Praise Our God, All Ye His Servants

 

Praise 15

 

 

And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Revelation 19.1-6

 

          I have said that the scriptural emphasis on praising God is found from one end of the Bible to the other. Chronologically, the opening passage in this chapter takes place in Heaven toward the end of the Tribulation period happening on Earth. It follows immediately after the judgment poured out on the reincarnations of spiritual and physical Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18 and precedes the finalization of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This, in turn, results in our triumphant return to Earth following Christ's train at His Second Coming. (Revelation 19.7-16) In other words, the above-quoted selection is the reaction in Heaven to God's just judgment being poured out on Earth and His soon-to-be-realized Second Coming.

          In today's meditation about praise, allow me to offer you four observations.

          First, we see here an emphasis on exuberant praise. We see here four repetitions of alleluia, the English version of the Latin version of the Hebrew term hallelujah. In the original language, it means to praise Jah (Jehovah) and implies that it should be done with a joyful exuberance.

          Our hallelujahs are not meant to be whispered; they are meant to be shouted. They are to be audible expressions of our overflowing joy in God. In fact, we see seven examples of this in Psalms, all set within the context of praising God. Shout for joy. (Psalm 5.11) Shout for joy. (Psalm 32.11) Shout for joy. (Psalm 35.27) Shout unto God with the voice of triumph. (Psalm 47.1) Shout for joy. (Psalm 65.13) Shout for joy. (Psalm 132.9) Shout aloud for joy. (Psalm 132.16) The same or equivalent ideas are mentioned in II Chronicles, Ezra, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zephaniah.

          Our religion ought to have some happy shout in it. When the walls of Jericho came crashing down, the people of God shouted. When our Lord entered Jerusalem on the Sunday before His crucifixion, the assembled throngs shouted. Yet the same people who sit mute in church for decades will erupt with noise when their team scores a touchdown. Such ought not to be the case. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

          Second, we see here God’s just judgments on the wicked are to be praised. For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

          There is a somewhat unspoken, widely held, erroneous idea – one I am just as prone to as the next guy – that we are to praise God primarily for His goodness to us. God is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, loving, forgiving, understanding, caring, compassionate, and… Hallelujah! But Scripture clearly models that we also praise Him just as vigorously for His anger, wrath, and judgment poured out justifiably on His enemies. When those who have peddled drugs, promoted the occult, murdered God's men, harried God's people, and generally brought death and destruction to those around them are judged for these things, the proper response from us is joy and praise.

          I am thinking here of someone like Osama bin Laden. He lived in rebellion against God. He actively sought to hurt as many people as possible. He dedicated his life to causing as much pain, agony, woe, and sorrow as possible. And I am heartily glad that he took a few 9mm rounds from an MP5 in the middle of his forehead.

          Some say such sentiment makes me one more blood-thirsty white man and no better than bin Laden. But I say God was justified in bringing His wrath down on bin Laden's head, whether He used Seal Team 6 or a lightning bolt from Heaven. Furthermore, I believe I am justified in telling God He did a wonderful thing when He did it.

          When God strikes down His enemies that have brought such harm to humanity the proper response on our part is to praise Him like we do when He pours out His grace. All of God’s acts are worth praising.

          Third, we see here that praising God is for everybody. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

As children learn to lisp their first prayer at their bedside, let it include praise. As senior citizens, let your speech be known not for complaints of bodily ailments but for praise. As pastors and deacons and teachers, let your leadership in praise set the tone for the rest. Let the buskids roll in on Sunday morning shouting the old standard, “Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah – Praise Ye the Lord!” Everybody ought to do it.

Lastly, we see here that praising God is imperative. Revelation 19.5 does not suggest that we praise God; rather, it unhesitatingly commands us to do so.

          Allow me to make one of the most important statements you have never heard: The command to praise God is the most oft-repeated in the entire Bible. Praising God is a command like obeying your parents is a command, like thou shalt not bear false witness is a command, like thou shalt not covet is a command, like love the Lord thy God is a command, like forsake not the assembling is a command, like look not on a woman to lust is a command. Praising God is not just something we do when we are in the right mood or feel especially tender toward Him. Praising God is wrapped up in the very purpose of our self-existence. Praising God is not a wish, hint, idea, or proposition but a decree, edict, law, rule, mandate, precept, and command.

          Praising God is not requested of us; it is required of us. Praising God is not optional; it is ordered. Praising God is not a suggestion; it is a summons. Praising God is not desired of us; it is demanded. Praising God is not a proposal; it is a proscription. Praising God is not a recommendation; it is a regulation. Praising God is not an opinion; it is an obligation. Praising God is not an invitation; it is an injunction. In short, praising God is not optional at all.

          As we opened today's blog post, we saw a scene yet to take place in Heaven, but I do not want you and I to wait until then to praise Him as He deserves to be praised. He is the same God right now He will be then. Let us then praise Him.

          Now.