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Hymns

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Words: Bernard of Clairvaux (b. _____, 1091; d. Aug. 21, 1153)
Music: Hans Leo Hassler (b. Oct. 25, 1654; d. June 8, 1612)

Note: Though hymn books traditionally attribute this Mediaeval text to Bernard, evidence is lacking to definitely prove his authorship of the original Latin poem. Some suggest Arnulf of Louvain (or Leuven) (1200-1251) as a possibility. Arnulf was a Cistercian abbot, and a poet.

Lutheran pastor Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) made a German translation of the hymn in 1656, and James Waddel Alexander (1804-1859), a Presbyterian pastor, translated the hymn into English in 1830.

As for the tune, in 1601 Hassler adapted it from a secular ballad of the day. In 1729 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) used it in his oratorio the St. Matthew Passion. It is Bach’s harmonization that is commonly used in our hymn books.

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

This hymn text comes from the Mediaeval practice of viewing and speaking to the form of the crucified Christ, as represented by a crucifix. Hymnologist Ellen Jane Lorenz (Two Hundred Hymn Stories, p. 37) writes that there is a legend from the time that the image of Christ on the cross bowed itself and embraced Bernard, as a token that his devotion was accepted.

The lengthy Latin poem was divided into seven parts, one for each day of Holy Week. The seven sections deal with seven parts of Christ’s body on the cross: His feet, knees, hands, sides, breast, heart, and head. For example, the hymn writer says (3): “The blushes late residing upon that holy cheek….Alas! they have departed.”

It’s the final section of the poem addressing Christ’s head that Gerhardt and Alexander adopted. The Cyber Hymnal gives us ten stanzas, of which only three or four are commonly found in our hymnals: (1), (4), and (8), with some hymn books also including (10). (Note: “vouchsafe” in (4) means to condescend to grant a favour.)

Though this hymn has been embraced by Protestant congregations, there is a strong atmosphere of Mediaeval Roman Catholicism about it. The original title was: “A rhythmical prayer to any one of the members [i.e. body parts] of Christ, suffering and hanging on the cross.” But are we called upon by the Scriptures to pray to the parts of Christ’s body on the cross? In fact, is He now on the cross?

Carlton R. Young, in his Companion to the United Methodist Hymnal (p. 526) asserts that this practice of addressing Christ on the cross has carried over into Protestantism, but the examples he gives do not seem to support his argument. One is Isaac Watts’ hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. But this hymn calls for us to look upon (“survey”) the cross, with the eyes of faith, considering its significance. It doesn’t involve speaking to the dying Saviour there–let alone addressing His various body parts!

While we, as Christians, look back upon the sufferings of Christ with awe and reverence, we know that Christ was afterwards triumphant over death, then ascended and is seated at the Father’s right hand. We now come before our living and glorified “great High Priest” in heaven, seeking mercy and grace in His holy name (Heb. 4:14-16), “knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him” (Rom. 6:9). That is why the crosses in Protestant churches are empty. “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all” (Heb. 6:10).

Having said these things, the three stanzas most commonly used today are the best, in my view. And there is a warmth of devotion and faith in them–and certainly truth regarding the substitutionary nature of the death of Christ. (Gerhardt’s adaption of the original has strengthened this.) Separated by eleven or twelve centuries from its ritual application, the hymn is used by many congregations, especially at the Easter season. I’ve included it in services myself. However, the background may give some Christians pause.

(1) O sacred head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred head, what glory!
What bliss, till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.

(4) What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered,
Was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Saviour!
’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favour,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Questions:

  1. Is this a hymn you do (or would) use? (Why? Or why not?)
  2. What great hymns about the cross have been a blessing to you?

