Better Than A Hallelujah

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on October 17, 2014 at 4:47pm

Perhaps the song writer is refering to brokenness, which isn't exactly about the circumstances or situations that people find themselves facing and enduring in life but God is using those things as part of the process of leading people to come to the end of self.

It's what I see in the lyrics of the song, though I'm not a fan of the singer.

Coming to the end of self happens when someone has tried it his or her way (the cry of the drunkard, the soldier on the battlefield, the tired young mother soothing a baby in the middle of the night, the sick woman fighting for her life, the terminally ill man accepting death) and have come to the point of giving up all to Him.

I hear people talking about God breaking people, and I've struggled with the idea of it and even posted a discussion about it. 

I understand now that God causes some of our brokenness for our good as Hebrews 12 outlines. 

For me, this song, very easily speaks to that -- from my perception and comprehension of it.

For others, what is taken from it could be something very different. 

I'm not sure what the songwriter's purpose, or intent was, but meaning is different from purpose, and the meaning deals with the message, and that can be different for each individual, as we generally find meaning in songs, poems, and literature in general, based on what it made us think, feel, remember, and see, etcetera.

We also apply our own knowledge, experiences, and even our own bias. 

When we respond to the written word, and draw a conclusion about it, it's actually a very telling thing about ourselves, as our response will include pieces of us.

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on October 17, 2014 at 5:54pm

Thanks Amanda. I totally get what you're saying as we've all been broken. I guess I was just thinking that nothing is above praising Him but I I'm getting a tad nit-pickie. The singer could have swayed my opinion as well. It is off my shoulders though. lol

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on October 17, 2014 at 6:06pm

I understand. The song says, Better than a Hallelujah sometimes. I think of verses like Luke 15:7 and the one where it says God is near the broken hearted and the one that says the death of His children is precious to Him, and I'd say, in my POV, that "sometimes" there are things God wants to hear more than God wants to hear a Hallelujah, such as the cry of one confessing, or believing and repenting. But, in such times, one is praising and worshipping God, too, drawing near to God, IMO.

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on October 17, 2014 at 11:50pm

Thank you Amanda

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on October 18, 2014 at 11:49am

Good point. I'm sure He would love to hear the prayer of a sinner confessing & repenting as equally.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on October 18, 2014 at 12:25pm

Understood.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on October 18, 2014 at 12:30pm

Though I do not know the intent of the author I have some concerns regarding what is being conveyed. One line especially concerns me

"Beautiful, the mess we are"

Also, is silence when the words won't come really better than a hallelujah?

Lastly, in each of these situations if they are describing the person as they go through the repentance process we find they are coming to Christ then hallelujah is the end result and not really separated from the action, for there is rejoicing in heaven when the lost repent and come to Christ (not to mention the heart of the lost person rejoicing when they find the Savior). If the song in anyway implies that God is happy with us while we are in our lost state or going through misery (unless it leads to salvation) it is off base.

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on October 18, 2014 at 2:39pm

Amen

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