Pentatonix’ incredible cover of Hallelujah has been playing literally everywhere I go this holiday season. I love it, but I was a bit confused when I first heard it. Why exactly did they pick this song for a Christmas album? What is this song even about? How come no one seems to be questioning that it seems to have nothing to do with the holidays at all?
Hallelujah is a word often used as an expression of praise or rejoicing in worship music. But the literal meaning of the word is “God be praised.” When I started listening to the lyrics of this song again, instead of just a beautiful melody I started hearing something else entirely. Hallelujah is an expression of love, even love that doesn’t look like we expect it to. Far too often that’s not how we see love, but that’s what God intended for us to see- which is why he sent Jesus to earth to begin with.
See, far too often we think what God wanted from us was actions- a set of strict rules followed, a list of assigned things to do and places to go, and specific requirements that get us on his good side. The first verse talks about how David pleased the Lord by his songs. Maybe we just need to “be good” and do what we’re told, right? I do this myself far too often and call it loving God- sighing frequently as I pull out my computer and try to type out yet another blog and calling my empty actions a service to God. But how does following random lists make God feel loved?
But then the second and third verse of the song describe a relationship- how one almost manipulates the other and demands an admission from the other. The lyrics describe how she broke and cut her partner, so he relented and cried out “hallelujah” because she got the better of him. This is often how we see relationships- whoever can better hurt or out-manipulate the other wins! We play games with each other trying to gain a position of authority that forces the other to stay. But exploitation is not love.
Love is not a victory march. It’s not a cry you hear at night. It’s not somebody who’s seen the light. It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah! And where this song all comes together for me is seeing what Hallelujah truly looks like at its best. Hallelujah is a surrender. It’s a trusting in someone else. It’s a love for someone that surpasses everything you would normally do for yourself. It’s not “I won”, but “I gave up”. It’s not “I got it perfect”, but a perfect surrender. It’s not a forced manipulation that tricks you into pretending- it’s a wholehearted surrender for something other than yourself. And where the song should meet Christmas is in realizing that that is where Jesus’ very life began.
It’s Jesus in heaven deciding that the right answer was not about what we said or did, but about himself admitting a simple “God, be praised”. God be praised as he was born in a nameless, forgotten manger seemingly in the middle of nowhere. God be praised as he was born not as a ruler with an important designation, but as a forgotten and poor baby. God be praised as he grew and learned like a simple child instead of a God and King. God be praised as he lived his life as a human- in a world far too often broken, suffering, and hurting beyond anything else. God be praised as Jesus walked, and learned, and saw many things he wished to change, but held himself back as he was not there to use his abilities to change things at all. God be praised as he taught just a few select people very crucial things that everyone needed to know but only a few were going to hear right then. God be praised that Jesus life didn’t look like it was expected to look, but it accomplished exactly what God needed it to. Hallelujah that went all the way to the cross- as he gave up his life in a surrender that went God be praised no matter what it looked like, or what could have been, but what God said no matter what. Hallelujah that we were then left with an option not to be manipulated by God or become hapless law-abiding slaves of God but were then given the option ourselves- to choose to love him back with a resounding Hallelujah, God be praised! Thank you, God for the power of the simple word “hallelujah”.
I pray you go through this season not just hearing great music, not just getting and receiving incredible gifts, not just getting everything to look and seem and sound perfect, but also seeing the beauty of a simple Hallelujah Jesus uttered long ago that literally changed everything.