Tag: Hymn History

Posted on

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.then sings my soul

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.

King David playing the harpIn 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.

Posted on

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!”

 

Posted on

A Psalm, a Hymn or a Spiritual Song?

Is there a difference between singing a psalm or singing a hymn?  If I’m singing a spiritual song how is that different (is that different) from singing a psalm?  Both Ephesians 5, and Colossians 3 use similar wording when talking about these three terms; “…speaking to (teaching and admonishing) one another in (with) psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs…”  The apostle Paul authored these letters to the churches in Ephesus and Colossae, and based on Acts 16:25, he was no stranger to singing.  But what exactly is the difference between a psalm or a hymn or a spiritual song?  Do theses words mean the same thing?  A deeper look into these three (different) forms of singing praise to God and singing encouragement to the faithful might give us a better understanding of what we are doing when we sing.

Though admittedly, there is some gray area in the exact interpretation of these three words, a basic idea can be found for a quick understanding of these terms by evaluating each on it’s own merit.

A Psalm (for all practical purposes) would be a song that is based on scripture.  The Psalms would obviously be our first thought in answering the question, ‘What is a psalm?’.  But the following could be classified as a psalm as well: ‘a song of praise or edification that can be found in part or in whole in the word of God.’  It is clear when we sing, the 23rd Psalm… “The Lord’s my shepherd I’ll not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and lovingness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  You know the song… “The Lord’s my shepherd I’ll not want: He makes me down to lie, In pastures green, He leadeth me in pastures green He leadeth me the quiet waters by.”  But do you know this ‘contemporary’ song from Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, but not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  So a ‘Psalm’ is song we sing almost directly from scripture.

Personally, the hymn is my favorite of the ‘songs’ when compared to the other three song definitions.  To understand the definition of a hymn, I have found it is easiest to relate this simple analogy;  ‘A hymn is a song that is sung to HIM’.  Many examples are available, but one of my favorites is a sung written by Annie Hawks in 1872…“I need Thee every hour, most precious Lord; No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.  I need Thee, O I need Thee; every hour I need Thee!  O bless me now, my Savior; I come to Thee!”  No one can refute the fact that this song (hymn) is directed to HIM.

A Spiritual Song is more basic in that it can encompass anything that is Biblical (spiritual) in nature.  If I sing a song that comes from God’s word or is contemplating Godliness, it could be classified as a spiritual song.  An example might be “Walking Alone at Eve”.  Consider the chorus to this ‘spiritual song’; “O! for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest, sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest (Biblical in thought); Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Savior’s love, where I’ll be pure in whole and live with my God above.”

Next time you stand with the saints to sing praises, or sit alone and singing a song of prayer, ask yourself; “Are we (Am I) singing a Psalm, a Hymn or a Spiritual Song?”

 

Posted on

A Song from Sadness

Horatio Spafford was a very successful business man.  His understanding and expertise in real estate and law had set him high above most men in his day.  That was until October, 1871.  On Sunday, October 8th, in the early morning hours, the city of Chicago, Illinois began to burn.  When the flames were finally dosed and the embers began to cool; Horatio Spafford had lost almost all of this wealth.  What made his loss even more difficult was that he had just previously lost his only son at the age of four.  His physician and friend encourage him to get away with his family and spend some days in Europe.  He agreed, but before he could leave, he was called away for some last minute re-zoning issues caused by the Chicago fire.

Horatio sent his wife and four daughters ahead and assured them he would follow shortly.  However, after a week sailing the Atlantic, their vessel, the SS Ville de Havre, struck another ship and sank in just a short time.  Over 200 of her passengers perished in the accident, only 60 had survived.  Once the survivors arrived in Wales, Anna Spafford (Horatio’s wife) sent him this cable; “Saved alone…what shall I do?”  All four of his daughters were lost to the icy Atlantic.  As he rushed to his wife’s side, the ship he sailed on passed near the site of the earlier collision, and Spafford wrote the following words;

“When peace like a river attendth my way, when sorrows like sea billows role.  Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say…’It is well with my soul.’ “

You have most likely sang three of the verses to this song which was originally named, ‘Ville de Havre’ after the doomed vessel.  But Horatio Spafford eventually wrote 5 more verses.  Remembering this terrific lose, you can see his exceptional faith in the words of this hymn written in 1873.  Notice these words and see the faith and trust in this man;

“Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.”

“My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

“For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, no pang shall be mine, for in death as in life, Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.”

“But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, the sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.”

