Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. Air is expelled with the diaphragm as with ordinary breathing, and the pitch is altered with the vocal cords. With the lips closed, this is called humming. A piece of music with a singing part, either a cappella or accompanied, is called a song; someone who sings is called a singer.
Most singing involves shaping the voice to form words, but types of voice instrumental music which use open sounds or nonsense syllables ("vocables") also exist, for instance, scat singing and yodeling. Solfege assigns certain syllables to notes in the scale.
Nearly anyone who can speak can sing, since in many respects singing is merely sustained speech. It can be informal and just for pleasure, for example, singing in the shower; or it can be very formal, such as singing done professionally as a performance or in a recording studio. Singing at a high amateur or professional level usually requires a great deal of regular practice, and/or instruction. Top-quality singers will have instruction and training from coaches throughout their career.
Halah is speaking your praise to the Father. Tehillah is to sing Halah. If you express great and extravagant adoration to the point of foolishness in the eyes of the non-praiser or non-Christian, loudly in song, you are giving Tehillah to the Father. This is the kind of praise that God inhabits, dwells or lives in. The entrance into the court or His presence is through the gate, Towdah - confession. But the perceived manifested presence of the Father is in the court - Tehillah.
When Solomon completed all the work for the house of the Lord, the singers and musicians "...were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising (Tehillah) and thanking (Yadah) the Lord, and when they lifted their voice with the trumpets and symbols and instruments of music, and praise (Tehillah) the Lord, ... the glory of the Lord filled the house of God." They gave Tehillah to the father because the work was completed. Note, it wasn’t just the fact that it was completed that was cause for Tehillah, but rather the fact that God helped to complete it! No doubt about it that building the house of the Lord was tedious work. They had to get the plans, dig the dirt, put in long hours, lift heavy stones into place, it was hot outside. They had sense enough to recognize that this was nothing of their own doing but that the Lord saw it to completion!
If you don’t think you have a reason to Tehillah let me challenge you to think about when you were in the midst of the storm and God ended it! Think about how you struggled in school but God helped you complete it! Think about how you woke up crying at night but God dried the tears and stopped the crying! Think about that sickness in your body that God said is over now! Think about those days of walking around broke, God stopped them and gave you days of prosperity! If you can’t think of a reason to Tehillah, you oughta Tehillah because it is finished! I don’t have to cry no more! I don’t have to worry no more! The storm is over now! I’ve got the victory! Tehillah for the victory is in my praise!
Solomon placed the Ark in the temple. The construction workers had completed the final touches and Solomon had all the furnishings put in place. At last, the long-awaited moment had arrived. The priests could now place the Ark of God in the temple and a great ceremony could commemorate the occasion. There would be great Tehillah sent up during this ceremony because the placement of the Ark in the temple was a picture of God’s presence among his people. Send your Tehillah because of God’s presence! Yes its real! You can feel it in your life! There’s promise in his presence! There’s peace in his presence! There’s power in his presence! There’s healing in his presence! There’s deliverance in his presence! There’s prosperity in his presence! There’s promotion in his presence! There’s protection in his presence! There’s restoration in his presence! There is fulfillment in his presence! There’s salvation in his presence! I get so much joy when I’m in the presence of the Lord!
Note that the dedication took place in the month of Ethanim, which was the seventh month of the Jewish year. Seven is the number of completion. Although the major structure of the temple had been completed eleven months earlier, it had apparently taken an additional eleven months to put the finishing touches on the temple and to complete the furnishings. Moreover, some time was needed to summon the leadership of Israel and for them to make plans to attend the dedication service.
Notice also when the dedication service was conducted: during the Feast or Festival of Tabernacles. This festival celebrated the wilderness wanderings when the people of God had to live in tents on their way to the Promised Land. It also celebrated the gathering of the harvest at the end of the year; therefore it was to be a period of thanksgiving to God for the harvest. Now, finally, the people could celebrate the feast, knowing that God had brought them home to the Promised Land and had given them rest from the days of their wilderness wanderings!
Some of you asked God a long time ago for a season of harvest! Well get ready to Tehillah because its here! I spent enough time wandering aimlessly in the wilderness with wolves and bears hunting after me! I spent enough time scrounging around for food! I’ve spent enough time scared not knowing what would happen next but I praise God now! Because he sent his son and brought me home to the Promised Land! Now I have rest! Glorious rest! Sanctified rest! Wonderful rest! Everlasting rest!
