WHAT IS PRAISE?

1 Chronicles chapter 29






Today we are walking in: What Is Praise?






Genesis 22:5

And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, H7812 and come again to you.












WORSHIP










Today we look to the word-WORSHIP- H7812 shachah--to bow down; prostrate oneself before superior in homage; before the Most High in worship













The Torah testifies.........……






Genesis 24:26

And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped H7812 the LORD.






Exodus 4:31

And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. H7812









Exodus 34:14

For thou shalt worship H7812 no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:









Deuteronomy 8:19

And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship H7812 them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.













The prophets proclaim..................









Nehemiah 8:6

And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped H7812 the LORD with their faces to the ground.









Nehemiah 9:3

And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped H7812 the LORD their God.









Jeremiah 25:6

And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship H7812 them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.









Zechariah 14:16

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship H7812 the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.












The writings bear witness............






Joshua 5:14

And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, H7812 and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?






1Chronicles 16:29

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship H7812 the LORD in the beauty of holiness.









2 Chronicles 7:3

And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, H7812 and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever









Psalm 66:4

All the earth shall worship H7812 thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.






Chapter 5
WHAT IS PRAISE?


Praise is celebrating Yah as our heart’s true home. The Scriptures are filled with injunctions to praise the Most High:


And Daviyd said to all the assembly, Now bless Yahuah Elohaykem. And all the assembly blessed Yahuah Elohai of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped Yahuah, and the king. DIVREI HAYAMIYM RI'SHON (1 CHRONICLES) 29:20 את CEPHER.


Halleluyah. O give thanks unto Yahuah; for he is good: for his mercy endures forever. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 106:1 את CEPHER.


Halleluyah. Hallelu, O ye servants of Yahuah, Hallelu the name of Yahuah. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 113:1 את CEPHER.


Hallelu Yahuah, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 117:1 את CEPHER.


Let everything that has breath praise Yah. Halleluyah. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 150:6 את CEPHER.


If we are to obey these commands from Yah, we must first learn what praise is. Praise includes commending; expressing approval or a favorable judgment of; and glorifying, especially by crediting with perfections (see Webster’s, “praise”).


Definitions of Praise Commending


To commend someone is “to entrust for care or preservation” or “to recommend as worthy of confidence or notice” (Webster’s, “commend”). Praising Yah by commendation thus means that we entrust ourselves to His care and recommend that others do the same. The Psalms of David, in particular, are filled with testimonies of the Most High’s trustworthiness, and with expressions of confidence that He will again prove Himself trustworthy.


O Yahuah Elohai, in you do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 7:1 את CEPHER.


And they that know your name will put their trust in you: for you, Yahuah, have not forsaken them that seek you. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 9:10 את CEPHER.


GUARD me, O El: for in you do I put my trust. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 16:1 את CEPHER.


Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of Yahuah Elohaynu. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 20:7 את CEPHER).


Praise by commendation thus applies the promises of Yah to our personal circumstances. Let’s say, for example, that a father has just lost his job and he’s concerned how he will provide for his family. Perhaps his heart is heavy and he’s feeling overwhelmed by the future. His praise of Yah in such a situation might go something like this:


Most High Yah, You are my provider. I praise You, for I know that You care for me and You care for my family. You are the Yah who cares even for the sparrows, and I know that my wife, my children, and I are worth much more to You than the sparrows are. Therefore, I choose not to worry. Instead I will boast of Your goodness to us in the past, for there have been other times, Father Yah, when we didn’t know how we were going to pay our bills. Yet, You have always made a way, even when there seemed to be no way. Thank You for Your goodness. Thank You for Your care and provision. I know that I can trust You. I know that Your eyes are on my family and You will not forget us. Even as You provided food for Your people as they wandered through the wilderness, today I declare by faith that You will provide for us too. You alone are my refuge. I choose not to be shaken by fear. You alone are the source of all I have and ever hope to have. I praise You because You are faithful. You are the Everlasting One. I know that You are aware of what we are going through, and I thank You in advance for what You will do for us. To Your name be the glory today, tomorrow, next week, and next month in my life. I praise You and honor You. You are my Yah.


Expressing Approval or Favorable Judgment


To approve of someone is “to have or express a favorable opinion” of him or to show esteem (Webster’s, “approve”). Personal experience is at the heart of this expression of praise as well. Here again, the Psalms contain numerous examples of personal expressions of approval toward Yah.


