7 Hebrew Words - Todah (Part 1 of 7)

TODAH
COURT OF LAW
 
 
In my last blog, I mentioned that the Hebrew language has 7 different words for ‘praise.’ Each of these Hebrew words has a different beauty and can help us in developing a deeper form of worship in our lives. I’ve decided to devote my next several blogs to a series on these 7 words. I’ll try to begin with more familiar forms of prayer and then slowly dive deeper into some you may have never experienced before.
 
The first of the Hebrew words, which I mentioned in my last blog, is the word Todah (Court of Law). This word has to do with offering a confession of truth to God, and usually appears in scripture as thanksgiving. This is one of the most familiar forms of praise because it comes naturally. When we experience God’s goodness, we want to confess the truth of His goodness; we want to offer Him thanks. “Give thanks to the LORD for He is good, His mercy endures forever” (Psalms 107:1). But this praise goes much further than just mere thanksgiving.
 
Todah also refers to a significant sacrifice within Jewish culture, a custom that very heavily influenced the practices of the current day Catholic Mass. The word Eucharist itself actually means ‘Thanksgiving’. The Todah Sacrifice was most commonly offered when someone was delivered from great danger, such as illness or death. This person would gather their close friends and family together, they would join in a meal of sacrificed lamb, consecrated bread and wine, and sing songs of thanksgiving to God. It was said that the Todah Sacrifice was so separate from all other sacrifices, so much higher than any other prayer, that it would outlast them all. It would even continue after the redemption of the Messiah.
 
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TRULY ENTER INTO THE GREATEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THANKSGIVING OF ALL: THE EUCHARIST
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A good example of this in scripture comes from 1 Chronicles 16. King David had just defeated the last Canaanite stronghold and requested the Ark of the Covenant be brought up from Jerusalem. Now the Ark of the Covenant was the indwelling of God on earth, the equivalent of a Tabernacle in a Catholic Church. Once the Ark of the Covenant was with them, David declared that a ‘peace offering’ (Todah) be presented to the Lord. “When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. He distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake.” (1Chronicles 16:2-3)
David showed honor to the Lord in this way, thanking God for providing for both him and the people of Israel. We should also remember to give thanks to God for all the blessings in our lives. The next time you join in the celebration of the Mass, I invite you to offer worship to God in this way, and to truly enter into the greatest and most beautiful thanksgiving of all, the Eucharist.
photo credit
http://www.catherine.nl/cash-loans-houston-t



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