put him to death because he stretched out his hand disrespectfully to the ark of God (2 Samuel 6). Another affliction befell David when his request to build a house for the Lord was turned down. David said in response, "Indeed I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the LORD ... gold, ... silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure, for it is so abundant. I have prepared timber and stone also" (1 Chronicles 22:14).

2. They ask the Lord to remember David's vow: "How he swore to the LORD, And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 'Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, or go up to the comfort of my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob'" (verses 2-5). These verses explain David's insistence on building a house for the Lord. He has made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob, and his mind would not be at peace, nor his heart and soul at rest, until he has built a "place for the Lord" as the Lord had said to Moses: "Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8). David swears by the Mighty One of Jacob because Jacob his forefather had already vowed to build a house for the Lord in Bethel and said, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going... this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You" (Genesis 28:20,22). True to his word, "Jacob ... came to Luz (that is, Bethel) ... And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel" (Genesis 35:6,7).

   We know today that the dwelling place of God among His people is a spiritual one. The Scripture says, "'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,' says the LORD. 'But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word' " (Isaiah 66:1,2). Christ blessed those who were poor in spirit and come to the Lord with empty hands, seek-ing help and mercy, confessing their sins. They tremble at the Lord's word in obedience to the advice of the apostle Paul, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). This is the heart in which the Lord dwells; this is his true dwelling place: "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God" (1 Corinthians 6:19).

	Second: The People's Cooperation with David

(verses 6-10)

1. Their enthusiasm for transferring the ark: "Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of the woods" (verse 6). The transportation of the ark was a national event because the ark symbolized the Lord's presence in the midst of His people. This verse shows how this great zeal was passed on from David's heart to the heart of all the people. It infused them with an intense desire to move the ark to the City of David. They had heard that the ark was in Ephrathah, which means "fertile valleys" or "wooded fields." This was the region of Kirjath Jearim (which also means "woods"). They found the ark in the fields of the woods, where Abinadab's house was. They went and brought it, because he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

2. Their enthusiasm for worship: "Let us go into His tabernacle; let us worship at His footstool" (verse 7). The psalmist pleads with his audience to come and worship in the dwelling place of the Mighty One of Jacob. The Israelites showed such enthusiasm under King David and transported the ark to the City of David. They worshipped at God's footstool to show gratitude for allowing them to move the ark of His covenant. The Hebrew uses mishkenoth for "tabernacle." The word is in the plural and can be translated "dwelling places", i.e. the places where the ark was set up before it came to rest in the City of David. First, it dwelt in Gilgal, then it was moved to Bethel, then to Shiloh, afterwards to Kirjath Jearim and finally to Jerusalem. Every place in which the ark rested was considered its dwelling place, and wherever the Lord dwells He reveals His presence and the place becomes His temple. On the other hand, Christ is the ultimate divine revelation to mankind, for after God had spoken in the past to the fathers by the prophets, He has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, in whom "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9). In Christ we see God, for He said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Whoever accepts Christ's salvation, Christ Himself will enter his heart, as the apostle urges us, "May (Christ) dwell in your hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3:17), so that our hearts may become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) to guide people to the way of salvation, which we have found.

3. Their joy in worship: The people rejoiced in three things, which Solomon requested in his prayer as he inaugurated the temple. He prayed, "Now therefore, arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let Your saints rejoice in goodness. O LORD God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed; remember the mercies of Your servant David " (2 Chronicles 6:41,42).

   1. They rejoiced in transferring the ark: "Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength" (verse 8). This was the prayer Moses and the people used to pray to God in the Sinai Desert whenever they moved from place to place preceded by the ark of the Lord's covenant. "So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: 'Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.' And when it rested, he said: 'Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel' " (Numbers 10:35,36). David said, "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him" (Psalm 68:1).

   2. They rejoiced in the priests and the saints: "Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy" (verse 9). The psalmist states that the Lord clothes his priest with righteousness, namely that He justifies them to be acceptable before Him and fit for serving the righteous God. He justifies them by clothing them with His righteousness like a garment that covers their nakedness, just as He covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve in the garden. Then the priests may shout, "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10). All believers rejoice in obedience to the prophet's instruction: "Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in" (Isaiah 26:2). They say along with Job, "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban" (Job 29:14).

