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For God So Loved the World (Smith)

Words: Alfred Barnerd Smith (b. Nov. 8, 1916; d. Aug. 9, 2001)
Music: Alfred Barnerd Smith

Note: This chorus is a departure for the blog, which deals almost exclusively with our traditional hymns and gospel songs. But this short chorus deals with a familiar passage that conveys the central message of the gospel. The Wordwise link below will give you the story of how it came to be written, and the part played in that by Frances Townsend.

Obviously this little song isn’t in the class of John Stainer’s beautiful and reverent God So Loved the World, from his Easter cantata The Crucifixion, let alone being anywhere near the superlative treatment given by Handel in his Messiah, of such related texts as: John 1:29 and Isaiah 53:3-6. But there is something to be said for also putting God’s wonderful truth within reach of even a small child.

John 3:16 describes, in about two dozen simple words, the greatest love story ever told. It is a love supreme above all loves because of the transcendent perfection of God, and the infinite sacrifice He made for us sinners who were so undeserving.

“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

“God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life” (Amplified Bible).

John 3:16

This is a love inseparable from grace, God’s undeserved, unmerited favour. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). That is the essence of the gospel of grace. And John 3:16 gives us:

  1. The REASON for the Gospel –“[that] God so loved the world”
  2. The RECORD of the Gospel–“that He gave His only begotten Son”
  3. The RECEPTION of the Gospel–[for] “whoever believes in Him”
  4. The RESULT of the Gospel–“[that the one who believes] should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Or, look at it another way. The verse begins by indicating man’s worth to God, and ends with a proclamation of God’s will for man. In between we learn of man’s weakness, and God’s way to solve the problem. John 3:16 thus contains four key elements.

  1. Man’s WORTH to God: we are greatly loved
  2. Man’s WEAKNESS: we are perishing, heading for eternal ruin
  3. God’s WAY: He gave His Son to take sin’s punishment for us
  4. God’s WILL for man: everlasting life, received through faith in Christ.

And one more way to look at the verse. We can see it as being all about God’s gift, salvation through the redeeming death of His Son. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (II Cor. 9:15).

  1. The OFFER of the gift–a love gift from God, and just what we needed (Jn. 5:24; 14:6)
  2. The OBTAINING of the gift–through personal faith in the Saviour (Jn. 1:12: Acts 16:30-31)
  3. The OBJECT of the gift–everlasting life, a life of eternal bliss and blessing in the presence of God, forever (Jn. 14:2-3; 17:1, 24).

It is difficult to conceive of a more important theme than that. It has to do with our eternal destiny. Here is Al Smith’s chorus, with the concluding reference to the return of Christ, added by his friend Frances Townsend.

For God so loved the world
He gave His only Son
To die on Calv’ry’s tree,
From sin to set me free;
Some day He’s coming back,
What glory that will be!
Wonderful His love to me.

Questions:

  1. What is the most wonderful truth expressed or implied by John 3:16?
  2. What is the greatest obstacle to someone accepting the gift of God?

Links:

The King of Love My Shepherd Is

Words: Henry Williams Baker (b. May 27, 1821; d. Feb. 12, 1877)
Music: Dominus Regit Me, by John Bacchus Dykes (b. March 10, 1823; d. Jan. 22, 1876)

Note: This is a beautiful paraphrase of Psalm 23, which links it to New Testament truth with a reference to the cross of Christ in (4). Our relationship with Christ, and the basis for all He does for us, flows from His sacrifice on Calvary’s cross.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Think of some of the wonderful things the Shepherd does for His own.

(1) He loves us. This is an overarching quality under which all the other things are found. “The Son of God…loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

His unfailing goodness means we’ll never lack anything needful. “Those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing” (Ps. 34:10). “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

“He is mine,” and I am His. (Compare Solomon’s bride, “My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies,” S.S. 2:16.) This represents an intimate and enduring relationship. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:35-39).

(1) The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never,
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.

(2) He provides daily refreshment and nurture for our souls. Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (Jn. 10:9; cf. Isa. 40:11).

(3) Here Baker has inserted an allusion to Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep (Lk. 15:3-7). It beautifully ties in with his emphasis on the loving concern of the divine Shepherd for His sheep. He seeks us when we go astray, and graciously restores us.

