Hereby, babes refer to nursing infants or young children who are
not yet able to speak plainly. And what normally comes out of an
infant's mouth? Crying when hungry or thirsty, and making joyful
noises when delighted or happy. They are spontaneous. They never
wait to tell others their need or excitement. They just do it,
whenever and wherever they are. No second thoughts for the feelings
or inconvenience of others - whether in the homes, shopping malls,
cinemas or concert halls. That’s why they are not allowed entry in
some sophisticated adult functions and gatherings for their lack of
control and insensitivity.
In Matthew 21, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was
thrown into an uproar, with shouts of joy, crying out: "Hosanna to
the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
LORD!'
Hosanna in the highest!"
Then Jesus went into the temple of God and
drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple. He overturned
the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold
doves. And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be
called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves."
Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed
them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful
things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and
saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant.The chief priests and scribes were upset at
the spontaneous praise the children gave to Jesus in the temple, the
Holy Place of God. In response to their lousy response, Jesus
reminded them about Psalm 8:2, "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing
infants You have perfected praise (ordained strength)."
There is a correlation between praise and strength. There is
power in praise. God loves the spontaneous praise and worship that
pure and innocent children offer Him. As He is being magnified, His
power is released to heal and to save as He did on that day in
Jerusalem.
Let's look at Psalm 8:2 again. The Hebraic word for "ordained" is yacad (Strong # 3245), which means to
set (literally or figuratively); intensively, to found;
reflexively, to sit down together,
i.e. settle, consult; to appoint, take counsel, establish, lay a
foundation, instruct, set.
Praise should be a reflexive act just as a baby's cry is. It is
unthinking, instinctive and spontaneous. Praise is an act of faith,
knowing that our Heavenly Father is near, and He will respond to us
and help us quickly. We do not need to use flowery languages or
fully structured sentences with all the right grammar. God desires
us to speak to Him straight from our hearts, nothing formulated or
superficial.
At the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the people
shouted "Hosanna to the Son of
David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'
Hosanna in the highest!"
This must be the most significant praise and worship session in
history. When they shouted Hosanna, they were actually saying, "Save now, I pray." The Hebraic word
means "a cry for help." On that day, the people were actually crying
out aloud for help, praying that God would deliver them.
This cry was taken from Psalm 118, which was to be read at the
Feast of Tabernacles:
This
is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Save now, I pray (Hosanna), O LORD; O LORD, I
pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is He Who comes in
the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the
house of the LORD. Psalm 118:24-26
Hosanna was shouted on the last day of the Feast. That’s why the
Pharisees and religious leaders were greatly offended. This kind of
worship was reserved only for the LORD God Almighty. Not shouting
unrestrainedly and unreservedly in the streets. And definitely not
to a humble Man named Jesus riding on a donkey. But it was God Who
stirred the people to spontaneously praise and worship Jesus.
Whether they truly understood what was happening or not, they just
did it! This is not emotionalism. It is deep calling unto deep
(Psalm 42:7).
True praise is perfected in the hearts that are pure and innocent
before God. That's what our praise should be. Whenever we have a
need or a problem, our first response should be like babes – crying
out to God and not looking elsewhere for solutions. Like David, we
will request, "Bring me the ephod." It
is time to seek God through praising and worshipping Him. When we
begin our praise, God is magnified and our problems become
diminished. It is our first and natural thing to do – simply crying
out to Him! On the other hand, whenever we rejoice, we also shout
out for joy, giving thanks to Him with a grateful heart. This is the
journey of our faith in God.
This will confuse our enemy. Satan does not expect us to praise
God in the midst of trouble and adverse circumstances. He expects us
to waver and fear. Our praise will invite the presence of the Lord
into our midst. God will silence our enemy and our avenger – calling
to their attention that they are to stop disturbing us or messing us
up.
As we do this continually, our praise is being perfected - in
good times and in bad times, the name of the Lord is praised. Our
mouths will proclaim His goodness through the night and through the
day. Even in the darkness of our lives, we will give Him praise.
When we do this, our praise is perfected and we also become stronger
in our faith. Strength is being ordained or established in us.
Finally, Jesus revealed this truth to us in Luke 10:17-22:
·
- Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the
demons are subject to us in Your name.”
- And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from
heaven.
- Behold, I give you the authority to trample on
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and
nothing shall by any means hurt you.
- Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits
are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are
written in heaven.”
- In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I
thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You
have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed
them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good
in Your sight.
- All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and
no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the
Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to
reveal Him.”