I know, it seems a bit odd to say that praise to/for God confuses. Take a look at the reactions of those hearing it and expand that into the world today.
“15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant, 16and they said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read,
‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise’?” — Matthew 21:15-16 (ESV)
“18And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.” — Mark 11:18 (ESV)
“47And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.” — Luke 19:47-48 (ESV)
These verses are of the same event, only different accounts of that event. Notice the reactions of those that were hearing the praise that was being presented to/for Jesus. They were “indignant”, “astonished”, and “did not find anything they could do”.
As I read this morning I could only think of the persecution that would come out of those feelings described by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I see the confusion of what to do and how to act. There is a sense of wonderment and I can feel the tension mounting, although the tension is for seeing and hearing praise. In this they are looking for a way to justify taking adverse action on Jesus who is really doing nothing wrong, except for not doing things the way the establishment would have them done.
Now fast forward to today. I know that there are those that are praising God in public. Actors, sports figures, celebrities. They are not doing anything wrong except for not doing things the way of the establishment. This is causing indignation, astonishment, and confusing the establishment with what to do and how to act.
All of this confusion is driven by the praise to/for God and the work He has done and will do. What is coming from that confusion is acts against those that are just doing things differently. Those praising God are being persecuted and shunned in society for their actions. Those actions that are not harming anyone, except for the disruption of their power and bringing light to an alternate thought and solution. This praise is “bruising the ego” of those in the establishment and they do not like it. They are not being praised and that is a threat to their way of life.
Praise to/for God is confusing to others in that they are not looking for the better, only looking for their better. This confusion causes reactions and actions that are contrary to the praise lifted to/for God and that is the focus of those onlookers.
What side of the praise to/for God are you on? Are you the onlooker who seems to be confused by the idea that praise is given to/for outsiders to the establishment? What if you were to join the praise to avoid the confusion and lift up God as opposed to being contrary to Him?
Trevor's Thoughts 