You have seen it; for you behold mischief and spite, to requite it with your hand: the poor commits himself unto you; you are the helper of the fatherless. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 10:14 את CEPHER.


But I will sing of your power; yea, I will sing aloud of your mercy in the morning: for you have been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 59:16 את CEPHER.


O Elohiym, you are my El; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see your power and your glory, so as I have seen you in the sanctuary. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 63:1-2 את CEPHER.


So you see, praise by approving is turning our thoughts toward Yah and remembering how He has won our acclaim. It’s reciting the wonder of who He is and how He has made a difference in our life and the life of others. Many Scriptures do this, but Psalm 23 is perhaps the most well-known passage of Scripture that is a personal recommendation for Yah. David praises Yah by describing Him as the Shepherd who cares for David, His sheep. Each image from the life and work of a shepherd in some way speaks to David of Yah’s work in his own life.


This is why Psalm 23 is such a wonderful Scripture portion to use during private praise and worship . It encourages you, the worshiper, to see and celebrate Yah’s personal care shown in your life and to express your adoration and gratitude to Yah for His goodness to you. To do this, you might read or recite a line from the Psalm, then praise Yah for how it’s been true in your life. As you praise Him, you will find that you are building an impressive résumé of Yah’s greatness, faithfulness, and love as you’ve experienced Him.


The Most High is my Shepherd. ... My Yah, You are an awesome Yah. Even before I was born, You had a plan for my life. You are the Alpha and Omega who sees my tomorrows when I can’t face today. You are the Faithful One who seeks Your sheep even when I wander from the paths You have chosen for me. You are the Tender One who comforts me when I am sad or lonely and heals me when I am hurt. You are the Forgiving One who looks beyond my failures to what I yet can be. You are the Loving and Merciful One who loves me even when I am unlovely and does good to me despite the fact that I don’t deserve it .... I shall not want ... because You are always meeting my needs. You have given me a good mind so I can learn things quickly. You have given me a job I like and an employer who is understanding and fair. You have blessed me and my family with a warm, dry house and an abundance of food in our refrigerator and cupboards. We have never gone hungry or lacked clothes to wear because You have provided for our needs. Thank You for being so good to us. Thank You for providing even more than we need...


Many Scriptures that don’t use the words associated with praise—words like thank, sing, honor, or worship—can be used in this manner. Why is this? They record glimpses of someone’s favorable opinion of Yah, glimpses that invite us to praise Him as well by expressing our approval of Him and our gratitude for His grace and mercy shown to us throughout our life. In essence, praise that approves is like writing a letter of recommendation for Yah!


Glorifying


To glorify someone is to “bestow honor, praise, or admiration” (Webster’s, “glorify”). In other words, giving glory to someone specifically identifies what is admirable in the person. This type of praise is also quite frequent in the Scriptures. Yah is recognized as being good (Ps. 34:8), faithful (Ps. 33:4), righteous (Ps. 11:7), just (2 Chron. 12:6), and merciful and forgiving (Dan. 9:9), to name a few. In addition, Yah, His dwelling p lace, His law, His character, and His actions are described as being perfect and flawless:


As for Elohiym, his way is perfect; the Word of Yahuah is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. SHEMU'EL SHENIY (2 SAMUEL) 22:31 את CEPHER.


The Torah of Yahuah is perfect, restoring the soul: the testimony of Yahuah is sure, making wise the simple. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 19:7 את CEPHER.


O Yahuah Elohai, I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things; your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 25:1 את CEPHER.


Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 5:48 את CEPHER.


Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. YA`AQOV (JAMES) 1:17 את CEPHER.


Psalm 103, in particular, is a good example of Scripture that glorifies Yah. In this Psalm, David lists some of the many praiseworthy benefits of knowing Yah. Yah forgives our sin (vs. 3), heals our diseases (vs. 3), redeems our life (vs. 4), crowns us with love and compassion (vs. 4), satisfies us with good things (vs. 5), works righteousness and justice for the oppressed (vs. 6), is slow to anger (vs. 8), does not always accuse (vs. 9), does not keep His anger forever (vs. 9), does not treat us as our sin deserves (vs. 10), and removes our transgressions from us (vs. 12).


