(REFLECTIONS ON Psalm 135:1-21)

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O servants of the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God!

Who are the servants of the Lord? They are the ones that praise the name of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God! They are the Levites, the priests, and the people of God. A servant of the Lord is an identity, a calling, and it is also a privilege.

The servants of the Lord aren’t bound by chains, aren’t forced into slavery, but have been freed from the world’s oppression, and brought into a relationship with God. That is why the servants of the Lord praise the Lord. It is because the Lord has released them from their oppression in Egypt, and made them His own.

The servants of the Lord have a new identity in Him, not defined by bondage, but by belonging. Their God is not like the gods of the nations, which cannot see, hear, or have breath, but the living God who acts, speaks, and saves.

14 For the Lord will judge His people
And will have compassion on His servants.

Because the servants of the Lord belong to Him, His judgment is not for destruction, but is marked by compassion. This was the identity of Israel when God brought them out of Egypt, and this is the identity we now have in Jesus Christ.

The servants of the Lord are not powerless or bound, but are blessed and brought near to Him. That is why we praise the Lord. Let us then serve Him not out of obligation, contract, or fear, but out of love in response to His love.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Psalm 135