THE POWER OF A HALLELUJAH (Psalm 149)

There is not only power in prayer, but also in praise.

Psalm 149 shows us the power of a hallelujah. In the previous psalm we were praising God as Creator, and now we are praising Him as King. In either case, we are always praising Him as our Savior.

Verses 1-2: “Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.”

What is the power of a hallelujah?

Praise Brings Joy to God’s People

Israel had a new song after being delivered, and we have a new song once we have a new heart. When you come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, He puts a new song in you. You become one of His children, and you have something to sing about. You have new standing in Him.

I am thinking of the joy when I first came to know Jesus and how I wanted others to know. If you’re not careful, you’ll lose that wonder and joy. Sin will creep in. That is why David prayed in Psalm 51:12, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.” When you realize that you are forgiven, there is a fresh sense of joy and praise that wells up on the inside. We rejoice not only in our new standing but also in the fact that He is always the same.

The Lord is referred to in verse 2 as the One who “made” Israel. There is no such thing as a self-made man. God has made you what you are. So rejoice in the God that never changes — not just in what He gives you, but in the fact that He is all.

Verses 3-4: “Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.”

Praise Brings Pleasure to the Lord Himself

Isn’t that the great objective? The goal is not just for me to feel good; it is for the Lord to get glory. He takes pleasure in our praise.

Hebrews 13:15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” It pleases Him when we acknowledge His goodness in our lives and are a thankful people.

There is a beauty God puts on us that you cannot put on yourself. You cannot buy it or work it up. The Lord produces it. I think there is great beauty in a life of praise. There is a humility and quietness here, an openness and humble submission to the Lord.

When that is in your life, it pleases Him and brings Him glory. He clothes you with it, much like the prodigal was clothed by his father in Luke 15. When you come to Him with a humble and meek spirit, acknowledging your need of Him, you will be clothed in His beauty. Then your heart swells up with praise, and God is well pleased with that.

We think a lot about the joy that the Lord gives us, but think about this: Does your life bring Him joy? Is the Lord pleased with you today? That is the power of a hallelujah.

Praise Brings Victory to the Believer

The only way to really live a life of victory is to live a life of praise.

Verse 5: “Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.”

Do you see this present-tense joy? Notice how he also mentioned their beds. In the night seasons of life, the dark moments, you can praise your way through.

On the bed of rest, you can praise Him with gratitude.

On the bed of suffering, you can praise Him for His aid.

On the bed of loneliness, you can praise Him for His presence through every tear, temptation and trial.

Finally, on the bed of death, you can praise Him for His peace.

We all know the old saying, “You’ve made your bed; now you can sleep in it.” No, the Lord makes my bed. He meets me there. He helps me right where I am.

A dear saint of God went to Heaven recently. Just before his passing, he sat straight up in bed and started singing an old hymn. After singing a verse and a chorus, he laid back down and went to be with Jesus. What a way to go. The Lord strengthened him and allowed him to sing aloud upon his bed. Praise brings victory in the heart of a believer from start to finish.

Verses 6-9: “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.”

That passage describes a battle scene that ends in victory. There is present victory and future victory. We have it today and a promise from God that we will have it in the end.

Vengeance is the Lord’s. The Bible says in II Corinthians 10:4, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” God will take care of the enemy.

Read the third chapter of Revelation, which says that all of the enemies will be at your feet. That is because you will be seated with Jesus, and they all will be at His feet.

Read Revelation 19. Talk about a scene of conquest. Why is that? It is because praise brings victory in the life of a believer. When all is said and done, we will be gathered around the throne of God, the king of the universe, and we will praise Him for all eternity.

In Psalm 149, verse 2 mentions a singular “King” with a capital K, while verse 8 refers to plural “kings” with a small K. It is an interesting contrast. There are many rulers in this world, but only one true King who rules and reigns forever. Aren’t you glad that is your God? Praise Him today.

The story of how Handel composed his famous “Messiah” is fascinating. He worked for weeks. They said he barely ate, drank, or slept. His servants would bring food and drink, then come back and find that it had not been touched. He was so consumed with who God was.

When describing his work on the now-famous “Hallelujah Chorus,” he told his servant, “I did think I did see all of Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne with His company of angels.” That is powerful.

I want to challenge you today to get our eyes on the throne and look to the King. No matter who is in charge in the nations of the world, God rules the good and overrules the evil. He is the one true and lasting King.

Read Psalm 149. It will do your heart good. You will see the Lord high and lifted up, discovering once again that there truly is power in a life of hallelujah.

My advice to you today? “Praise ye the Lord.”