(3) Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me,
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

(4) He guides us through life’s journey, and will take us safely through “the valley of the shadow of death.” “You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory” (Ps. 73:24). “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 15:55-57; cf. Heb. 2:14-15).

(4) In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

(5) As well us suggesting nourishment for our souls, this stanza seems to represent intimate fellowship with the Lord, and His sanctifying grace. “Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full” (I Jn. 1:3-4). “You have an anointing from the Holy One [i.e. the indwelling Holy Spirit, cf. Jn. 7:38-39; I Cor. 6:19]….the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you” (I Jn. 2:20-21).

(5) Thou spread’st a table in my sight;
Thy unction grace bestoweth;
And O what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!

(6) No wonder those who belong to the Shepherd look forward to praising Him for all eternity. “So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever” (Ps. 79:13).

(6) And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever.

Questions:

  1. What important truth is expressed in the first five words of Psalm 23–without which the rest of the psalm can have little personal meaning to us?
  2. What other hymns do you know and use that are based on Psalm 23? (The Cyber Hymnal lists over sixty here.)

Links:

Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me

Words: Paul Gerhardt (b. March 12, 1607; d. May 27, 1676)
Music: St. Catherine, by Henri Frederick Hemy (b. Nov. 12, 1818; d. June 10, 1888)

Note: This wonderful hymn was written over three hundred and seventy years ago, later to be translated (and paraphrased) in English by John Wesley, yet its message is still stirring and relevant. The tune, St. Catherine, is the one commonly used as well for Faith of Our Fathers.

Paul Gerhardt based his hymn on a meditation and prayer by John Arndt, in a book published in 1612 called Paradiesgartlein (Little Garden of Paradise). Gerhardt’s original had sixteen stanzas, but Wesley reduced the number to nine. Of these hymn books now usually use (1), (2), (3), (8), and (9). You will notice some differences between the version I have below and the one found in the Cyber Hymnal. I think mine is likely closer to the original.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The passion and power of this great hymn is almost overwhelming. Few hymn writers I know can match the author’s hunger for God, and his earnest pleading that his heart be mastered by the purifying love of God. (One of the closest is perhaps George Croly with his Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart.)

(1) Jesus, Thy boundless love to me
No thought can reach, no tongue declare;
Unite my thankful heart to Thee
And reign without a rival there.
Thine wholly Thine alone I am;
Be Thou alone my constant Flame.

Does this passionate prayer not remind you of the words of the psalmist: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps. 42:1-2)?

Of the four stanzas commonly omitted from Wesley’s version, (6) is worth including here. It shows that the love of which the hymn speaks is not merely shallow emotion and sentiment. It is inseparably linked to a desire for holiness. To have the fullness of God’s love within will bring about a moral transformation, and a flaming hatred of sin. To love what God loves is to hate what God hates.

(6) More hard than marble is my heart,
And foul with sins of deepest stain;
But Thou the mighty Saviour art,
Nor flowed Thy cleansing blood in vain;
Ah soften, melt this rock, and may
Thy blood wash all these stains away!

John Wesley says that the words of (2) were the cry of his own heart in 1738, shortly before his conversion experience on May 24th of that year.

(2) O, grant that nothing in my soul
May dwell but Thy pure love alone!
Oh, may Thy love possess me whole,
My joy, my treasure, and my crown!
Strange fires from my heart remove;
My every act, word, thought, be love.

The “strange fires” of which (2) speaks allude to Leviticus 10:1-2, where the Lord destroyed Nadab and Abihu for using profane or unauthorized fire to burn incense in the tabernacle. The fire was to have come from the altar of sacrifice in the courtyard (16:12), a fire which God Himself had ignited (9:24).

Nadab and Abihu had substituted something foreign and unworthy for the work of God. And since the rising smoke of the incense was to picture praise and prayer ascending to God (cf. Ps. 141:2), what they did represents a fleshly religiosity and a carnal substitute for true worship, rather than being founded upon the shed blood of the sacrifice (picturing Christ).