Links:

There Is Power in the Blood

Words: Lewis Edgar Jones (b. Feb. 8, 1865; d. Sept. 1, 1936)
Music: Lewis Edgar Jones

Note: This gospel song is sometimes called simply Power in the Blood. Mr. Jones wrote both words and music for it in 1899, while he was attending a camp meeting in Maryland. The tune is very singable. It seems to lend itself to speed, and a heavy beat (as with the version here). But my own preference is to slow it down and smooth it out. After all, we’re singing of the agonies of the cross, God’s provision for the evils of our sin, and the ugly passion of pride.

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

The shed blood of Christ represents His death. To say Jesus shed His blood is to say that He died. Yet the one is not replaceable by the other–as some Bible translators and hymn writers suppose. The shed blood of the innocent sacrifice is important to the unfolding of the Bible’s message. “The life of the flesh is in the blood,” and “it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul [i.e. the life of the individual]” (Lev. 17:11). “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission [no forgiveness of sins]” (Heb. 9:22). Not surprisingly, therefore, Peter speaks of “the precious blood of Christ” (I Pet. 1:19).

For those who put their faith in the Saviour, here are just a few of the things accomplished by the blood of Christ, shed upon the cross of Calvary (Jn. 19:34):

¤ We find God is “propitiated,” meaning His justice is satisfied by the payment made by His Son (Rom. 3:25; cf. I Cor. 5:7)
¤ We are redeemed, and forgiven of our sins (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Rev. 5:9)
¤ We belong to Christ, not only by His right as Creator, but by the right of purchase (Acts 20:28; cf. I Cor. 6:19-20)
¤ We receive initial cleansing when we’re saved (Rev. 1:5)
¤ We have continued cleansing available when we sin, as we confess our sins to God (I Jn. 1:7, 9)
¤ We are justified, pronounced righteous by a holy God (Rom. 5:9)
¤ We have peace with God (Col. 1:20; cf. Rom. 5:1)
¤ We have immediate access to God in prayer (Eph. 2:13; Heb. 10:19; cf. Heb. 4:14-16)
¤ We are sanctified, set apart for God as His own special treasure (Heb. 13:11; cf. Eph. 1:18)
¤ We have victory over Satan and all the forces of evil (Rev. 12:11; cf. Heb. 2:14)

Nor will these wonderful truths be lost and forgotten in eternity. The Lord Jesus Christ is called God’s “Lamb” twenty-seven times in the book of Revelation. It is a title that points us right back to His sacrifice for sin. “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain” (Rev. 5:12; cf. Jn. 1:29).

(1) Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

(2) Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Questions:

  1. Does your church seem to shy away from hymns about the shed blood of Christ? (If so, why?)
  2. What other hymns about the blood of Christ do you know and use? (The Cyber Hymnal includes over a hundred of them in a topical list, here.)

Links:

I Know That My Redeemer Liveth

Words: Jessie H. Brown Pounds (b. Aug. 31, 1861; d. March 3, 1921)
Music: Hannah, by James Henry Filmore, Sr. (b. June 1, 1849; d. Feb. 8, 1936)

Note: The words of Job in Job 19:25, forming the title and first line of this song, are significant to the story of Job himself, and to all of us. It’s not surprising, therefore, that there’ve been a number of hymns by the same name. The Cyber Hymnal lists an excellent one by Samuel Medley, and a couple of others. The text is also used by George Frederick Handel, in his Messiah. Jessie Brown’s song was published in 1893, as part of an Easter cantata; it was first printed in a hymn book in 1896 (the year of her marriage to Pastor John Pounds).

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

As noted above, the opening declaration of this hymn is significant in the book of Job. He had been enduring the most terrible and excruciating trials, likely for several months. Not knowing the involvement of Satan, Job could only think that God had somehow changed toward him. But this made no sense. He was a godly man who walked with God before his suffering began and was greatly blessed. He did not depart from this path in a way that would turn God against Him. (And the Lord agreed with Job about that–cf. Job 1:1, 2:3).

Could it be that God’s blessings are somehow arbitrary and random? Or that God is, after all, unjust? Job is like a man lost in a cave, trying desperately to find a way out. In soaring arguments he explores one possible option after another, but without a resolution. And it is important to note that rather than rebelling against the Lord in his misery, he is desperately trying to find Him.“Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,” says Job (13:15).

