1After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
The word Hallelujah will be sung and heard by billions of people today, and yet most don’t even know what the word means. Hallelujah comes from two Hebrew words, the first, halal, means to praise, to boast or brag about someone. When we talk about our kids hitting a homerun in the little league game we are doing it. When we talk about how great a cook our spouse is, we are doing it. When we speak about our boss in terms of admiration of their leadership, we are doing it. Halal is about lifting up someone who deserves to be lifted up because of their character and actions. Its most appropriate use is when we lift up and talk about God’s character and actions. The second part of the word hallelujah is a short form of God’s name, Jah. This is the name told to Moses when he asked to know the name of the God sending him to rescue the Israelites out of Egypt. God said his name was “I am.” The word “I am” in Hebrew forms the root of the name consistently used for the One True God in the Old Testament. That word is Jahweh, or as some translations represent the word, Jehovah. Most modern translations designate the proper name of God with the word LORD, in all capital letters. So when we say “Hallelujah” we are proclaiming the greatness of the One True God, the covenant maker and keeper, the redeemer of humankind. We are lifting up the actions and character of God. Three of those actions and character are mentioned in this verse. The first, salvation, refers to God’s actions that rescued us from the result of our sinful actions. We chose the wrong bus, going the wrong direction at the wrong time, and God intervened. He rerouted the bus when we called for help. He took the punishment we deserved. He suffered when we should have suffered. The second is glory and it refers to the outward manifestation of God’s uniqueness. His purity and holiness are such that they shine so brightly that all others are affected by that glory. When you become the object a spotlight’s focus, you are experiencing the glory of the spotlight. Its light has reached you. The third, power, refers to God’s ability to do what needs to be done. God never lacks the oomph! God’s gas tank never runs on fumes. He never catches a catnap. So when you sing or hear Hallelujah from this day forward, remember you are lifting up the God who loved you enough to put you back on the right track, show you His overwhelming greatness and use His power to change your life. Hallelujah!
The Arnold Journey 