What is praise according to the Bible?

We have here an important definition of praise. Sometimes people have an idea that it is the feeling in our own hearts; but that is its results, rather than praise itself. Praise is "the fruit of our lips confessing His name." God appreciates your joy, the happiness that fills your hearts and wells over; but there is one thing He appreciates infinitely beyond all our feelings, and that is Christ Himself confessed to God. It is a wonderful deliverance to realize that true praise is simply offering up to God the fragrance of Christ. That which delights God will delight the heart of every one who knows and loves Christ.

There is no limit to praise. It will endure throughout eternity, and shall we limit it here? Let your whole life be one of praise. It is never by anything — energy or skill — in ourselves. We offer it by Him whose name gives acceptance to the feeblest whisper that tells of His worthiness and beauty before God.

All praise is to be "by Him" (Heb. 13:15). The incense is to be upon the golden altar alone. Thus the linking of the name of our Lord Jesus with every prayer and thanksgiving is not a form, but a reality, a necessity. Could there be one particle of praise or a single prayer acceptable to God, save "by Him?" This sacrifice of praise is to be continual, in times of darkness as well as of light; it is the fruit of the lips confessing His name. Christ is the altar, the basis of praise; and the incense, the material of praise. Nothing is so sweet to God as the name of Christ; that is praise which offers that savor to God in truth — confessing what He has done and what He is. Praise is not offering our feelings or our state to God, though it will be accompanied by joy and gladness, but it is the confessing of Christ, and He produces joy in the heart of the true worshiper — the sinner saved by grace.

To all this Christ adds the savor of His own blessed person. Feeble and cold are the praises in themselves, but the High Priest has "much incense" to offer with them, and they go up to God with all the energy and in the perfect acceptance of Christ (Rev. 8:3-4). It is Himself who says, "I will declare Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto Thee" (Heb 2:12). Here is the Priest in company with the priestly family, whom He is not ashamed to call brethren, leading their praises up to God. How this dignifies and elevates all true worship. It is the praise of Christ, even as David was said to praise God through the company of Levites who offered up thanksgiving in the tabernacle (2 Chr. 7:6).

Praise is vocal, "the fruit of our lips, confessing His name" (Heb. 13:15). Praise can be for the Person or for His work. "Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted" (Ps. 148:13). This is the praise of His name, that which He is. "Praise Him for His mighty acts" (Ps. 159:2) is of course praise for what He has done. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is for something received. "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" (2 Cor. 9:15). This gift is no doubt Christ Himself. All of these have their place in the breaking of bread, at least if we then do remember the Lord.

But first, what is worship? It is the homage of the creature rendered to God. Hence the terms commonly used, both in Hebrew and Greek, to express it, have reference primarily to the action of the body as that by which worship is outwardly indicated; so that, although it may at times be but an external act of homage without the heart being really engaged in it (Zeph. 2:11), the idea conveyed by the terms in frequent use indicates the occupation for the time being of the worshipper with an object outside of himself. Where the homage of the heart is rendered to God, the worshipper is of course rightly occupied with Him. Worship, then, differs from prayer in this. In prayer we are occupied with the wants which we thereby present to God. In worship we are occupied with God. Hence true worship of God may take the form of praise, or thanksgiving, or both. If we praise Him, we tell out what He has discovered to us of Himself. If we thank Him, we speak of what He has done for us, or of what we have received from Him. In a certain sense His works praise Him, for they set forth something of what He is. But His saints bless Him, or speak well of Him; for they have received from Him. (Ps. 145:10.) For fallen creatures then to worship Him in truth they must be partakers of His grace. For one conscious of his sinfulness and sins, and what such deserve from God, cannot really worship Him till saved by faith in Christ. Till then such an one would be occupied with his condition and deserts, and not with God.

Praise, on the other hand, as the true and simple acknowledgment of our being placed already in His "marvellous light" is the becoming language of every saint of His to-day.

"Whoso offers praise, glorifies me" (Ps. 50:23). If prayer becomes us, being the expression of our dependence as creatures of God, children of the Father and servants of Christ, "praise is comely," and giving of thanks, being due to God, as the fountainhead from whence all blessings flow. "All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee" (Ps. 145:10).

Israel will one day praise the "glory of His kingdom and of His might." But why do we praise Him? Paul, the apostle of glory and of the church, writes to the Ephesians: (Eph. 1:3). "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ."