One other stanza deserves a brief comment. In (3), the hymn writer personifies “Love,” making it a reference to the person of Christ. The “healing beams” allude to a messianic prophecy of Malachi that “the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings [or beams]” (Mal. 4:2). The final fulfilment of this awaits the second coming, but His soul restoring touch also can be experienced personally, here and now.

(3) O Love, how cheering is Thy ray!
All pain before Thy presence flies;
Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away
Where’er Thy healing beams arise.
O Jesus, nothing may I see,
Nothing desire or seek, but Thee!

Questions:

  1. Do you (or does anyone you know) have this kind of passion for God? (If not, why not?)
  2. What examples are you aware of when individuals or churches have tried to substitute “strange fires” for the real thing?

Links:

For All the Saints

Words: William Walsham How (b. Dec. 13, 1823; d. Aug. 10, 1897)
Music: Sine Nomine, by Ralph Vaughan Williams (b. Oct. 12, 1872; d. Aug. 26, 1958)

Note: Called simply “Saints’ Day Hymn” originally, Dr. How’s song (considered the finest of the fifty he wrote) was first published in 1864 with eleven stanzas. Hymnals today that don’t include them all, select various stanzas. One book I pulled from the shelf uses (1), (2), (6), (8), (9), (10) and (11); another uses (1), (2), (6), (7), (8) and (11).

Williams’ tune is called Sine Nomine (without a name), and it’s been suggested that this beautifully recognizes the many saints of God who have also served Him well, without the public recognition of those whose names we know. The tune is wonderfully suited to a large congregation accompanied by a majestic pipe organ, but here’s an a capella version by a smaller group that is effective too.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Though most Protestant churches don’t celebrate All Saints’ Day (on or near November 1st), we can surely use this joyful hymn. It parades before our mind’s eye a great host of faithful servants of God, like the “cloud of witnesses” spoken of in Hebrews 12:1. There are apostles (3), evangelists (4), martyrs (5), and stalwart soldiers of the cross (7), following in the glorious procession of the triumphant King of glory, summoned to a heavenly rest from their earthly labours at last (Rev. 14:13).

(1) For all the saints, who from their labours rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

If Hebrews 12:1 provided the inspiration, there is also much from the book of Revelation that is implied or alluded to in How’s words. We hear echoes of a final great battle, and the triumph of the Lord of hosts (cf. Rev. 19:11-21; and see II Tim. 2:3-4; 4:7).

(7) O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

(8) And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

With further allusions to the book of Revelation, we see the victorious saints “in bright array” (Rev. 4:4; 19:7-8), entering the heavenly city with songs of praise (Rev. 21:23-26).

(10) But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

(11) From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Liturgical churches have regularly celebrated the contribution made by many of God’s servants down through the centuries–even giving some their special days. Non-liturgical churches, perhaps fearful of the charge of idolatry, have largely ignored this heritage. But surely there is an appropriate balance, a middle ground.

Our congregations need to be aware of: great reformers, martyrs, missionaries and evangelists, notable pastors and preachers, pioneers in the Sunday School, and the Bible college movement, pioneers in the use of the media, and (appropriate to this blog) our great hymn writers.

Though many have served the Lord and been engaged in the conflict, down the years, it is with the gifts and opportunities the Lord has given, and it’s God who deserves the glory for what was accomplished, and for their final victory. “Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blessed” (1).

(2) Thou wast their rock, their fortress and their might;
Thou, Lord, their captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Questions:

  1. Does your church celebrate the lives and accomplishments of saints that God has used in wonderful ways over the years? (If not, why not?)
  2. What are some practical ways this can be done, while bringing due glory to God for the fruit of their labours?

Links:

Heavenly Sunlight

Words: Henry Jeffreys Zelley (b. March 15, 1859; d. March 16, 1942)
Music: Grenada, by George Harrison Cook (b. _____; d. _____ 1948)

Note: Mr. Zelley was a Methodist pastor who also wrote hymns–about 1500 of them. This one was first published in 1889. Relatively little is known of George Cook. He was converted at the age of fourteen, and spent many years in Christian ministry, preaching, singing, playing and writing music, training singers, directing choirs, and organizing bands and orchestras. He brought the tune he’d written to Pastor Zelley one day, and asked him to supply lyrics for it.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

There isn’t a great depth of truth in this gospel song, but it does say some simple things about the Christian walk. First, though, let’s think of how sunlight is used in the Scriptures. Though the actual word “sunlight” isn’t found there (in the NKJV), the light of the sun is mentioned many times in the Word of God.

