Hymnology…A Look at the 1700’s

Richard Dent’s research and writing will again grace this website as we look at Hymnology in some general terms.

Have you ever thought that there are ‘rules’ for congregational singing? In this report we’ll look at some ideas from Wesley, Watts and Newton. Let’s consider how we can benefit from knowing more about the history of singing within Christiandom and the Lord’s church.

The mid 1700’s was a time of revival – a great awakening in the colonies as well as England. Charles Wesley picked up where Isaac Watts had left off. He, Wesley, wrote thousands of hymns; some scholars say almost 9,000. Some of his works are in our hymnal, Faith & Praise: “Love Divine” (page #140, written in 1747); “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (page #233, written in 1739); “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” (page #345, written in 1739) and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (page #1001, written in 1739).

In one of his books, Charles Wesley listed seven rules for congregational singing:

1) Learn selected tunes before learning others.
2) Sing them exactly as they were printed.
3) Sing all (all people). See that you join the congregation as frequently as you can.
4) Sing lustily (powerful, with vigor) and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead or asleep.
5) Sing modestly. Do not bawl so as to be heard above the rest of the congregation so as to destroy the harmony of the group.
6) Sing in time. Do not run ahead nor stay behind.
7) Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye for God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself.

(We’ll come back and visit these ideas next week…)

In the wake of the Watts and the Wesleys, whole generations of hymnists rose up and produced some of the grandest music in the church. Some of these hymns are “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” (page 844) by William Williams in 1745. He was known as the Watts of Wales.

Other memorable hymns include, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” (page #226) was written by Robert Robinson in 1758; “Rock of Ages” (page #454) written by Augustus Toplady in 1776; and “Amazing Grace” (page #129) written by John Newton in 1779. Have you noticed the years these old hymns were penned? Let’s recap the timeline of just these few hymns of prayer and praise:

1739..”Hark! The Herald Angels Sing;
“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and
“Christ the Lord is Risen Today”

1745…”Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”

1747…”Love Divine”

1758…”Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

1776…”Rock of Ages”

1779…”Amazing Grace”

An exceptional collection of hymns that have survived the years. Actually, over 200 years! And we would be amiss to forget the back ground behind Newton’s hymn “Amazing Grace.” Remember that John Newton was a slave trader on the high seas. By his account, an evil and vile man who, following his conversion to Christ became a changed man, and then opposed the slave trading business in the British empire. There is one verse we have nearly forgot, it reads…“The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine. But God, who called me here below, shall be forever mine.”

Understanding the back ground behind what we sing will help us appreciate why we sing. Though hymnology, the study of hymns, may not be exciting for many, I truly believe it is imperative for all. Thanks again to my uncle, Richard Dent, for reminding us of the history of some great songs of faith and praise.

1, April 22, 20131, April 15, 2013

Ancient Songs from the Old Testament

For the next few months articles will be shared from the research of my uncle, Richard Dent. He and his wife live in Kansas where he has served in the educational system for more than 40 years. Yet more than educating young people, he serves as a part-time preacher for the Tyrone church of Christ in Tyrone, Oklahoma. This article is one he recently shared with me as we talked about hymn history.

In his book, Then Sings My Soul (book #3), Robert J. Morgan takes his readers back to the very beginnings of music from God’s people…the Israelite nation.

The first reference of music in the Bible is found in Genesis 4:21, when a man named Jubal is described as the ‘father’ of all who play the harp and flute. The first recorded ‘hymn’ in the scriptures can be found in Exodus 15, after God’s people escape the Egyptian army through the parted waters of the Red Sea. Moses and his people drew up the story in the form of a song that could be easily learned and spread among the people. It began with the words, “I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted. The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.” Exodus 15:21 describes the exuberance of the moment saying, “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.” And Miriam answered them, “Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed in gloriously; the horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.”

Unfortunately, the next time we see the Israelite nation in song, it’s in a sensuous idolatry around a golden calf. While Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, Aaron was compelled by the people to craft an idol of gold. The idol was similar to that of the Egyptian worship and far from the expectation of Jehovah God. In their idolatry, the desert erupted with the sound of singing and revelry. Moses heard the strains of music from a distance and realized the sin of the people. The Israelite nation had broken the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.”

By the time we get to the book of Deuteronomy, the old Law Giver (Moses) is again teaching God’s people the songs of Jehovah. We read in Deuteronomy 31:30 through 32:3, “And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel: ‘Listen, Oh heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teachings fall like rain, and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord. O praise the greatness of our God!’.”