I’m sure you see how one or all of these benefits may be the basis for a praise service, whether private or public. Surely, all of us recall times when Yah worked in our life in one or more of these ways. Praising Yah by glorifying Him is simply recognizing and testifying to all these admirable qualities of Yah. For example, it’s saying,
Yes, I know Yah works for the oppressed. My boss was always belittling me in front of the rest of the crew and laughing at me when I didn’t work as fast as he thought I should. I never said anything, although I was plenty angry inside. I just asked Yah to give me strength and to be my advocate. Yesterday I found out that my boss is being moved to another plant. Yah is so good. He’s so good to me.


It’s saying, Yah has every reason to write me off forever. Many times He has helped me get clean from drugs, but I’ve always gone back—usually to a stronger addiction than He saved me from. Yet, I know He loves me, and He forgives me every time I repent. I thank Him for His goodness to me. I don’t deserve it, but that doesn’t seem to stop Him from loving me and from reaching out to me when I get myself into a mess again. He has sent so many people to me who have helped me see His love and mercy. He is one awesome Yah. I don’t understand why, but I know He cares for me, and He hears my cries when I plead for His help. Why don’t you try Him for yourself? You’ll find that He’s faithful to you too.


Another way we honor Yah is to recite His names or other designations of who He is. For example: “The Most High is a warrior” (Exod. 15:3a). “The Most High is Yah in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other” (Deut. 4:39b). “ ... the Most High is [my] life ... “ (Deut. 30:20). “ ... the hand of the Most High is powerful ... “ (Josh. 4:24). “ ... The Most High is


Peace ... “ (Judg. 6:24). “The Most High is a Yah who knows, and by Him deeds are weighed” (1 Sam. 2:3b). “The Most High is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer” (2 Sam. 22:2). “The Most High is King” (Ps. 10:16a). “The Most High is my light and my salvation” (Ps. 27:1a). “The Most High is the strength of His people” (Ps. 28:8a).


As we honor Yah for who He is and for what He has done in our lives, we make room for Him to work for us and in us every day. We give Him a place to dwell in the midst of our lives because we refuse to take His benefits to us for granted. We know we are sinners saved by grace, and we give Him the glory for saving us and for being there for us when we need Him.


Characteristics of Praise Praise Puts Yah in First Place


Praise is always turning our attention from ourselves to Yah. It’s remembering and recounting who He is and what He has done, instead of wallowing in the mire of self- absorption. Truly, we are incredibly self-centered people. Our first thought is always how something or someone is affecting us.


Praise turns our eyes from ourselves to Yah. It focuses our thoughts on His majesty and power and invites others to do the same. Instead of gazing at our own navel, we raise our eyes and our heart to see His face and to affirm again our awe of Him, our gratitude for His love and mercy, and our absolute dependence on Him.


In essence, praise is bragging about Yah instead of about ourselves or the idols of this world. It’s celebrating who He is and how He relates to His people. Many rarely do this. We are so self-focused that we treat praise and worship as preliminaries that we have to get through to get to the important stuff, which of course is the teaching and personal ministry that makes us feel good. Sadly, we all too often treat our expressions of admiration toward Yah as though He is of secondary importance.


I’m sure Yah is not pleased with this behavior. Indeed, there’s no reason to have a meeting if praise and worship are not the central focus of our time together. We may call our collection of traditions, habits, and activities “worship,” but we have no hope of worshiping Yah if we are not willing to first give Him the praise that is His due.


Praise Flows From Our Friendship With Yah


People who praise Yah on a regular basis do so because they have found the Most High to be so altogether lovely that they can’t stop thinking of Him and talking of Him. They have gotten close enough to Him to see His true nature and character, and they have found in Him more than everything they have ever hoped for.


You see, you can’t brag about someone you don’t know— or at least your bragging cannot be truthful and sincere. Therefore, although praise may start with what you know about Yah, it must eventually progress to what you yourself have experienced of Him. This is when praise becomes more than a chore or a duty. You don’t have to work up your praise, because it automatically bubbles up from within you. Your relationship with Yah has confirmed for you that you are blessed at all times. He is your joy, your strength, your comfort, your peace, and on and on. Your life is anchored in Him, and His goodness to you brings His name to your thoughts and your lips repeatedly.


In other words, praise that flows from a deep relationship with Yah is genuine and true. Your words and acts of adoration arise naturally from your heart. This does not mean that you will always feel like praising. In truth, this does not matter. When your relationship with Yah is deep and lasting, praise comes no matter what you are experiencing, because how you feel does not change who Yah is in your life.


