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1.
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Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord,
which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Night-watches were
customarily set in the temple, it being the duty of the Levites to keep guard at
the gates to prevent the unclean from entering (cp. also 1 Chron. 9:33; Luke
2:37 for other “services” at night). An official, known as the
“captain of the temple” (Acts 4:1), was entrusted with the command
of the twenty-four guard stations about the gates and courts, each consisting of
ten men (Edersheim, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, pp. 147,148).
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After midnight the temple captain took with him certain of the
appointed priests for the ministry of the next day. Passing into the temple
courts, they split into two companies, each with a torch, and compassed the
courts to see if all was in readiness for the service of the dawning day. They
then went into a chamber of the temple where the lots were drawn to assign the
day’s duties (cp. Luke 1:8,9; Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the
Psalms, vol. 3, pp. 321,322; these details were certainly true of
Herod’s temple, and very likely true in the days of Hezekiah).
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King Hezekiah had a profound interest in the service of the
temple. For him it was more than ritual, it was life itself. In the first year
of his reign this zeal manifested itself in cleansing of the temple,
reorganization of the worship there, and direct personal exhortation to the
priests (2 Chron. 29:11; 30:16; 31:2). Hezekiah must have often imagined himself
among the priests of the temple, keeping holy vigil, “soldiers” at
their posts in the “warfare” of the Lord: “My soul waiteth for
the Lord more than they that watch for the morning” (130:5,6).
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So it should be for all who would be “priests” of
God; they must watch and pray. For surely, as the sky begins to brighten in
anticipation of a new day, the true “Captain of the Temple” will
make his inspection tour, and blessed will be those servants whom the
Lord when he cometh will find watching (Matt. 24:42,46)! But woe unto those who
are found asleep when on duty, for they shall be beaten and their garments taken
from them and burned, and they will be driven away naked from the presence of
their master (Edersheim, as above): “Blessed is he that watcheth and
keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame” (Rev.
16:15; cp. 1 Thes. 5:6).
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2.
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Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.
Here is a plea from Hezekiah to those priests and Levites who stand on guard
at night in the temple, that they do so with praise and thanksgiving on their
lips, and their hands outstretched to God (Psa. 141:2; cp. Psalms Studies,
Psa. 28, Par. 5, v. 2), for there was much about their service that was
conducive to a mere mechanical compliance.
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3.
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The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.
Here is the echo of the traditional benediction of the high
priest:
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“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make his
face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his
countenance upon thee and give thee peace” (Num. 6:24-26).
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The priests as they go about their duties return the wishes of
Hezekiah and the faithful. True service of God is the lifting up of hearts and
hands to Him, not the multiplication of ritualistic exercises. Those who thus
serve God can expect His blessings in return.
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Yahweh is the one true God, who has created all things (Psa.
121:2). This is emphasized one final time in these songs, in retort to the
boastful words of Rabshakeh — who asked: “Have the gods of the
nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed?” (2 Kings 19:12).
Hezekiah appeals to God on this ground, that He should avenge such blasphemy,
for “Thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the
earth; thou hast made heaven and earth” (2 Kings 19:15; 2 Chron.
32:19; Isa. 37:36).
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