Blog 134: Psalm 134 on Opening Night
Three times a year, YHWH commanded the Israelites to make a pilgrimage to keep a feast to YHWH, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Exo. 23:14-16). All the men of Israel were to appear before YHWH (Exo. 23:17; 34:23-24; Deu. 16:16) and to offer sacrifices to Him, maintaining their fellowship and connection with Him. Israel had a unique tradition for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, highlighting the Feast of YHWH’s blessing.
The Feast of Tabernacles began in the seventh month as the sun set on Tishri 14. With all Israel going up to the temple that evening, the priest took a pitcher of water from the fountain of Israel, paraded it up to the temple singing songs accompanied with instruments, and poured it out at the altar (Psa. 68:24-27). The ceremony of beseeching God to bless them by pouring out living waters, His Spirit1, was repeated each day of Sukkot, but on the seventh day, the priest led the procession seven times. How did this ceremony start, and what relevance does it have for us today in understanding or keeping the Feast of Tabernacles?
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib of Assyria came against the fortified cities of Judah. The King became ill, near death. When he called out to YHWH with tears of longing to live long enough to restore the nation, YHWH heard his prayer and added fifteen years to his life. In three days, King Hezekiah praised YHWH and worshiped at the temple. Hezekiah fortified Jerusalem for siege, building up the wall, stopping wells, rerouting the Gihon to the Pool of Siloam, and making weapons and shields. He wrote ten songs to match the ten degrees God had turned back Ahaz’s sundial, then added five more from David and Solomon, totaling fifteen Psalms of Degrees or Ascents. Israelite pilgrims sang the fifteen Psalms 120-134 as they went up from the Pool of Siloam to the temple, encouraging trust in YHWH to deliver His people, like Hezekiah had done. Psalm 134 describes the opening night of the Feast of Tabernacles. This blog explores the fifteenth song, Psalm 134, in view of Israel’s establishment as one nation under YHWH.
The Songs of the Ascent show a movement toward a climax or from a lower place to a higher place or restoration of worship, often sung as traveling songs of those returning from exile2. The verb ‘alaah, “ascend,” is used for journeying to Israel from the Babylonian low country and from the Egyptian Nile Valley. Going up to Jerusalem to worship for the three yearly feast periods is also ‘alaah. The verb ‘ala means “to go up,” “to step up,” “higher,” or “ascend” (Strong’s H4609). However, the root of ‘ala is la (Strong’s H5927), the word used for a whole burnt offering dedicated and ascending to YHWH (1Sa. 1:3). “To go up” is also used to increase strength and overpower, which fits into the meaning of Hezekiah’s name, “YHWH has strengthened,” to go up in worship on the cosmic mountain of God. God charged Moses “to bring up,” ‘ala, Israel, and sent His Presence to go with him. Isaiah used ‘ala to describe the nations in the latter days, after “the mountain of YHWH’s house is established on the top of the mountains, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths” (Isa. 2:2-3). To ‘ala to YHWH’s house means to gain the covenant blessings.
Psalm 134 petitions the priests to lift up their hands, to intercede for Israel (v. 1), that YHWH may pour out His covenant blessing (v. 3), His Holy Spirit, upon Israel, for His light to shine upon them as they praise Him for His saving creation works. God’s creation work displayed His power through His word (breath) to transform the dark, uninhabitable earth into a light-filled land teeming with abundance and life. Opening night was staged by the full moon and the temple’s four great lampstands, mimicking the temple’s menorah shining on the twelve shewbread loaves. On this night, God’s servants stood in confidence that He would intercede for Israel and all nations. When the Feast and Eighth Day drew to an end, the priests blessed Israel, putting His name upon them (Num. 6:22-27). Psalm 134 was the opening night’s bookend to the Numbers 6 blessing.
Psalm 134, NKJV, NIV
Behold, praise YHWH,
All you servants of YHWH,
Who by night stand in the house of YHWH!
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And praise YHWH.
May YHWH, the Maker of heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!
Num. 6:22-27, NKJV
“This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel.
YHWH bless you and keep you;
YHWH make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
YHWH lift up His countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
So they shall put My name on the children of Israel,
and I will bless them.”
Isaiah used the imagery of the priests lifting up their hands to put the name of YHWH upon His people, blessing them with His covenant faithfulness by the breath of His Holy Spirit as they worshiped the Creator of all things at the holy Feast, causing them to sing songs of deliverance, rejoicing with gladness of heart as they marched in procession going up to the mountain of YHWH, to the Rock of Israel (Isa. 30:27-33). It is through the breath of His lips that He will slay the wicked and deliver His people in judgment (Isa. 11:4). It is through faithfulness to His word that YHWH pours out His Holy Spirit upon His people gathered one by one, prepared and ready to serve His will. Entering the blessings of the covenant, Israel assembled with hearts rejoicing, singing songs, and playing flutes and timbrels in a procession going up to the sanctuary at night (Psa. 68:24-25).
There are only two festal assembly nights, the Night-To-Be-Much-Observed (NTBMO, the night Israel left Egypt, beginning the first Day of Unleavened Bread) and the opening night of the Feast of Tabernacles. Both nights commemorate Israel’s sojourn to the Mountain of YHWH and occur under a full moon. After Passover’s judgment on Egypt (Abib 14), the joy of Israel’s night exodus (NTBMO, Abib 15) relates to Sukkot’s opening night celebration (Tishri 15). The paramount connections between the start of the two seven-day Festivals are the topic of an upcoming blog (See Blog 48).
Takeaway:
The fifteen Psalms of Ascents were created by Hezekiah when YHWH added fifteen more years to his life, symbolic of Israel’s restoration. The fifteenth song, Psalm 134, is Israel’s call for the priests to intercede in prayer and praise to YHWH in order that each Israelite may receive the covenant blessing of YHWH, His living waters. Psalm 134 is the front cover to the back cover of the priestly blessing, and it opens the scroll of Sukkot, the knowledge and understanding of how YHWH has led us out of exile to ‘ala to His holy mountain by His Holy Spirit, from Passover to the Land.
Fun Factors:
Psalm 134 has 98 letters (2 × 72, 14 + 24 + 34, 72 + 72) in 25 words (52), totaling 6007, the 784th prime number, 6(262 + 182) + 7, saying, human (6) life (18) with YHWH (26) is complete (7).
If Psalm 134 is added to the Aaronic blessing (6007 + 2718), the sum is 8725, 252 + 902, the temple holiness (252) through justice is fulfilled (902).
Isaiah’s poem about singing songs on the Feast night for YHWH’s deliverance, 30:27-33 has 401 letters (202 + 12) in 105 words (7 × 15), totaling 25056, 25 × 33 × 29, 864 × 29, the sun’s diameter number, 864, times 42 + 32 + 22, the sun’s radius number 432, an icon for the heart of God revealed, that is, the restoration of humanity to life.
Footnotes:
1 John 7:37-39, Watching this ceremony on the Feast’s last day prompted Yeshua to stand and cry aloud, “If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He that believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” He spoke of the Holy Spirit they would receive. He, like Hezekiah, longed to restore Israel and, by extension, all nations.
2 Wulf, Joyce Lynn, 2023, Behold, I AM, Christian Faith Publishing, Meadville, p. 514, Appendix 21.