Ending his song, Moses advised God’s people to take the words to heart. “They are not just idle words for you”, he said. “They are your life…” (Deut. 32:46-47) He was describing not only the nature of God’s Word, but the character of his hymn represented God’s Word as it was crafted for singing.

In the rest of the historical books of the Old Testament, we find a many poems, hymns and ballads sprinkled throughout the text. Examples include Deborah’s song in Judges 5, the worship in song at the restoration of the temple under King Hezekiah’s reign (2 Chronicles 29), as well as David and his illustrious, musical, life-story. David’s early life as a shepherd is where he likely wrote many of the Psalms. David was a valiant shepherd, a talented poet, a great musician and a noble king. He launched and formalized the ministry of music in or around the year 1000 B.C. He employed thousands of musicians and then personally wrote many of the hymns for them to sing and play. Scores of these are preserved in the book of Psalm – the Hebrew hymnal.

Thanks to Richard Dent for his summary of this interesting Old Testament Hymnology.

1, April 5, 20131, April 16, 2013

Does Anyone Know?…April 7th

Sunday morning, April 7th at Waterview church of Christ, we’ll be honored to hear a lesson from Kent Allen. Brother Allen is VP for Advancement for Oklahoma Christian University, and his message is sure to inspire us as we consider our outward display of faith.

Perhaps you’ve heard the comment; if you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? This morning we’ll consider just how much the world knows about OUR faith in God. We have the opportunity, better yet the obligation, to show Christ to a lost and dying world. The songs this morning are designed to make us think about our shining light.

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”

I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, April 7, 2013

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Christ for the World We Sing” – 626

Have you looked closely at the first line in all three verses of this song? Notice: “Christ for the world!” That’s a statement we loudly proclaim and boldly sing. And we sing it with 1) loving zeal, 2) with fervent prayer and 3) in one accord. We sing this message to the world, but we also have a responsibility to bring the world to Christ.

“We Will Glorify” – 578

Written over 30 years ago, this song is still contemporary to many of us. Twila Paris made it popular, but our God is the reason we sing it. Perhaps the closing statement from the first and fourth verses needs more examination and great proclamation; “…the Lord of lords, Who is the great I AM.” John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am.”

“In My Life, Lord, Be Glorified” – 309

Before we bow in prayer, we’ll sing this hymn as we sing to Him! The first verse is very personal, “In my life, Lord, be glorified…” but in the second verse we’ll change it to the plural form, “In our songs, Lord, be glorified…” And finally we’ll close the song to include the Lord’s church; “In Your church, Lord, be glorified…”

“Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” – 648

Brother Kent Allen has requested this song to serve as our ‘song before the lesson.’ What a great way to admonish each other to live a life that puts Christ first. Have you thought about this song lately? We are singing about the armor of God (Ephesians 6), and in the third verse we’re reminded of the weakness we have in the flesh; “…Stand in HIS strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own” But what does the author mean when he writes, “…put on the gospel armor; and watching unto prayer…” Remember, ‘unto’ is a preposition that can mean ‘by’. So with that in mind; we have on the armor of God and we’re waiting (watching) by means of prayer. See Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert…”

“In the Hour of Trial” – 767

Not a typical ‘invitation song’, but this will serve us well this morning. Take a close look at verse one; “…Jesus plead for me, lest by base denial I depart from Thee; When Thou seest me waiver, with a look recall…” Remember Luke 22 when Christ is on trial? Peter adamantly denies knowing Jesus (base denial, as an adjective, ‘base’ can mean ‘contemptible’) and then in Luke 22:61, “The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord…”. With a look recall (help me to remember)…

“Lamb of God” – 176

We’ll remember the Lord’s supper this morning after our lesson as we sing this beautiful song, again written by Twila Paris. A song that we sing to our Father (a hymn). God’s gift of love (the Lamb of God) is crucified for our sins. He is scorned, mocked, defamed…and sacrificed. “Like a lamb that is led to slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7) “I love the holy Lamb of God.”

“O For a Faith That Will Not Shrink” – 540

As we close the service this morning, remember our lesson; “Does Anyone Know (you’re a Christian)? The words of this song were written by W. H. Bathurst in 1831. Oh that we would all have a faith in God that doesn’t shrink away in difficult times. A faith that doesn’t complain or ‘whine’ when troubles come. A faith that shines more bright and clear. With this kind of faith, even while here on earth, we’ll ‘taste the bliss’ of heaven.

