Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! Reader: Jon Watson Date: 21st September 2022 Passage: Psalm 147:1 ------------------- Hallelujah! This word occurs 24 times in the Book of Psalms — one of several words giving praise to Almighty God. Those psalms beginning (or sometimes ending) with the word Hallelujah came to be favourites of the people worshipping in the synagogues so our Lord Jesus Christ would have been used to singing this great word of praise very often indeed. Hallelujah is one of these words which has come into our English language straight from the Hebrew so to speak. We have come to know it as a great 'praise' word. Maybe this has come about especially since the musician Handel wrote the music for the Messiah with the magnificent Hallelujah Chorus. Some newer translations of the Bible in English use the word instead of the translation "Praise the Lord". We know too that Hallelujah is a familiar praise-word in heaven. It is sung four times in chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation. There in the New Testament, as in the Old Testament, the word is sung in places describing God's salvation of his people. It is a word of spontaneous praise from hearts that know the saving goodness of God. Prayer Dear Lord, as I think of all you have done for me, I pray you will always help me to sing Hallelujah in thanksgiving. Amen.