Men should praise the Lord, and they ought to praise Him often. They should praise Him in scriptural manners and for scriptural reasons. Yet, no matter how lofty the praise may be that man offers to the Lord, it still falls short of declaring the greatness of God. In Nehemiah 9:5, the Levites admonished the people to “stand up and bless the LORD,” while at the same time expressing that the name of God far surpassed all their praises. Some might suggest that the failures of men’s praise should altogether exclude the praise, but the Levites emphasized that men still ought to offer their praise. Though the praise of men can never reach to the height of God’s worth, God still chose to inhabit the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).
The Bible repeatedly states that the Lord will receive praise and worship throughout eternity (Psalm 45:17; Psalm 145:2); yet, at the same time, there appears to be a shift in the praise at death (Psalm 30:9). Perhaps a man’s praise for the Lord while on earth is distinctly different from his praise for God in eternity. This would make sense in that man can choose to offer the sacrifice of praise (Psalm 54:6; Hebrews 13:15) from the overflow of his carnal heart now. While in eternity, he will praise the Lord from a soul sealed in righteousness. Therefore, a man ought to praise the Lord morning and evening (1 Chronicles 23:30), all the day long (Psalm 35:28), and continually (Psalm 34:1).
Praise is the natural overflowing of affection that occurs when one individual views some positive quality in another. Men praise God because they find His attributes and actions worthy of worship. They may praise Him for His overall greatness (1 Chronicles 16:25) or for His mercy (2 Chronicles 5:13). They may praise Him because of His great name (Psalm 7:17) or because of His power (Psalm 21:13). They may praise Him because of something He has done for them personally (Psalm 28:7). The foundation may vary, but men praise the Lord because they have reason to do so. In other words, the Lord has given His people ample reason to speak of His worth.
Initially, one might think that praising others or receiving the praise of others might be a wicked act, but the Bible does not reflect this. In Acts chapter 12, Herod was smitten by the Lord when he received praise from the people. The problem was not so much the praise he received, but his failure to, in turn, give glory to God (Acts 12:22-23). Contrary to what most Christians think, the Lord allows for the praise of others. In our passage, the Lord suggests that a virtuous woman will receive praise from her husband. In Proverbs 27:2, the Lord declares that one requirement in this matter is that a man only receive praise from the lips of another. When a man begins to praise himself, he does so in direct rebellion to the words and direction of God.
Most Christians have an incorrect concept of the meaning of the word praise. Perhaps one reason for this is the fact that some believers have labeled many charismatic tendencies as praise in order to justify their behaviour. Historically, the word was understood to have a connection to value or worth. Even today, people understand this connection when considering the word appraisal. In fact, many verses that deal with praise also include some statement of the Lord’s worth. 2 Samuel 22:4 says, “I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised.” One must declare the worth of the object of praise in order to praise someone or something. If an action fails to declare the personal value of a person or thing, it cannot rightly be considered praise.
God's children are supposed to be easily recognizable through their love one for another (John 13:35). Today's passage teaches Christians to be both kind and forgiving. In the midst of these two exemplary qualities, the Lord desires His children to show forth a tender heart. This means that our hearts ought to be easily moved when other believers are experiencing either joy or distress in their lives (Romans 12:15). Unfortunately, instead of exemplifying a tender heart, far too many believers are becoming more like the world by displaying a divisive spirit and by devouring one another (Galatians 5:15). Believers who are hard-hearted toward others are generally hard-hearted toward the Lord as well (1 John 3:17).
Today's passage tells the story of Jesus entering the synagogue. He immediately noticed a man with a withered hand. This man's physical infirmity moved Christ to compassion. Unfortunately, the religious leaders were simply calloused toward the man's predicament. The Pharisees watched Jesus closely, not because they were pleased with His gracious act, but because they sought opportunity to accuse the Lord for breaking their man-made rules. As the Lord observed the crowd, the Pharisees’ hardened hearts grieved the Lord to the point of anger. Of course, the Lord knew their thoughts and first sought to reason with them. He did the very thing which the Pharisees hoped He would. The hearts of the religious leaders that should have been tender and welcoming to God's miracles were instead full of pride and completely calloused. Christ's acts of compassion served to further harden their deceitful hearts rather than softening them.
No sensible person would ever ask to be on the receiving end of the wrath of God. The thought is completely illogical! Yet, this scenario takes place every day in the lives of those who live with hardened hearts toward the things of God. The Bible affirms that a humble spirit begs God's attention and brings His corresponding blessings (Isaiah 66:2). Contrariwise, a hard heart also garners God's attention but for judgment rather than blessing. Today's passage points out that the hard heart treasures up wrath against itself. This wrath rarely takes place immediately, but it will come in the “day of wrath.” It is important to recall that hardness of heart brought the plagues upon Egypt and it brought blindness to the Jews in Jesus' day. Ultimately, it will bring eternal damnation in the lake of fire to all those who fail to accept God's payment for sin.
The Pharisees repeatedly sought to trap the Lord by attempting to draw Him into controversial discussions. Today's passage demonstrates much more than a simple response to entangling questioning. Interestingly, we learn from the Lord's response that God's law made allowances for man based upon God's understanding of man’s nature. In other words, the Lord Jesus indicated that God gave some of the law simply because of the hardness of man’s heart! Unfortunately, these laws are used today by men to justify decisions contrary to God's will thus further validating the hard-hearted nature of man. In either case, God's ways are never thwarted. God's laws allow even man's wickedness to bring about God's justice and His laws further expose the inherent shortcomings of man. God graciously gave some of His laws to make allowances for man's weaknesses caused by sin.
Today's passage explores the scene as the Lord met with His eleven apostles for the first time following His resurrection. The word afterward pinpoints the timing of the passage as having occurred after He had appeared to others. For instance, the Lord had already appeared to Mary Magdalene. She told the disciples the great news of Christ's resurrection, but the Bible says that they did not believe her. Shortly thereafter, the Lord appeared directly to the apostles and scolded them for their “unbelief and hardness of heart.” A heart that is tender serves as fertile ground for faith. However, a hardened heart does not allow the seed of faith to grow. Mark 6:52 confirms this principle as it points out that “they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” Hardness of heart prevented faith in the disciples during that time and will do the same now in any believer who fails to remain tenderhearted.