1, April 4, 20131, April 4, 2013

We’re Marching and Singing to Zion…Pt 3

As this three part study comes to a close, perhaps the strongest reminder of how we are to sing comes when we consider the words of the author of Hebrews.

When we sing songs of praise we are offering a sacrifice to God. Hebrews 13:15, ‘…let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.’ Singing songs of praise, ‘the fruit of lips’ is our giving to God a sacrifice of praise. (Hebrews 2:12) What kind of a sacrifice are you offering? Before you answer, let me remind you of Leviticus 10:1-3. During the offering of sacrifices in the Old Testament, Nadab and Abihu offered ‘strange fire’ before the Lord. These two men, sons of Aaron, violated God’s command for sacrifices and were subsequently struck down. Notice how Moses responded to this tragedy… “It is what the Lord spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.” We must ask ourselves, ‘When I’m singing on Sunday morning, what kind of sacrifice am I offering God?’ Do I sing and listen for my own satisfaction? Am I honestly thinking about what I’m singing? My prayer is for God’s people everywhere to stop and think about our singing in worship. Let’s sing with the Spirit!

Standing with our brothers and sisters in Christ and opening our minds and hearts (not to mention our voices), we might sing another hymn penned more than 300 years ago; “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!” Doxology is a simple song of praise to our God and Father and echoes our soul’s unquestionable need to praise our Creator. As Christ entered Jerusalem in Luke 19, just days before His arrest, the crowds praised Him saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Hearing this praise, some of the Pharisees, approached Jesus and told Him to reprimand and silence His followers. But notice His response; “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” In short…we were made to give praise to God. If we refuse to, His creation will sing it out. If you’re not sure about that, read Psalm 148 (or sing “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah”). Though many might ignore our God-given need to praise Him, and while many more may offer excuses as to why they’re not singing praises to God, remember Romans 14:11, “…Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

As brothers and sisters in Christ we remember that we’re singing and ‘marching to Zion’. Consider the second verse of this spiritual song; “Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God; but children of the heavenly King may speak their joys abroad.” Some don’t know the joy that comes in being a child of God. Their refusal to sing is out of ignorance. But those of us who are ‘children of the heavenly King’ must be ready and willing to speak (to sing) our joys abroad. You and I know as we are marching, we’re also singing along the way to Zion.

1, February 5, 20131, January 27, 2013

We’re Marching and Singing to Zion…Pt 1

“Come, we that love the Lord, and let our joys be known; Join in a song with sweet accord and thus surround the throne.…” This spiritual song, written by Isaac Watts, is more than 300 years old and yet it still admonishes the Christian to stay faithful as we’re ‘Marching to Zion.’ Singing we strive to praise God and encourage His people, but how do we do that effectively and in a pleasing manner?

As a child of God you know the importance of singing songs of praise and edification. Many who are reading this article identify with the song above and truly believe its message. Every Sunday morning world-wide, we come together and strive to fulfill Ephesians 5 & Colossians 3. But in a culture where singers are evaluated as ‘Idols,’ and singing is ‘best left to the professionals,’ we tend to listen and judge rather than praise and sing. We consider one voice better than another and place more value on the ‘talent’ of an individual while burying our own God-given talents. To be honest… that’s a mistake. It fails to follow the pattern set forth in Bible. Singing songs of praise and admonishing one another is the expectation we have in the Lord’s church.

In hopes of teaching valuable lessons of God’s love and stirring the hearts of those who hear, we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. This commentary is written to help us look at the blessings we find in singing. Since the Lord commands us to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), we must ask ourselves this basic question: “As I’m marching to Zion, how do I sing and truly worship God in spirit and in truth?”

To learn the truth about Christian worship in song, we go to the New Testament. Consider for a moment I Corinthians 14:15 & 26: “I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also…What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” Have you thought about your singing when it comes to your mind? Do you think about what you’re singing? Singing by rote (repetition) is singing by memory. We learn to drive, write, walk, and talk by rote. It is the same with singing. We memorize songs by singing them over and over and over again. But in so doing we often sing without thinking what we’re saying. Check yourself to see if you know what you’re singing by asking yourself these questions:

*How is God’s goodness ‘like a fetter’? (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing)
*Is there Biblical support for referring to Jesus as a “rose of Sharon”? (Jesus, Rose of Sharon)
*Do you know how to arm yourself with “the panoply of God”? (Soldiers of Christ, Arise)
*And what is the ‘standard’ that He, Jesus, has raised? (The Battle Belongs to the Lord)

Brothers and sisters…I truly believe we need to investigate the meaning of our songs, ask ourselves what we’re singing, and teach our young people the meaning behind the songs we sing. “How shall the young secure their hearts and guard their lives from sin?” If we are to ‘sing with the mind also’ we must know what we’re singing. Too many times we just toss those old songs out, or sing the new ones without thinking, because we don’t truly know what they mean. Brethren, we can’t afford to make that kind of mistake, because there are dangers when we just ‘go through the motions’ in worship.

