Power-of-Worship
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Please Note: Some alterations have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ having been corrected as it once used to be - pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth’s from our beloved Scriptures!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (the LORD your Elo’lei’chem) which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
“This is My Name FOREVER, and this is My Memorial to ALL Generations”. Shemot - Exodus 3:15. (JPS-1917 version of the Torah).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens,
PhD.
Just before the study, I would like to
commence with one more important quote from the book of Yahushua - Joshua Ch
1:7-8. (JPS-1917). In Ivrit - Hebrew, an English.
רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ מְאֹד, לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל-הַתּוֹרָה-אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי, אַל-תָּסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול: לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּיל, בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ
“Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the Law, which Moses My servant commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest have good success whithersoever thou goest”.
לֹא-יָמוּשׁ
סֵפֶר
הַתּוֹרָה
הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ,
וְהָגִיתָ
בּוֹ יוֹמָם
וָלַיְלָה,
לְמַעַן
תִּשְׁמֹר
לַעֲשׂוֹת,
כְּכָל-הַכָּתוּב
בּוֹ:
כִּי-אָז
תַּצְלִיחַ
אֶת-דְּרָכֶךָ,
וְאָז תַּשְׂכִּיל
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy ways prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success”.
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Introduction:
Praise as Covenant Memory and Deliverance:
History in the Tanakh shows a recurring pattern, such as public worship and praise to יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים - the LORD Elohim (God), blessed be His Holy Name, and often there were moments of Divine assistance, when Israel was in her greatest need.
However, The Hebrew equivalent of the word “worship” is שחה “Shachah”. This term literally means “to bow down” or... “to prostrate oneself” and is often associated with acts of reverence or submission to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God). In biblical contexts, it signifies a profound religious devotion, often linked to sacrifice and offering.
In the examples below we will read, what role public worship played before אֱלֹהִים intervened? Was it ‘causal’, ‘symbolic’, or both? How does the Tanakh balance praise with ethical responsibility (repentance, justice)? However, can praise be authentic without moral change?
This study will trace that pattern, and reflect on אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s theological meaning (the explication of His revealed word) and invite us to recover praise as a communal practice that both remembers -יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים - the LORD past acts and opens us to present deliverance. May these texts and reflections uplift us and inspire a deeper covenantal faith!
Let us look at key Tanakh examples:
Please Note: All verses are from “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917).
1. Tehillim - Psalm 22:4:
וְאַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ יוֹשֵׁב, תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל
“Yet Thou art Holy, O Thou that art enthroned upon the praises of Israel”.
What we can see in this verse is that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s presence is uniquely linked to worship and praise.
2. Divrei HaYamim Bet - 2 Chronicles 20:19-20: (JPS-1917).
וַיָּקֻמוּ
הַלְוִיִּם
מִן-בְּנֵי
הַקְּהָתִים, וּמִן-בְּנֵי
הַקָּרְחִים-לְהַלֵּל,
לַיהוָה
אֱלֹהֵי
יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּקוֹל
גָּדוֹל, לְמָעְלָה
וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ
בַבֹּקֶר, וַיֵּצְאוּ
לְמִדְבַּר
תְּקוֹעַ; וּבְצֵאתָם
עָמַד
יְהוֹשָׁפָט, וַיֹּאמֶר
שְׁמָעוּנִי
יְהוּדָה
וְיֹשְׁבֵי
יְרוּשָׁלִַם-הַאֲמִינוּ
בַּיהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
וְתֵאָמֵנוּ, הַאֲמִינוּ
בִנְבִיאָיו
וְהַצְלִיחוּ
19. “And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise יהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - the LORD, the אֱלֹהִים of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice”.
20. And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said: 'Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; believe in the אֱלֹהֵיכֶם- יְהוָה- the LORD your Elo’hei’chem, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper”.
As we have read, Jehoshaphat appoints singers to lead the army; as the Hebrews praised it gave great confusion to the enemy, and thanks to אֱלֹהִים victory came without a battle!