   3. They rejoiced in the king: "For Your servant David’s sake, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed" (verse 10). The Lord made David a promise, saying, "Your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:16). So here the psalmist claims the fulfilment of that promise to King David, so that He may not refuse him any requests that he makes for the good of his people: "For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield" (Psalm 5:12).

	Third: The Lord's Response to the People's Prayer

(verses 11-18)

1. The response with regard to the Messiah: "The LORD has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: 'I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. If your sons will keep My covenant and My testimony which I shall teach them, their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore'" (verses 11,12). The Lord had promised David to raise up kings from his descendants to reign over his people. He confirmed His promise with an oath that He would neither break nor change, for He is the same yesterday, today and forever. This promise says, "I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Samuel 7:12,13). In response, David said to the Lord, "For You, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You. And now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant" (2 Samuel 7:27,28). Ethan the Ezrahite made this promise into a poem as follows: "I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David ... Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David" (Psalm 89:3,35). Not all David's descendants were good, which caused the kingdom to split during the reign of Rehoboam (King David's grandson). It was divided into a Northern Kingdom with Samaria as its capital, which was made up of ten tribes and ruled by Jeroboam the son of Nebat; and a Southern Kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital, ruled by Rehoboam. Both kingdoms went into exile because they did not keep the Lord's covenant. The Lord's promise to David was bound with the clear condition of keeping His covenant. Nevertheless, God's promise was fully accomplished in Christ the Son of David who "had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth" (Isaiah 53:9), for "the government will be upon His shoulder... Of the increase of His government and peace there will beno end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:6,7). Ethan the Ezrahite had said about the kingdom of Christ, "My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him... through my name his horn will be exalted... He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Saviour.' I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth... I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure" (Psalm 89:21,24,26,27,29 NIV).

2. The response with regard to Zion: "For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 'This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread" (verses 13-15). The Israelites believed that God had chosen Mount Zion as a building site for the temple even before He chose David to be king over His people. Asaph said, "But (He) chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He has established forever. He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds" (Psalm 78:68-70). The Israelites also believed that by saying "This is My resting place forever," which is not actually recorded as is but rather proven by fact, the Lord chose Mount Moriah as a building site for the temple where He dwelt, rested and received the prayers and sacrifices of His people, which they made to gain His favour. Likewise, Christ chose His disciples and said to them, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you" (John 15:16). What a great privilege to be the chosen of the King, who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light, making us a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (1 Peter 2:9)!

   God says of Zion, "I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food." Yes, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:3,6). Christ said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35). The apostle Paul said, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? " (Romans 8:32). He "who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).

3. The response with regard to the priests: "I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy" (verse 16). Here the Lord responds to the people's prayer with regard to the priests. He will clothe them with the greatest robe, the robe of righteousness and the garments of salvation, which conceal all deficiencies, make up for all imperfections and qualify the priest to carry out an acceptable service.

4. The response with regard to the king: "There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon Himself His crown shall flourish" (verses 17,18). In these two verses the Lord promises to answer the people's prayer for the king in three different ways:

   1. He will give him a horn: The horn is a symbol of power. God will give David the power to fight his enemies and subdue them, as Ethan the Ezrahite said, "For You are the glory of their strength, snd in Your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel" (Psalm 89:17,18).

   2. He will give him a lamp: The lamp is a symbol of descendants and extension of the family line. The Scripture says about King Abijam, "Nevertheless for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem" (1 Kings 15:4). The natural extension of David's kingdom, however, is Christ, the Son of David, the shining Lamp, who said about Himself, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).

   3. He will give him a crown: The crown is a symbol of the king's dedication to the service of God through serving His people. Crowns were given to kings and priests alike (Exodus 29:6). His crown will flourish; that is, it will shine with life and the truth, so that all around him should see it. "Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown," said the Lord, "and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest... From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the LORD; Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne" (Zechariah 6:11-13).

Let us pray to God to make us humble like David, faithful to our vows and covenants with the Lord, just as God is faithful to us.