  1. Our sun is a creation of God, designed to provide light on the earth (Gen. 1:16). “The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun” (Ps. 74:16). Most often, the sun simply an indicator of the beginning or the ending of the day–at sunrise and sunset. There are, however, a few times it is used as poetic imagery, a metaphor or simile.
  2. In the book of Ecclesiastes, the sun is mentioned some thirty-two times. The phrase “under the sun” (e.g. Ecc. 1:3, 14) is Solomon’s way of describing this mortal existence, life from the cradle to the grave.
  3. Many times, light is used to picture the purity and holy character of the Lord. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (I Jn. 1:5). Many verses speak of the coming Messiah with this symbolism. “He [the king of David’s line, finally fulfilled in the Messiah] shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds” (II Sam. 23:4). “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings [sunbeams]” (Mal. 4:2).
  4. This became a visible and practical thing, when Christ revealed something of His heavenly glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. “He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matt. 17:2). We have another instance of this, when Christ met with Paul (then called Saul) on the Damascus Road (Acts 26:13). Of the heavenly kingdom we read, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (Rev. 21:23).
  5. Closer to the Pastor Zelley’s use of sunlight as a metaphor applying to the walk of faith we have: “The LORD God is a sun and shield” (Ps. 84:11) speaking of the Lord’s help and protection of His people. Then we have, “Let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength” (Jud. 5:31), and “The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. (Prov. 4:18).
  6. Closest of all, perhaps, is the description of the deliverance of the Jews in the book of Esther. It seems to me that Zelley is using sunlight as a symbol for joy. (Notice the phrase in the refrain, “I am rejoicing,” and the phrase “ever rejoicing” in (3)). It’s said of the Jews when Haman’s wicked plot against them was defeated, “The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honour” (Est. 8:16).

(1): In Christ, we have a source of abiding joy, even in times of trial (“the deep vale”), and He promises to be with us always (Matt. 28:20). (2): There’s no darkness when we walk close beside the Lord. (3): The path of life and our walk with Him leads on to the “mansions above,” and to eternal day.

(1) Walking in sunlight all of my journey;
Over the mountains, through the deep vale;
Jesus has said, “I’ll never forsake thee,”
Promise divine that never can fail.

Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
Flooding my soul with glory divine:
Hallelujah, I am rejoicing,
Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

Questions:

  1. In what circumstances (or for what reason) does this sunlight seem to depart from the Christian’s life, to be replaced by clouds of gloom?
  2. What can be done about the situation described above, to restore the light of joy and confidence in God?

Links:

For the Beauty of the Earth

Words: Folliot Sandford Pierpoint (b. Oct. 7, 1835; d. March 10, 1917)
Music: Dix, by Conrad Kocher (b. Dec. 16, 1786; d. March 12:1872)

Note: The tune Dix is also used with the carol As with Gladness, Men of Old, and is named for the author of the latter song, William Dix.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Mr. Pierpoint lived in the city of Bath, in England. On one beautiful spring day he was seated on a hilltop overlooking the city. The whole panorama of the beauty of nature, and of God’s gifts in terms of the prosperous city, spread out before him, inspiring him to write his hymn It was published in 1864, and entitled “The Sacrifice of Praise” (cf. Heb. 13:15). Though it may not seem to relate directly to the Lord’s Supper, that is where Folliot Pierpoint intended it to be used.

The original hymn had eight stanzas. Commonly used today are (1), (2), (4) and (5). What Pierpoint meant in (8) by “our race” I’m not sure. Was he thinking of white-skinned people only, or more exclusively still of his British heritage? Whatever the case, we can simply see it as a reference to the human race, because God “has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26).

(8) For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven.

The refrain deserves some comment as well. The original made a direct reference to the deity of Christ with:

Christ our God, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

Seemingly fearful of offending the liberals, the first line has been changed in a variety of ways: “Gracious God, to Thee we raise;” or “Father, unto Thee we raise;” or “Lord of all, to Thee we raise.” (The latter has, strangely, been adopted by some evangelical hymnals, though not all. Great Hymns of the Faith retains the original.)

