Seven Words of Praise

INTRO

Today as we study Psalms 66—67, we will learn some things that will apply to our lives, and we will see tangible changes in our lives. We will walk differently because we will see from Scripture how David walked and the things he did as a man after God’s own heart. The psalms show much of David’s struggles, victories, and triumphs. Today, we want to look at the importance of praise: the idea of praising the Lord.

TEACHING

Psalm 66:1-4: Praise is expressed adoration toward God. These are not good feelings about God that we are to hold in our hearts. Praise is actually an expression that comes out. David understood the power of praise. Praise demonstrates trust in the Word of God. The more we learn about the way God operates, the more we learn about His promises and His truths that He gives to us through Scripture. The more we walk through life, through any situation, the more we can declare praise over every situation in our lives—both currently and calling it out in advance. Praise is not just an expression of who God is. It is also like a weapon in our arsenal that allows us to call things out and set things in motion so we can walk in victory. Psalm 150 commands us to praise the Lord. Biblically, we know we will face challenges in life—it is going to happen. But it is not scriptural that the believer should be defeated. Praise actually sets the stage so we can walk in victory.

Today we are going to look at seven Hebrew words for praise found throughout Scripture, and especially in the book of Psalms. Psalm 22:3 tells us God is “enthroned on the praises of Israel.” This verse conveys the idea that when praise happens, God enters the room. When we see that God inhabits praise, then something needs to shift in our lives so that we give forth praise and see God move on our behalf. We need to be people of prayer who are constantly praying to God knowing His ear is attentive to our prayers. In Daniel 6:10, we are told Daniel prayed three times a day to God. In Psalm 119:164–165, we are told David praised God seven times a day. When we compare the two, for every ten minutes we spend praying, maybe we should spend 20–25 minutes praising the Lord.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, Paul encouraged both praying and praising God. David modeled this practice when he was in the midst of some really tough situations. Even when Saul brought as many as 3,000 men with him in his efforts to kill David, David made the choice to praise the Lord. When Paul and Silas were put in jail, they praised God in the midst of solitary confinement, and God moved on their behalf. Praise takes our eyes off what is happening in the natural realm and sets us in a different place, a supernatural realm where God works in our lives and our situations. The psalms are a literature of worship. The prominent feature throughout is praise—singing, shouting, dancing, rejoicing, adoring. These following seven Hebrew words describe ways to praise God.

The following information is taken from a book written by Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead entitled Holy Roar:¹

Yadah: Found in Psalm 67:3. The word “yadah” means to revere or to worship with extended hands. It is called the hands of praise. In the Hebrew, this is not only with the hands straight out, but it’s almost like the throwing of a stone or the shooting of an arrow. This word is found 111 times in Scripture, describing the moments when the Hebrew people were so overcome by the glory of the Lord their hands would shoot straight up.

Halal: This word, probably the most common one, is called the fools of praise. It means to boast, to rave, to shine, to celebrate, to be clamorously foolish. Psalm 149:3 used this word: “Let them praise His name with dancing.” This is where we get the word “hallelujah.” David dancing when the ark of the covenant was brought into the city is a demonstration of this word (2 Samuel 6:13–16). True halal lays aside inhibitions and ignores self-consciousness. Psalm 150:6 (the last verse of the psalms) says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” This word is used 165 times in the Bible.

Zamar: This word means the music of praise. We actually use instruments to make music, to celebrate in song and music, literally to touch the strings or parts of an instrument. Psalm 144:9 used this word: “I will sing a new song to You; I will play on a ten-stringed harp for You.” This word is used 41 times in Scripture. Even if you do not play, you are using music to take you to a place where you adore and praise God. It is allowing music to be the vehicle that carries your praise to the throne room of God.

Towdah: This word means the expectation of praise. We can actually praise the Lord in expectation of what He is about to do or the promise He made in my life that I may not be currently seeing, but I will in expectation praise Him. We see this in Psalm 56:11–12. This word is also an extension of the hand in thanksgiving and confession, but it is for things not yet received. This one is used 32 times in Scripture. Romans 4:20 says Abraham “gave glory” to God for the promise of a son to be born to him by Sarah.

Barak: This word signifies the posture of praise. This word is used 289 times in the psalms. This word means to kneel or to bless God as an act of adoration, to praise, to salute, to thank. It gives the idea of kneeling before God. Psalm 72:11 and 15 says kings and nations will bow before God to kneel and serve Him. In humility, we will actually get down on our knees with our faces on the ground/floor before the Lord. While in this position of humility, we are actually fixing our eyes on God, the King of Glory. There is something about humility that God honors. David used this word for praise repeatedly in Psalm 103.

Tehillah: This word means the songs of praise. This is simply a song flowing out of my heart—it is singing from a melody in my heart and adding words to it. It is normally unprepared and unrehearsed. The tehillah is all of psalms, and it comes from this word which means to sing forth to the Lord.

Shabach: This word means the shout of praise. This is literally, just as it sounds, to shout out loud to the Lord. It is used 11 times, and it means to literally make a holy roa.

CLOSING

David, as a man after God’s own heart, knew these things. He had expressions of praise. Throughout Psalms 66 and 67, David used these words to praise the Lord. I encourage you to press into some of these expressions of praise, to go deeper with the Lord, to give Him the honor and praise He deserves.