& Merry Christmas! I've attached links below to a couple of songs I've been enjoying this season - even though Chris Tomlin's CD, Christmas Songs of Worship, was released in 2009, I heard it for the first time this year and gave it as a "stocking stuffer" to family & friends....
The first youtube link is to one of my favorite carols, "Angels We Have Heard On High" - Chris' rendition of this song makes me feel like spinning around with joy, which reminded me of one of the Hebrew words for praise, "halal." So I googled "halal," and noticed the word "shabach" also corresponded pretty well to what I was experiencing & wanting to describe. (Definitions below are from an article at watchmanministries.org, "Seven Hebrew Words for Praise," one of the first articles that showed up when I googled "halal" - it includes reference #'s and definitions from the Hebrew dictionary in Strong's Concordance, which I've italicized.)
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HALAL
Scripture: 1 Chron. 16:4, 23:5,30, 25:3, 29:13, Neh. 12:24 (this word appears over 110 times in the OT)
1984 halal (haw-lal'); a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate
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SHABACH - shaw-bakh - to address in a loud tone, a loud adoration, a shout! Proclaim with a loud voice, unashamed, the GLORY, TRIUMPH, POWER, MERCY, LOVE OF GOD. This word implies that testimony is praise. The phrase "shout unto the Lord" can be understood as the action of SHABACH. It is not just being loud. You should have the attitude of putting your whole being into it, an attitude of being totally uninhibited. Scripture: Psalm 117:1, 63:3-4
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7623 shabach (shaw-bakh'); a primitive root; properly, to address in a loud tone, i.e. (specifically) loud; figuratively, to pacify (as if by words): KJV-- commend, glory, keep in, praise, still, triumph.
I've heard Kris Vallotton say that Jesus' Resurrection was the greatest D-Day that ever was - this song, with its marching bass rhythm, makes me feel that way about Christmas: from the moment God sent His Son to be born into this earth, it was only a matter of time until the powers of darkness would be utterly defeated. The birth of Christ, whether it actually occurred in winter or fall (as some say), was "the beginning of the end" for everything evil in this world. Scripture declares:
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
[I John 3:8b NKJ]
It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
[Hebrews 2:5-17 NIV]
I hope you enjoy the song. If you like quieter carols, there's another good one from the same CD below it, "Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)." Or listen to both :) And have a wonderful holiday - most of all, I pray that you & yours experience God's Love, Peace & Joy during this season and always.
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"Angels We Have Heard on High"
Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ria in excelsis Deo...
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Glory to God in the Highest!
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"Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)"
To purchase this CD on iTunes:
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