Would they have tried to hush up Thomas too, who addressed Jesus as “My Lord and my God” (Jn. 20:28)? He is, after all, “our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). The deity of Christ has been a keystone of the Christian faith from the beginning. About AD 111, Pliny, the governor of Bithynia, had his first encounter with Christianity, and wrote of it to the emperor Trajan, saying “they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn, and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god.”

This is another thanksgiving hymn that calls us to remember the many things for which we should be grateful to the Lord. Johnson Oatman’s Count Your Blessings is another example, as is August Storm’s Thanks to God for My Redeemer, and Seth and Bessie Sykes’ Thank You, Lord. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (Jas. 1:17). With the psalmist we say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Ps. 103:2).

First Thessalonians 5:23 speaks of our “spirit, soul, and body.” If we take that tripartite view, it gives us an interesting way to list some of the blessings of God–recognizing, of course, that there’s bound to be some crossover.

  • The spirit is that part of our being that has the ability to discern spiritual and eternal realities. Among the blessings appreciated spiritually are: our Saviour and eternal life; the Holy Spirit; the Word of God; spiritual gifts; the privilege of ministry and fruitfulness in it.
  • The soul is that part of our being that has an awareness of who we are, and of what gives us inward pain or pleasure. (The First Thessalonians text uses the Greek word psuche, from which we get our word psychology.) Among the blessings that refresh our souls are: the beauty of nature; music, art, literature; companionship with friends.
  • The body is that part of our being related to things that affect us physically. Among the blessings enjoyed at this level are: good food, shelter and clothing; the abilities provided by our senses to see and hear, do things, and go places.

(1) For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Christ our God, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

(2) For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Questions:

  1. What are some blessings you are particularly grateful for today?
  2. What is implied by calling praise a “sacrifice,” in Hebrews 13:15)?

Links:

The New Song

Words: Arthur Tappan Pierson (b. March 6, 1837; d. June 3, 1911)
Music: Philip Paul Bliss (b. June 9, 1838; d. Dec. 29, 1876)

Note: The alternate title of this 1874 song is With Harps and with Vials. More information about Arthur Pierson, and the story of how the hymn came to be written, is available at the Wordwise link at the end of this article.

Though he wrote several hymns, Dr. Pierson was first of all a Presbyterian pastor and Bible teacher, serving the Lord in that way for fifty years. He was also a strong supporter of missions, and wrote many books. Along the way, he became convinced that the Baptist view of believer’s baptism was the correct and biblical one, and he was baptized by total immersion.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

This is one of those infectious hymns that, once you have sung it, continues to resound in your head and heart. It is based on a prophecy in the book of Revelation (with the “vials” of the KJV being translated as “bowls” in the modern versions).

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb [Christ], each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are [or represent] the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.’

Rev. 5:8-10

A few explanatory notes on this passage.

  1. The scroll. The purpose of the scroll given to Christ, the Lamb of God, is not identified in the text, but the most logical deduction I’ve seen is that it’s the title deed to the earth. The dominion of man, failed and flawed by sin, will be gloriously successful in the coming earthly reign of Christ, “the last Adam” (I Cor. 15:45).
  2. The elders. As to the “elders” around the throne of God, Dwight Pentecost, in his magnum opus Things to Come, thoroughly examines the evidence (pp. 207-209, 253-258) and concludes that they are representatives of the church of Jesus Christ. These are the ones who cast their “crowns” before the Lord (Rev. 4:10-11). Their crowns aren’t the symbol of reign but of reward. They are referred to through the epistles as such (e.g. II Tim. 4:8; Jas. 1:12). The elders are clothed in white robes (Rev. 4:4), the common dress in the heavenly kingdom, spoken of nine times (cf. 7:9-10).
  3. The incense. “Which are the prayers” is a common figure of speech called a metaphor, in which one thing represents something else. Jesus’ parable of the sower gives us another example: “The seed is [represents or symbolizes] the word of God” (Lk. 8:11). The Lord’s Supper gives us yet another: “This [cup of wine] is [represents] My blood” (Matt. 26:28). Since Old Testament times the rising smoke of fragrant incense has pictured the prayers and praises of God’s people ascending to God (Ps. 141:2; cf. Lk. 1:9-10).
  4. The new song. The “new song” is mentioned nine times in the Bible. It refers not necessarily to the newness of the words or music. These may, or may not be entirely new. Rather, it speaks of praises lifted to God from the hearts of those who have had a fresh experience of His presence and power. In that sense, Thomas Chisholm’s 1923 song Great Is Thy Faithfulness can be sung today as a new song–because, as the Word of God and the song both say, God’s mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23).
  5. Reigning on earth. The reign of the saints on the earth has to do with our role, under Christ the King, during the coming Millennial Age (Rev. 20:1-4). This responsibility is spoken of a number of times in Scripture, both in prophecy and parable (cf. Dan. 7:22; Matt. 19:28; Lk. 19:12-19; I Cor. 6:2; II Tim. 2:12).
  6. Redeeming grace. The thing that overwhelms the hymn writer about this heavenly scene is that those of us who are there have no right in ourselves to be there. We were rebel sinners, defiled by our sins. But by the grace of God we’ve been washed and cleansed by the shed blood of Christ (Rev. 1:5; 5:9). He’s “bought us and taught us this new song to sing,” all glory and praise to God!

