Bible Study: Praise

Praise 

Praise helps to take the focus off ourselves as the center of our universe and place the focus on the true center of the universe, God. 

“We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord…” We can lustily sing this chorus repeatedly, but when asked about the meaning, most answers are in vague generalities. The answers are somewhat like this, “Well, praise is a sacrifice, especially when you don’t feel like doing it” or “I guess I never really thought about the sacrifice part, I just like the song”. 

One of the reasons some of us do not like to think about the “sacrifice part” is that the word sacrifice connotes forfeiture on our part. It does not seem to matter that the forfeiture leads to something of great value. The mere fact that WE must give up or let go of something is more than most can comprehend. Being in the New Testament Church era, we have the mistaken idea that any kind of sacrifice went out with Jesus’ death. That is so wrong. Granted, animal sacrifice is no longer required, but what about Romans 12:1 where our bodies are to be living sacrifices? The sacrifices in the Old Testament were types of sacrifices in the New Testament. 

In the Old Testament, the sacrifice of praise was usually referred to as a peace, thank, fellowship, freewill or heave offering. Every morning and evening at the time of the burnt offering, a praise offering was also made. Incidentally, psalms or praises were sung as the sacrifices were offered. The sacrifices were designed to bring God and man closer together. 

If you are wondering about how praise offerings can be synonymous with thank, heave, peace and freewill, perhaps a closer look at word meanings would serve to help clarify. The Hebrew word for peace used in these instances is SHELEM, which represents a voluntary sacrifice in thanks. Heave is the word, TERUMAH meaning a present offered up in sacrifice or tribute, and freewill (NEDABAH), denotes a spontaneous or abundant gift. In Hebrews 13:15, praise sacrifice is specifically mentioned. The Greek work for praise being, ANESIS, which is not only the act of praising, but is specifically a thank offering.

There are certain conditions to acceptable sacrifice. Perhaps we could better understand first discussing the unacceptable offering. The fellowship (praise, freewill) offering becomes unacceptable if it is eaten three days in a row because the meat then has become impure (Lev. 7:18). In our vernacular, we would probably phrase it thus, “your praise is getting a little old, don’t you have anything new to praise for?” Other reasons offerings are considered unacceptable is disobedience (Isa. 13:9-13), rebellion (Isa. 60:3), sin (Isa. 1:15), disregarding God’s instructions (Ps. 50:16-23), rejecting God’s Word (Jer. 6:19, 20), idolatry (Amos 5:21-26), and no respect for God (offering blemished sacrifices) (Mal. 1:8). 

Those who bring acceptable offerings keep the Sabbath, choose what pleases God, hold fast to God’s Covenant, serve God, and love the name of the Lord (Isa. 56:4-7). Their offering is offered from a pure heart (Lev. 1:4). Do we bring acceptable praise offerings? 

When a thank offering was brought four things were required:

1.      A cake of bread without yeast mixed with oil

2.      Wafers without yeast spread with oil

3.      Cake of fine wheat flour, well-kneaded and mixed with oil

4.      Cakes of bread with yeast

The meat of the thank offering had to be eaten on the day it was offered, whereas, the freewill offering could be eaten two days but never three. Perhaps we could look at the types of bread in this way:

1.      Service/life without sin mixed with the Holy Spirit (pure in heart)

2.      (1Co. 5:18) Sincerity and truth

3.      Obedience and humility 

4.      Service/life according to the Word (Mt. 13:13) 

*When we praise God in ALL circumstances, we are not praising for the bad, but rather that He is in control of all things. 

Ways to Praise

1.      Use the mouth

a.       Sing

b.      Say

c.       With the Spirit

d.      Crying (yelling) (Rev. 7:10) Scream, exclaim, to call aloud

e.       Laughter (Ps 126:2)

f.       Make joyful and loud noise (Ps. 98:4)

g.      Rejoice (Ps. 98:4)

h.      Shout (for joy) (Ps. 5:11, Ps. 32:11

2.      Use the hands

a.       Lifting the hands

b.      Clapping the hands

c.       Playing musical instruments

3.      Using the body

a.       Dancing (2Sa. 6:16, 1Ch. 15:29, Ps. 30:11, Jg. 21:21, Ex. 15 :20)

b.      Walking and leaping (2Sa. 6 :16, Acts 3 :8)

c.       Standing (Ps 135:2, 134:1)

d.      Bowing and kneeling (Ps. 95:6, Eph. 3:14)

Victories Won by Praise

1.      Jericho

a.       The strongest city Israel would come against yet they conquered it by praise (Jos. 6)

2.      Jehoshaphat

a.       (1Chron. 17) There was no way they could win without God’s help and AS they sang and praised the Lord set ambushments against their enemies.

