Holy Roar by Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead is a GREAT way to dive deep into the WHY behind worship. Tomlin is a worship pastor who’s songs have defined a generation of student ministry, college ministry, and adult worship. I read somewhere that Chris Tomlin worship songs are sung on Sundays around the world more than any other song writer. I have been in several countries around the world for worship and heard his songs in a number of languages…so grateful for the Scripture base of his music! I’ve heard Darren Whitehead speak in a number of situations and have always been so blessed by him as well. Darren pastors Church of the City in Nashville, TN.
I like the balance of academia and encouragement in this book. Their foundation is to study the Hebrew words for worship and explain the way that each of these words physically, emotionally, and spiritually impact us as we explore and know Christ more deeply. Along with each Hebrew word, each man shares from his own ministry context how that word has impacted his journey.
This book is a great read and super helpful for anyone who would like to learn more about what it means to worship God with all that we are. I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…
-
May the peoples praise (yâdâh) you, God; may all the peoples praise (yâdâh) you. —PSALM 67:3 p.18
-
Is there any more natural expression of excitement, wonder, or awe than raising your hands? P. 21
-
Yâdâh is one of the seven words translated in the Old Testament as “praise,” and it’s found over 111 times in Scripture. It is defined as a word meaning to “extend hands” or “to throw out the hand,” and it is used to describe the act of shooting an arrow (Jeremiah 50:14) or throwing a stone (Lamentations 3:53). In the context of praise, yâdâh describes those moments when the Hebrew people were so overcome by the glory of the Lord that their hands shot upward in response. P. 22
-
Yâdâh—it’s an active posture of praise expressed by those who adore God. P. 23
-
But just as the lifting up of the hands is a symbol of confidence and longing, so in order to show our humility we fall down on our knees. —JOHN CALVIN p.28
-
Hâlal, haw-lal´: To boast. To rave. To shine. To celebrate. To be clamorously foolish. P.32
-
Let them praise (hâlal) his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. —PSALM 149:3 p.32
-
Hâlal is the primary Hebrew word for praise. It’s the word from which we derive the biblical word hallelujah. It’s an exuberant expression of celebration, a word that connotes boasting, raving, or celebrating. It carries with it the notion of acting in a way that is “clamorously foolish.” True hâlal contemplates laying aside your inhibitions and killing your self-consciousness. P.34
-
Hâlal is used throughout the psalms. Psalm 69:30 reads, “I will praise (hâlal) God’s name in song.” Psalm 22:22 reads, “I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise (hâlal) you.” In Psalm 109:30, the psalmist wrote, “With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshippers I will praise (hâlal) him.” But though these psalms were written in the first person, they were often sung corporately. P.35
-
The concept of hâlal is so embedded in the notion of praise that it serves as a capstone to the entire book of Psalms. In Psalm 150:6, the writer concludes, “Let everything that has breath praise (hâlal) the LORD.” P.36
-
The most valuable thing the psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance. —C.S. LEWIS p. 40
-
Zâmar, zaw-mar´: To make music. To celebrate in song and music. To touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument.5 p. 44
-
I will sing a new song to You, O God; On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises (zâmar) to You. —PSALM 144:9 NKJV p. 44
-
Music is more powerful than we even understand. It can soften our hearts, soothe our troubled souls. It opens a door to the spiritual world. It paves the road for the Spirit’s coming. p. 46
-
Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us. —MARTIN LUTHER p. 52
-
Tôwdâh, to-daw´: An extension of the hand. Thanksgiving. A confession. A sacrifice of praise. Thanksgiving for things not yet received. A choir of worshippers.6 p. 56
-
In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises (tôwdâh) to You. —PSALM 56:11–12 NKJV p. 56
-
Tôwdâh is a Hebrew word that means an extension of the hand in thanksgiving for what God has done. But it also means a sacrifice of praise for things not yet received. It is praising God with expectation. The psalmist used tôwdâh as an expression of confession, a way to convey trust in the goodness of God. P. 59
-
tôwdâh, we lift our hands in the presence of God, not only for what he has done, but also for what we believe he will do. He will bring an end to all violence, so we lift our hands in praise. He will release us from bondage, so we lift our hands in praise. He will provide what we need, so we lift our hands in praise. He will heal us, both now and in eternity, so we lift our hands in praise. P. 61
-
In tôwdâh, we lift our hands in the presence of God, not only for what he has done, but also for what we believe he will do. He will bring an end to all violence, so we lift our hands in praise. He will release us from bondage, so we lift our hands in praise. He will provide what we need, so we lift our hands in praise. He will heal us, both now and in eternity, so we lift our hands in praise. P. 61
-
Tôwdâh is a Hebrew word that means an extension of the hand in thanksgiving for what God has done. But it also means a sacrifice of praise for things not yet received. It is praising God with expectation. P. 58
-
Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise (tôwdâh) glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God. (Psalm 50:22–23 NKJV) p.59
-
True worship that is pleasing to God creates within the human heart a spirit of expectation and insatiable longing. —A.W. TOZER p.66
-
Bârak, baw-rak´: To kneel. To bless God (as an act of adoration). To praise. To salute. To thank. P.70
-
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him . . . And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised (bârak). —PSALM 72:11, 15 KJV p.70
-
Bârak embodies the notion of kneeling before God, of blessing and adoring him, of recognizing one’s position in relation to him. P.73
-
Psalm 100:4 says, Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise (tehillâh); give thanks to him and praise (bârak) his name. p.73
-
Tehillâh, teh-hil-law´: Laudation. A hymn. A song of praise. A new song. A spontaneous song. P. 84
-
But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises (tehillâh) of Israel. —PSALM 22:3 NKJV p.84
-
Tehillâh is a Hebrew word meaning hymn, a song of praise, or a new, spontaneous song. P.86
-
Praise is the rehearsal of our eternal song. By grace we learn to sing, and in glory we continue to sing. —CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON p.92
-
Shâbach, shaw-bakh´: To address in a loud tone. To shout. To commend, glory, and triumph. P.96
-
One generation shall praise (shâbach) Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. —PSALM 145:4 NKJV p.96
-
In Psalm 145:4 (NKJV), the psalmist wrote: One generation shall praise (shâbach) Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. P.101
-
There can be no doubt—unity is found when we praise the Lord together. When believers in King Jesus gather together to ascend to his throne, denominational divisions and disunity disappear. P.113
-
‘I will become even more undignified than this because of what God has done for me. He’s set me free!” (see 2 Samuel 6:22). P.116
-
The seven Hebrew words of praise—yâdâh, hâlal, zâmar, tôwdâh, bârak, tehillâh, and shâbach—have changed the way I enter God’s courts. In them, I’ve found complete freedom to express my praise to God. P.116
-
Come with us on this unifying journey of praise. Join the shâbach of God’s people. Become a part of the holy roar. P.117
-
Worship at its best is a social experience with people of all levels of life coming together to realize their oneness and unity under God. Whenever the church, consciously or unconsciously caters to one class it loses the spiritual force of the “whosoever will, let him come” doctrine, and is in danger of becoming little more than a social club with a thin veneer of religiosity. —MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. p.118