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
