Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. (Psalm 134:1, NIV)
The humor of irony shows up in the final song of ascents. It’s this: Psalm 134 is the shortest of the psalmists’ efforts, comprising just three verses and fewer than 50 words. If these songs were sung in order, you have to give the writer of this one credit; he knew the singers would be tired by the time they reached Jerusalem.
I understand this, and I know my colleague Lewis Greer, whose words you will read tomorrow, does too. On our staff, we’re “the cancer guys.” The best thing that means is that when we’re playing golf with all the bombers on our staff, they have to be kind when we urge them to stop the cart 75 yards shorter than they normally would. We’re not hitting it as far as we’d like right now—and by the time the last few holes come around, we may have lost another five yards or so.
But there is another reason the psalmist may have kept his words few in this final song of ascents. He was calling for action. Maybe he intended to step back and let the actors do their work.
The connection between raising one’s hands and joy in what’s before us may be hardwired in us, as they say.The first actors were the temple priests, the “servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.” What were these spiritual leaders to do? Praise the LORD.
The directive is a simple one. If you’re a church regular, you’ve heard it many times. When we praise the LORD, we speak and sing words that extol his virtues and remember with fondness the work he has done. Our observations of God turn into our proclamations of him. Do you truly love the Lord? Then out of the overflow of your heart, let your mouth speak (see Matthew 12:34).
As the priests issued their praise, they were to lift their hands to the LORD. Our mouth is not enough to express our worship to God. This is why we see other worshiping acts in Scripture: kneeling, lying prostrate, dancing, clapping, the playing of instruments, and the raising of hands. I can’t tell you what it is about the raising of hands, but I do know that I see it from athletes at the moment of their greatest accomplishments. So the connection between raising one’s hands and joy in what’s before us may be hardwired in us, as they say.
But the spiritual leaders are not the only actors in Psalm 134. After their call to work, we read this closing verse: “May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.” The psalmist called upon God to act, and pilgrims with each trip up to the temple sang this same call: “May the LORD bless you.”
In life with God, we exchange actions. From earth to heaven, we praise God and pray to him. It can feel like a feeble effort at times, hindered by busy days or tired bodies. Still, like the widow with her two mites, we give him all we can. But from heaven to earth, the flow is never squeezed or stanched. God can give us all things. And for that, we would not be crazy to go through life singing his praises.
—
Jeff Hopper
September 11, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Ascending: Common Complaints (Psalm 120)
Ascending: In God’s Care (Psalm 121)
Ascending: Joy and Peace in Fellowship (Psalm 122)
Ascending: The Mercy We Need (Psalm 123)
Ascending: How Great An Escape (Psalm 124)
Ascending: Stark Lines (Psalm 125)
Ascending: Sorrow and Joy (Psalm 126)
Ascending: Work and Home (Psalm 127)
Ascending: ‘Blessed’ (Psalm 128)
Ascending: Set Free (Psalm 129)
Ascending: Finding Forgiveness (Psalm 130)
Ascending: Our Waiting, Impatient Soul (Psalm 131)
Ascending: Despite Our Sin (Psalm 132)
Ascending: Together in Christ (Psalm 133)