Praise Is a Conscious Choice


Praise is an act of your will. When you offer Yah true praise, you make a conscious decision to commend, approve, and glorify Him. Praise, therefore, is not based on your emotions or feelings. You don’t have to feel great —or even good or OK—to praise the Most High. Despite the many things in your life that may seem to be wrong, praise is your conscious choice because you know that Yah is the answer to your problems. As long as He is in charge, things will get better. Your intimate fellowship with Him makes this difference. You can focus on what is right—Yah and His goodness to you—no matter what else is wrong.


This attitude is quite evident in Psalm 42, where the psalmist laments that his life is not like it once was when he went to the house of the Most High with great joy. His body hurts. Tears are his lot now instead of music and laughter. He even fears that Yah has forgotten him, so long has it been since he felt Yah’s presence. Yet this hurting, despairing man makes a conscious choice. He exercises his will and chooses to remember Yah and His goodness. Notwithstanding his misery and his sorrow, the psalmist gives himself a lecture. He says,


Soul, why are you so upset? Why are you sulking and fretting as though you have no hope? Don’t give up! Put your hope in Yah. He has not given up, even if you have. So, stop dwelling on everything that’s wrong and start thinking about all that’s right. Remember the friendship we’ve enjoyed with Yah. Recall His many acts of kindness to us. The difficult place we’re in right now isn’t the end of the story. I’m still going to praise Him, my Savior and my Yah (see Ps. 42).


Perhaps you are carrying a heavy load right now. You are going through some of the toughest times humans experience. Don’t let your troubles keep you from praising the Most High. I know that you may feel like you are facing hardships few others have had to face, or that you have lost hope that your circumstances will ever change. This is precisely the time, dear friend, that Yah asks you to praise Him. He knows that you are hurting. He also knows that things won’t always be the way they now are. In fact, He’s waiting to act on your behalf, but He needs you to provide a dwelling place for Him, an altar in your life where He can show up. Praise is that altar.


Praise Is a Willing Sacrifice


Biblical expressions of praise often include the word will.


Yah is my strength and song, and he is become my yeshu`ah: he is my El, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father's Elohai, and I will exalt him. SHEMOTH (EXODUS) 15:2 את CEPHER.


I will praise Yahuah according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of Yahuah ELYON. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 7:17 את CEPHER.


I will sing unto Yahuah, because he has dealt bountifully with me. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 13:6 את CEPHER.


Yahuah is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 28:7 את CEPHER.


Although “will” can indicate a future time, it can also speak of a conscious choice. In other words: “I am determined to praise Yah.” This is what the Scriptures call a sacrifice or offering of praise.


I will freely sacrifice unto you: I will praise your name, O Yahuah; for it is good. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 54:6 את CEPHER.


By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to Elohiym continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. IVRIYM (HEBREWS) 13:15 את CEPHER.


Praise becomes a sacrifice when you offer your praise to Yah just because He deserves it and asks you to do it. You may not feel like praising Him, and in truth, it may be quite difficult for you to look beyond the difficulties in your life. Yet, when you choose to open your lips and speak forth your adoration, gratitude, and thanksgiving to Yah, you please Him.


Truly, you can always give the Most High some sacrifice. No, you probably won’t bring Yah a lamb, a sheep, or a goat as Yah’s people did in the Tabernacle and the Temple. This does not free you, however, from the responsibility of bringing Him a gift when you come to worship Him. Praise from an obedient heart is the gift that pleases Yah the most. You may not have anything else to bring Him, but you can always give Him this sacrifice of praise.


Notice that Hebrews calls this “the fruit of our lips” (Heb. 13:15). Fruit speaks of a harvest. Farmers will tell you that bringing in the crops is hard work. Sometimes praise requires the same effort. Instead of calling people and waiting for them to minister to you when you are having a hard time, why don’t you go ahead and have your own praise service. Sacrifice your hurt feelings, your financial problems, or your troubles with your boss or your wife or your son or daughter on the altar of praise. Make it your conscious choice to lay aside all that pulls you down or makes you afraid or causes you to feel like giving up, and open your mouth and talk to Yah. Tell Him how wonderful He is. Tell Him how thankful you are that He is in your life. Tell Him that you are glad He is on your side. Tell Him that He is worth more to you than everything else in the world.


