Praise the Lord! - Part 6: Why We Praise Like We Do

REVIEW
 
Praise the Lord!  This is the title of our current series, and as you just witnessed, we are not just wanting to observe what praise is; we want to actually “Praise the Lord!”
 
So we are stretching ourselves a little bit, right? We are finding out what God considers praise to be and then adopting these things into our praise lives. And we are doing this by looking at the various words that are used for praise in the Old Testament.
 
We started off by looking at the most common Hebrew word for praise, the word halal. We learned that this word is used close to 150 times in the Old Testament and is translated “praise” the vast majority of those times. However, even though the word “praise” is obviously its primary meaning, it actually has some interesting other meanings that we learned …
 
We saw that the word halal literally is defined as – "to be clear (originally of sound, but usually of color), to shine (thus to give light) – which results in to make a show, to boast, to rave, to celebrate, and to be clamorously foolish, or act like a madman."
 
So we made the point that when we read these various ways that halal is being described, we don’t see a lot of this reflected in people’s praise lives, do we? No, I see very few people “shining” by acting foolish or like a crazy person during the praise time. And that’s not to condemn us, but it does need to be brought to our attention because if this is how we are called to praise, then perhaps we ought to loosen up a bit. Perhaps we’ve grown up too much.
 
Yes, the Lord desires that our praise to first be “clear” – that is, true, sincere, and genuine. I made the point that this to me describes praising & worshipping God in truth.
In other words, this describes praise that is void of pretense and hypocrisy. He wants praise that is done in truth – that is, purely and sincerely.
 
But at the same time, the Lord also desires our praise to “shine” – that is, for it to first be displayed in how we live our lives. So that means that shining forth His praise is not just what we say, but how we live our everyday lives.
 
However, we also learned that this “shining” describes making a show, boasting, raving, celebrating, and to act clamorously foolish, or like a madman. What this means, church, is that we will stand out of the pack. We’ll be the one that seems to be in the spotlight even though that’s not necessarily our intention.
 
Now I know that a lot of people shun being in the spotlight and have a heart to not do things that draw attention to ourselves, the fact is, if we praise God this way, we will be noticed. Therefore, we learned that while we certainly don’t want to praise God to be seen of men, we also don’t want to hold our praise back because of the fear of man – meaning, while we might not want the attention, we are not going to hold back because of the attention we might get. Amen?
 
Then last week, we covered another Hebrew word for “praise”, the word todah.
 
We saw how from Psalm 42 that this kind of “praise” is the attitude by which we enter the house of the Lord— with the voice of joy and praise. Now we learned how the word “praise” here is not the word halal or any other of the popular Hebrew words for praise; it is the Hebrew word todah which describes "an extension of the hand in adoration, avowal, or acceptance." One expositor went on to say the following: “By way of application, it is apparent in the Psalms and elsewhere that it is used for thanking God for ‘things not yet received’ as well as things already at hand.” In fact, it is actually translated “thanksgiving” half the times it is used in the original King James Version. So the idea of this form of praise is more that of expressing gratitude and the giving of thanks to God.
 
So we looked at a couple of other passages of Scripture where this idea of entering the presence of God (i.e. the house of God) with thanksgiving is described (both of which, mind you, the Hebrew word todah is what is being used.  One is found in Psalm 95:2 where we are told to “come before His presence with thanksgiving” and the other is Psalm 100:4 that describes entering His gates with thanksgiving.

So what we learned is that the best way to enter the presence of God is “with thanksgiving.”
 
So just like the first step into God’s presence is through the gates of God’s House, the first step through the gates of His presence is by thanksgiving. Yes, Psalm 100:4 specifically says how we are to enter through them— it’s with thanksgiving. So what we can see through this statement is the best way to approach God in praise is through the gates of thanksgiving!
 
