1. Bless the LORD
Psalm 134

2. Background
Final psalm of ascents ( )
Possibly sung as leaving the city or occasion of worship
A call to bless the LORD

3. Bless the lord
Bless – typically, to show favor toward one
Can also mean to speak well of, to praise, to kneel before. Approach with adoration.
It is in this sense, we bless the LORD

4. Bless the lord Bless the LORD –
Genesis 24:48, Abraham’s servant sent to find a wife for Isaac.
Deuteronomy 8:10, when you are full – do not forget Him
Judges 5:2, in the song of Deborah
1 Chronicles 29:10, as Solomon is about to be anointed

5. Bless the lord Bless the LORD –
Nehemiah 8:6, Ezra blessed the LORD as he took the book
Psalm 16:7, 34:1, 103:1-2, , 135:19-20 – several times in the psalms
Similar, to “praise the LORD” (Hallelujah) in meaning

6. Bless the lord How do we bless the Lord?
By approaching Him with reverence – John 4:24, Hebrews 12:28
By praising Him – Hebrews 13:15
By being thankful – 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, Colossians 3:16-17, Ephesians 5:20, etc.

7. Bless the lord How do we bless the Lord?
By magnifying (and glorifying) Him in our lives – Philippians 1:19-20, Romans 15: Corinthians 6:20 1 Peter 4:11
By respecting His pattern – cf. Hebrews 8:5-6, Ephesians 1: John 5:2-3, Luke 6:46, Matthew 7:21-23
James 4:8 – draw near to God

8. ALL YOU SERVANTS OF THE LORD
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD
Possibly, the priesthood, or temple administration including guards – cf. Luke 2:37, 1 Chronicles 9:33
We serve our God at ALL times!

9. ALL YOU SERVANTS OF THE LORD
We are the priests today
Possibly, the priesthood, or temple administration including guards – 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9
We offer sacrifices – Romans 12:1-2, Hebrews 13:15-16
We pray to Him
2 Corinthians 2:14-15 – diffusing the fragrance of His knowledge

10. Respect as we approach Him
LIFT UP YOUR HANDS
Respect as we approach Him
Lifting up hands – while no set posture, this was frequently found in OT 1 Kings 8:22, Psalm 28:2, 63:4, 141:2.
Also, 1 Timothy 2:8

11. LIFT UP YOUR HANDS Should we lift up our hands today?
Such is judgment, but not necessary Consider: 1) A product of the charismatic “experience” or emotion driven 2) God is concerned with the heart Psalm 51:17 3) Is it genuine humility, or to be seen?

12. Lord who made …earth Acknowledge Him for who He is!
Truly, He is a great God Psalm 115:15, 121:2, Genesis 1:1, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:16(spoken of Christ)
“How great thou art”

13. Bless you from zion
Consider the picture, as the people are leaving the city. They call for the keepers to bless the LORD. In return, the keepers answer, “The LORD… bless you from Zion!”

14. Bless you from zion
We are blessed by Him in many ways Ephesians 1:3 John 1:16 NOTE: How do we bless others? Cf. 1 Peter 3:9, Matthew 5:44
Bless you from Zion – a benediction – concluding words expressing good wishes or invoking blessings as we leave. Cf. 1 Cor. 16:23, 2 Cor. 13:11-14, Eph. 6:23-24, etc.

15. You have been abundantly blessed by him
You have been abundantly blessed by him. How are you blessing him in return?