SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO ALL CHRISTIANS
By Rhema Williams
Scripture:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philipians 4:4
As we celebrate the Love of God this Christmas season, I would like us to go through 7 Dimensions of Praise and Worship again. The Hebrew has seven words or levels of praise and, each one is distinctive and yet complimentary of the other. Some teachers have prescribed a certain order, however for study purposes I am putting them in alphabetical order.
Barak
The word Barak means to kneel or bow and bless God, to give reverence to God as an act of adoration. It is done with an attitude of anticipation. Throughout the Old Testament this word is continually used. Thoughts on the word 'bless' bring to mind all God through His Son Jesus Christ has done for us in the past and what He is doing presently.
The word Barak means to kneel or bow and bless God, to give reverence to God as an act of adoration. It is done with an attitude of anticipation. Throughout the Old Testament this word is continually used. Thoughts on the word 'bless' bring to mind all God through His Son Jesus Christ has done for us in the past and what He is doing presently.
However, have we ever stopped to wonder how we can bless God? David in psalm 103: 1-2 tells us how, when he says: 'bless the Lord, o my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name...." . [Some bible translations use the word praise.] David continues on, by recalling and distinguishing all God has done. “Barak” praise can also be used as a form of prayer, as the word suggests kneeling and blessing god in worship or devotion. The song "father, we love you, we praise you, we adore you" is an expression of “Barak praise”. Scriptures to study are: Judges 5:2; Psalm 16:7, Psalm 34:1, Psalm 66:8, Psalm 100:4, Psalm 103, Psalm 113, and Psalm 96:2.
Halal
Halal means to be boastful, excited and enjoying the greatness and goodness of god. It is the root word for hallelujah. While in this mode you are celebrating God in very much the same way you do when your local ‘soccer team’ or favourite contestant wins. It’s amazing how much energy goes into this display. Well, ‘halal’ is the way to Christians should celebrate God’s goodness every day. Scriptures to study are: Psalms 104 -106 are good illustrations of this, 2 Chron 20:19-21-21, Psalm 22:22-26, 111:1-3.
Halal
Halal means to be boastful, excited and enjoying the greatness and goodness of god. It is the root word for hallelujah. While in this mode you are celebrating God in very much the same way you do when your local ‘soccer team’ or favourite contestant wins. It’s amazing how much energy goes into this display. Well, ‘halal’ is the way to Christians should celebrate God’s goodness every day. Scriptures to study are: Psalms 104 -106 are good illustrations of this, 2 Chron 20:19-21-21, Psalm 22:22-26, 111:1-3.
Shabach
This word is best illustrated in Psalm 117:1; 'o praise the lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.' As it is used here it means to speak highly of, to address in a loud tone, to command triumph, glory and to shout. This category of praise is also pictured in psalm 63:4. Terry Law in his book "the power of praise and worship" says this type of praise "makes the devil shut up". Scriptures to study are: Psalms 47:1, 63:3-4, 32:11, 65:13, 117:1, 35:27, 145:4, 147:12, 132:9.
Tehillah
Tehillah relates to singing and for all intents and purposes means singing our halals. Tehillah is portrayed in psalm 22:3 states that God dwells in the praises of
Towdah
Towdah translated means 'thanksgiving' and involves the raising of hands in adoration. It suggests an attitude of sacrificial praise. In other words, we give thanks and praise before we receive from the Lord, and/or delivered out of a situation. We rejoice and thank God for his promises. Our praise and thanksgiving become a sacrifice unto the Lord when we are ill or in dire straits. Scriptures to study are: Psalms 50:14, 95:2, Colossians 4:2, 1 Timothy 4:4-5, Isaiah 51:3 and Amos 4:5.
Yadah
It means to worship with extended hands and it signifies a deep surrender to God and a heart that desires to pay tribute to Him. Scriptures for study are: Psalms 100:4, 134:2, 27:1, 28:7, 33:2, 42:5, 44:8, and 141:2.
Zamar
In the Hebrew language there are several musical verbs, but the one that is predominant throughout the book of Psalms is called ‘Zamar’. It demonstrates music in praise to God and advocates that praise and music are similar. In the Old Testament the Hebrews used music as an expression of praise and worship. The popular praise & worship chorus: "let everything that has breath praise the lord" is really Psalm 150 set to music. Scriptures for study are: Psalms are 92:1-3, 81:1-2, and 1 Chronicles 15:16.
While I have shown the meaning of each level or word, it should be noted that in a lot of cases the levels are combined. A mixture of Barak and Zamar praise can be found in Psalms 98, 95 134 and 145. In Psalm 50 you will find also find a mix of Towdah and Yadah
As you study these scriptures I hope that you will daily live as an instrument of worship.
HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS.