In difficult times we reach out for comfort.  Thanks to this man of old for encouraging us to stay close and hold fast to the faith we have in our God.  The closing verse and chorus I’m sure you well know…

“And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.  It is well, with my soul…it is well, it is well with my soul!”

Posted on

Whose Side Are You On?

choosing sidesDo you remember, as a kid, being on the playground or in the park with your friends and choosing up sides?  I  remember my friends and I on the baseball diamond, putting together our teams.  The ‘captain’ (often self-appointed) would stepped in front of the line of eager athletes and begin his draft.  Each of us would eagerly wait for our names to be called to see whose team you would be on.  Without question, we all wanted to be on the winning side.  A captain who knew what to do would chose the fastest, strongest, and smartest players to be ‘on his side’.  I can even recall after a win saying, “If we didn’t have ____________ on our side, we would have lost.”  It’s important to put strong people around you, but how much more important is it to have the right captain?  Someone who knows how and what to do to win…

King David understood this principle and wrote about it in the 124th Psalm; “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side…”  The next eight verses need to be remembered, reread and reviewed again and again in our lives.

vs 1-5 “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side, Let Israel now say,
Had it not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us,
Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their anger was kindled against us;
Then the waters would have engulfed us, the stream would have swept over our soul;
Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul.”

vs 6-8“Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us to be torn by their teeth.
Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; the snare is broken and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”

Debbie Dorman took this Psalm in 1998, added a musical score and, with the beauty of a melody, reminds us that God is our salvation.

“Had it not been the Lord who was on our side, had it not been the Lord who was on our side, the anger of the enemy would have swallowed us alive, Had it not been the Lord who was on our side.  Blessed be the Lord who would not give us up; Blessed be the Lord for His unfailing love; the snare has been broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, blessed be the Lord.”

I want to be on God’s side, but that means I need to stay on His side.  We have a choice to either be with God or not.  He doesn’t make us stay, it’s our decision.  But remember, He is our captain and, if we obey and follow His Word, we win.  The enemy can’t destroy us or take us down.  Today you need to ask yourself, ‘Whose side am I on?”
Posted on

Peace…Be Still!

The storm was relentless in it’s attack upon the small boat, and the sailors fought desperately to keep her afloat. As the waves beat upon the vessel and the sea began to pour over the side some of the men began to fear for their lives. All seemed to be lost as the storm and the night began to swallow their hope. In final despair they turned to the only passenger who seemed unaware of the impending doom. As He slept in the stern of the boat on a small pillow, they called out, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

You most likely recognize this account from Luke 8 and Mark 5. The disciples of Christ feared for their lives as they crossed the Sea of Galilee. In 1874, Mary Baker captured this Biblical account in her hymn, “Master the Tempest is Raging”. Read Luke 8:22-25 and compare the text with this old song…

“Master the tempest is raging! The billows are tossing high! The sky is o’er shadowed with blackness, no shelter or help is nigh. ‘Carest Thou not that we perish?’ How canst Thou lie asleep, when each moment so madly is threatening a grave in the angry deep?”

We can see the parallel in the hymn with the text, but look at verse 2 and 3…peace be still
“Master with anguish of spirit I bow in my grief today; the depths of my sad heart are troubled; O waken and save, I pray! Torrents of sin and of anguish sweep o’er my sinking soul; and I perish! I perish dear Master, O hasten, and take control.” The comparison of a life sinking without Christ is seen in similar despair as the 12 disciples fighting the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Now take a look at the transition into verse 3…when Christ calms our storms.

“Master, the terror is over, the elements sweetly rest; Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored and heaven’s within my breast. Linger, O blessed Redeemer, leave me alone no more; and with joy I shall make the blest harbor and rest on the blissful shore.”

This hymn is a great encouragement to me, but without the chorus, we fail to see the application from the storm that rages, to the peace that Christ brings. Notice the chorus and see if you can see the same security I have seen with Christ in control.

“The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will; ‘Peace, be still!  Peace, be still!’ Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea, or demons, or men, or whatever it be. No water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies. They all shall sweetly obey Thy will; ‘Peace, be still! Peace, be still!’ They all shall sweetly obey Thy will; ‘Peace, Peace, be still!’

In case you missed it…regardless of the storms; whether they be physical, spiritual, emotional, WHATEVER. None of these problems can take you down (sink your ship) as long as Christ is in you! There may be times you’re wondering if He cares; does He realize what I’m going through? This storm is rough. Rest assured, He knows and He cares. But if I’m not faithful to Him, He asks the same question he asked some 2000 years ago, “Where is your faith?” I guess the question we have to ask ourselves; is the Master of ocean and earth and skies inside my ship? If He is then take courage, be faithful to Him and realize He can calm the storm. Peace, Be Still!