(1) With harps and with vials, there stand a great throng
In the presence of Jesus, and sing this new song:

Unto Him who hath loved us and washed us from sin,
Unto Him be the glory forever, Amen.

(2) All these once were sinners, defiled in His sight,
Now arrayed in pure garments in praise they unite:

(3) He maketh the rebel a priest and a king,
He hath bought us and taught us this new song to sing:

Questions:

  1. What has happened in your own life in the past week that prompts you to sing a “new song” (or an old song with a new depth of meaning)?
  2. How will living in the light and conscious prospect of heaven affect your life in the coming week?

Links:

Beautiful Isle of Somewhere

Words: Jessie H. Brown Pounds (b. Aug. 31, 1861; d. March 3, 1921)
Music: John Sylvester Fearis (b. Feb. 5, 1867; d. Sept. 2, 1932)

Note: According to the list of songs in the Cyber Hymnal, there are about six dozen songs whose titles begin with the word “beautiful.” This one from 1897 has been criticized for its vague sounding “somewhere” about heaven, but the Wordwise link below explains Mrs. Pounds’ intention. The other link to composer John Fearis has a rendition of the song by fine British tenor Harry Secombe.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

We can surely agree with Jessie Pounds that heaven is somewhere. But though it’s quite clear that heaven is a real, concrete “place” (Jn. 14:2-3), called a “city” numerous times in the Bible (Heb. 12:22; Rev. 21:2), we do not know the precise location of it.

Many texts refer to heaven as being “up,” and tell us that is where the Lord Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us.

“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11; cf. II Cor. 12:2, 4; I Thess. 4:17; I Tim. 3:16; Rev. 4:1; 11:12; 12:5).

But even so, that does not completely solve the problem. How can the heavenly city be “up” from everywhere on earth? Up from North America, and up from Australia too?

Or are we to deduce that, since it’s called “the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22), it is “up” above the earthly Jerusalem? (This idea would seem to me to have some merit.) Another possibility is that the heavenly city exists in a different dimension entirely, and earthly directions are inadequate to describe where it is. That we’re simply to understand “up” in the sense of beyond this earthly sphere.

Ah, but let’s turn from what the hymn writer wisely leaves in question to what she confidently affirms.

  • “God lives, and all is well” (1). We “serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14; cf. 7:25), a title given to Him thirty times in the Scriptures. He is also “the eternal God” (Deut. 33:27). For the believer that assures us that all is well, since God keeps His promises, including those about the bliss and blessings of heaven (Ps. 16;11; 23:6; Rev. 7:15-17).
  • Heaven is the “land of the true” (refrain). If “the True” is intended as a description of Almighty God, it certainly fits (cf. Jn. 14:6; Tit. 1:2). If Mrs. Pounds meant it as a reference to the saints, we know that “there shall by no means enter it [heaven] anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie” (Rev. 21:27; cf. 21:8; 22:11, 15).
  • It is where we live anew” (refrain). In glorified resurrection bodies, believers will begin a new and wonderful life that is beyond our imagination (Phil. 3:20-21; I Jn. 3:2).
  • It is where “the task [our earthly duty] is done” (the evangelizing of a lost world), and new work begins ((2); cf. Rev. 22:3).
  • It is where “the guerdon [reward is] won” ((2); cf. Rev. 22:12).
  • It is where “the load [of earthly care] is lifted,” and “the clouds [of sorrow and discouragement] are rifted [parted]” ((3); cf. Rev. 21:4).
  • It is where “the angels sing” (3), or at least speak the praises of God, and we will too (Rev. 5:8-12)