	Questions

1. What is God's dwelling place among His people today?

2. In verse 17 of this psalm, what is the meant by giving the king a horn and a lamp?

The Unity of the Spirit

A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore

This psalm smells as sweet as perfume. It is as tender as dew. It has no requests or complaints. It is free from all feelings of guilt. It is a haven of rest, for it describes a religious conference of high spirituality. There was such meaningful intimacy with the Lord that the hearts rejoiced in fulfilling His promise: "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Those present felt as though they were on a Mount of Transfiguration. They had dropped the cares of the world and rejoiced together with united hearts, minds and wills, in prayer, singing and worship, through the presence of the Holy Spirit amongst them and in them, who blessed them jointly and severally.

The believers had gone up to make the pilgrimage to the temple, performed all the rites of celebration, and their festive journey was almost finished. Now their journey back to their home countries was about to begin, where they would face the responsibilities and difficulties of daily life and, empowered by the grace and blessing bestowed on them, take on the ministry that God entrusted to them. The Lord's promise to Abraham was fulfilled in them, "I will bless you" and now it is time for them to hear "And you shall be a blessing." The worshippers, therefore, stood up to sing this psalm as an expression of their happiness to be worshiping the Lord and their joy in having their hearts so united and brought together round the one true God who owns and rules them. They knew that once they got down to the world, they would be out of the presence of God physically, but in the Spirit they would continue to live in His presence. They must live out their faith in the midst of society, wherever they may be, because God lives in them through His Spirit, making them shine like lights in the world to dispel the darkness of the devil, that people may see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven.

In Psalm 132 we saw how the people of the Lord united together in such a spiritual unity around the invisible God, and how happy they were to worship around His ark, which symbolized His presence in their midst. In this psalm, however, they declared their love for one another. Today, the believers are united in the love of Christ, which fuses their hearts together, making them help and defend each other, as much as the grace and strength that God gives them allow.

In unity there is power, victory, triumph and encouragement. "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

The psalm contains the following:

• First: The beauty of spiritual unity (verse 1)

• Second: Description of spiritual unity (verses 2,3a)

• Third: The blessings of spiritual unity (verse 3b)

	First: The Beauty of Spiritual Unity

(verse 1)

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (verse 1).

1. Behold: Meditate on, watch and see this thing that rarely happens in our world! It is true brotherhood! By nature, man is an unrelenting tyrant; he does not have pity on his fellow-man when he loses power, stumbles or offends him. When a man makes a mistake, he hastens to blame someone else, accusing him, reproaching him and passing unjust judgments against him. Yet, if we are weighed on the scales, we are altogether lighter than vapour! "They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:3).

   On the contrary, those worshippers united together, standing in the temple of God, so as to join their hearts both spatially and spiritually. Their appearance was strange and uncommon to our wrestling, fighting world. Seeing the beauty of unity in worship, the psalmist broke forth in singing of what had happened, and called everyone to behold this admirable spectacle, in which the participants have endeavoured to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). In doing so they have become like the pyramids of Egypt that have withstood the tyranny of time for five thousand years, testifying to the greatness and strength of unity. Had the rocks of the pyramids been scattered, the pyramids would have ceased to exist as one of the Seven Wonders of the World! They would have been reduced to huge rocks-- nothing more!

2. How good!: When the believers worship together harmony, coordination and suitability abound! This is much like the coordination and harmony of different musical instruments as they play one tune that gladdens the heart and fills the spirit with exhilaration.

3. How pleasant!: What a pleasant atmosphere that pervades among the believers! It is heavenly! Sometimes the devil deludes us into thinking of something as pleasant, as he did with Adam and Eve in the Garden: "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes..." (Genesis 3:6). But the psalmist tells us what is truly good and pleasant. These are the holy things that come from God, who makes the worshippers happy and He Himself rejoices in them. He rejoices over those who return to Him, just like the shepherd who carries his lost sheep, after having found it, to bring it back to the sheepfold. The hearts of the worshippers so rejoiced in the Lord that they exclaim, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the LORD'" (Psalm 122:1). "Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let such as love Your salvation say continually, 'The LORD be magnified!'" (Psalm 40:16).