We learned that one of the reasons for this is because we “magnify God with thanksgiving, again the word todah (See Psalm 69:30). In other words, like a magnifying glass, we increase the size of Him in our own eyes when we thank Him for things He has done, is doing, and promised to do. So todah is what will make the One we are praising larger, bigger, and greater in our eyes – which will usher us into His presence and guess what wells up in us as a result? You guessed it… PRAISE!!! We started off traveling through the gates of thanksgiving and ended up in the courts of praise! Praise the Lord!
 
But we also learned that this word todah is oftentimes used when describing the sacrifice of thanksgiving. So I believe that one of the pictures of what it means to enter His gates with thanksgiving might be how the Jewish people would enter the house of the Lord with a sacrifice in hand. And we learned that it’s that offering up to Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving which has great reward in that it will change our perspective, help our focus, and bring His joy & power into the picture! The Lord always blesses the things we do in faith! Amen?
 
But then we learned that this todah kind of thanksgiving is not just what we should start out with; the New Testament teaches us that it’s what we end with as well. You see, even though we’ve seen thanksgiving mentioned being done first in these Old Testament verses, in the New Testament, we see it mentioned it as being done after when we’ve approached God.
 
We looked at three passages of Scripture that teach us this from the New Testament and with all three, we see the phrase “with thanksgiving” being included last. So based on these three passages of Scripture, we learned that not only is thanksgiving the appropriate way to enter into praise; it’s also the right way to end our time of praise as well.
 
Church, thanksgiving is not just something we should do at the end of the year; it is what we must do in the beginning of the year and all throughout it. It is how we come before Him and draw near to Him. It is the gateway into the holy of holies where the manifested glory and presence of God is housed.
 
So, it would behoove us to incorporate this spirit of thanksgiving into our praise lives—for not only is it the right & noble thing to do towards the One who has given us so much, but it also the vehicle that leads us into His presence. Amen. 
 
Why Y’all Do That?
 
Now this week, I’d like us to move into some Hebrew words & examples from the Old Testament of praise in the Old Testament that will answer the question – “Why y’all do that?”
 
You know, there are lot of things that we do in certain Charismatic, Pentecostal circles that I’m not so sure people understand why we do them – whether that be if you are someone who isn’t used to a church like this or whether you’ve grown up in a church that does these things. And the last thing we want to do is do things simply out of tradition or for some other religious reason.
 
So let’s begin answering that question 0f why we praise God like we do …
 
Why Do We Lift Our Hands?
 
The next word I want us to move into this week is actually the root word for the word we covered last week (todah), the word yadah.
 
Like todah which described an extension of the hand in adoration, avowal, or acceptance, the word yadah likewise describes "an extended hand or to throw out the hand.” And here it describes praising God by shooting out the hands, thanking Him with extended hands, or we might say to simply lift the hands in praise & thanksgiving.
 
Now the first time the word yadah was used was when the Lord opened Leah’s womb to bear sons to Jacob and she gave birth to Judah – for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord” and gave Judah his name (See Genesis 29:35).
 
So much can be said for what the Lord gave us through the Tribe of Judah namely the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ – which teaches me what raising our hands in praise & thanksgiving likewise produces in our lives – Salvation (i.e. Jesus)!  
 
We see this illustrated in Second Chronicles 20:20-22 when Jehoshaphat put the praisers in front and appointed them to say, “Praise (Heb. yadah) the Lord, for His mercy endures forever!” The Amplified Bible translates this as “Praise and give thanks to the Lord …” in order to give the full definition of the word yadah.
 
And we know what happened as these praisers led the army into the battle, don’t we? As they went into the battle with hands extended, praising & thanking the Lord, the Lord fought the battle for them! Church, this is how we procure the riches of our salvation – by praising & thanking the Lord with hands lifted high!   
 
So have you ever wondered why you see some people lift their hands during the praise & worship service? Well, here is one of your reasons – it’s because it’s Biblical since one of the Hebrew words for praise specifically describes it.
 