1, June 22, 20121, July 6, 2012

Let’s Gather at the River!

When we read Revelation chapters 21 and 22, John is describing a vision of heaven as he spends his last days in exile on the island of Patmos. From the beginning of this book to its close, we come to understand God’s desire for men to realize His promise of heaven and the assurance of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. Actually, the first three chapters are Christ’s words as He details the future of seven churches in Asia (a lesson for each of us to take to heart). But as we read the first verse of chapter 22, the description of heaven includes, “…a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

Many have tried to capture the image of heaven; as they draw a picture of the pearly gates and streets of gold (Revelation 21:21). But in 1864 Robert Lowry, sweltering in the summer heat of New York, began to imagine and visualize the ‘cool, crystal river flowing by the throne of God.’ His inspiration brought him to write this classic hymn that many still sing today. Notice the message of heaven as he writes:

“Shall we gather at the river, where bright angel feet have trod;
With it’s crystal tide forever flowing by the throne of God?”

This verse he penned comes as a question. A call to those who sing as well as to those who hear, do you want to come to the river by God’s throne? He continues with his encouragement as he writes about being with God in heaven. The song continues…

“On the margin of the river, washing up it’s silver spray;
We will walk and worship ever all the happy, golden day.”

“Ere we reach the shining river, lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver and provide a robe and crown.”

“Soon we’ll reach the shining river, soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver with the melody of peace.”

As we read/sing this poem describing heaven we harken back to the chorus (the refrain) which in essence answers the question from verse one. With a unified voice, the congregation responses, “Yes we’ll gather at the river! The beautiful, the beautiful river. Gather with saints at the river that flows by the throne of God.” Next time you sing this song I hope you will think about and anticipation the excitement we have to look forward to in heaven.

But there is more to my motivation for writing about this song than just remembering an old hymn from Robert Lowry. As I write this article more than 1000 Christians from across the country are converging in on Red River, New Mexico for the 26th Annual RRFE (Red River Family Encampment). A week dedicated to Bible study, wonderful Bible-based lessons, worship, singing and fellowship in the cool, Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. This year it is my honor to lead singing for the encampment as well as teach three classes on understanding and appreciating congregational singing. If you live somewhat close to Red River, New Mexico you might want to come on down this year. But certainly you’ll want to mark your calendar for next summer, June 22-26, for RRFE.

Heaven will be more than we can imagine. Whether the streets are pure gold and the twelve gates are made of pearl, I don’t know. But this I know…it will be more beautiful and more fantastic than you and I can picture. Words fall short of describing the elegance and majesty we’ll see when we meet around God’s throne. Red River isn’t heaven, but the joy of being with fellow Christians, and sharing in hours of singing and praise to God is perhaps as close as we’ll get to heaven here on earth. So next year, I hope you’ll join us and let’s, “Gather with the saints at the river…”

1, May 10, 20121, May 10, 2012

Then Sings My Soul!

Have you ever considered the impact you might have on the lives of others based on what you might, write, say or do? You might go throughout life unaware that there are people watching, listen and learning from you. Let’s look at one event that continues to impact millions of lives…

In the late 1880’s, a poet from Sweden by the name of Carl Boberg, was inspired by the beauty of God’s creation. His friend, J. Irving Erickson, capturing this awe inspiring moment wrote the following: “Carl Boberg and some friends were returning home to Mönsterås from Kronobäck (Sweden), where they had participated in an afternoon service. Nature was at its peak that radiant afternoon. Presently a thundercloud appeared on the horizon, and soon sharp lightning flashed across the sky. Strong winds swept over the meadows and billowing fields of grain. The thunder pealed in loud claps. Then rain came in cool fresh showers. In a little while the storm was over, and a rainbow appeared.

When Boberg arrived home, he opened the window and saw the bay of Mönsterås like a mirror before him…From the woods on the other side of the bay, he heard the song of a thrush…the church bells were tolling in the quiet evening. It was this series of sights, sounds, and experiences that inspired the writing of the song.”

