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C:\VMCHURCH\LESSON\PRAISE\HPRAISE1.DOC 28.07.91 A NEW DIMENSION WHEN PRAISING PART 2 HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 Psalm 100:1 to 5 read Where ever you see a company of believers -- who have learnt to praise God -- as it is outlined in the scriptures -- there you will find mature Christians -- with the world looking on wanting to know what is going on --- When we praise God in the way the Bible outlines it -- something happens that is very much like what happens to the apostles -- and what we understand of the early church --- Praise is the key to this Our English language is a very poor language to express truth -- because we do not have enough words to really say what we want to say -- We see this very clearly in the word -- love -- And it also comes out in this word -- praise --- If you go through the book of Psalms you will find a number of words that almost seem to say the same thing --- You have praise - in praise the Lord -- you have give thanks -- you have sing praise -- you have the idea of making music -- They all seem to overlap -- and the English tries to put them together -- trying to make sense out of them In the Hebrew language they had certain words - that meant things very specific -- You might say -- in the Old Testament they had developed the idea of praise -- it was an art if you were a believer under the Old Testament system -- HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 Praising God invaded every part of your life -- it invaded every circumstance that you were in -- Whether you were looking -- Forward -- back -- or the present There was always a word -- that would describe the kind of praise -- that you would be involved in --- In the last few hundred years we have lost this art of praise --- not only have we lost it we have made it illegal to praise --- So we have an Old Testament that has developed the art of praising God -- and we have a church today -- that gets very uptight -- if even the very suggestion is made of praising God in a way that approaches the Old Testament and New Testament way of praising -- So in order for us to find out exactly what the -- Old Testament is saying -- we will look at a little Hebrew -- That is I will give some words in the Old Testament for praise -- and -- thanks And from this I think that it will give you a better feeling of what these people are really saying--- The first word in Hebrew for praise is the word that you often say --- it is a word that all believers throughout the world use and this word is HAL-AL We say -- Hal-al-lu-jah --- HAL-AL -- is the basic word for praise -- and it is the word commanding us to praise because in actual fact when you say -- hal-al-lu-jah -- HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 You are using this word -- HAL-AL -- plus -- LU-JAH -- which is the name of the I am -- who I am -- Yahweh --- Hal-al-lu-jah is the command to praise God -- praise the Lord It is a command -- as well as something that wells up inside of you that you want to do -- What does -- HAL-AL -- mean -- The root meaning of the word -- that is - to pull the word apart to get back to its original idea -- It was used to describe Sunshine -- or moonshine -- starshine -- a light that came from a heavenly body -- It was a light that shone forth -- into the midst of the darkness -- The simple meaning in Hebrew means -- to boast to be excited to enjoy to the full So if you are excited about someone -- you enjoy that someone to the full -- then you are liable to boast about them to other people -- So I boast because I am excited -- and I am enjoying them to the full --- It means to be deeply thankful for -- it also means to boast in a superior's ability and character You work for someone -- and you are very proud of them -- for what they -- have done - or - are doing -- you are liable to boast about them -- This is the basic meaning -- HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 Another word around this Hebrew word is to brag This in one sense is to boast -- Brag really in Hebrew means -- to shout about someone - In our English today it would be -- to rave over them to go bananas over them This is not something that you nod your head at -- you're positively raging with excitement about them -- It means -- to hail them to proclaim them It has in it the idea of crying out with an expression of great joy -- Another word to describe it -- is jubilation over someone -- Throughout the Old Testament the word is used apart from praising God --- it is used about praising people At most times this word is used is in the book of Psalms -- the word Psalm does not really say what the book is about -- The word Psalm was put there by the Greek -- not the Hebrews -- The book would be better named as -- the Book of Ravings It is a book of bragging -- HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 It is a book where believers brag about God -- They are boasting about all that God is -- they even rave about God --- There is a group of Psalms to fit this word -- They are Psalms 113 to 118 -- and they are called -- the HAL-AL Because it is the raving -- or you may say the boastings of the people of Israel -- the believers -- of all that God had done in rescuing them out of Egypt at the time of the Passover --- At every Passover the people would gather and they would sing these chapters -- from 113 to 118 --- They were saying -- God you are fantastic -- Listen to this -- I must tell you again --- An example of this is -- Psalm 113 says -- Praise the Lord -- Praise those servants of the Lord -- Praise the name of the Lord from this time forth and for ever more -- From the rising of the sun to its setting -- the name of the Lord is to be praised --- He is saying -- Let the world know about this -- My God is fantastic My God is marvellous He is wonderful Psalm 117 says -- Praise the Lord all you nations -- Praise Him all you people --- This is saying even if you do not believe in Him you have to admit that there is no God like this God -- HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 