But not only do we have this Hebrew word that clear describes praise being done with lifted/extended hands, we have several Scriptures that specifically talk about this too …

1. Psalm 63:4 says, “Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.”
2. Psalm 134:1-2 says, “Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.”
3. Psalm 143:6 says, “I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.”
4. Lamentations 3:41 says, “Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven.”
5. Even in the New Testament, we see this practiced when Paul told Timothy, “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;” (See First Timothy 2:8).

 
This is just a few of the Scriptural examples of what yadah describes. But you’ll still have someone who will say, “But I just don’t see the point. What good does it do to lift my hands?”
 
Well, first of all, you don’t have to understand or see the point to do it and reap the benefits of simple obedience. I mean, I don’t have to know why a brown cow, eats grass, produces white milk, that when churned makes yellow butter – to enjoy a good biscuit. Amen?
 
Now I think understanding is important. Don’t get me wrong. But there’s just a lot we aren’t going to understand that we should simply do because we are told to. In fact, there’s a lot of examples in the Bible where people are told to do certain things and simply by following those instructions, miracles came forth. How easy it would be to hear instructions and to say, “Well, I’m sure its not important to do it exactly like that” or “I don’t see the purpose in doing that, so I’ll just do it this way.” I’ll tell you, saints – that’s a sure-fire way to miss a miracle!
 
So when it comes to lifting my hands to the Lord, I don’t necessarily have to know why I’m doing what I’m doing to reap the benefits of the biscuit! Amen?
 
But I will give you a few logical reasons why lifting our hands is important to our relationship with the Lord …

1. It’s a posture of surrender. Therefore, a person with hands in the air is sometimes showing that they give up – not giving up like I’m quitting serving God, but giving up as in relinquishing control over their own life and giving in to God’s will – kind of like we put our hands in the air when we are under arrest.  
2. It’s also a posture of dependence. So a person lifting their hands is humbly showing their need for God while they praise Him kind of like a young child throws out its arms for its dad or mom – which is big sign of humility versus the one who refuses to lift their hands to this unseen God that we ought to be looking to for everything.  
3. It’s a posture of receiving. So extending our arms to Him with open hands can be indicative of our willingness to receive from Him. Therefore, if I have a need for say healing or grace of any kind, me lifting my hands to Him can be me showing my desire & willingness to receive.

 
And there are probably several more things that lifting our hands to the Lord shows, but the fact, the Lord wants His people to be demonstrative in expressing their praise to Him. Yes, while our hearts are where true praise is to begin, the Lord also wants us loving Him with all our strength. So the person who does not show any real physical expressions of praise is simply not doing it right – for when the Lord has our whole heart, our body will come along with it.
 
Jumping, Whirling, Dancing, the Whole Bit!
 
With that being said, let me give you a few more things you and I do with our body to praise God which will answer some more questions like “why do we do this or that” when we praise the Lord …
 
How about jumping? Have you ever seen someone jump during the praise time? Sure, I for one love to jump. And guess what? It’s Scriptural too.
 
We have a Hebrew word alaz (a-lauze), and while this word is not translated as “praise” per se, it is used to describe “rejoicing, exulting, and to be jubilant.” In fact, while this word definitely describes being joyful, it carries the idea of “jumping for joy.”
 
So there you go! Now you have Scriptural precedence for jumping during the song service.     
 
But even if we didn’t have this specific definition to “jump for joy” it should just be self-explanatory that if we are jubilant and rejoicing, things like jumping go along with this joyful heart. Amen?
 
Guess what else comes with a jubilant heart? Dancing and whirling!
 
Of course, we have a great example of this from David’s life: We’ve seen this already in Second Samuel 6:14-16 when we are told – “Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.”
 
Here we see how David’s jubilant heart resulted in him doing several things:


Yes, he was “leaping,” but he was also “whirling” – which comes from the Hebrew word karar (ka-rare) – which described how David was dancing before the Lord with all his might.
 
