Seven Hebrew Words for Praise, and the Song That Healed Him

Sermon outline

We were created to praise God, and the seven Hebrew words for praise are a formula that lets God fight our battles, so do not let bitterness or pride stop you offering the sacrifice of praise.

1. Do what you were made for, and be a rewarder

   Nobody likes the person who replaces them, but if we do what we are supposed to do we will not be replaced. A boss who leaves five tasks does not want to hear about load shedding when four are done. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, and rewards create an expectation that slowly turns into doing it out of love, so reward your children and your staff when they go out of their way.

   Illustration: Ask one child for a glass of water, wait five minutes, then ask the sibling, and the water arrives along with an argument about who thinks they are clever now.

   “If we do the things that we're supposed to do, we won't be replaced.”

   • Hebrews 11:6

2. The sacrifice of praise and the power of your words

   Through Jesus we continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips, and do good and share with others. Words can kill or build. Even a dog knows from your tone whether you are angry or pleased, so speak kindly to colleagues, do not talk about your boss behind his back, and ask with "please". The same words in a different tone get a different result.

   Illustration: He calls his son up and asks for a glass of water three ways, gently, sharply and finally with no words at all, and the boy understands every time.

   “Your words are important.”

   • Hebrews 13:15-16

3. 1. Yadah: hands thrown up in warfare

   Yadah means to extend or throw your hands up vigorously, the opposite of the clenched hands of worry. When Jehoshaphat sent singers ahead of the army to praise the splendour of His holiness, the Lord set ambushes and the enemy armies destroyed one another; Israel did not have to fight.

   “One action could change your whole circumstance.”

   • 2 Chronicles 20:21-23

4. 2. Todah: thanks for what you have not yet received

   Todah is lifting your hands in gratitude, and it is specific: you thank God for something you have not yet received, calling those things that are not as though they were. Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for He will restore the fortunes of the land. This is the praise you give in the middle of your trial.

   “You're saying thank you that it's already done, even though it's not done.”

   • Romans 4:17
   • Jeremiah 33:11

5. 3. Halal: clamorously foolish

   Halal, where we get hallelujah, means to boast, shine, celebrate and be clamorously foolish. When David danced the ark back into Jerusalem, his wife despised him from the window. This is the praise that offends people, but only you know what you have been through, the child you could not have or the doctor's no that God turned into yes.

   “The foolish things can please God, and the things that please men may not be pleasing to God.”

6. 4. Shabach: clap and shout, or stand and declare

   Shabach has two parts: clapping your hands and shouting to God with a voice of triumph, and standing confident that what you have asked God He will do, declaring it. It has nothing to do with the singer and everything to do with the heart; God made you because He wants to hear your voice, as a parent knows which child is calling.

   “If God wanted to hear me sing on behalf of you, He would've not made you.”

   • Psalm 47:1
   • Isaiah 54:17

7. 5. Barak: kneeling in expectation

   Barak means to kneel to bless God, not begging but in an expectant attitude of submission and consecration. He will rescue the poor who cry to Him, and at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.

   • Psalm 72:12
   • Philippians 2:10

8. 6. Zamar and 7. Tehillah: the instrument and the new song

   Zamar is praising God on an instrument, and the band plays while the church rests. Tehillah is singing a new song from scratch, simply because we love God, who is worthy whether He gives us anything or not. Together the seven confuse and destroy the enemy, let God fight our battles, and show the world that God is in control.

   Illustration: He asks for a sweet fruit and a colour from the platform and makes up a line on the spot: your love is as sweet as a peach. That is all tehillah is.

   “God is worthy of the praise whether he gives us stuff or not.”

9. What holds our praise back: bitterness and pride

   Bitterness is the first hindrance, when you cannot forgive others or even yourself. Pride is the second, worrying about creasing your clothes, or telling God how much you do so you do not deserve what you are going through. Stop trying to prove how good you are; God loves you the way you are.

   Illustration: In 2012 he had painful blisters on his hands that oozed blood and pus until he had to bandage them to play, and the church wiped his keyboard afterwards. Doctors could not find the cause and the steroids put seven kilos on him in a month. Singing "The Lord Will Never Fail" in the shower, he was completely healed.

   “Stop trying to prove how good you are. You don't have to prove it.”

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