HALLELUJAH!
Psalm
105:43-45: “For He remembered His holy
promise given to His servant Abraham. He
brought out His people with rejoicing, His chosen ones with shouts of joy; He
gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had
toiled for—that they might keep His precepts and observe His laws.
Hallelujah!”
“Praise the Lord.” is how the NIV
version of the Bible ends this verse. Other
versions of the Bible end Psalm 105 with “Hallelujah!”
Hallelujah is praising God using one
word that spans continents, cultures and languages. Praise = Hallelu. God = Yah. Yet the only place Hallelujah is found in
the Hebrew Bible is in the book of Psalms, ending Psalm 105 with, “Hallelu Yah!”
Such a fun praise word!
The Bible uses many different names
for God, describing His different attributes.
What does “Yah” stand for?
Exodus 17:16 shows Israel being
attacked by the nation of Amalek. Amalek
stands for evil in the Bible—and all evil in the world. At the end of the battle, God said, “Because
hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war
against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” The Hebrew name for God here is Yah.
Yah represents God in a fallen imperfect
world. Evil is represented by Amalek—evil
that still abounds. This is our world
today. Every shout of “Hallelujah!” praises
God of the imperfect world. We should
continue to shout praise to God when we see evil in an imperfect world.
Why?
Psalm 105 shows Israel’s
history. It focuses on slavery in Egypt
and the magnificent Exodus fleeing that land.
Wonders performed in Egypt and miracles in the desert display the
greatness of God. Water gushing from
rock? Bread raining down from
heaven? Come on, man. Get real!
Reality burst forth in the form of
the Torah. (Hebrew Bible is first five
chapters of the Christian Bible—Genesis through Deuteronomy). Prophecy became real when the nation of
Israel was born. Check out the lesson
linked below for more.
A Biblical pattern is revealed: Bad
things happen that ultimately lead to good things. Faith logically understands that evil has a
purpose, but that God’s plan to overcome evil is supernatural, divine. King David stares down evil, revealing that
everything worked out for the best. He
got it! God’s divine plan leads to a
more perfect world.
What else could David shout but,
“Hallelujah!”
Take Home Nugget
Hallelujah
reminds us to see the big picture.
Hallelujah reminds us that evil is temporary. Hallelujah reminds us that goodness lasts
forever. In card- playing terms, evil
exists trying to win tricks in the world, but God’s plan trumps evil and wins
the game! Perfection from imperfection.
Hallelujah!
Adapted
from “Hallelujah!” Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein. January 3, 2016. Holy Land Moments Daily.com.
J.D.
Griffith
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