An ancient Hebrew
musical term
Not much is known about the actual meaning or usage of this
term found 74 times in the Old Testament. The word Selah occurs at the end of many of the stanzas within the psalms.
Scholars agree it is a musical term, but little is known as to its precise
meaning.
There are some who say Selah
comes from the word salal, which
means “to lift up.” If this is correct, Selah
may be an instruction to either raise the voice or to increase the
instrumental volume during a musical interlude. Some suggest Selah marks an affirmation of what has
just been sung – much like we say Amen at the end of our prayers.
Our praise-worship of God should be filled with many Selahs – the raising of our voices, the
accentuation of what we sing from our hearts. We want to worship Him with
enthusiasm, with fervor, He is worthy
of our praise! If you have ever sung in a church choir, or stood before a
church congregation you may recall observing all the sad, seemingly distracted
faces of those sitting in the pews. For sure there are some who feel the joy of
the Lord, smile and respond to the preached Word and the music, but too many
look as though they are at a funeral. Why? Now, I know we may have a lot on our
minds. Many of us have some real serious problems; health problems, family
problems, problems at work, etc. but coming to church puts us into the best
place to seek solutions to our problems. Doesn’t it? Of course it does!
God knows all our problems – He knows! So many times in His Word He tells us He will protect us
and that He will never, ever leave us! Jesus said, “O, you of little faith!” In Him we find hope, cures, and answers
to these problems that drag us down. So, don’t be sad, instead rejoice! Lift up your voice in worship…help is on the way! Selah! Selah!