These are a few of the things we know for sure about heaven, and the Bible tells us even more. Chief among them that God is there, and we’ll fellowship with Jesus, the heavenly Lamb.

(2) Somewhere the day is longer,
Somewhere the task is done;
Somewhere the heart is stronger,
Somewhere the guerdon won.

Somewhere, somewhere,
Beautiful Isle of Somewhere!
Land of the true, where we live anew,
Beautiful Isle of Somewhere!

Questions:

  1. Most people believe in heaven and hope to go there. But what are some false notions of heaven that are held by the unsaved and untaught?
  2. What are your favourite hymns about heaven?

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Jesus Is Coming Again (Peterson)

Words: John Willard Peterson (b. Nov. 1, 1921; d. Sept. 20, 2006)
Music: John Willard Peterson

Note: The Cyber Hymnal does not include this hymn, due to its recent (1957) copyright. But it (as well as the Wordwise link) will give you a bit of biographical information on this well-known gospel musician.

Mr. Peterson was the most prominent and prolific hymn writer of the latter part of the twentieth century, writing dozens of songs, as well as many popular cantatas. But, as the Cyber Hymnal’s biographical note shows, he was involved in other things too. He compiled and edited the fine hymn book Great Hymns of the Faith, was the president, and editor-in-chief of a publishing company, and served on the boards of Gospel Films, and of the Family Life Radio Network.

It’s not surprising that the Cyber Hymnal has posted three other hymns with the same title. For the Christian, this is an exciting and energizing prospect, long anticipated: Jesus is coming again. The New Testament confirms that over and over. Here is just a sampling of references to Christ’s return.

  • “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30).
  • “I [Jesus] will come again and receive you to Myself” (Jn. 14:3).
  • “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go” (Acts 1:11).
  • “[At the Lord’s Supper] you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (I Cor. 11:26).
  • “Christ the firstfruits [to be resurrected in a glorified body], afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (I Cor. 15:23).
  • “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (I Thess. 2:19).
  • “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God” (I Thess. 4:16).
  • “When He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints” (II Thess. 1:10).
  • “Yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37).
  • “The coming of the Lord is at hand” (Jas. 5:8).
  • “Abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (I Jn. 2:28).
  • “Behold, I [Jesus] am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me” (Rev. 22:12; cf. vs. 20).

And to texts such as these we can add a host of Old Testament passages, prophecies about Christ that were unfulfilled, or only partly so, at His first coming. They remain to see their ultimate fulfilment at His return. For example, there’s the promise in Isaiah that the Messiah-King would one day reign upon the throne of David (Isa. 9:6-7).

Gabriel’s message to Mary confirms that this will be fulfilled by Christ (Lk. 1:31-33). Some would like to make “the throne of His father David” the one on which Christ is now seated in heaven, but they are not the same. The throne in heaven is God the Father’s throne, where Christ is seated at His right hand (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 1:3). The Lord indicates that there is yet another throne that He will occupy (Rev. 3:21).

The return of Christ is “the blessed hope” of every believer (Tit. 2:13). We eagerly “wait for His Son from heaven” (I Thess. 1:10). Perhaps He’ll come today. I trust that you count yourself among those who “love His appearing” (II Tim. 4:8).

(1) Marvelous message we bring,
Glorious carol we sing,
Wonderful words of the King:
Jesus is coming again!

Coming again, coming again;
Maybe morning, maybe noon,
Maybe evening and maybe soon!
Coming again, coming again;
O what a wonderful day it will be–
Jesus is coming again!

