Hallelujah. Ever thought about what that means? It's a word that gets thrown around a lot, no doubt. How is it defined, though? There's a relatively simple meaning: "praise ye the Lord"*. It's also defined as "An exclamatory expression of praise or adoration"**. Hallelujah is a shout of praise to God. When you think about it, there are some places you just wouldn't expect to hear Hallelujah. Here, for example:
Or here:
Or here:
Or here:
This would all seem rather odd places for Hallelujah, wouldn't they? At any rate, I wouldn't expect it, especially not if I was visiting a prison. Here's a thought to consider. If you or I were in the prison, would we be saying Hallelujah, or any kind of praise to God for that matter? Keep your answer in mind and examine this story about the Apostle Paul and his traveling companion Silas from Acts 16:
"Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:16-25 NKJV)
If you've read this story, you may know what happens next. However, before we read on, let's take a moment to consider Paul and Silas's day. They were beaten, humiliated, and imprisoned...and they praised God anyway, while in the prison. Even if we already knew this that makes it no less extraordinary. This isn't run-of-the-mill singing. This is praise to God, not in a church, or even a nice grassy field in the sunshine, but in a smelly ancient prison. Personally I think that behavior like that takes either serious conviction or serious insanity. Paul and Silas weren't crazy, so the former has to be true. How do I know they weren't nuts? Look at what follows:
"Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. (Acts 16:26-34 NKJV)
Paul and Silas didn't have a clue what was next. They couldn't see God coming. They foresaw no miraculous rescue or the jailer's acceptance of the Gospel. All they knew was Who God is and what He's done...and that was good enough for them. Settled in their hearts was the fact that Jesus had bought them and made them free beyond even what their chains could do to them, and this joy left them with no reason to feel sorry for themselves. Their reaction to their pain was to praise, and sure enough, God did the amazing once again. Would we do the same in their position? Let's be encouraged by their faith, and know that the same God who had their praise deserves all of ours, no matter where we are or what we are in the middle of. Make it your preference to praise the Lord in any and every situation. He's rocked your world before. Who's to say He won't do it again?
Hallelujah!
*M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely. Accessed 2/23/2014 on http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/hallelujah/
**Nave, Orville J. "Entry for 'Hallelujah'". "Nave's Topical Bible". . 1896. Accessed 2/23/2014 on http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/naves-topical-bible/hallelujah.html
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
Picture of long line from http://businessmediationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Long-Line.jpg
Picture of mineshaft from http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/imgs/Mineshaft1.jpg
Picture of ocean from http://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/2523112090103830173s600x600q85.jpg
Picture of prison from http://www.statebudgetsolutions.org/imgLib/20110404_jailphoto.jpg
None of the above pages are owned or operated by I-BulldogStudios.
Or here:
Or here:
Or here:
This would all seem rather odd places for Hallelujah, wouldn't they? At any rate, I wouldn't expect it, especially not if I was visiting a prison. Here's a thought to consider. If you or I were in the prison, would we be saying Hallelujah, or any kind of praise to God for that matter? Keep your answer in mind and examine this story about the Apostle Paul and his traveling companion Silas from Acts 16:
"Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:16-25 NKJV)
If you've read this story, you may know what happens next. However, before we read on, let's take a moment to consider Paul and Silas's day. They were beaten, humiliated, and imprisoned...and they praised God anyway, while in the prison. Even if we already knew this that makes it no less extraordinary. This isn't run-of-the-mill singing. This is praise to God, not in a church, or even a nice grassy field in the sunshine, but in a smelly ancient prison. Personally I think that behavior like that takes either serious conviction or serious insanity. Paul and Silas weren't crazy, so the former has to be true. How do I know they weren't nuts? Look at what follows:
"Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. (Acts 16:26-34 NKJV)
Paul and Silas didn't have a clue what was next. They couldn't see God coming. They foresaw no miraculous rescue or the jailer's acceptance of the Gospel. All they knew was Who God is and what He's done...and that was good enough for them. Settled in their hearts was the fact that Jesus had bought them and made them free beyond even what their chains could do to them, and this joy left them with no reason to feel sorry for themselves. Their reaction to their pain was to praise, and sure enough, God did the amazing once again. Would we do the same in their position? Let's be encouraged by their faith, and know that the same God who had their praise deserves all of ours, no matter where we are or what we are in the middle of. Make it your preference to praise the Lord in any and every situation. He's rocked your world before. Who's to say He won't do it again?
Hallelujah!
*M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely. Accessed 2/23/2014 on http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/hallelujah/
**Nave, Orville J. "Entry for 'Hallelujah'". "Nave's Topical Bible". . 1896. Accessed 2/23/2014 on http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/naves-topical-bible/hallelujah.html
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
Picture of long line from http://businessmediationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Long-Line.jpg
Picture of mineshaft from http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/imgs/Mineshaft1.jpg
Picture of ocean from http://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/2523112090103830173s600x600q85.jpg
Picture of prison from http://www.statebudgetsolutions.org/imgLib/20110404_jailphoto.jpg
None of the above pages are owned or operated by I-BulldogStudios.
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