4 Thoughts on Psalm 134
This short Psalm will have more words of commentary than its own content in 3 verses
The reason is simply that, in this beautiful Psalm, there is a cultural and religious gap for us to bridge.
When we do, it has beautiful foreshadowing in its context that we are grateful and praising God for today.
Derek Kinder observes: “It is possible that there is greeting and response here: the pilgrims addressing the priests and Levites in verses 1 and 2 and receiving in reply the blessing which closes the psalm”
Since there is familiar wording found in the original blessing of the first priest, Aaron (see Numbers 6:24-26), and that servants, here, are mentioned to stand by night- which the Levite singers did in the temple- I strongly think this is the scene we are reading about.
Alexander Francis Kirkpatrick notes that during Nehemiah’s time, “Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered” (12:44) and suggests that this might have been the original context of the psalm.
Christopher Ash reminds us that such activity foreshadows how the new covenant church blesses God through Christ. He says: “Even the Lord Jesus on earth did something that echoed this psalm when he began a prayer, “I thank you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth ‘ (Matt.11:25). What he did in his life on earth, he does now for us through his eternal priesthood, bringing our blessings and praises to the Father by the Holy Spirit.”
This is Christ’s ministry for us today as mediator and intercessor specifically
Calvin says that verse three’s call-out of God as creator reminds us “by looking to the heavens, then they were to discover the power of God— by looking at Zion his dwelling-place, they were to recognize his fatherly love.”
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