If I am a quickened soul, raised up with Christ and brought to God, knowing Him as the living and true God, do I owe nothing to the God who has done it? Should I like it to be proved that God has not an open hand to receive anything from me? Should I not be unutterably sad if my heart, standing in such blessing, could find no God to render its little bit of service to? Having brought us where we are, is it not unutterably blessed that He would have us there rendering up the fruit of our lips for what He has done? It is from the continual realization of what He has done, that praise flows forth; and oh! how it brings out the exceeding magnificence of God in His greatness, that can take notice of the very smallest things. What a little breath, breathed forth in a few words of praise, an "acceptable sacrifice!" One can understand Christ's sacrifice being acceptable — that one sacrifice by which we are perfected for ever. But does the same Spirit, after telling us of that, turn round to you and to me, saying, "I look to you to offer sacrifice?" What! can God accept as sacrifice a little breath, embodying to my soul the thought of what He has done? Yes! and I am to offer it to Him continually as the fruit of the lips giving thanks to His name.

There is a poor thing on a sick bed, lisping praises, and God having an ear to listen to and accept that sacrifice of praise. I was with a dying one who was full of uncertainty as to what would be her end; I said, "Would it not be better to use up the little time remaining to His glory?" "What!" she answered, "I, gasping here, able to do anything for His glory?" "Yes, if you take all you are suffering from His hand, saying to it all, Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight, He will settle with His Son all about your end, on the one hand; and on the other hand, be listening for your sacrifice of praise." All love on one hand, and all magnificence on the other.

Do you ever feel that you ought to praise, and yet your heart is out of tune, and you cannot have any thought of what to say? Just repeat over what God has done for you; and that will be the best praise you can give. God has made manifest His power in the gift of His Son, and in the work He has accomplished. Ah, not only are we able now to give thanks for the marvellous way He has led and brought us through the wilderness; but soon, in bodies fit for His presence, we shall be able eternally to show forth His praise.

There are three reasons given for the presentation of this offering, "a thanksgiving" — verse 12; "a vow," and "a voluntary offering" — verse 16. In each case it would spring from some appreciation of what God is to us through Christ. The word "peace" may be translated "prosperity," and this no doubt gives the true character of this offering. It is a spontaneous movement of affection towards God, born of an increased appreciation of all the blessing into which we have been brought. As meditating upon what has been secured for the glory of God and our blessing, we cannot refrain from opening our lips, and as in the enjoyment of spiritual "prosperity," give back to God in a response of praise, thanksgiving and worship, our appreciation of it all. This is the character of "thanksgiving," perhaps the most simple of the three presentations we have mentioned, and one which is within the reach of each of God's people.

To give to God, to communicate to His people, to do good to all, these are christian sacrifices, but all closely connected with the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross. That alone furnishes the basis on which they can be brought. Because recipients of grace, and conscious of it; because partakers of a new — the divine nature, godlike activity should characterise His saints, and praise proceed from their hearts. The word provides for this, and supposes it. (Eph. 5:19-20; Col. 3:16-17.) But sacrifices attempted to be offered on other grounds, or apart from Him in whom we have access by one Spirit to the Father, must, like the first-fruits brought by Cain, be rejected by Him to whom professedly they may be presented. For to bring a sacrifice which shall supplement the one offering of Christ on the cross, to ensure the sinner's acceptance, or to attempt to approach the throne of God apart from the atoning work of His well-beloved Son, is either a denial of the value of that work, or of the truth of God's holy word. But offering by Him the sacrifice of praise to God, the sufficiency of His finished work is acknowledged, and the soul's state by nature is thereby confessed. These things really owned, full scope is afforded for the relief of the heart by thanksgiving, and for the activity of the new nature by service. But it must ever be remembered that, what God can receive from His children He will reject when offered by an unsaved soul. Like Israel, His people can bring the first-fruits, which from Cain He would not accept. All, however, whether for sinners or saints is ordered. The former must accept the sacrifice of Christ; the latter, as standing on it for acceptance, are privileged to render the service of praise. "Jesus, Captain of Salvation, Conqueror both of death and hell! Thou who didst, as sin's oblation, Feel what Thou alone couldst feel: Through Thy sufferings, death, and merit, We eternal bliss inherit, Thousand thousand thanks to Thee, Jesus, Lord, for ever be!"