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Volume. XXV, No. 14 From the Pastors Heart - Worship Part 17Today I am going to continue with the fifth principle of biblical worship, which is on praise and music. (8) Praise is often combined with other activities or expressed in various ways. They are: (a) Singing and praise go together in 2 Chronicles 20:22, “And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.” Psalm 18:49, “Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.” Psalm 9:2, “I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.” (cf. Psalm 21:13; 61:8). Psalm 47:6, “Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.” Psalm 56:4, “In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Jeremiah 33:11 uses the extraordinary expression “sacrifice of praise”: “The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.” The same expression is employed in Hebrews 13:15, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” It may be an interesting study if we can identify what the sacrifice of praise to God is meant to be. There are a few observations in Hebrews 13:15. First, there is a sphere or realm in which we praise. The verse begins with “by him,” which refers to Jesus Christ from verse 12. Other translations such as NASB and NIV translate it as “through him.” Praise is not by or through worldly musical and cultural influences, fleshly entertainment orientation, or indiscriminate choices, but through Christ. This aspect of praise should not be ignored. Verse 12 talks about Jesus who sanctified His people with His own blood. We cannot imagine unsanctified and worldly praise to be given to the name of the Lord, because praise is to be offered by or through Jesus, who is the sanctifier and sacrifice for sins. It may also indicate that the ones who are praising must be sanctified both by and through regeneration and sanctification. Second, we are to offer this sacrifice continually, which means that we are required to praise Him all the time and always in all circumstances. It probably refers to a constant and faithful relationship of worshippers toward God. Third, the word “offer” literally means “to offer up,” or “to carry or bear up” from a lower position to a higher. It must refer to the heart attitude of the ones who praise the Lord. There has to be a sense of humility and sincerity. Fourth, praise is a sacrifice. It means that there must be a sense of sanctity, seriousness, and awe and respect for God. It is because sacrifices are to be offered to God. We need to be reminded of Temple service, which was done with the fear of the Lord. Fifth, praise is a fruit of our lips. What comes out of our lips must be coming out of our hearts. Sixth, praise is also an expression of thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:20, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Seventh, only God is to be praised. By now, I hope that all of us do recognize the importance and seriousness of praising our God.
(b) Gladness of heart and worship go together with praise in 2 Chronicles 29:30, “Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.” Gladness also refers to joy and inner pleasure, which excludes any heartless praises. (c) Giving thanks to the Lord and praising Him go hand in hand. Nehemiah 12:24, “And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward.” (d) Declaring the works of God is to praise Him. Psalm 9:11, “Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.”
(e) Praising God is to glorify Him. Psalm 50:23, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God” (cf. Psalm 66:2). In this verse, the Hebrew word for praise may also be translated as “song of thanksgiving” or “confession.” It is a real blessing to know that praising Him is to glory Him. (f) Believing in His word is to praise Him. Psalm 106:12, “Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.”
(9) Praise comes with the right attitude: (a) with a whole heart, Psalm 9:1, “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works” (cf. Psalm 86:12; 138:1). Heart in this context refers to mind, character, disposition, inclination, loyalty, and concern. It includes our thoughts, and mind as well as our determination and morale. Then, praise is an expression of our desire, disposition, and inclination as well as our theology; (b) with meekness, Psalm 22:26, “The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.” I must say that there are some variations in translations. The NASB translates the meek as “the afflicted” and the NIV as “the poor.” However, whether it is “the afflicted” or “the poor,” the word does not refer to any physical condition but rather inner spiritual condition; (c) with uprightness, Psalm 33:1, “Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.” Psalm 119:7, “I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments”; (d) with understanding, Psalm 47:7, “For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding” [which may refer to “passage for learning; wisdomsong put to music”]; (e) with determination for lifetime devotion to God, Psalm 104:33, “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”
(10) Praise is to be heard everywhere: (a) within the congregations, Psalm 22:22, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee” (cf. Psalm 57:9; 111:1; 149:1); (b) from our mouths, Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (cf. Psalm 51:15; 63:5; 149:6); (c) on the way to the house of the Lord, Psalm 42:4, “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday” (cf. Psalm 43:4); (d) in the city of God, Psalm 48:1, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness” (cf. Psalm 102:21); (e) unto the ends of the earth, Psalm 48:10, “According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness” (cf. Isaiah 42:10) Psalm 113:3, “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD\'S name is to be praised”; (f) from people, Psalm 66:8, “O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard” (cf. Psalm 67:3, 5; 108:3; 109:30; 117:1); (g) heaven, earth, and everything therein, Psalm 69:34, “Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein” (cf. Psalm 89:5); Psalm 148:3-4, “Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. 4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens”; (h) from the poor and needy, Psalm 74:21, “O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name”; (i) from generation to generation, Psalm 78:4, “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done”; Psalm 145:4, “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts”; (j) God’s people, Psalm 79:13, “So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations” (cf. Psalm 102:18; 148:14); (k) In the house of the Lord, Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name”; Psalm 150:1, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power”; (l) in the assembly of the elders, Psalm 107:32, “Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders”; (m) servants of the Lord, Psalm 113:1, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD”; (n) all God’s works, Psalm 145:10, “All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee” (cf. 148:5, 7); (o) All angels, Psalm 148:2, “Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts”; (p) Everything that has breath, Psalm 150:6, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
Lovingly,
Your Senior Pastor
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