His “friends,” of course, with their narrow theology, blame him of some great wickedness (e.g. 15:5-6; 22:5). They adhere to a theory of instant justice. Do right, and God will bless you–right away. Do wrong, and God will punish you, immediately. When Job protests his innocence, they rant and rail against him for being proud and deceitful–and demonstrably wicked.

However, Job is far beyond them in his understanding of the ways of God. No narrow “instant justice” for him. He believes in the afterlife, and the resurrection of the dead. If he is not able to meet with God and find answers to his questions in this life, he is confident he will be able to do so, and find justice, in the next. It is in this context that he declares:

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed [or, after my skin worms destroy this body, KJV], this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another [i.e. not as a stranger, but as a friend].”

Job 19:25-27

Jessie Brown is confident in the Lord too. But she looks at the key passage in Job from a different perspective, because she stands (as we all do now) between the first and second comings of Christ. Therefore, her assurance concerns the coming triumphant return of her Redeemer as King of kings and Lord of Lords.

(1) I know that my Redeemer liveth,
And on the earth again shall stand;
I know eternal life He giveth,
That grace and power are in His hand.

The basis of her assurance is the trustworthy Word of the Lord. The Lord Jesus has promised, “I will come again” (Jn. 14:3; cf. Rev. 22:12, 20).

(2) I know His promise never faileth,
The Word He speaks, it cannot die;
Though cruel death my flesh assaileth,
Yet I shall see Him by and by.

Finally, Miss Brown turns to the pledge of the Lord Jesus in John 14:2-3 (cf. 17:24), that He is preparing heavenly dwelling places for His own, confident that we shall dwell with Him forever. Whatever trials and testings we face now, they will one day end in the glory of His presence.

(3) I know my mansion He prepareth,
That where He is there I may be;
O wondrous thought, for me He careth,
And He at last will come for me.

Questions:

  1. How do you know that your Redeemer lives–what gives you that confidence?
  2. Trials are painful. Yet, we are assured that God works in them for our good (Rom. 8:28). What kind of good comes from them?

Links:

The King Is Coming (Sankey)

Words: Ira David Sankey (b. Aug. 28, 1840; d. Aug. 13, 1908)
Music: Ira David Sankey

Note: As you can see, Ira Sankey wrote both the words and music for this song, published in 1888. It should not be mistaken for the much more recent song with that title, written by the Gaithers (a song exhibiting some rather confused theology!). Sankey’s composition of his joyful song took place under rather unusual circumstances–to say the least! The story is told, in Sankey’s own words, in both links at the end of this article.

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

Ira Sankey was uniquely gifted for the ministry the Lord gave him on both sides of the Atlantic. He was, to evangelist Dwight L. Moody, what Cliff Barrows and Bev Shea combined have been to the modern evangelist Billy Graham. But more than that, Sankey also played the organ. And he composed music, wrote gospel songs himself, and served as the editor and publisher of popular songbooks.

There are recordings of Mr. Sankey singing some familiar hymns here. But you need to realize that these were made near the end of his life, when he was in ill health. They don’t give a true picture of the powerful baritone voice (that sang to thousands without amplification) stirring audiences for many years, and effectively presenting the gospel in song.

In 1870, Ira Sankey attended a Y.M.C.A Convention in Indianapolis (back in the days when the word “Christian” in Young Men’s Christian Association meant far more than today). The singing was at first lacklustre, and Mr. Sankey, whose reputation as a song leader and soloist had already been established, was asked to lead. He began the singing with There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood, and those gathered responded heartily.

