“Hallelujah” is the Hebrew word for praise ye (“hallelu”) the LORD (“Yah”). Only believers (who are not living in sin) can have the privilege to praise God. To praise God, we are to:

1.  Sing a new song (Ps149:1): We are to have new, fresh experiences with the Lord, and not just be dependent upon the past. Truth BP church was established 19 years ago due to the battle for the perfect Bible. Since then, have we newer experiences in God’s battles, in a daily close walk with God? We cannot just depend upon the past to praise God, but we must have a fresh song to praise the Lord based upon our daily walk with God in recent times.

2.  Remember the old (Ps 149:2-5): To sing a new song, we need to depend on what has past, i.e. our conversion. Israel was to remember how God established them. Likewise, we must remember how God has saved us, unworthy though we are, allowing us to call Him “Abba Father.” This remembrance will humble us and we rely on Him to have new experiences with Him, how He protects, provides, guide us daily. And as Israel praises God with timbrels and harps in their daily lives (not in the tabernacle which is off-limits to most), we are reminded to praise God in our own daily lives at all times (including recreation), by a holy living, doing our best for the Lord, very conscious of His presence. When lying down, before we sleep, we thank God for how He has seen us through the day. Upon our waking up the following morning, we thank God for His sustenance through the night and ask for help with the new day.

3.  Execute judgment (Ps 149:6-9): As we sing praises with our mouth, our hands are to hold a two-edged sword (Ps 149:6, i.e. God’s Word) to execute judgment (Ps 149:9). Just as Israel needed to take a stand against sin (Num 25:7-13), we too, cannot praise God unless we earnestly contend for the faith by living a holy life ourselves, and rebuking the sinner (regardless of his status, Deut 1:17) and sin when we see it. Such actions of rebuke will have consequences which will draw us to God for help. When He helps, we will then experience a spiritual blessing that can only be gotten through obedience, which money cannot buy. Executing judgment can only be done when we judge according to God’s Word, according to the mind of Christ, as if Christ Himself is judging. This is the honour that God has entrusted to His saints.

When we remember the old (how we are saved), and then having fresh, new experiences with God daily through a close walk with Him, and live a holy life, judging rightly, according to Scriptures, we can truly sing from our hearts praises to God together with the rest of the saints.