Why does God seek praise? Is He a narcissist? When He urges us to praise Him, is He saying, “say nice things about Me and I will bless you?” A more in-depth inquiry into the nature of praise might yield a more accurate understanding. Why would we even bother? Because Psa. 22:3 tells us God inhabits the praises of His people. Not praise as we might conceive of it but praise as it is defined in scripture. What is biblically authentic praise then?
Psalms 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
Psalm 50:23 tells us, “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me…” Alright then. How do we “offer” praise? The Hebrew word for “offer” in this verse has nothing to do with bringing the lights down low in church or turning on the smoke machines to create a theatrical atmosphere. Neither does it imply the playing of musical instruments or even singing. These things may express praise, and certainly, they are intended to do so, but the phrase “offer praise” in scripture has nothing to do with the things we put so much expense and time into that we call “praise” or a “worship service.” What then does the Bible refer to as “offering praise?”
The phrase “offer praise” in Psalm 50:23 means “to slaughter the sacrifice.” It referred to the bringing of a sacrificial animal to the priest and following the protocols under the law to kill the animal, pour its blood out before the Lord, and burn its carcass on the Brazen Altar as an act of deference to Jehovah God. Well, alright then, let’s get our “worship leaders” some training in how to slaughter animals and get them some priestly garments so we can biblically praise God. Is that what God is looking for? Somehow I can’t picture the cute chicks and girly men in skinny jeans on the platform doing this.
In the Old Testament, actual animals are offered up as something God accepted as a substitute for the offering of his own life to God. In the New Testament, however, God accepts no such substitute. The sacrificial animals of the Old Testament represent Jesus giving Himself for us in the New Covenant. In response to the sacrifice of Christ, we are urged by Paul not to offer an animal sacrifice but to become living sacrifices; lives poured out in service to God as the single defining characteristic of our activities, beliefs, and commitments.
[Rom 12:1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
How do we offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice? By getting a really cool tribal tattoo in a Hebrew motif? By an unsavory body piercing? Or, perhaps by wearing clothing branded in a Christian theme as a way of witnessing to others? Paul makes it clear in the next verse what God is asking for in terms of offering what constitutes authentic praise:
Rom. 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
To authentically praise God involves an imposition upon our fashion sense and every other aspect of our lives. We are to purposefully and with intentionality not to follow after the forms and fashion of the world. We are not to worship at the altars of the cult of celebrity, sports, or any other thing. We are to address the world and its influences with a negative response and to embrace the culture of the kingdom with an answer of commitment, piety, and holiness.
Every sacrifice in the Old Testament was washed both within and without in preparing the animal for sacrifice. The pattern suggests then that we can’t say “well, God knows my heart, what I do with my life outwardly is nobody’s business…” It may not be anyone’s business to judge you as each must take care of their own walk with God, but you are to hold yourself accountable before God.
If you don’t receive correction from anyone else, then have the maturity to live out your life before God on your own recognizance. Do not be conformed to the world. What does that look like in your life? What can you point to in your life and say, “this choice, habit, or action on my part represents the energy I am putting into not conforming to the world…” If that’s difficult for you, then you haven’t prepared your sacrifice correctly.
There are many ideas in church culture as to what constitutes worship and praise, yet God is not interested in songs and instrumentation offered up by unwashed and unprepared worshippers. It isn’t about being negative on life or being a sour puss for Jesus. It’s about taking our measure with a sober eye and making a choice to live out our lives in an expressed daily commitment to Christ beyond surface issues. What is the benefit of doing this?
Psalm 50:23 promises that if we order our conversation (behavior), rightly, we will see the salvation of God manifest in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I need salvation every day. Every morning that I wake up, there are things that I need to be saved from that go way beyond just going to heaven when I die. Toward that end, I want to make every necessary adjustment, decision, and commitment in my life to honor him and show by my habits, choices, and decisions every day that He matters to me and what His word says matters to me more than anything else. Not to earn blessing but to express before God my total dependence upon Him in godly fear and reference. How about you? If you did a checkup on yourself, is there anything that might need to change or are you practically perfect in every way. It isn’t about condemnation but about the enthusiastic desire to make any change necessary to reflect your love and fidelity toward God.