After the meeting, the singer was introduced to evangelist Dwight Moody. He says this of their first meeting–which shows something of Moody’s decisive leadership. In Sankey’s own words:

“He stepped forward and, taking me by the hand, looked at me in that keen, piercing fashion of his, as if reading my very soul. Then he said abruptly, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Pennsylvania,’ I replied. ‘Are you married?’ ‘I am.’ ‘How many children have you?’ ‘Two.’ ‘What is your business?’ ‘I am a government officer [he collected for the Internal Revenue].’ ‘Well, you’ll have to give that up!’ I was too much astonished to make any reply, and he went on, as if the matter had already been decided: ‘I have been looking for you for the past eight years. You’ll have to come to Chicago and help me in my work.’”

Moody was no musician himself, but he understood the power of music to convey the truth of God’s Word. Some months later, the thirty-year-old Sankey resigned his government job and became part of Moody’s team, a partnership that would be greatly used of God over many years.

As to the present song, it emphasizes the joyful prospect of the soon return of Christ. Yes, the Lord has delayed His return for two thousand years now, but for a gracious purpose. “[He] is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Pet. 3:9). Even so, the final day will come. God does not count time as we do (vs. 8), and Christ will return suddenly, unexpectedly.

“For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37). “Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (Jas. 5:8).

(1) Rejoice! Rejoice! our King is coming!
And the time will not be long,
Until we hail the radiant dawning,
And lift up the glad new song.

Oh, wondrous day! oh, glorious morning,
When the Son of Man shall come!
May we with lamps all trimmed and burning
Gladly welcome His return!
Rejoice! Rejoice! our King is coming!
And the time will not be long,
Until we hail the radiant dawning,
And lift up the glad new song.

The thrust of the final stanza is that we should be watchful and ready for the Lord’s return, meanwhile, continuing to stand for the truth and serve Him.

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev. 22:12).“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them” (Rom. 12:6). “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Pet. 4:10).

(3) Oh, may we never weary, watching,
Never lay our armour down
Until He come, and with rejoicing
Give to each the promised crown.

Questions:

  1. In what way(s) do you intend to keep busy for the Lord, until His return?
  2. What other hymns about the Second Coming do you enjoy and sing?

Links:

Beyond the Sunset

Words: Virgil Prentiss Brock (b. Jan. 6, 1887; d. March 12:1978)
Music: Blanche Kerr Brock (b. Feb. 3, 1888; d. Jan. 3, 1958)

Note: The Wordwise link at the bottom of this article will tell you a bit of the history of the husband-and-wife evangelistic team that called themselves “the Singing Brocks,” and the interesting story of how this gospel song came to be written.

Virgil Brock continued in active ministry virtually to the end of his ninety-one years. He was a gifted song leader, and though he wrote the texts for many gospel songs, he depended on his wife to supply the music. He once said, “To me the theory of music seems more complicated than building a space ship!” Even so, his fifty years of songwriting was recognized in 1969 with an Honorary Degree of Sacred Music, from Trinity College, Dunedin, Florida.

Oddly enough, the only time the word “sunset” is used in our English Bibles, it’s associated with a death.

“The battle increased that day, and the king of Israel [a mortally wounded King Ahab] propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening; and about the time of sunset he died.”

II Chron. 18:34, NKJV, cf. NASB, NIV

And even here, the Hebrew word (shemesh) is ambiguous. It’s not exclusive to sunset, but is used of sunrise as well. Only the reference to “evening” in the context clarifies which is meant.

That being said, the association of the setting sun with death is appropriate. It speaks of the ending of day as a picture of the ending of a life. But we know from long experience that the conclusion of one day leads to the beginning of another. After there’s a sunset, there will be a sunrise.

In terms of our mortal lives, the ending of life’s day brings the daybreak of eternity. How short-sighted, then, to invest our time and energy in heaping up riches and possessions in this life (as the rich fool did in Jesus’ parable, Lk. 12:16-21), and not prepare for the eternal tomorrow. The Apostle Paul came to realize that even his Hebrew lineage, and his strict adherence to the Law of Israel, were not enough to fix his destiny as he’d hoped. He needed Christ (Phil. 3:4-9).