4. To dwell in unity: Physical or permanent dwelling is not intended here, but rather the spiritual and emotional dwelling or settling down that takes place when the believers are open to one another and feel at ease with each other. They blend together in the unity of the Spirit, which they keep strong through love and participation in ministry. The apostle Paul said, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building" (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). The believers have a sense of protection and unitedness in belonging to the one body: "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body ... and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13).

5. Brethren together: We are all brethren, because we are God's creation and because we are born of the same father, i.e. Adam, as the apostle Paul said in his sermon to the Athenians, "God, who made the world and everything in it ... has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth" (Acts 17:24,26). Abraham, the friend of God, expressed this physical unity when a quarrel transpired between his herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. In the height of the dispute, Abraham said to his nephew Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren" (Genesis 13:8). Though Abraham was Lot's uncle, he called him a brother owing to the physical brotherhood, the blood relation between them.

   Still, there is a stronger brotherhood: the spiritual brotherhood, the brotherhood of the second birth from the Holy Spirit, of which the Scriptures say, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:4-6). The believers are all brethren: they have one Lord who rules over their lives, one objective for which they live and the same consolation from the Spirit that refreshes and inspires them. How pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

	Second: Description of Spiritual Unity

(verses 2,3a)

The psalmist gives two descriptions of the holy unity of the believers:

1. It is like a precious oil: "It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments" (verse 2).

   1. A sanctifying oil: The psalmist compares spiritual unity between the believers to the sanctifying oil that covered Aaron entirely. The precious oil upon the head of Aaron is the oil of the holy anointing whose recipe God gave to Moses to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the Testimony, and to pour it over Aaron's head so that it may run down on his beard and on the edge of his garments. All Aaron's body was to be covered, so as to bless, sanctify and dedicate him as high priest to the ministry of God and the teaching of the people (Exodus 30:22-33).

   2. A blessing oil: Spiritual unity blesses those who unite together, just as the precious oil used to bless Aaron and all the people he led in worship. It used to run down on the onyx stones in the breastplate of Aaron, on which the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were inscribed, thus the Lord would spread His blessing over them along with Aaron (Exodus 28:29). The psalmist describes the precious oil as "running down" twice, as though to emphasize the blessing of the Lord, who showers us with blessings from on high. When we try to rise to the source of blessing, we find ourselves of low spiritual stature and confess that we are unprofitable servants. For that reason the Lord freely bestows upon us the oil that runs down from Himself, and the dew that issues from His presence, because He is the source of salvation that comes down from above: "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven" (John 3:13), to raise the poor from the dust and lift the beggar from the ash heap, to seat them among princes (1 Samuel 2:8).

   3. A gladdening oil: Oil stands for gladness, as the psalmist says, "You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions" (Psalm 45:7). It is "the oil of gladness instead of mourning" (Isaiah 61:3 NIV). Spiritual unity gladdens the heart and there is nothing in all the world better or more pleasant!

      The believer enjoys a true and permanent joy, because it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). "For thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river ... As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; ... When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass'" (Isaiah 66:12-14). The joy of the celebrants was like that of their forefathers at the dedication of Aaron as high priest. He was to carry out the ministry in the house of the Lord and stand as mediator between God and His people, so that they may obtain His favour. As to us, we greatly rejoice in Christ, our High Priest, who said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). We also rejoice in the dedication of any minister of God because we know that the Lord will bless His people through His minister.

      Our hearts will surely rejoice in the midst of a world full of tribulations, evil and struggle for material gain, because we take shelter in our only refuge who changes our sorrows into joy.

   4. A unique oil: Spiritual unity is unique. There is nothing comparable to it in our world. It is like the oil of anointing. "Do not make any oil with the same formula." said God. "It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred" (Exodus 30:32 NIV). It is a unique oil! Thus it will be said to the people of the Church, which Christ chose for Himself, "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9,10).

   5. An aromatic oil: This "oil" has a sweet smell. True believers are the aroma of Christ, diffusing the sweetest smell everywhere they may be found. "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing" (2 Corinthians 2:14,15).