Look at verse seven. When the priests reached the temple, they placed the Ark in the inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. They set it beneath the wings of the cherubim, the statues symbolizing the angelic beings who surround God’s holy throne. Standing there overshadowing the Ark, the cherubim pictured God’s holiness and power. The Ark of the covenant was placed in the most holy place for a very specific purpose: the people would have the symbol of God’s presence dwelling in their midst as they walked about day by day. The temple—in particular the Ark of the covenant—represented the very presence of God among his people. We don’t have anymore Ark of the covenant but the presence of God is still with us!
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God! The Word is the presence of God! So whenever I’m in the Word I’ve got God’s presence! What’s even better, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth! The spirit of God dwells in the church! Don’t you know that the church is the temple of God? And that the spirit of God dwells in you? Do you know how it is, what it means, how it feels to be in the presence of God! Sweet presence! Experience fullness of joy! Such an honor and a privilege! I don’t even deserve it! I’m not worthy to be in his presence! But I’m glad today that he abides in me and I abide in him!
Now, immediately, it says in verse eleven, after the priest had completely withdrawn and the doors of the temple had been closed, an awesome even happened and I’m excited about it! The cloud of God’s presence and his majestic glory filled the temple! Just as God’s majestic glory had covered the Tabernacle ad its dedication, the same phenomenal experience was given to God’s people at the dedication! First Kings says that Solomon was stunned, overwhelmed by the spectacular event! Somebody in here oughta wanna get stunned by the glory of God! Don’t come to church just to hear a sermon! Come to church to receive a message! Come to church to get the Word—the presence! And you can’t get that without Tehillah!
They filled the temple with praise and God gave a public demonstration of his acceptance and approval by filling the place with his glory! It was so powerful they had to withdraw from the temple! Indeed, the Lord was demonstrating that he approved of the temple that he accepted the worship of Solomon and the Israelites!
In Tehillah we express High praise! This praise differs from the rest of the praise expressions in that while other realms of praise involve faith, this word literally implies that God has responded to that faith, and literally inhabits, and is enthroned in the midst of tehillah. Then we see Him not just as a Father and Friend, but “…glorious in holiness, and fearful in praises.” We see that our God is a consuming fire and requires reverence and godly fear. There is coming to the church and understanding, not only of the goodness and love of God, but also the severity of God. Tehillah is singing our halals. It is used in Psalms 221:3 when we read that God inhabits (sits enthroned on) the praises of His people. God manifests Himself in the midst of exuberant singing. When He inhabits this praise (He always honors faith with some response – as we enter in by faith, we now know His presence – this is a certainty), there is no way that we will be able to stand smugly in our own greatness and righteousness and ‘chatter’ thoughtlessly before Him. “Praise is comely for the upright.” As God inhabits our praise, we will be changed into His likeness and will show a comeliness of countenance. Battles will be won in the midst of tehillah. Great evangelism will result from tehillah. In 2 Chronicles 20:22, when Israel began to sing and to praise, God set ambush on their enemy. This refers to a special kind of singing. It is singing, unprepared and unrehearsed songs. This expression of praise brings tremendous unity to the body of Christ. “Praise waitheth for thee, O God, in Zion…” Sometimes we cannot go ‘leaping’ into other expressions of worship until we have ‘waited’ in this realm of praise and knowledge of God. Before you go on from here, learn to wait in tehillah and know His voice!
Praise is due to the Lord, for every good and perfect gift comes from him and he never changes! He continues to pour out good and perfect gifts on us and the world! Whatever good there is, the good is due to God! He is worthy of all the praise! Think of his goodness to us, what he has given and done for us! He gives us the life we live! He gives us the air we breathe! He gives us the water we drink! He gives us the beauty of the earth we see! He gives us the light we receive from the sun! He gives us the stars of the sky and the heavenly bodies of the universe! He gives us the food we eat! He gives us the health we have! He gives us the strength to bear the trials and temptations of this life! He gives us the power to overcome and conquer whatever weapon is formed against us! He gives us the hope of salvation, of conquering even death itself and receiving eternal life! And TEHILLAH for he gives us the savior! Jesus Christ! Who was wounded for our transgressions! Bruised for our iniquities! The chastisement of our peace was upon him! And with his stripes we are healed!
Tehillah! One day when I was lost, he died upon the cross! He shed his blood for me! He died with nails in his hands and nails in his feet! He was buried, in a borrowed tomb. But early on the third day-he got up with all power…