This is the heart of the gospel. All are sinners, and fall short of God’s righteous standard (Rom. 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). But God, in grace, sent His Son to die in our place, as the sinner’s Substitute (I Cor. 15:3). Now, through faith in His saving work on the cross, we can be cleansed of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life (Jn. 3:16; 5:24). There is no other way (Jn. 3:18, 36; 14:6; Acts 4:12).

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

I Jn. 5:11-12

It is the one who is a child of God, through faith in the Saviour (Jn. 1:12-13; I Jn. 3:1-2), who can look, with the eyes of faith “beyond the sunset,” to see the eternal destiny that awaits the saints. For His children, the most precious aspect of the heavenly kingdom is surely that we’ll be with the Lord Jesus there (Jn. 14:2-3).

(1) Beyond the sunset, O blissful morning,
When with our Saviour heav’n is begun;
Earth’s toiling ended, O glorious morning–
Beyond the sunset, when day is done.

In that eternal dawning, there will be nothing to threaten or make us afraid ((2), cf. Rev. 21:4), and we’ll be reunited with all the faithful who have gone before us ((4); cf. I Thess. 4:16-17). Such truths are a great comfort to God’s people (vs. 18). It’s little wonder, therefore, that a monument erected to the Brocks and their long ministry is inscribed with the words, “Beyond the Sunset.”

Questions:

  1. Are you certain of where you’ll spend eternity? Because of the nature of this blog, I’m sure the majority who visit it are born again Christians. But if you are unsure of your standing before God, I encourage you to read this article again, and look up the many Scriptures referenced. Or check out the article God’s Plan of Salvation.
  2. What are some other images of death and the entry into eternity that are used in our hymns? (If you’re stuck, see the Cyber Hymnal’s topical listing here of nearly nine hundred hymns about heaven!)

Links:

After

Words: Napoleon Bonaparte (“Jack”) Vandall (b. Dec. 28, 1896; d. Aug. 24:1970)
Music: Napoleon Bonaparte Vandall

Note: This fine gospel song was published in 1934. The touching story behind it is told briefly in the Wordwise link below. A fuller account, in Jack Vandall’s own words, is found in Ken Osbeck’s book 101 More Hymn Stories (Kregel Publications, 1985). Phil Kerr, in his book Music in Evangelism (Zondervan Publishing House, 1962) tells us a little about the author’s early life.

Vandall’s mother, a dedicated Christian, died when he was a boy, and he had no other spiritual influence in his life. He became a cabaret entertainer, in the early years of the twentieth century, then served in the Marines in the First World War. After the war, he became a businessman in Akron, Ohio. In 1920, he was converted at a Methodist camp meeting. It was then that he entered Christian ministry.

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

It’s an important word: after. And, since God has made us eternal beings, there always is an “after.” For the believer, a common application of this truth is the realization that the trials and suffering of this present life do have an end. In this life, we have the presence and sustaining grace of the Lord, as He leads the way onward–after which He will call us to Himself, in the heavenly kingdom. As the psalmist puts it, “You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Ps. 73:24).

That means that, for every Christian, “Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). That truth brought special comfort to the hymn writer on a particular occasion. Vandall’s son Paul was run down by a car. In the hospital, severely injured, it looked as though he would not survive. When the grieving father knelt to pray, all he could do was cry out, “Oh, God!” But he says:

“It seemed to me that Jesus knelt by my side, and I could feel His arms around me as He said, ‘Never mind, My child. Your home will be visited with tribulation and sorrow, but in the afterwards to come, these things shall not be.’”

Jack Vandall

That comfort is not wishful thinking. In fact, the assurance of our own glorious resurrection is provided for by another “afterward.” In First Corinthians 15, the great resurrection chapter, we see God’s plan laid out: “Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” Then the promise will be fulfilled:

“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Rev. 21:4

And we have this further assurance:

“Our light affliction, which is but for a moment [even though it is painful, and perhaps seems unending at the time], is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory….The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

II Cor. 4:17-18

It was as he was comforted by such thoughts as these, even in his deep distress, that Jack Vandall went to the piano and wrote the words and music of a personal testimony to his faith that has since blessed many.

