Praise & Worship part 1

   There are many ways in which praise and worship have been portrayed. Some Christians choose to say that worship is only useful for getting you in the proper state of mind. So that you can learn about God. Others claim that worship is the ultimate goal and that learning isn't nearly as useful as praise. I differ from both of these points, and I will show the flaws I see in each argument.

 Praise

    Praise is often associated with fast music and a more modern approach to worship. While this can be included in praise. Praise is not limited to it. Praise is simply the act of glorifying God's name and proclaiming his virtues. Some Hebrew words for praise are....
Halal - To Shine, boast over God, or celebrate foolishly. An abandonment of self , a boasting in the Lord,  
             and being in love with the Lord.
Tehillah - To sing Halal, a hymn, a song of spontaneous praise, glorifying God in song. This is the kind of     
                 praise God inhabits.
Shebach - To address in a loud voice, tone, or shout. To command, triumph, or glory; to shout    
                  proclaiming with a loud voice
Zamar - To touch the strings, to play with instruments.


    These are some of the most common forms of the word praise in Hebrew. Lets look at each definition one by one to see if we can come up with a working definition for praise . In the word Halal (Which is the root for hallelujah by the way) it uses praise as an act of boasting in God and being selfless. It also includes the love of our God and the reflection of his righteousness as a part of praise. Tehillah  states praise as a song that is a medium between God and Man. We no longer need this medium because Jesus has given us direct connection with God through prayer, but it still exists and is still a powerful way of coming in direct contact with our heavenly father. Shebach is a very interesting representation of praise. It includes speaking as praise. This opens up endless possibilities & puts a gravity on our words that would not be there without this avenue. It gives insight into the true job of a pastor. Their job isn't first to teach their flock. Their first job is to praise God, and the benefits of that include teaching a flock! Lastly Zamar tells us that music is an important part of praise as well.
    So If we look at these definitions and meld them together. We find that Praise in it's truest sense is an outward manifestation of the love and grace of Christ. Which permeates the entire being of a elect child of God. Which is displayed through song, teaching, evangelizing, and our every day speech.
Billy :D

To be continued.....