3. Yahushua - Joshua 6:2-5:
The fall of Jericho.
2. “Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
3. And יְהוָה - the LORD said unto Joshua: ‘See, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof, even the mighty men of valour.
4. And ye shall compass the city, all the men of war, going about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
5. And seven priests shall bear seven rams' horns before the ark; and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the horns.
And it shall be, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the horn, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him’”.
As we have read that the priests and the men of war ‘compassed the city’. The priests blew their Shofar’s (ram horns) and the city walls simply fell, after a public cultic action. Thus, what we have seen is an amazing Divine act, of allowing the Hebrews to enter the “Land of milk and honey”. All thanks to their prayers and worship!
Tehillim - Psalm 149:1-6:
This very powerful Tehillim is unique, and shows us how אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, is always ready to help those who are faithful, worshipful, and full of praise!
הַלְלוּ-יָהּ:
שִׁירוּ
לַיהוָה,
שִׁיר חָדָשׁ;
תְּהִלָּתוֹ,
בִּקְהַל
חֲסִידִים
1. “Hallelujah. Sing unto יְהוָה
- the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly
of the saints”.
יִשְׂמַח
יִשְׂרָאֵל
בְּעֹשָׂיו;
בְּנֵי-צִיּוֹן,
יָגִילוּ
בְמַלְכָּם
2. Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful
in their King.
יְהַלְלוּ
שְׁמוֹ
בְמָחוֹל;
בְּתֹף
וְכִנּוֹר,
יְזַמְּרוּ-לו
ֹ3. Let them praise His Name in the dance; let them sing praises unto
Him with the timbrel and harp.
כִּי-רוֹצֶה
יְהוָה
בְּעַמּוֹ;
יְפָאֵר
עֲנָוִים,
בִּישׁוּעָה
4. For יְהוָה
- the LORD taketh pleasure in
His people; He adorneth the humble with salvation.
יַעְלְזוּ
חֲסִידִים
בְּכָבוֹד;
יְרַנְּנוּ,
עַל-מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם
5. Let the saints exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their
beds.
רוֹמְמוֹת אֵל, בִּגְרוֹנָם; וְחֶרֶב פִּיפִיּוֹת בְּיָדָם
6. Let the high praises of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand”.
Tehillim - Psalm 150: (In English).
1. Hallelujah. Praise אֱלֹהִים in His sanctuary; praise Him in the firmament of His power.
2. Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His abundant greatness.
3. Praise Him with the blast of the horn; praise Him with the psaltery and harp.
4. Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and the pipe.
5. Praise Him with the loud-sounding cymbals; praise Him with the clanging cymbals.
6. Let every thing that hath breath praise יְהוָה - the LORD. Hallelujah.
This final Tehillim so clearly reveals that those who are full in faith will praise אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - YaHVaH Elohim in the manner as we have been looking at! Sadly heartfelt praise and worship is no longer found in our Synagogues, as sadly our Siddur’s have become bigger and bigger. Only 25% is Scriptural, the rest hails sadly from rabbis and so much is from that ‘mystical’ and ‘occultic Kabbalah’. (The aforementioned comes from an old Hebrew source). Also, prayers go at a most ridiculous pace, which means it is not said unto our Heavenly Father, blessed be He, with a heart, and of understanding what we are saying, for it is always so rushed.
Praise and prayers that comes from our heart is not merely human speech; it is the space in which אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s presence becomes manifest among the people.
I suggest that you also read ...
Tehillim - Psalm 47 and Tehillim - Psalm 98:
And learn all about a universal call to praise as response to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s rule and His loving call for prayer and worship, all being the way to salvation!
In conclusion:
אֱלֹהִים “inhabits” praise:
Praise is not merely human speech; it is the space in which אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s presence becomes manifest among the people. Looking at public praise being both embodied, and communal!
The Tanakh places ‘singers’, ‘priests’, ‘instruments’, and ‘public actions’ at the centre of various scenes.
