One of the fun Vacation Bible School songs we sang when I was a child split the group into two teams. One side would stand and sing, “Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah” and then as they sat down the second group would stand and sing, “Praise ye the Lord.” As the song progressed, the groups would get louder, trying to have more excitement and volume than the other group. The whole group would crescendo with the refrain, “Praise ye the Lord.”
Psalm 150 brings to life our praise when the Psalmist begins and ends the psalm with the proclamation, “Hallelujah,” which is translated, “Praise the Lord!” In between the proclamation, the Psalmist speaks about “the where,” “the for,” and “the with.” The Psalmist writes,
Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty heaven!
The direction of one’s praise was the sanctuary. The people viewed the presence of God as unapproachable except for the High Priest when he would enter the Holy of Holies. As the people would praise God, the sanctuary was the place where God’s presence resided. The praise of God in the mighty heavens seems to reference the praise that is ongoing in the heavenly realm as witnessed in Revelation 4:8,
Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
The one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”
The “for” or reason we praise is expressed in the character and actions of God:
Praise him for his mighty works;
Praise his unequaled greatness!
We praise God for who God is and for God’s faithfulness throughout generations. When we look over our lives, we can see how great God is and how His strength has been our provision to come through difficult days.
How we praise God (“the with”) engages our bodies as we read:
Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
Praise him with the lyre and harp!
Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
Praise him with strings and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
Praise him with loud clanging cymbals;
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Having a wife and children who all play instruments, I find myself picturing them playing the trumpet, the percussion, the saxophone, and the clarinet. Each of these instruments when played together creates a beautiful symphony in praise to the Lord. The instruments mentioned use breath, hands, fingers, feet, and mouth. The Psalmist includes dancing and singing which engages the whole body including the vocal cords.
Each day we are invited to proclaim our own “Hallelujah” in our lives. Through the Holy Spirit, we know that God’s presence is not limited to the church or the sanctuary. As we go through each day, our lives should proclaim our praise (Hebrew: hallelu) for who God is and what God has done. Our praise should engage our bodies as we breathe, sing, and play to the glory of the Lord.
Hallelujah—Praise the Lord!
Prayer: I give praise to you Lord who walks with me each day. I praise you for your marvelous works and the strength you give to me. May my life proclaim “Hallelujah” with each step of my way today and going forward in my life. Amen.