Hindrances to Praise

1.      Interference of the Satanic Kingdom

a.       Satan may try to talk you out of praising

b.      Satan may try to keep your mind so full of negative thoughts that positive praise is impossible

c.       Solution:

                                                              i.      Do not give place in your thoughts to Satan

                                                            ii.      Do not talk to Satan

                                                          iii.      Do not listen to Satan

2.      Sin

a.       (Ps. 66:18) “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.

                                                              i.      Solution: confession

3.      Guilt

a.       Often an unwillingness to forgive ourselves

b.      God knew all about you when He forgave you, therefore, what hinders you from forgiving yourself

4.      Fear

a.       Fear of:

                                                              i.      Ourselves

                                                            ii.      Opinion of our peers

                                                          iii.      God

                                                          iv.      Releasing inner feelings

                                                            v.      Rejection

                                                          vi.      Ridicule

                                                        vii.      Fear

b.      Until the fear is conquered, praise is not possible. Fear is Santa’s major weapon especially to counter our weapon of praise.

c.       Fear can have a strong hold on us. If we think about it, fear displaces trust and faith. Okay, at what point does our fear cancel out all of our trust in God? Does fear control our lives, or does God?

                                                              i.      Solution: Get your eyes off Satan, others and self and focus on God. Just a small seed of faith can grow into a mighty tree.

5.      Our own ego or the attitude we have toward ourselves (our self-image)

a.       The self exalting person cannot get his eyes of himself and his accomplishments (pride in successes) (Ro. 12:3)

b.      The self-abasing person concentrates on how worthless he is, creating a self-righteousness (pride in failures)

6.      Wrong concepts of God

a.       If we see God as a tyrant or impersonal, untouchable or permissive, praise will be hindered

7.      (Isa. 61:3) Unwillingness to exchange our self pity,, our enjoyment of our misery and our mournful negative attitude for praise 

The Weapon of Praise (Ps. 149) 

·         What it does

o   Inflicts vengeance on the nations

o   Inflicts punishment on the peoples

o   Binds their kings with fetters (fetters =Strong’s 2131 ZEQ  what leaps forth, burning arrow, bond)

o   Binds their nobles with shackles of iron

o   Carries out the sentence written against them

§  Binds (Strong’s 631) ACAR to yoke or hitch, to join battle, to fasten in any sense

o   Ps. 149:6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands

·         What does it affect

o   Nations (heathen) those without God

o   Peoples, God’s people

o   Kings, the highest levels of Satanic beings

o   Nobles, the lower levels of Satanic beings

·         Degrees of Praise

o   High praise=spirit (KJV Ps. 149:6)

o   Lower praise=soulish, emotional

o   Mid praise=mind, will

·         Who is to praise

o   Congregation

o   You

*Praise is not a mass function; it is the response of an individual to his God. 

Performing Praise 

1.      Say it

2.      Sing it

3.      Make it part of public worship

4.      Rejoice “brighten up”

5.      Be joyful. Possessing joy does not create praise, but rather the release of the joy creates praise

6.      Dance

7.      Play instruments

*Praise builds trust, by praising in adverse situations we are saying, “God, I know you have it under control, and I trust your judgment”.

*Praise is a public expression. 

*NOTE: It is NOT our weapons (or praise) that gives us victory it is God! (Ps. 44:6, 3) 

Praise (dictionary) (LL to prize, praise, worth) to commend the worth of. To glorify God as in song 

Reasons for praise (1Pe. 2:9)

1.      You are a chosen people

2.      You are a royal priesthood

3.      You are a holy nation

4.      You are a people belonging to God

5.      (Isa. 12:1) It turns God’s anger away

6.      (Rev. 5:12) God is worthy of praise 

What do we praise God for (Rev. 4:8)

1.      What He has done (past)

2.      What He is doing (present)

3.      What He will do (future) 

Words for praise in the Bible with Strong’s reference numbers

Old Testament

·         3034 YADAH to worship with extended hands, to use the hands to throw, cast (out)

·         1974 HILLUWL rejoicing, a celebration of thanksgiving for harvest

·         8416 TEHILLAH laudation spec. a hymn

·         1288 BARAK to kneel. By implication to bless God (as an act of adoration)

·         1984 HALAL sing, give in marriage, be worthy of praise, to be clear, to celebrate, to be (clamorously) foolish, to boast

·         2167 ZAMAR Striking with the fingers, celebrate in song and music

·         8426 TOWAH An extension of the hand, adoration specifically a choir of worshippers, confession (sacrifice of) praise

·         7623 SHABACH To address in a loud tone figuratively, to pacify (as if by words) praise, commend

·         7624 SHABACH To adulate, adore

New Testament

·         136 AINOS A story praise (of God)

·         134 AINEO To praise (God)

·         1391 DOXA Glory, praise, worship, honor

·         1868 EPAINOS Laudation, a commendable thing, praise (Ro. 2:29)

·         1867 EPAINEO To applaud

·         5214 HUMNEO To hymn, to celebrate God in song

·         133 AINESIS A praising (the act) specifically a thank offering, sacrifice of praise