Psalm 34:1-3 “I
will bless the Lord at all times; His
praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make
its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”
In searching the worldwide Web,
I came across a small devotional study on “Godly” issues. The first lesson was
on godly boasting and stated that Psalm 34:1-3 is an open praise. Israel’s King
David is “bragging” about God to anybody who will listen. The boast that his
soul is making is broadcast so that everyone will know of his joy. The Hebrew
word translated “boast” in this passage is “halal”, from which the
word “hallelujah” is developed. Halal is most often used to
convey the idea of excitement or delight.
2 Corinthians 10:17 “Let the
one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Our boast is designed to
magnify and exalt the Lord so that we can “halal” together. “Magnify”
(the Hebrew word “gadal”) is an imperative verb giving an authoritative
command that demands us to “make great” or elevate to “great importance” the
memory of the Lord. With similar emphasis, “exalt” (the Hebrew word “ruwm”)
demands that we “raise up” the name of the Lord above everything else. Isaiah
25:1 says, “I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful
things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth”.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus
says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let
not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory
in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands
and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving-kindness, judgment,
and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.”
Our church environment often
connects the idea of praise with musical episodes during our worship or moments
of celebration. Although these may contain elements of magnification or
exaltation, they are not the focus of King David’s request in Psalm 34:1-3. It's praise from the soul.
Psalm 44:8 “In
God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever.”
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