2. Like dew: "It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion" (verse 3a). Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in the Land of Israel, and from it the dew descends upon Mount Zion (on which the temple was built), which is not as high. Rain and dew alike descend from above to the lower regions, covering the mountains and saturating the valleys, producing fruit to rejoice the heart of both sower and reaper. The people of the Lord await this blessing that descends from above, to cover them and satisfy them, so that they may yield fruit.

   As the Lord gives dew so that plants may grow and produce fruit, the pastures increase and welfare abounds, thus the Lord satisfies our hearts with His own Person, quenching the thirst in our souls, saying to us, "As the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 'For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands'" (Isaiah 55:10-12).

	Third: The Blessings of Spiritual Unity

(verse 3b)

"For there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore" (verse 3b). The celebrants are eternally blessed. Also their children are blessed, from generation to generation. The Lord blessed Abraham, his son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob. He also blesses all those who share their faith and obedience, so that the blessing may extend forward to the coming generations without interruption. The apostle Paul said to his disciple Timothy, "I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also" (2 Timothy 1:5 NIV). The believers request a heavenly blessing for their children and grandchildren, that they may worship the Lord and walk in His fear and love in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, as light to the world and salt to the earth. How admirable is unity and closeness, and how much we need both! How pleasant it is to feel our union with Christ the Vine, firmly established in Him as branches, bearing much fruit and enjoying the fulfilment of His promise, "and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

	Questions

1. Why is it strange and pleasant that brethren dwell together in unity?

2. Why did the psalmist say that the unity of the believers is precious?

A Talk between the Celebrants and the Watchmen

A Song of Ascents. 1 Behold, bless the LORD, All you servants of the LORD, Who by night stand in the house of the LORD! 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD. 3 The LORD who made heaven and earth Bless you from Zion!

This psalm is the last Psalm of Ascent. As mentioned before, there are fifteen Psalms of Ascent (from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134). The celebrants used to sing this psalm in the last night before returning home, after offering the evening sacrifice and closing the temple gates, and before beginning the night watch, which lasted from sunset to sunrise. This watch was carried out by 24 Levites, three priests and the high priest. The celebrants could not leave the temple, with all its holiness and joy, without shedding tears of farewell, so they sang Psalm 134. It begins with the people's loud call to the watchmen, "Behold, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD ... Lift up your hands in the sanctuary." In answer to this call, the vigilant watchmen reply, "The LORD ... bless you." All day long the watchmen remember the song of the visitors, who called on them to praise and thank the Lord while they kept the fire of the altar burning through the night, fed the temple lamps with pure olive oil and kept watch over the temple premises. They may slumber as they discharge their watch for lack of variety in this holy service. It may become monotonous to them after doing it so many nights and days, and they may end up just going through the motions. But the vigilant celebrants called upon the watchmen to watch and pray. They told them of their expectations of spending a lively night, full of worship and thanksgiving to the Lord for the honour He conferred upon them in commissioning them to serve Him continually in His holy temple.

The psalm contains the following:

• First: The people call upon the temple watchmen (verses 1,2)

• Second: The watchmen bless the people (verse 3)

	First: The people Call upon the Temple Watchmen

(verses 1,2)

"Behold, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who by night stand in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD" ' (verses 1-2). Preparing to go back home, the people call upon the temple watchmen to watch, pray and thank the Lord. The priests had blessed the people when they taught them about the Lord during the feast, and now it was time for the priests to bless the Lord, feeling grateful to Him for selecting them for His ministry, so that they could offer Him true worship for their own good and the good of the people they served. Thus all of them would say, "But it is good for me to draw near to God" (Psalm 73:28).

Like Psalm 133, our psalm opens with the imperative "Behold." It means: look, watch out and be alert! The people say to the priests, "We have come, and now we are going back. But you are staying behind. Therefore, with all zeal and vigour perform your important and holy ministry, which the Lord has chosen you to do, so that you may prove yourselves worthy of its honour. 'Therefore ... whatever you do, do all to the glory of God'" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

"Bless the LORD," that is, think of Him and make Him the object of your busyness. Say something good about Him. Respect Him with reverence. Draw near to Him with love. Acknowledge His great favour towards you and thank Him that He allowed you to serve Him. Praise and laud Him, and say to your souls what David said to his soul, "Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits" (Psalm 103:1,2).

