What I'm really talking about is a SHOUT. The picture I see is in Isaiah 42:13.
The Lord will march out like a champion,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.
We use the words YELL and SHOUT to mean the same thing (synonyms).
yell
noun
1. a loud, sharp cry, especially of pain, surprise, or delight; a shout.
synonyms: cry, shout, howl, yowl, scream, shriek, screech, yelp, squeal;
verb
1. give a loud, sharp cry.
"you heard me yelling at her"
synonyms: cry out, call out, shout, howl, yowl, wail, scream, shriek, screech, yelp, squeal;
shout
verb
1. (of a person) utter a loud call or cry, typically as an expression of a strong emotion.
"she shouted for joy"
synonyms: yell, cry (out), call (out), roar, howl, bellow, bawl, call at the top of one's voice, clamor, shriek, scream;
noun
1. a loud cry expressing a strong emotion or calling attention.
"his words were interrupted by warning shouts"
synonyms: yell, cry, call, roar, howl, bellow, bawl, clamor, vociferation, shriek, scream; informal holler
"a shout of pain"
The key is the INTENT of the yell. The Isaiah 42:13 yell is INTENTIONAL (to raise the battle cry). The "battle cry" is a specific cry, yell or shout. What is it for? BATTLE
bat·tle cry
noun
a word or phrase shouted by soldiers going into battle to express solidarity and intimidate the enemy.
synonyms: war cry, war whoop, rallying call/cry; rebel yell
"the army's battle cry"
a slogan expressing the ideals of people promoting a cause.
synonyms: slogan, motto, watchword, catchphrase, mantra
"the battle cry of the feminist movement"
A Battle Cry is a word or phrase shouted by soldiers going into battle to express solidarity and intimidate the enemy.
In all the times I have raised my voice to shout/yell, I have never done so going into battle against an enemy. Instead, I have done so against people who were not enemies, but friends and loved ones. My failure to recognize my real enemy is obviously a major problem.
When I think about the Battle Cry and its specific intent, I realize that I have no familiarity or training in this area. While others may question its necessity, I am asking myself why haven't I been using this (my yell) while following Christ.
But wait…
Christ doesn't NEED me to shout or yell. The Almighty God does not NEED me to shout or yell. So, why am I looking into this? Because it is in scripture and the Holy Spirit led me here today.
Job 33:26 - then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God's face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being.
Psalm 42:4 - These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.
Psalm 47:1 [ Psalm 47 ] [ For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. ] Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Psalm 66:1 [ Psalm 66 ] [ For the director of music. A song. A psalm. ] Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
Psalm 81:1 [ Psalm 81 ] [ For the director of music. According to gittith. Of Asaph. ] Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
Isaiah 35:2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Isaiah 40:9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”
In each of these verses, the INTENT of the yell/shout is not what I think of when I think "battle". Instead, each verse mentions JOY in a personal relation to God Almighty. Shouts of JOY are commanded. The type of shout is JOY directed to God, rather than a shout directed at an enemy. The focus of the shout is God and the type of shout is Joyous.
In other words, God is THE concern, not the enemy. These are not commands to direct our attention towards an enemy in an attempt to intimidate! Instead, they are charges to direct our attention to the Almighty God with expressions of JOY!
I am reminded that "God inhabits the praises of His people." I understand this to mean that God is present (He dwells, in a special way) where His people are praising Him. My reasoning is that since God make a special appearance/presence when His people praise Him…
Scratch that.
I heard that quote somewhere, but when I looked for it in the Bible, the closest thing I found was Psalm 22:3, which states:
Psalm 22:3
New International Version (NIV)
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.[a]
Footnotes:
Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
Psalm 22:3
King James Version (KJV)
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Psalm 22:3
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 Yet You are holy,
O You who [a]are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Footnotes:
Psalm 22:3 Or inhabit the praises
So what?
My earlier reasoning was based on a quote that expresses something different from what the scripture states and means (especially in the original Hebrew). It is possible that the scripture does mean that "God inhabits the praises of his people", but that does not mean that, "if I praise God, He will appear/manifest/dwell in a special way." More specifically, praise is not necessarily a call to God to come down to where I am. Praise is not a summons (like calling a genie).
However, I am convinced that God is present in the praises of His people because the Holy Spirit of God is at work when we humans praise the Almighty God. The Holy Spirit in us leads us to praise and worship. So, God is present - and in a "special way" compared to the scripture verse above (Psalm 22:3).
At the time of Psalm 22:3, the Holy Spirit dwelling within mankind was not as common as today. So, what we experience as Christ-followers today is "special" in that The Almighty God dwells within His People (via The Holy Spirit) and leads His People to praise and worship.
While Psalm 22:3 may not mean "God inhabits the praises of His people" the way we may think, there is a biblical case for this understanding in the way I mentioned above.
So what?
Because of Christ - His death, burial and resurrection - Christ-followers have God, The Holy Spirit, within. So, wherever a Christ-follower is (location), so is God. Therefore, the fact that God is present in the praises of His people is what we should expect.
If we take Galatians 2:20 to heart, really accepting this verse as the new reality of every Christ-follower, then there is no question about God's presence anywhere a Christ-follower is.
Galatians 2:20
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and [a]the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Footnotes:
Galatians 2:20 Or insofar as I
So what?
Back to my yell…
So, my yell is a shout that expresses JOY. My yell is a shout directed to God, the source of my JOY. God is my focus, not my enemy. JOY is my focus, not battle, not war! This paradigm, this paradox of the Christ-follower continues what the scriptures tell us about our God. In the midst of war, we have Peace! In the face of the enemy, WE SEE GOD! (David v. Goliath)
Back to Isaiah 42:13.
The Lord will march out like a champion,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.
God is My Champion!
God is The Warrior!
God will shout and raise the battle cry!
God will triumph over HIS enemies!
God fights our battles! God is our Protector, Strong Tower, Fortress!
GOD IS MY JOY!
This is my yell!
