Year of the Bible: Part Seven of Twelveናሙና

Hey You! Praise God!

The Psalms wind through Israel’s history by following the kingdom of David, then to a time when the people had no King, and finally to the coming of Jesus, who restores all the people of the earth to God.

Today’s psalm calls all creation to praise the Lord. The term "Hallelu" means “praise,” and the word "yah" is part of the name of God, “Yahweh.” Hallelujah is not something you say to God; instead, it’s an invitation for others to praise Him. In other words, when you say "Hallelujah", you are essentially calling across the room, “Hey, you over there, you should praise the Lord!” This psalm begins and ends with "Hallelu-yah", calling all the created things in Heaven and on Earth to praise God.

When plants and trees bear fruit, they praise God because they are doing what they were created to do! Similarly, we bring honor and glory to God when we fulfill our purpose.

Previously in Scripture, we learned that God set the Israelites apart to bring all people back to God through them. The raised horn mentioned in this psalm is a common Hebrew sign of victory, especially when being delivered from oppression. The oppression of sin was enormous, and the victory that Jesus won by rising from the dead brought freedom from the death that our sin causes.

Our best response to the freedom Jesus offers us is acceptance and praise. We cry out, “Hallelujah,” thus inviting the world to praise the Creator who made all of them.

Question: Does your heart burst to worship the One who created all things and gave you freedom?

Prayer: God, I believe that You made all things. You set the world in motion and made a way for me to recover from sin by embracing Jesus. Help my life to shout to the world, “Come and praise the Maker of all things!”