This sacrifice of praise won’t cost you any money, but it will cost you your self-centeredness and your natural tendency to dwell on whatever is wrong in your life. Giving Yah your sacrifice of praise means that you choose to dwell on Him instead of on yourself. Your mouth is filled with all that is good in your life instead of everything that is bad. This sacrifice can never be forced from you by someone else. Oh, you may sing or raise your hands because someone tells you to, but outward show is not inward praise. A sacrifice of praise comes from inside you. It is your will taking control over your emotions and doing what Yah wants and empowers you to do.


The Book of Leviticus says it this way:


And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto Yahuah, offer it at your own will. VAYIQRA (LEVITICUS) 22:29 את CEPHER.


PRAISE GIVEN WITH WHATEVER STRENGTH YOU HAVE, HOWEVER LIMITED, IS A SACRIFICE PLEASING TO Yah.


The King James Version ends Leviticus 22:29 with these words: “offer it at your own will.” The sacrifice that is pleasing to Yah is what you give from your heart despite what you are feeling or what your circumstances are. Somehow, you find the power in the midst of your difficulty to praise the Most High with what little strength you have. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to praise with whatever strength I have left in hard times, rather than to complain.


Complaining accomplishes nothing more than to further drain our strength. Praise brings the Most High into our thoughts, thereby lifting us above whatever is causing our struggle. Celebrating Yah by focusing on Him instead of on ourselves is truly the essence of praise. When we do this, Yah takes our sacrifice and blesses us.


So, don’t wait for things to go right before you start praising Yah. Start praising the Most High, and things will go right. After days, weeks, or even months of this sacrifice of praise, you will find that you naturally find many things for which to praise Him. After all, He is deserving of every word of commendation, confidence, approval, good report, and honor you can give Him. The more you notice Him and His benefits to you, the more He will bless you and give you more reasons to praise Him.


Praise Is an Expression of Faith


Faith without deeds (works) is dead (see James 2:17). Likewise, praise that is in the heart but is not expressed is dead. Therefore, faith is the highest act of praise, and praise is the highest form of faith. Both are expressions of agreement with Yah. When you have faith, you hold to His promises no matter what you see at the moment. When you praise Him, you proclaim what you know to be true despite the evidence to the contrary.


Think of Abraham when he tied Isaac to that altar on Mount Moriah (see Gen. 22). I’m sure Abraham wasn’t singing, dancing, and praising Yah in a festive way. Most likely his heart was quite heavy. Yet, the very act of placing Isaac on that altar was an act of praise. Why? Abraham was expressing his trust in Yah and his confidence that somehow everything would come out right.


After all, not only had Yah given Isaac to Abraham and his wife, Sarah, when they were quite late in years, He had also promised that Abraham would have more descendants than the sands of the sea. Moreover, those grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren were to come through Isaac, the son of promise, not through Ishmael. So either Yah would provide another sacrifice in the place of Isaac or He would somehow restore Isaac to Abraham after the sacrifice. In either case, Abraham was willing to trust Yah to keep His covenant and the promises that went with it.


PRAISE IS GIVING Yah ALL THAT IS HIS DUE AND GIVING HIM ROOM IN OUR LIFE TO DO ALL HE WANTS TO DO.


An attitude of faith in the midst of hard times is always at the core of sacrificial praise because it is based in the assurance that anything is possible with Yah. What may be impossible for man is not beyond the reaches of Yah simply because of who He is. So praise that clings to who Yah is rather than to what we human beings see or do is a fundamental expression of faith. It is saying,


I don’t know what You are doing, why You are doing it, or how this whole thing is going to end up, but I trust You, Yah. I know You will be faithful to me. You will never abandon me. Therefore, I’m going to obey You in as much as I understand to do. The rest is up to You. I do this because you are my Yah and my Savior. All I have, am, and ever hope to be is Yours.


Such praise frees Yah to work in our lives.


PRINCIPLES


1. To praise means to commend, to approve, to give a favorable judgment, to glorify, and to esteem.


2. Praising Yah by commendation means that we entrust ourselves to His care and recommend that others do the same.


3. Praising Yah by approval means that we have a favorable opinion of Yah, which we tell Him and others.


4. Praising by giving Yah glory means that we honor Him and express our admiration for Him.


5. Praise turns the focus of our life from us to Yah.


6. Before we can consistently praise Yah, we must get close enough to Him to see His true nature and character.


7. Praise is a conscious choice, an act of our will.


8. A sacrifice of praise is the praise we give Yah from obedience despite how we feel.