Brooke Ligertwood – A Thousand Hallelujahs

Brooke Ligertwood is a Hillsong worship leader, calling them home since 2004.  She began her career in 2002 and released five albums, including:

• What to Do with Daylight (2003)
• Albertine (2006)
• Flags (2010)
• Brutal Romantic (2014)
• Seven (Live, 2022)

Ligertwood won 18 awards, including a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song (2018), APRA Awards (New Zealand) for Most Performed Work in New Zealand (2004, 2007, 2011, 2013), and Best Female Solo Artist (2004).

Also, check out my review of Honey In the Rock.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.  I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.

1. What message does the song communicate?

The heavens declare and glorify God, including us whose words to describe Him, alongside the joy felt by His Presence, are meager.  Yet, we praise Him to the fullest extent possible, with all of eternity to respond.  Jesus:

• Is deserving of all glory, adoration, and worship
• Is the recipient of this song
• Is the slain Lamb who paid the penalty for our redemption
• Resurrected
• Rules heaven

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

It is in harmony with the Bible.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

Who else would rocks cry out to worship?

I initially thought this referenced Luke 19:40; However, the context here is that the stones would cry out if the disciples of Jesus are kept from speaking.  This question is rhetorical with an obvious answer: creation glorifies God (Psalm 19:1-4).

Whose glory taught the stars to shine?

Another rhetorical question: God did (Genesis 1:16 and Psalm 8:3).

Perhaps creation longs to have the words to sing
But this joy is mine

References 1 Peter 1:8, which states that we love Him with an indescribable joy.

[Chorus]

With a thousand hallelujahs

The number “thousand” is used several times in scripture to describe “fullness of quantity”.  It appears 521 times in Scripture, which is more than I’d care to list.

The word ‘Hallelujah” is a compound Hebrew phrase, with “hallelu” meaning “a joyous praise in song” and “jah” or “yah”, which refers to the Tetragrammaton YHWH. Put together, we are singing “we joyfully praise God in song” when we use this word.

We magnify Your name

References Psalm 34:1-3.

You alone deserve the glory
The honor and the praise
Lord Jesus
This song is forever Yours

God alone is worthy of our praise (1 Chronicles 16:25, 2 Samuel 22:4, Psalm 96:4-5, Psalm 145:3, and Revelation 4:11).  This also applies to Jesus, who is God (Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 43:10-11, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26, John 1:1-3, John 1:14, John 5:17-18, John 8:23-25, John 8:28, John 10:30-33, John 14:9, John 20:28-29, Philippians 2:5-6, Colossians 1:16-19, Colossians 2:8-9, Titus 2:13, 1 Timothy 6:14-16, Hebrews 1:10-12, Revelation 1:8, and Revelation 22:13).

A thousand hallelujahs
And a thousand more

An exaggeration of the fullness described in my commentary on line 1.

[Verse 2]

Who else would die for our redemption?

None but Jesus (Romans 5:6-8).  No one else can (John 14:6 and Acts 4:12).

Whose resurrection means I’ll rise?

Again, none but Jesus.  Apart from Christ’s resurrection, our faith is futility (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).

There isn’t time enough to sing of all You’ve done
But I have eternity to try

Indeed, she does (Nehemiah 9:5, Psalm 30:12, Psalm 52:9, Psalm 86:12, Psalm 89:1, Psalm 115:18, Psalm 145:1-2, Psalm 145:21, and Revelation 5:9-13).

[Bridge]

Praise to the Lord

See Chorus, line 4.

To the Lamb

That is, the lamb who was slain: Jesus (Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29, John 1:36, Acts 8:32, 1 Peter 1:19, Revelation 5:6-8, Revelation 5:12-13, Revelation 6:1, Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 12:11, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 14:1-10, Revelation 15:3, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:7-9, and Revelation 21:9 ).

To the King of Heaven

Christ is King (Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 11:10, Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-6, John 12:15, John 18:37, 1 Timothy 6:13-16, Revelation 17:14, and Revelation 19:11-16).

Praise for He rose

He rose from the dead (Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29, Acts 1:3, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

Now He reigns

See line 3.

We will sing forever

See Verse 2, line 4.

Praise to the Lord
To the lamb
To the King of Heaven
Praise for He rose
Now He reigns
We will sing forever

Repeats lines 1-6.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Those outside the camp of Christ will conclude, purely based on Chorus, that Christians worship Jesus.  It also contains elements of His Kingship, resurrection, and the Lamb.  Ligertwood chooses specific Christianese language that lay non-Christians can easily comprehend, with a smattering of everyday words to help with the song’s flow.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies Jesus as the sovereign Ruler of the heavens, who died for us and rose again.  In response, we glorify and magnify His name, worshipping Him forever.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Brooke Ligertwood’s A Thousand Hallelujahs is praise-worthy.  It proclaims Christ as our object of worship, worthy of all our praise.  He is the slain, resurrected Lamb of God, who rules heaven and is worthy of all glory and adoration.  Unbelievers should not have trouble interpreting similarly.

I highly recommend it for corporate worship.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: A Thousand Hallelujahs (Live) (listen to the song)

Artist: Brooke Ligertwood

Album: Seven (Live)

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2022

Duration: 5:10

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright © 2022 City And Vine Music Publishing International (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com), Phil Wickham Music (BMI) Simply Global Songs (BMI) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.