Bless Him by loving Him and continuing to love Him. Love Him for who He is and express your love for Him, saying to all, "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

Bless Him by obeying and surrendering to His will, and by happily carrying out whatever He charges you with.

Bless Him by praying to Him and keeping up a loving conversation and a continued fellowship with Him day and night, so that your prayer may be the conversation of both the conscious and the subconscious mind. Speak directly to Him through prayer, and also through praise and singing to His divine majesty. "Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful" (Psalm 147:1).

The celebrants give the watchmen three reasons for blessing the Lord:

1. They are the servants of the Lord: The Lord assigned the tribe of Levi to His own ministry, and called them to work in the temple. "At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day. Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God promised him" (Deuteronomy 10:8,9).

   All the believers are the Lord's servants because He created them, sustains them and has purchased them by redemption. They are honoured to be His servants because this servanthood is perfect freedom. It is a belonging to the Lord of all the earth. One saint said, "I need your Lordship, but You do not need my servanthood." The title of a servant or a maidservant is cherished by the believers. It was used often of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5; 1 Chronicles 6:49), Joshua (Joshua 29:24; Judges 2:8), Elijah (1 Kings 18:36), Daniel (Daniel 6:20), Paul (Roman 1:1), Peter (2 Peter 1:1), James (James 1:1), and of all those who were set free by Christ (1 Peter 2:16). David used it to describe his own mother: "O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds" (Psalm 116:16). The Virgin Mary applied it to herself as she said to the angel, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!" (Luke 1:38).

   The Old Testament distinguishes between the servant who was born in the house and the one bought by money. The servant born in the house is dearer because he belongs to the house (Genesis 14:14). How lovely is Timothy's house of which Paul said, "I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also" (2 Timothy 1:5 NIV).

   The true believer is the one that says to the Lord, "I love my master ... I will not go out free" (Exodus 21:5). He speaks well of his master and the song of his heart is: "A day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness" (Psalm 84:10).

2. They keep watch in the house of the Lord: "Who by night stand in the house of the LORD" Some priests had to work day and night. "These are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night" (1 Chronicles 9:33). King David has employed them "to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening" (1 Chronicles 23:30).

   Standing by night could be understood in the literal sense, or in a moral sense. That is, it could mean enduring the nights of adverse circumstances and days of difficulties. When people err doctrinally or behaviourally, ministers of the Lord stay up during the night in prayers and supplication to guard the doctrine and reveal the truth, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), preaching the word, being ready to do so in season and out of season, convincing, rebuking, exhorting, with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2). The Lord named them watchmen who "shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent" (Isaiah 62:6).

3. They pray to the Lord: They lift up their hands toward the sanctuary, as David said, "Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary" (Psalm 28:2). The apostle Paul desired that the men should pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, for those in positions of responsibility and authority in their countries (1 Timothy 2:8).

   Lifting up the hands means directing the heart wholly toward the Lord, for then the hands are busy with worship and nothing else. It can also mean focusing the attentions on the Lord's voice and responding to His directions, saying, "Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears" (1 Samuel 3:9).

   It also means looking up, pleadingly and hopefully, to the source of blessing, saying, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1,2).

   Again, it signifies the lifting up and dedication of all that is in the pray-er as an offering to the Lord, in accordance with the apostle's command: "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

   Lifting up the hands served historically as a sign of seeking divine help and waiting for the divine answer, as Moses did when the Amalekites attacked the Israelites in the Sinai Desert. Moses lifted up his hands in prayer, asking for protection. When his hand was held up the Israelites gained victory and whenever he lowered it the Amalekites would win. "Moses’ hands became heavy ... And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun." And that was how they won (Exodus 17:8-13).

   The churches built in Gothic style, with arching and intersecting stone ribs supporting a high, vaulted roof and high spires show this. The architecture itself makes the congregation lift up their eyes, thoughts and hearts toward the Lord confidently, enthusiastically and expectantly, saying, "Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He has mercy on us" (Psalm 123:2).