(1) After the toil and the heat of the day,
After my troubles are past,
After the sorrows are taken away,
I shall see Jesus at last.

He shall be waiting for me–
Jesus, so kind and true:
On His beautiful throne,
He will welcome me home,
After the day is through.

(2) After the heartaches and sighing shall cease,
After the cold winter’s blast,
After the conflict comes glorious peace–
I shall see Jesus at last.

Questions:

  1. Why is it we have such difficulty seeing beyond the trials of this life to the “afterwards”?
  2. Is there someone you can encourage this week with the message of this song?

Links:

O Thou in Whose Presence

Words: Joseph Swain (b. _____, 1761; d. Apr. 14, 1796)
Music: Beloved, also called Davis, by Freeman Lewis (b. Dec. 30, 1780; d. Sept. 18, 1859)

Note: Freeman Lewis was an American surveyor and school teacher. He also wrote a number of hymn tunes, and published a book called The Beauties of Harmony.

Joseph Swain was christened on May 22nd, 1761, so his birth likely took place shortly before that. Though he died at the age of thirty-five, he was an able servant of God for a number of years. He wrote several books, and published a number of hymns (see the list on the Cyber Hymnal, on the page for Joseph Swain).

Swain wrote nine eight-line stanzas for this hymn. Divided as most hymn books have them now, this would make eighteen four-line stanzas. The Cyber Hymnal contains eleven, but there is another lovely one that I’ll include, calling it (3b), because of its original placement.

Checking several hymnals, I see that the usual selection of stanzas includes: (1), (2), (3), (10) and (11)–with one older book adding (3b). (11) may not be from Swain’s pen, but was added to later editions along the way. It makes a fitting conclusion to a beautiful song.

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

The author called his hymn “A Description of Christ by His Graces and Power.” The verses contain many allusions to the Bible book The Song of Solomon, and I have mixed feelings about that.

The Old Testament “Song” song consists of romantic oriental poetry celebrating, the courtship and marriage of King Solomon to a beautiful young peasant woman. Though some of the imagery in the expressions of love between the two sound strange today (e.g. “Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep”), I’m sure that many of our phrases would be equally strange to Solomon’s ears!

Over in the New Testament, the relationship between Christ and His church is likened to that between a bridegroom and his bride. In discussing the marriage relationship, the Apostle Paul wrote:

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

Eph. 5:25-27

Of those he won to Christ, Paul said: “I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (II Cor. 11:2). And when the saints are gathered to the Lord, in the heavenly kingdom, we read of the coming Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).

This New Testament use of the husband-wife relationship has caused many to read this back into The Song of Solomon, making virtually everything about the king apply in some spiritualized sense to Christ, and what we are told about the Shulamite peasant girl to the Christian church. However, while the book may provide an interesting illustration of the latter, we must emphasize that it is a secondary application, not the actual interpretation of the text.

A failure to make this distinction may obscure some practical lessons on romance and marriage that God intends us to have. And a further problem is demonstrated by Swain’s hymn. Unless a congregation is familiar with the poetic imagery of Solomon’s song, and understands the literal and historical events the book describes, the application to Christ may be lost. This is one reason why some of Swain’s stanzas are either omitted or altered today. For example:

(4) Ye daughters of Zion declare, have ye seen
The star that on Israel shone?
Say, if in your tents my Belovèd has been,
And where, with His flocks, He is gone.

The “daughters of Jerusalem [Zion]” are referred to thirteen times in Solomon’s song (e.g. 5:16). They are the attendants preparing the young woman for her wedding–and likely form the chorus in the performance of this extended piece of music, which is almost like an opera. The young bride-to-be tells her attendants how she first met the king, but didn’t recognize him. Solomon was not in his kingly robes, but was out inspecting his flocks. She assumed that he was a shepherd, and when he departed from her she tried to find out where his flocks were feeding, so she could meet him again.