Questions:

  1. If you knew for certain that the Lord was returning today, what changes would you make in your plans? (And why?)
  2. What are the great second-coming hymns that your church sings? (The Cyber Hymnal lists hundreds of them here, if you need a hint.)

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He Is Able to Deliver Thee

Words: William Augustine Ogden (b. Oct. 10, 1841; d. Oct. 14, 1897)
Music: William Augustine Ogden

Note: William Ogden was a productive gospel songwriter in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Sometimes he wrote the lyrics as well as the tune, as with this 1887 song. (Seeking the Lost, and I’ve a Message from the Lord, are examples too.) Other times, such as with Bring Them In, and The Bright Forevermore, he provided only the tune.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

In 1937, in a Broadway musical called Babes in Arms, there was a show-stopping number called “Johnny One Note.” (“Johnny could only sing one note / And the note he sings was this.”) It told about “poor Johnny” who could only manage to sing a single note. But he bravely stepped forward and sang that one note with gusto, and became famous for it!

I thought of that as I considered this song. Not in connection with the tune, but about the words. Twenty-four lines (including the refrains), all proclaiming a single theme, that God is able to deliver us. But what a wonderful theme that is! It runs, like a scarlet thread, through the Bible from beginning to end.

(1) ’Tis the grandest theme through the ages rung;
’Tis the grandest theme for a mortal tongue;
’Tis the grandest theme that the world e’er sung,
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”

He is able to deliver thee,
He is able to deliver thee;
Though by sin oppressed, go to Him for rest;
“Our God is able to deliver thee.”

Various Hebrew and Greek words are translated “deliver” in our English Bibles. The basic and most common meaning is to rescue. It may be a rescue within the bounds of time, or a rescue that is eternal. It may be a rescue from present circumstances, or from the ruinous bondage of sin. But in all of these, the power of God to bring deliverance is brought before us.

One particular incident is actually recounted three separate times (in Second Kings, Second Chronicles, and Isaiah). It concerns the attempt of the Assyrian army to besiege and take the city of Jerusalem, during the reign of godly King Hezekiah. A spokesman for the Assyrians, standing outside the wall, ridiculed the king and mocked his God, saying that even God couldn’t protect the citizens of Jerusalem (II Kgs. 18:29-30). But Hezekiah went to prayer, and the Lord miraculously delivered His people from harm (II Kgs. 19:35-37).

Later, Daniel was taken as a slave to Babylon, and served in the royal court under a series of rulers. In the days of Darius the Persian, Daniel’s enemies plotted to get rid of him and he was subsequently cast into a pit containing of ravenous lions. The king mourned the loss of his faithful counselor, yet he had a little hope. “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you” (Dan. 6:16). Early the next morning, the king hastened to the pit and called out, “Has your God….been able to deliver you?” (vs. 20), and Daniel assured him that He had.

In an earlier incident, three Hebrew slaves were threatened with being thrown into a blazing furnace if they refused to bow before a golden idol. Their response was, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us” (Dan. 3:17).

But there’s a significant twist in this case. In the following verse the three say, “But if not…” Even if the Lord chose not to deliver them, they still would not bow before the image. Some have thought this showed a lack of faith on their part. But that’s not so. They were simply recognizing that they didn’t know the will of God in this situation. In every age there have been martyrs for the faith. Certainly the Lord was able, but was He going to rescue them now. (Yes, He was, vs. 23-27).

There’s a significant use of our word in Matthew when the Lord Jesus hung upon the cross. The Jewish leaders stood by, mocking Him. For them, the proof that He was who He claimed to be would be a show of miraculous power. “If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross….He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now” (Matt. 27:42-43).

Their total misunderstanding of the case is expressed in the words, “He saved others [perhaps referring to Christ’s miracles]; Himself He cannot save” (vs. 42). But the whole theme of the gospel of grace is that if Christ were to save others eternally He had to be willing to remain where He was. It was by His sacrifice that our debt of sin has been paid (I Cor. 15:3). He “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us” (Gal. 1:4). It’s the “grandest theme for a mortal tongue.”

“He [God] has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13). “[Now we] wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (I Thess. 1:10).

Questions:

  1. What other themes in Scripture bear repeating over and over?
  2. What is it about the gospel that makes it the greatest theme of all?

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