Now this doesn’t mean to bring your old worldly barroom dancing up in here, but it describes a joyful dance. In other words, what’s your snoopy, happy dance. That’s what the Lord is blessed when we let it loose for Him. It might be simply just leaping. It might be whirling around. It might waving your hands back & forth. The bottom line is – whatever dance you’d let loose when you are jubilant & rejoicing, feel free to do that at this church!  
 
In fact, this “dancing” before the Lord is also a common biblical practice. We see it in Hebrew word mahol (ma-hole) and this word is used in Psalm 150:4 when the psalmist said to praise Him with the timbrel and dance. One of my favorite instances of this is found in Psalm 30:11-12 for turning our mourning into dancing. So David declared how his sadness & mourning had now been turned into rejoicing & dancing.
 
So when people bring up to me about dancing before the Lord in church, asking me if I think it’s alright, here’s how I answer: Not only do we have several Hebrew words that describe dancing, we have this example from David’s life that proves how we too have every right to dance before the Lord.
 
You see, the Bible teaches us at the Old Testament was a type & shadow of things which are to come. Well, if David danced in the shadow, we sho’ ought to be able to dance in the light. Glory!
 
Is All This New Testament?
 
Now as talk about these various Hebrew words that describe all of this demonstrative type of praise, there are some who think that things have changed since the Cross. For some reason, the majority of the church has adopted this mentality that now we are supposed to praise & worship God “in the Spirit” – meaning, we don’t need any of that physical or emotional stuff anymore. But I’d like to end today by talking about how doing things “in the Spirit” doesn’t mean that we forsake these Biblical examples of praise & rejoicing form the Old Testament. In fact, the Holy Spirit should propel us into even more demonstrative praise!
 
You see, there are other things that you might see in our circles. Yeah, you’ll most likely see some lifted hands. You might even see some people jumping, dancing, etc. But have you ever seen people falling down, running around the church, laughing in the Spirit, and wobbling around like a drunk person? Well, there’s actually some Scriptural precedence for these things because this is the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring!
 
If you recall, in Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church, there was a comparison made to the Spirit’s infilling with drunkenness. Let’s look at it this week …
 
On the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost in that upper room, we see that while the majority were amazed and perplexed by what they were hearing (i.e. the disciples speaking in other tongues and declaring, in their own tongues, the wonderful works of God), there were others mocking who thought that they were drunk with new wine (Acts 2:13). But then we see Peter correcting them saying, “For these are not drunk, as you suppose…” (2:15). Notice this phrase— “as you suppose.” So, Peter was admitting that they were drunk alright, just not like those people thought!
 
You see, most people “suppose” that the reason this group of people thought they were drunk was just by the tongues they were hearing, but when you hear people praying in tongues have you ever mistaken that with someone being intoxicated? I haven’t. So, what this shows me is that the effects of the infilling of the Holy Spirit can easily be mistaken for the effects of being filled with alcohol.
 
So, what was it that made the onlookers assume that the believers were drunk? It’s because they were acting under a new influence. They were behaving abnormally. They were speaking and moving in a way that was different. No, they weren’t incapacitated and belligerent, but they were joyful and having a good time!
 
You see, the Holy Spirit is compared with wine, not because He brings chaos, but because He brings freedom & joy. Just as people receive wine in celebration, so are we to receive the Holy Spirit with gladness. His presence, like wine, marks the occasion. Wine represents the joy, prosperity, and boldness brought about by the Holy Spirit.
 
Now what does this have to do with us praising God in all of these ways? Well, just think about it: If the infilling of the Holy Spirit has similar effects on us that alcohol has on people, what do you think might make us feel a little freer to dance, jump, whirl, and act what some might call a little foolish? The New Wine; that’s Who!  
 
Staying Full of New Wine
 
You see, Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” Notice that the apostle Paul here compares being drunk with wine as being filled with the Spirit. One expositor states that the word “drunk” means “to be filled.” So what Paul was literally saying was “don’t be filled with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.”
 