Carl Boberg recounted the following information behind the inspiration for his poem:

“It was that time of year when everything seemed to be in its richest colouring; the birds were singing in trees and everywhere. It was very warm; a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon and soon thunder and lightning. We had to hurry to shelter. But the storm was soon over and the clear sky appeared.

“When I came home I opened my window toward the sea. There evidently had been a funeral and the bells were playing the tune of ‘When eternity’s clock calling my saved soul to its Sabbath rest.’ That evening, I wrote the song, ‘O Store Gud.'”

Years later a British missionary, Stuart K. Hine, was motivated by the poem (‘O Store Gud’, translated means ‘O Mighty God’) and wrote the words to a hymn that has touched million’s world wide. Baptized in 1914, Hine penned the words to the hymn, “How Great Thou Art” in 1949. Read this poem (sing this song) again…

“O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds (works) Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!”

The second verse references ‘the woods and forest’ and the ‘birds sing(ing) sweetly’. Like the first verse, the second gives us a reminder to the original poem. But here is a forgotten verse we need to reintroduce and bring back to life. This verse is a needed reminder from the unique, original work of Stuart Hine.

“When burdens press, and seem beyond endurance,
Bowed down with grief, to Him I lift my face;
And then in love He brings me sweet assurance:
‘My child! for thee sufficient is My grace’.”

If you enjoy learning about the history of our hymns (traditional and contemporary), I encourage you to look into the resources that can give you better understanding and clarity for the back ground of our songs of praise. The chorus of this hymn begins, “Then Sings My Soul…”, this is also the title of a great resource for hymn history. I encourage you to see for yourself the joy in Hymnology. You can find it on Amazon.com

Keep your mind on heaven, your eyes on God’s word and your focus on praising the King of Kings. When I stay close to Him, lift my voice and my heart to worship God…

“Then Sings My Soul!”

1, April 15, 20121, November 8, 2018

Who Is Leading You?

When things don’t go the way you would like for them to, or the way you had planned, what is your response? Do you accept things as they are or do you complain and wish for different circumstances? In 1820 a family was blessed with a little baby girl. But in the early months of her life she caught a cold that caused an inflammation in her eyes. Her doctor, in an attempt to treat the sickness, applied a salve (mustard poultices) to her eyes to draw out the infection. The cold and infection eventually left, but because of the hot poultice, so did the babies eyesight. If you know the story of this historical hymn writer, you know this baby as Fanny J. Crosby. Her hymn writing is legendary.

When Fanny J. Crosby wrote the old hymn, “All the Way My Savior Leads Me”, she was expressing her own sentiments of living a life with God as her guide. Read this hymn and take note of the references she makes to being guided…

“All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt the tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me, cheers each winding path I tread.
Gives me grace through every trial, feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps my falter, and my soul a thirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me, Low! a spring of joy I see,
Gushing from the Rock before me, Low! a spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me O, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised in my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings it’s flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages: Jesus lead my all the way;
This my song through endless ages: Jesus lead my all the way.”

So let me ask you again…when things don’t go the way you want them to, what is your response? Too often we not only get upset, but we find our day becomes dampened, depressed and despondent. Some will even blame God for their misfortune or streak of ‘bad luck’. Even as death plagues your family, who is leading your thoughts? Consider what Miss Crosby said later in her life about the her blindness; “…it was the best thing that could have happened to me…” She continued, “How in the world could I have lived such a helpful life had I not been blinded.” On another occasion she is quoted as saying, “Don’t blame the doctor; he is probably dead by this time. But if I could meet him, I would tell him that he unwittingly did me the greatest favor in the world.”

When (not if) things ‘go south’ in your life; will you ‘give up’, ‘give in’ and blame someone else, or will you seek guidance? If we truly trust in God; if we truly seek His favor and if we will sincerely honor our calling we’ll know the answer to the question…Who is leading your life?

1, April 1, 20121, May 10, 2012

He Could Have…But He Didn’t

Undoubtedly you have sung this song as you prepared your mind for communion. The song that begins… “They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where He prayed. They lead Him through the streets in shame. They spat upon the Savior, so pure and free from sin; they said, ‘Crucify Him,’ He’s to blame.”

