One of the natural traits of a truly righteous person should be the giving of praise to God. The Psalmist says,
"Rejoice in the LORD, 0 ye righteous; For praise is comely for the upright." (Psalm 33:1). This word "
comely" in the Hebrew language means, "suitable", "beautiful" and "becoming". Offering praise unto God
should be a big part of the
daily spiritual experience of the righteous. The definition of the word "
praise" means "to set a price on", or "to commend the worth of, to express approval or admiration of, to laud the glory of, to extol". To the righteous, praise is our response to God for what He has done.
In the Hebrew language, according to the Strongs Exhaustive Concordance, there are several different words that were translated into the one English word praise. They all express the same idea, but with a slightly different thought according to the context.
The title of Psalm 145(Strongs #8416) denotes "laudation as by song". The word praise, as used in Psalm 145:2 concerning Gods name, means "to celebrate and boast" (#1984) because of the many victories that have been won in His name.
In Psalm 145:4, the word praise, in connection with Gods works means "to commend" (#7623). The writer says that one generation shall praise Gods works and declare His mighty acts to the next generation. Many times in Israels history the people were admonished by God to tell their children of His wondrous works in delivering them from Egyptian bondage and of their supernatural preservation in the wilderness. This trait of transmitting Christian faith to each succeeding generation is one that the Lord said was resident within the genes of Abraham (Genesis 18:19). Surely, with deep gratitude we should be thankful that our parents commended and even recommended the works of God, extending from creation to the regenerative work of Christ on the cross for us, so that this flame of righteousness may be kept alive in the earth.
In the book of Hebrews, the writer is quoting the Psalmist David (Psalm 22:22) in reference to Jesus Christ as saying, "in the midst of the church [or congregation] will I sing praise unto thee" (Hebrews 2:12). The word praise in this verse means "to sing a hymn" in order to make known to the congregation of Israel the purpose and plan that the Heavenly Father has in store for the congregation.
We see according to the record in the Scriptures that there have been many different ways in which our Israelite forefathers have praised God. They praised Him with their vocal cords: "I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; . . ." (Psalm 109:30); they praised Him with uplifted hands: "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD." (Psalm 134:2); and praised Him by clapping: "0 clap your hands, all ye people; . . ." (Psalm 47:1). We also read where the children of Israel are admonished to praise God with a variety of musical instruments (Psalm 150); by dancing (Psalm 149:3, 150:4), while standing in the House of the LORD (Psalm 135:2) and while lying down in the bed (Psalm 149:5).
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Truth in History
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and organs" (Psalm 150:3-4).
Since Bible times, music has always been an integral part of communing between God and His people. There are many examples of music in the Scriptures. Exodus 15:1-21, is an entire song by Moses and the Israelites recounting their divine victory over the Egyptians who were swallowed up in the Red Sea. King David, who was known as the "sweet psalmist of Israel" (2 Samuel 23:1), was skilled at playing the harp. During his lifetime, he wrote many songs (psalms) to praise the Lord. Psalm 18 is an entire song devoted to David's deliverance from King Saul.
Even Jesus and the disciples sung a hymn after the Passover meal before the Lord's arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. (See Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26.) The New Testament also commands us to sing unto the Lord, by stating, "Is any merry? Let him sing psalms" (James 5:13). Again, Ephesians 5:19 encourages believers to be filled with the Spirit while "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." These are merely a few examples. Songs and music in God's Word are enormous subjects! It is our desire to be like the Saints of the Bible and certainly to follow after the example of our Savior. As a result, praise and worship to the Lord is a vital part of every Living Word Church meeting. During this time, God the Father is honored, Jesus Christ is glorified, and the Holy Spirit moves in a mighty way to bring healing, comfort, quickening, and encouragement to those who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23-24). Music plays a vital role as a vehicle for praise and worship. The worship and praise in the assembly helps us to prepare our hearts when we come to meet with the Lord. Not only does the Lord receive the praise and honor that He deserves from His people during this time, but the congregation receives strength and joy as well when we praise His holy name.
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