But notice that Paul makes the point of saying that being drunk with alcohol leads to “dissipation.” The word “dissipation” comes from the Greek word “sozo” which is the word translated “salvation.” But this word “sozo” has the alpha negative “a” before it which gives the word “sozo” the exact opposite meaning that it has on its own. It literally describes the opposite of that which has a saving quality about it. Therefore, it rather has a destructive quality. So, Paul was describing how living a drunkin’ lifestyle just leads to destruction and bondage, but how having a Spirit-Filled lifestyle has the opposite effect. It leads to freedom and wholeness!
 
Why do people like to get drunk anyways? It is because it frees them from their inhibitions. Yes, they become free to do the things they normally wouldn’t do. Another reason is because it makes them joyful and fun to be around. Likewise, full of the Holy Spirit, we become free to be ourselves and become joyful and fun to be around.
 
I for one, used to love to dance when I was drinking. But you’d never get me out on that dance floor when I was sober. You know, I think some of us live our lives too sober. No, I’m not advocating we start drinking this world’s alcohol because we just saw how destructive that is to one’s life. No, I’m saying we need to be filled with Spirit and stay filled so that we can experience the freedom to live for and praise God the way we are supposed to.
 
You know, Jesus must have been fun to be around if the kid’s all liked Him, right? Children aren’t drawn to sour-pusses, I can assure you. Speaking of Jesus, Hebrews 1:9 says, “Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than your companions” The Holy Spirit is called the “oil of gladness” because that is what is produced in a believer who is full of the Holy Ghost—JOY! Joy unspeakable and full of glory!
 
You see, the believer does not need wine to experience joy. Wine can only give unfulfilling counterfeits of what the Holy Spirit offers. The Holy Spirit is the wine of Heaven—and the good news is that He is free and He doesn’t give you a hang-over either! So, in essence, Paul is saying, “Hey guys. Don’t get drunk on wine because that just leads to bondage. But instead, be filled up with the Spirit and experience the new wine!” In other words, one doesn’t need alcohol in order to have a good time and enjoy life; learning to drink of and being filled with the Holy Spirit can give one what they felt like only alcohol could give them. Amen.
 
So how does one stay full of the Holy Spirit? Well, let’s look at the next verse and find out how:
 
Ephesians 5:19 says, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” A major key to staying full of the Spirit is the words that come out of our mouth. In other words, just as our mouth is the primary way one fills their belly with wine, our mouth is the primary way one stays full of the Spirit. Paul said here that we are continuously filled with the Spirit when we let “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” come out of our mouth. So, what are “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs?”
 
“Psalms” suggests what we would call “scriptural music.” In almost every usage of the Greek word “psalmos” the Psalms of the Old Testament are what is being referred to. So, singing “psalms” would be singing the Psalms of the Old Testament obviously, but it could also include singing other portions of Scripture. The term “hymns” literally describe “festive songs” or “songs of praise specifically addressed towards God.” A hymn differs from a psalm in that while a psalm is generally scripturally-based, a hymn is a song that comes of human origin. Some examples of “hymns” could be “I Sing Praises to Your Name”, “Holy, Holy, Holy”, or “the Doxology.” Then Paul said that the third and final songs that we should sing are “spiritual songs.” The word “spiritual” literally means “non-carnal.” So “spiritual songs” are “songs that are not of human origin”—that is, songs that are given by inspiration of the Spirit. This would include singing in tongues or simply just singing a song in our own understanding that the Holy Spirit puts in our hearts and that did not originate from man.
 
Someone might say, “But it is not always convenient to sing. What do you do in those times?” That Is why Paul’s next phrase in Ephesians 5:19 is “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” In those times where it is not appropriate to sing aloud, we can make melody in our heart to the Lord. We can always maintain that inner communion with Him. God is a spirit so we can worship Him (or, fellowship with Him) in spirit (i.e. not naturally). So, when we cannot let it come out of our mouth, we need to let it continue in our heart.
 