The author, Ray Overholt, wrote this song in 1959, and he found his inspiration in the scriptures, Matthew 26:52, 53. As the soldier’s came in to arrest Christ in the garden He spoke to His disciples and said, ‘Put your sword back into its place…’. As you read the text you will see that one of the disciples was willing to stand up and fight for the Master. Peter wasn’t going down without fighting, and in his resolve, he attempted to take off the head of the slave of the high priest. But the life of the slave, Malchus, was spared (and perhaps changed) as Peter was only able to cut off his ear. But Jesus is true to form and after telling Peter to put away his sword gives this admonition; “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

For just a minute think about what Jesus said, “…He (God) will at once put at My (Jesus) disposal more than twelve legions of angels…”. Did you pick up on that number; twelve legions of angels! How many angels are we actually talking about? By definition, a Roman legion would total 6,000 troops. So consider the math within Christ’s statement; twelve legions is 12 x 6,000. It doesn’t take much to realize Christ was saying to His disciples (you have to know the Roman soldiers were listening too) that He had an army that totaled MORE than 72,000 troops. Perhaps a more fitting title for this song (instead of Ten Thousand Angels) would have been, Seventy-two Thousand Angels. Christ had at His command a Holy army that could have obliterated mankind. It’s clear to me that the chorus of this song rings true; “…to destroy the world and set Him free.”

But as we consider the vastness of this angelic army, let’s look at an Old Testament account concerning God’s ‘angels in battle.’ In II Samuel chapter 24:1-17, David calls for a census of God’s people. After the ‘count is taken’, which doesn’t please God, David feels remorse and repents saying; “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” God gives David a choice in his punishment (an interesting study in and of itself) and David chooses three days of pestilence. The anger of the Lord was demonstrated when He sent a pestilence (an angel) to destroy 70,000 men from among the people; ‘from Dan to Beersheba’. Did you follow that account? If ONE angel could destroy 70,000 men; how many men would have fallen if Christ had called “12 legions” of angels? Some historians estimated that the combined eastern and western Roman Empire during AD 300-400 include no more than 50–60 million people. (In case you didn’t receive your degree in Mathematics…the fatality number, had Christ called 12 legions of angels, would have been over 5 Billion!)

We must never forget the basis behind this historical account in Matthew 26. Christ could have walked away from Golgotha’s hill. He didn’t need a man wielding a sword cutting slaves up one ear at a time. Christ, the King of Kings, could have saved Himself the insult of soldier’s slapping Him and spitting in His face. He could have called in the reserves and laid waste to millions, even billions, of human life with His mighty, angelic army. Why didn’t He? What kept Him from taking mankind out? To me, the answer is found in the chorus of the song Ten Thousand Angels. Sing it again and remember why; “…but He died alone, for you and me.”

He Could Have Called THOUSANDS of angels…He could have, but He didn’t.

1, March 23, 20121, March 25, 2012

Verse by Verse…Hallelujah!

For almost 150 years we have been singing this hymn by William P. MacKay…

“We praise Thee, O God, for the Son of Thy love, for Jesus who died and is now gone above, Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Hallelujah! Amen. Hallelujah! Thine the glory; Revive us again.”

I can honestly tell you that this is the first song I can remember hearing sung in church during my earliest years. The chorus is one that rings in my mind and floats through the ages. Let’s look at the remaining 4 verses and see the emphasis of the words in this hymn:

“We praise Thee, O God, for Thy Spirit of light, Who has shown us our Savior, and scattered our night…” The Word of God tells us that Jesus is the light, and in Him is no darkness. We sing this scripture through this verse…I John 1:5

“All glory and praise to the Lamb that was slain, Who has borne all our sins and has cleansed every stain…” Nothing is more important for us to sing about, admonish each other with and remind the listener with. Christ has washed away our sins when we were baptized for the forgiveness of our sins.

“All glory and praise to the God of all grace, Who has bought us and sought us and guided our ways…” Have you thought about that before? Christ came to this earth (sought us) and died on the cross for our sins (bought us) and rose from the dead to guide us back to God. Question is, are we following?

“Revive us again, fill each heart with Thy love. May each soul be rekindled with fire from above…” Each of these verses have a specific message and a clear admonish to us. But they need the glue from the refrain to transition our thoughts and solidify our resolve:

“Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Hallelujah! AMEN! Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Revive us again.” We must never forget the price that was paid (vs. 1 & 3), the security we have in ‘the Light’ (vs. 2), the praise for salvation (vs. 4), and the reminder to come back and hold fast to His love (vs. 5). “Hallelujah! Thine (to God be…) the Glory!”