In the Old Testament, Judah was identified as the lion or as the lawgiver, the promise was always the same: Shiloh—the Messiah, the Christ—would come out of Judah, which means praise. And isn’t that interesting? Doesn’t our deliverance, our defense, and our direction so often come out of praise?
Those who don’t live lives of praise often live in fear of the adversary who, as Scripture says, “like a roaring lion walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). But true praisers live with a different confidence. They trust that the Lion of the tribe of Judah will prevail over every attack of the enemy.
Psalm 81 teaches us something powerful: if we will praise God, “there shall no strange god be among you” (v. 9). Praise becomes a shield. It is one of our greatest defenses against the eruption of demonic activity in any generation.
There’s also a vivid picture of praise in the way God instructed Israel to camp in the wilderness. According to Numbers 2:2–3, the camp of Judah was positioned on the east side—facing the rising sun—and directly in front of the only entrance to the tabernacle.
It’s always the praisers who catch the first glimpse of the sunrise—the rising of the “Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2). The person who praises has already set their face in expectation, watching for the light to break through the darkness. Others will see the light too, but later. The praiser sees the first rays and rejoices early.
Judah’s standard—the symbol of the lion—was pitched directly east of the tabernacle. Only the priests had closer access to the place of worship than the tribe of Judah. While everyone in the camp could come to the tabernacle and its outer court, for many it was a long walk. Judah, the praisers, lived right next door to the gate.
I don’t doubt that non-praisers can still gain access to the presence of the Lord—but their journey is often longer, harder, and filled with anxiety. And when they finally arrive, they discover something important: they must enter through praise anyway, because that is the name of the court.