Back To The Birthing of Praise – Judah

Gen 29:31-35

31 Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me." 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
NAS


Reuben – Because the Lord has seen my affliction (roots ra’ah: to see, and ben: quality or condition Affliction - `oniy (on-ee'); from OT:6031; depression, i.e. misery:

Simeon – Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved(sane' (saw-nay'); a primitive root; to hat (personally) Roots: Shim` own (shim-one'); from OT:8085; hearing; OT:8085 shama` (shaw-mah');
primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention)

Levi – Now this time my husband will become attached to me: Leviy (lay-vee'); from OT:3867; attached; Levi, a son of Jacob: OT:3867 lavah (law-vaw'); a primitive root; properly, to twine, i.e. (by
implication) to unite, to remain;

Judah – This time I will praise the Lord. Yehuwdah (yeh-hoo-daw'); from OT:3034 (Praise, Yadah); celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah)

All our praises must center in Christ, both as the matter of them and as the Mediator of them. He descended from him whose name was praise, for he is our praise. Is Christ formed in my heart? Now will I praise the Lord. (from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Not Everybody "Worships" The Same

This is true, we don't all Worship the same. We should though. It's garbage that we don't.

This will be an offensive entry, just so you know before you read on. If it offends you already, read on because the Lord wants to do a work in our hearts and get us out of our comfortable ways of doing things. That is what causes us to Praise and Worship the Lord in a different ways, our zones of comfortability we cater to. I'm not talking about style of music either. Read on...

Check out your personality at the doorway of Praise!

First, lets talk about our cubic parameters for the way we praise and worship. The basis for our Praise and Worship "style" tends to habituate somewhere around how we feel, or it's about how we like it. Brings me back to the classic... "It's all about meeeeee..." "I magnify and bless my name..." for it is surely..."Holy."
I hope we have an understanding of the blasphemous... or let's call it prideful arrogance in this particular cubic parameter.

I'm not trying to be condescending, but let's get real. There's this thing called the Bible. It's God's word. He is very good communicating to us how He would like our lives to be lived out, how He wants us to be, what He has for us, and also how HE COMMANDS us to praise Him.

Psalm 33:3 Sing to him a new song, play skillfully, and SHOUT for joy.
Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands, all you nations, Shout for joy and gladness...
Sing, clap, shout, play instruments... blow the trumpet, sing for Joy!
See, the Lord commands us to do these things...there are many more, just gave you some examples.

My simple question is this.... Should we not praise and worship our God the way He commands us to!?
It's garbage that we don't worship in the same way, because the Lord commands us in His word to Praise Him in the same way. If we just don't shout out to the Lord because "it's not the way we worship" for example, it's about time to break out of our cubic parameter!

The Birthing Of Praise

Gen 29:31-35

31 Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me." 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
NAS

Praise
It is for the first time, in the Hebrew text, that Praise is introduced. It is introduced when Judah is born. The astounding part of this (to me) is the representation of PRAISE being birthed into the world. Judah, or Praise in a sense has been born. The very roots of Judah and yadah come from is the word yad. Yad represents and open hand, which indicates power or direction. Hmm...

It is a significant event for Praise to be birthed, and I can't help but think of God's intentions. So much history has passed, major events happening, the annihalation of the human race but one family, etc. Most of all, His people have been snared in such disgusting bondage...He no longer walks amidst His people because they are so.... smelly with sin...

Why now, and not earlier...

Yadah

Yadah (yaw-daw) - to give thanks, laud praise; To confess the name of God

Laud: 1) Praise; glorification. 2) A hymn or song of praise.

Ahh, one day every tounge will Yadah! I'm trying to learn the Hebrew words for Praise. It's one thing to have Praise and Worship times, and another to know and understand how the Lord wants us to Praise Him - and how can we expand our spiritual vocabulary... how He can expand the opening in which to let Him in through His word.

I Love reading from the Psalms...

Ps 7:17
I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Ps 142:7
Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

Ps 145:10
All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.

Ps 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Ps 35:18
I will give thee thank s in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

Ps 42:5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

This one is amazing... get out of the 4 walls of the church, and go amidst the world!!!
Ps 18:49
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praise s unto thy name.

Cubic Parameters

Life has been so crazy!
I'm on a blog too, that's sorta weird.

So here's a thought.
Boxes - those containers we so easily find ourselves in. Unlike a wet paper bag, boxes are a bit more difficult for us to break out from. It seems though as if more and more people are breaking out of their boxes either seeing Jesus Christ for the first time, or they are seeing Him from a whole new perspective and standpoint. Tradition is melting away, and a young desperate generation is becoming increasingly focused on the one who is worth longing after.

Thought of the day: When we break out of one box, don't get stuck in another.

Being a bit candid... I remember the days of old, back in high school, swearing away without even thinking about it, or how ridiculous it sounded. I was in a box and didn't even know it.

Broke out of that cubic parameter into another...

As I am on the other side of the fence as a teacher, listening to the students swear. It's not something I will stand for....yet my thoughts are so condemning towards them. How do we stand for righteousness without looking down our noses with condemning eyes? We need to love people to Christ, not make them feel like scum!

Psalm 1 says "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seate of the scornful..."

Yet Jesus says in Luke 12:51, "Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division."

My prayer is that we will stand for righteousness with our hearts, thoughts, and passion - that we would intercede with our prayers and war in the spiritual realm.... For divine strategies to come that will divide not our witness, but will seperate and set us apart from the actions of this world.

So, I'm going to continue to sing through the halls, play worship music 'under the radar and be firm in my insisting their language be "toned down." Another month to begin changing the atmosphere... what a gift!

I wonder if I can bring my guitar in and start singing over them... haha that would be so cool!
We can sing life into them....