Posted on

Biblical Songs

What makes one of the songs we sing on Sunday morning characterized as a Biblical song as opposed to one that would be considered un-Biblical (or as some have defined, a problem song)?  Is there some criteria or some sort of a ‘scale’ that we can use to determine our song choice?  Whether we like it or not, we need to be more diligent in sincerely thinking about what we’re singing and why we’re singing it.  Without debate a Biblical song/hymn would be one that can be found and supported through God’s word.  Let’s consider two songs that come almost entirely from scripture:

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing, I will sing.
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.
And with my mouth will I make know Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness.
And with my mouth will I make know Thy faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalms 89:1 reads: “I will sing of the lovingness of the Lord forever, To all generations I will make know Your faithfulness with my mouth.” (NAS)

This song was written by James Filmore at the turn of the century, but it didn’t find it’s popularity in church music until the 1960’s.  In 1983, the chorus became a regular addition in some of our hymnals.  Scripture based hymns can be found in surplus in many of the traditional and contemporary hymns. One of our long time favorites is, again, almost a direct quote, from the book of Psalms.

Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah
“Hallelujah, praise Jehovah! From the heavens praise His name; Praise Jehovah in the highest; all His angels praise proclaim. All His host together praise Him, sun and moon and stars on high; Praise Him, O ye heavens of heavens, and ye floods above the sky.”

“Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord from the heavens, Praise Him in the heights!  Praise Him all His angels; Praise Him, all His host!  Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, heights heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens!” Psalm 148:1-4

This is only the first verse of a popular hymn written in 1893 by William J. Kirkpatrick. But as you investigate the Biblical accuracy of the hymn, you’ll find the 2nd and 3rd verses hold true to the words of Psalm 148: 5-12 with vs. 13 reserved for the chorus. “Let them praise the name of Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.” My hope and prayer is that you will continue to search out songs that are Biblical and sound when it comes to singing songs to God our Father. A song that is accurately supported through God’s word will draw us closer to Him as we give to Him our praise!

Posted on

Rock of Ages…

Have you ever sung a song and wondered what it was exactly did I just sing?  What does it mean when I sing, “…when life’s stormy billows roll…”?  I’m afraid to many of us sing without putting much thought into the words of the songs we’re singing.  Let’s consider a few words (and the meaning) of an old favorite hymn.  In 1776 Augustus Montague Toplady, an Anglican cleric and hymn writer, penned the words to one of our most remembered hymns.  He served for 14 years as a curator and priest within the Calvinist movement, during which time he authored several works of poetry that made their way into some Methodist and Calvinist hymnals.  Look at this old hymn, and investigate the words we’ve sung for years.

“Rock of Ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee;” From the scripture, it’s interesting to note the importance Moses placed on God has his Rock (Deuteronomy 32: 15, 18, 30-31) as did the Psalmist (Psalm 18:2 and 19:14).  Isaiah too (Isaiah 26:4) speaks toward God as our ‘everlasting Rock.’  Whether Toplady actually took shelter in a rock cave during a storm and from that brought us the “Rock of Ages”, or if he was referencing the text…he obviously knew (and today we sing) that God is our shelter in which we can hide and find strength.

“Let the water and the blood, from Thy riven side which flowed, be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power.”  But what about the ‘water and the blood’, ‘the double cure’?  John 19:34… “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.”  Because of our Lord and Savior’s death on the cross, you and I have a chance for forgiveness from our sins.  The double cure is salvation from sin and the power sin can have over our lives.  Christ gave His live (shed His blood to take away our sins, to ‘cure us’ from the guilt and power of sin.

“Not the labor of my hands can fulfill the law’s demands;”  Toplady is reminding you and me that we can never do enough to make ourselves right with God.  It is through His grace and mercy that we come into His salvation.  Ephesians 2:8, 9 “For by grace you have been saved…not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

“Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow, all for sin can not atone, Thou must save and Thou alone.”  What is zeal, for that matter, what is respite?  Toplady is tell the reader that you can’t be saved by your enthusiasm for God.  Your zeal is your excitement, energy and enthusiasm.  Respite means rest…if my excited never rested; or if my lamenting (sorrow) and my tears never stopped flowing, still that isn’t going to save me.  As a matter of fact, Toplady reminds us that work, excitement and emotion won’t save us…Christ (the Rock of our Salvation) alone is my only hope for heaven.

This hymn can be found in the Faith & Praise song book (page 454)