Easy Bible Crafts

Single lesson

Psalm 134: Bless the LORD, All You Servants

Psalms 134:1–3

This short psalm calls Yahweh’s servants to praise him and ends with a blessing from Yahweh. Children will notice who is speaking, the night-time setting, raised hands, and the move from calling for praise to speaking a blessing.

6–10 years30 minutes

Before you teach

Psalm 134 is a three-verse poem. It speaks to servants of Yahweh who stand by night in Yahweh’s house, tells them to lift up their hands in the sanctuary and praise Yahweh, and ends by asking that Yahweh bless them from Zion as the Maker of heaven and earth.

Learning aim

Students will identify the speakers, images and movement in Psalm 134 and explain that the psalm calls Yahweh’s servants to praise him and speaks a blessing from Yahweh the Creator.

1

Welcome: Spot the movement in the psalm

5 min

Tell the class they will listen for movement in a very short psalm: who is addressed first, what action they are told to do, and how the final line changes into a blessing. Read the three verses aloud once, then ask children to listen again for the words praise, hands, house, sanctuary and bless.

Psalms 134:1, Psalms 134:2, Psalms 134:3

2

Read and explain: Who is speaking and to whom?

7 min

Read verse 1 slowly. Point out that the speaker calls, “Look!” and addresses “all you servants of Yahweh”. The servants are described as those who “stand by night in Yahweh’s house”. Explain simply that Yahweh’s house and the sanctuary are words in this psalm for the place set apart for worship.

Psalms 134:1, Psalms 134:2

3

Discuss: What pictures does the psalm use?

6 min

Focus on the images. In verse 1, the servants stand by night in Yahweh’s house. In verse 2, they lift up their hands in the sanctuary and praise Yahweh. Ask what these pictures show about worship in the psalm. Keep answers tied to the words children can see and hear in the verses.

Psalms 134:1, Psalms 134:2

4

Make and respond: Illustrated prayer card

8 min

Children make a simple card with two panels. In the first panel, they draw one image from verses 1-2 such as standing by night, raised hands or the sanctuary, and copy a short phrase. In the second panel, they draw heaven and earth and write the blessing from verse 3. Invite volunteers to explain how the psalm moves from praise to blessing.

Psalms 134:1, Psalms 134:2, Psalms 134:3

5

Closing: Say the psalm’s message clearly

4 min

Read the psalm together one final time. Review the movement in order: a call to Yahweh’s servants, a command to praise with lifted hands, and a blessing from Yahweh from Zion. Finish by asking each child to name one word or image they remember from the psalm.

Psalms 134:1, Psalms 134:2, Psalms 134:3

Questions to explore

Who is being addressed in the first verse, and how are they described?

Look for the people named in verse 1 and the phrase that tells where and when they are standing.

Psalms 134:1

What action are the servants told to do in the sanctuary?

Use the exact action words in verse 2, including what they do with their hands and what they say to Yahweh.

Psalms 134:2

How does the final verse change from the first two verses?

Notice that verse 3 speaks as a blessing and names Yahweh as the one who made heaven and earth.

Psalms 134:3

Make, think or respond

Illustrated Praise and Blessing Card

What you’ll need

  • paper or card
  • pencils or crayons
  • marker

Try it together

  1. Fold a sheet of paper in half to make two panels.
  2. On the first panel, draw one image from Psalms 134:1-2 and write a short phrase from the psalm.
  3. On the second panel, draw heaven and earth and write words from Psalms 134:3.
  4. Share the card with a partner and explain how the psalm moves from praise to blessing.

The card helps children notice the psalm’s images and its movement from calling servants to praise Yahweh to speaking a blessing from Yahweh.

Adapt for your group

  • For younger children, offer two image choices to draw, such as raised hands or heaven and earth, and let them copy only a few key words from the verses.
  • For older or more confident children, ask them to label who is speaking in verses 1-2 and who is spoken about in verse 3, using the words of the psalm.

An optional closing prayer

Proposed words: Lord, help us notice your words in this psalm. Teach us to praise you and to remember that you made heaven and earth. Amen.

Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic

Psalms 134

1 Look! Praise Yahweh, all you servants of Yahweh, who stand by night in Yahweh’s house!

2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary. Praise Yahweh!

3 May Yahweh bless you from Zion, even he who made heaven and earth.

World English Bible Classic. Public domain.

Source passages

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