	Second: The Watchmen Bless the People

(verse 3)

The vigilant watchmen respond to the congregation of celebrants who are on their way back to their home countries. They exchange wishes of blessing, saying, "The LORD who made heaven and earth bless you from Zion!"

1. Blessing from the Lord: The believer blesses the Lord by thanking Him and offering him continually "the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15). And the Lord blesses the believer through forgiveness, so that the believer may say, "Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s" (Psalm 103:1-5). He blesses the believer by changing him from within and transforming him "into the same image from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18), forming him as "a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21). He also makes him a blessing to those around him in the society, the family and the church. He blesses him by meeting all his spiritual, material, mental and emotional needs exceedingly abundantly above all that he asks or thinks (Ephesians 3:20). He encourages Him, saying, "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). This blessing "is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).

2. Blessing from Zion: The church is the spiritual Zion, in which the priests bless the people, saying, "The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace " (Numbers 6:24-26). The blessing in the original Hebrew is in the singular, because the people of the Lord assemble together as one man. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). Being thus given in the singular, the blessing may also be to each one of the people, because the Lord knows everyone by name, and says to them, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5).

   In the Old Testament, Zion meant the following:

   1. The stronghold of David: This is the place where the temple was erected, where God dwelt among His people. Blessing comes to us when we enter the house of the Lord to listen to His word, thus Christ's prayer may be fulfilled in us: "Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are... do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one" (John 17:11,15).

   2. The city of the covenant: It is called this because it is the seat of the ark of the Covenant. God has brought every believer into a new covenant with Himself, sealed with the blood of Christ. Every time the believer partakes of Holy Communion he hears Christ say, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28).

3. Blessing from the Creator: "The LORD who made heaven and earth Bless you...!" The Lord holds absolute authority in both heaven and earth. He bestows His blessing because He is a loving and good God, who is able to perform what He promises owing to His absolute authority. How great is the heavenly authority that forgives sins, answers prayers, intercedes for the believers and sends forth God's angels to minister to them, accompanied by the promise, "And try Me now in this ... if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). His authority on earth includes all things. "The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes" (Proverbs 21:1). He parted the Red Sea for His people to cross, and said about the years of wandering, "I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet... that you may know that I am the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 29:5,6).

Let us lift up prayers for those who minister to us, and ask God to give them ears attentive to the requests of the people they serve. Let ministers, too, ask for the blessing of God upon the people they serve as they preach the word of His true inspiration to them.

	Questions

1. Mention four ways by which we can bless the Lord.

2. Give four meanings of lifting up the hands toward the sanctuary.

You who Fear the Lord, Bless the Lord!

Praise to God in Creation and Redemption 1 Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD! 2 You who stand in the house of the LORD, In the courts of the house of our God, 3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. 4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure. 5 For I know that the LORD is great, And our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places. 7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries. 8 He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, Both of man and beast. 9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh and all his servants. 10 He defeated many nations And slew mighty kings— 11 Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan— 12 And gave their land as a heritage, A heritage to Israel His people. 13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations. 14 For the LORD will judge His people, And He will have compassion on His servants. 15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men"s hands. 16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; 17 They have ears, but they do not hear; Nor is there any breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them. 19 Bless the LORD, O house of Israel! Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron! 20 Bless the LORD, O house of Levi! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! 21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!

This psalm is a call to praise the Lord who brought back His people from captivity. The people began to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, but they soon became discouraged. To encourage them to build the temple, God sent them Haggai and Zechariah the prophets. This second temple was very humble in comparison to the great temple which Solomon had built, because those who built it were poor and few in number. When the elders among the people saw how slight this temple was when compared to the former one, they were very sad. But the Lord encouraged them by the fact that the glory of this latter temple should be greater than the former if they worshiped Him in it in spirit and in truth (Haggai 2:9). It was for the occasion of rebuilding the temple that the people sang this present psalm. How lovely it is to offer to God songs of thanksgiving, springing forth from our hearts and overflowing to our tongues, in which we say, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; tor You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created" (Revelation 4:11).

Our psalm picks up where Psalm 134 left off. Psalm 134 was the last of the Psalms of Ascent and in it the people called upon the Levites to pray and bless the people. Our psalm calls upon all those