Actually, this singing and making melody in our heart is always important to do. Sometimes we can just let songs come out of our mouth without our hearts being behind the words. If all we do is just sing psalms and hymns without our hearts truly being involved it will do absolutely nothing to keep us full of the Spirit. That is why Paul went on to say “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” This means that the songs that come out of our mouth should be aimed at the Lord. That is, that we are not just singing but that we are actually singing to the Lord—making Him the object of all the words that proceed from our mouth. This is getting our heart involved in our psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
 
But the main point I am making is the importance of praise, worship, and thanksgiving coming out of our mouths regarding maintaining a Spirit-Filled life. Amen. This is how we drink in the Spirit, when His praises come out of our mouth. And just like we need to bathe regularly so that we won’t stink in the natural, we need to be "bathed" in the Holy Spirit continually so that we won't stink spiritually.
 
So yes, being filled with the Holy Spirit won’t make us less free; it will make us more free – for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (See Second Corinthians 3:17)! Yes, freedom from the law, sin, and death, but also freedom to lift our hands, freedom to jump for joy, freedom to dance & spin around before the Lord, etc.  
 
The Hand of the Lord
 
In fact, you’ll see the Holy Spirit have all kinds of interesting effects on people.
 
For example, have you have seen someone take off running during a church service? I have! In fact, I’ve been that guy numerous times! Someone will say, “Is there any Scripture for that?” Sure, there is!
 
Do you remember when the Bible said that when “the hand of the Lord” came upon Elijah, that he outran the king’s chariot (First Kings 18:46)? Well, the hand of the Lord is a reference to when the Holy Spirit comes upon someone. And what did the supernatural experience of the Holy Spirit produce? He ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel! In other words, he was supernaturally endowed to run.
 
Even David said in Psalm 18:29 that “by the Lord” he could run against a troop and leap over a wall. Notice running & leaping are being referred to here.
 
Someone might say, “Well, all of this is talking about God empowering one for a purpose.” Well, is there not a purpose in praise?
 
I want you to know today that David was first anointed to praise! So much so, that when he played his harp before a demonized king, Saul experienced a freedom during those times. So there was obviously the hand of the Lord on David’s praise life for him to have so much grace that he could pen at least well over 100 God-inspired songs.
 
Well, this wasn’t all He was anointed for. We see in the life of David how he was also a warrior – one who could perform supernatural feats that began with him being able to manhandle both a lion and a bear and also kill tens of thousands of men at a time.
 
So do you reckon there is a connection there? Is it that a person who is powerful in praise will also be powerful in battle.  
 
So what do you reckon can happen when the hand of the Lord comes upon us? Running & leaping is certainly a viable option.  
 
But the fact is, when the natural comes into contact with the supernatural, something’s got to give. And it sure won’t be the supernatural!
 
Do you remember the story of when, at the tomb of Jesus, a couple of angels came and rolled the stone away? Well, we are told that there was a couple of Roman soldiers there that fell like dead men. Someone will say, “Well, that was because a couple of heavenly beings showed up.” I’ll tell you, there’s a Heavenly Being who is here today and He came in like a rushing mighty wind!  
 
Also, in the Garden, the Bible tells us that when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, that the men fell over backwards when Jesus said, “I am He.” Someone will say, “Well, they were right in the presence of Jesus.” Jesus said where two or three are gathered together, I am there in the midst of them! So we today are also right in the very presence of Jesus! Glory!
 
Church, this new wine of the Holy Spirit will have some very similar effects on us that alcohol has on people in the world. It’ll embolden us! It will free us from all our inhibitions! It will bring us joy – joy that will cause us to dance, jump, run, fall, laugh, etc. This is one of the many benefits of the Spirit-filled life, and one of that we should take advantage of during our praise services! Let’s let the hand of the Lord come upon us today, amen?