He is just wonderful His loving kindness is great towards us the truth of the Lord is everlasting all ye people Praise the Lord Psalms says -- give thanks to the Lord for He is good - His loving kindness is everlasting --- This man is not standing there just saying it -- He is jumping with excitement He is shouting it out The song that Jesus sang just before He went to the Garden of Gethsemane -- was the last part of Psalm 118 The Passover feast was now over -- and the last part of the Hal-al was sung unto God and then they went out --- Psalm 104 -- is praising God for His creation -- Psalm 105 -- is praising God for His salvation --- David said -- Bless the Lord Oh my soul forget not all these benefits for He has done such wonderful and marvellous things If I have come to Hal-al God -- then I will praise ul-jah or praise the I AM It takes time to consider -- who this God is -- not only what He has done -- but who He is -- HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 Have you ever just sat - and meditated upon the fact that God is love -- that He loves me wherever I am - and whatever I am doing -- No matter how messed up I am -- He still loves me -- His grace deals with us so blessedly -- and yet we do not deserve it --- Wherever I am His presence is there -- He is there in all His fulness --- David said -- Although I make my bed in hell -- behold you are there -- If I took the wings of a dove and flew to the utter most part of the earth you are there -- I can not escape you --- For who is like unto you among the gods As I realise this God -- I say -- HAL-AL -- I praise -- I rave -- I go overboard -- over a God like this --- I boast in this God When we greet one another -- We say -- Praise the Lord -- Our God is marvellous -- Our God is everything -- He is all I need -- He is wonderful -- Psalm 146 - 148 - 150 -- Calls upon all creation to HAL-AL the Lord -- Calls upon you to take up an instrument -- and make a joyful noise unto the Lord -- in praise --- Another word is -- "YA/DAH" -- HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 This is translated most of the time -- to give thanks - At other times it is to give praise -- It also means to confess -- this is its main meaning -- it means to acknowledge --- You will find it is used to define confession of sin --- If I acknowledge my sin -- I confess my sin -- then the word used is YA/DAH -- I say this to help us to understand how it is used in terms of praising God --- For when I - YA/DAH - God -- I confess who he is I do not hide His character I acknowledge Him I confess Him So HAL-AL is the boasting -- the glory in God -- YA/DAH -- recognises who He is and declares it I affirm it as a fact Remember this is just a little lesson in Hebrew -- it has nothing to do with some religious denomination --- The words -- acknowledge and confess means -- to stretch forth the hands -- So built into this word is the idea -- that as I confess as I acknowledge and affirm I do so with outstretched hands HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 People say have a look at those charismatics -- see how they raise their hands --- They are doing no more than an exact expression of this Hebrew word YA/DAH --- To exactly translate YA/DAH -- We have to say -- It is to confess God with the raising of the hands -- It does not matter how you feel about it -- it has nothing to do with it -- for this is what the word means -- Psalm 63:4 referred to this -- It says -- Thus will I bless thee as long as I live -- I will lift up my hands in thy name -- my soul is satisfied-- my mouth offered praise with joyful lips -- 2 Chronicles 20 -- You should read this whole chapter -- it is one of the most fantastic chapters in the Old Testament - in a lesson on praise --- They had been attacked by their enemies and they send the Levites to praise God -- The scripture says in verse 21 -- He appointed those who sang unto the Lord and those who praised Him those who YA/DAHED Him For the loving kindness of the Lord is everlasting If I am to translate this to what it really says -- It says -- They went out with their hands raised praising God -- HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 Psalm 97:12 says -- Rejoice -- be glad in the Lord -- A command - and at the same time let your mouth give thanks -- that is let your mouth confess --- From -- 1 Chronicles 16 to 29 -- You will find references to the fact that David appointed persons to praise the Lord --- I think that every musician -- and every song leader needs to know that they do not play - or sing from a piece of music -- They sing and play out of a heart overflowing with praise -- they are there to lead the people into this atmosphere -- In David's time -- they were appointed -- it was a paid job to delight in the Lord -- 1 Chronicles 16:4 says -- He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the Ark of the Lord -- even to celebrate -- to thank -- and to praise the Lord God of Israel There you have the words again -- They were to stand before the Lord -- to thank and to praise They were to speak forth who God was --- When things do not look good around me when things look dark when the enemy is attacking At this time I stand HOW TO PRAISE PART 1 And say -- God is in control This is the way it is -- This is confessing Confess means to say the same thing as -- So when I confess my sin -- I am saying the same thing as God is saying To confess the name of God -- Is to say -- the same thing about His name as God says about His own name -- Psalm 27 -- Here David is in bad circumstances -- and his response was -- The Lord is the strength of my life --- David is making a statement This is praise in the YA/DAH sense He is stating -- The Lord is the defense of my life -- of whom then shall I be afraid -- Psalm 23 -- David wrote this when death appeared to be near by -- He writes -- The Lord is my shepherd -- This is YA/DAH It is a statement -- it is a declaration of who God is - Very closely linked to this is another word -- TOW/DAH unfortunately it is translated as thanksgiving -- But we will have to leave this word until next week -- AMEN.