It is not a magical formula: Scriptural praise occurs within ‘covenantal relationships’, ‘repentance’, ‘obedience’, and ‘trust accompanies the liturgy’; whilst praise expresses trust and it summons אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s faithfulness.
Memory and present action: Praise recalls past redemption (memory) and enacts present trust that אֱלֹהִים will act again.
As we conclude this study, let us, say the following prayers and conclude with a blessing:
לָכֵן יְהוָה שׁוֹכֵן בְּתוֹדָתוֹ שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל
“יְהוָה - the LORD inhabits the praises of Israel”.
זֹכְרִים נִפְלָאוֹתֶיךָ; בּוֹטְחִים בְּשֵׁם קָדְשֶׁךָ
“We remember Your wonders; we trust in Your Holy Name”.
The closing Blessing is now located below the
new addition which is next:
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A new addition to this study:
I decided also reveal all the relative Hebrew words and expressions, which are translated in English as “WORSHIP” throughout our beloved Tanakh!
Therefore below I will list all the main Hebrew verbs and related nouns that English translations commonly render as “worship,” with their basic meaning and how the Tanakh uses them.
1. I will commence with; שָׁחָה – ‘shachah’, to ‘bow down’; ‘prostrate’; ‘pay homage’.
Meaning: To ‘bend the body’ (‘incline’, ‘kneel’, ‘prostrate’) as an act of reverence or submission.
Typical use: Physical bowing before אֱלֹהִים, kings; conveying humility and obeisance.
2. קָדַד – ‘qadad’ (and cognates), to ‘bow down’; ‘stoop’; ‘make obeisance’.
Meaning: Similar to shachah’, a lowering or bending as an act of homage.
Typical use: Another verb used in contexts of bowing/obeisance in worship-related passages.
3. בָּרַךְ – ‘barak’, to ‘bless’, ‘kneel’, ‘salute’.
Meaning: To ‘kneel’ or ‘bless’; frequently translated “bless” but in many contexts implies a reverent posture (kneeling) or directed praise toward אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He.
Typical use: Liturgical blessing and expressions of praise that overlap with acts of worship.
4. עָבַד - ‘avad’ / עֲבוֹדָה - ‘avodah’, to ‘serve’; ‘service’; ‘worship’.
Meaning: To serve, work for, or be in servitude to someone; as a noun (avodah) it means service or cultic service.
Typical use: Used of serving אֱלֹהִים (religious service).
5. הָלַל - ‘halal’, זָמַר – ‘zamar’, תְּהִלָּה – ‘tehillah’, means ‘praise’, ‘sing’, ‘give glory’.
Meaning: Verbs/nouns in the semantic field of ‘praising’ or ‘giving glory’ (to אֱלֹהִים); often part of liturgical worship (singing, shouting praise).
Typical use: Used for verbal and musical forms of worship, praising אֱלֹהִים in words and song rather than physical prostration.
Summary note: The English word
“worship” covers several Hebrew actions and ideas, physical ‘prostration’ (‘shachah, qadad’), ‘kneeling/blessing’ (‘barak’),
service or cultic labour (‘avad/avodah’), and
verbal-musical praise (‘halal’, ‘zamar’, ‘tehillah’), so
the Tanakh expresses all that which we call “worship” with multiple different Hebrew
words and grammatical forms!
Closing blessing:
May יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ - the LORD Eloheinu, dwell among our praises; may our songs be true, our praise accompanied by righteousness, and our trust be rewarded with deliverance and peace. Amen.
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This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be
He, said the following via several of our prophets...
“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
And Remember ...
Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!
אֲנִי
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloheichem; walk in My statutes,
and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall
be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה
- the LORD your Eloheichem”.
Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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“Hebraic Studies” motto is as
follows;
“The More Torah, the
More Life”
For אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, Blessed be His Sanctified Name,
He
is the one who gave us our Life!”
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts. be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s (Prayers) and regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s (blessings) before food and drinks, etc!
שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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