This is all well and good. But how many will understand (4) in those terms, and be able, as they sing the words, to apply them readily to Christ? Having said this, there is a warmth of devotion in this hymn, and the usual stanzas selected from the original are more easily understood.

(3) O, why should I wander an alien from Thee,
And cry in the desert for bread?
Thy foes will rejoice when my sorrows they see,
And smile at the tears I have shed.

(3b) Restore, my dear Saviour, the light of Thy face;
Thy soul-cheering comfort impart;
And let the sweet tokens of pardoning grace
Bring joy to my desolate heart.

Questions:

  1. What does the comparison of the husband-wife relationship teach us about the relationship of Christ and His church?
  2. What does your church do with hymns that have more obscure imagery? Simply avoid them? Or explain and use them?

Links:

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Words: Frances Jane (“Fanny”) Crosby (b. March 24, 1820; d. Feb. 12, 1915)
Music: William Howard Doane (b. Feb. 3, 1832; d. Dec. 23, 1915)

Note: There’s an interesting little incident connected with the writing of this song in 1868. You can find it on the Wordwise link below.

(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 a lovely hymn, but it’s usually misused or misapplied. I think the only time I’ve heard it sung is at funeral services. In the minds of most folks it apparently evokes a sentimental picture of the departed loved one being hugged by the Lord Jesus, as he or she is welcomed into heaven. We do know that, while on earth, Christ took infants and young children in His arms (Mk. 10:13-16). Perhaps that’s what has prompted the other idea for some.

But Fanny Crosby doesn’t have death and heaven in view. She’s talking about the loving care of the Saviour in the here and now. She revels in the fact that she’s wrapped ‘round with the loving arms of Jesus in a spiritual sense, even as she faces “only a few more trials, only a few more tears” (2), and she prays, “Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is o’er” (3).

So, does the Lord Jesus Christ personally welcome home each saint by wrapping him or her in His arms? It’s possible, of course, but there’s no evidence that it’s more than a sentimental notion. The Bible teaches that the Son of God is normally seated at the Father’s right hand in glory (Heb. 1:3). But when Stephen was stoned to death, he saw the Lord “standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). It’s not difficult to imagine Him preparing to welcome the church’s first martyr home. More than that it’s difficult to say.

The family and friends of departed Christians don’t need to be mollified by fantasies. They can be uplifted and encouraged by the certitudes of Holy Scripture. And what was said of Israel is surely true of each individual saint today: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27).

We mustn’t lose the blessing of using this hymn as a reminder the Lord’s presence and tender care now. “Lo, I am with you always,” Jesus said, “even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:28). Fanny Crosby’s poetic imagery, though symbolic, expresses a reality that is comforting and reassuring. With the psalmist she would say, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Ps. 4:8). It would be worth explaining this hymn and using it in other circumstances.

Though it may be mediated by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the attentive ministrations of angels (Heb. 1:14), Christ’s care of the saints is no less real and no less effective. The One who “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20), would surely not abandon me now. In fact, the book of Romans is quite insistent in answering the question: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” In Romans 8:35-39 we are made to understand that nothing can or will.

(1) Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o’er-shaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels, borne in a song to me.
Over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea.

Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.

(3) Jesus, my heart’s dear refuge, Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages, ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is o’er;
Wait till I see the morning break on the golden shore.

Questions:

  1. Can you think of other hymns that seem to be used at funerals but not at other times–songs that could be a blessing in other circumstances?
  2. What are some aspects or elements of the Lord’s loving care for His own?

Links:

Royal Wedding Hymns

Good morning! I trust this is a day full of blessings for you. Please come back tomorrow, for new reflections.

13 years ago today, some of us watched a Royal Wedding, broadcast from London – the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Why not check out the background of three traditional hymns that were used during the opulent wedding ceremony? The last, Jerusalem, is not strictly a hymn, but is an inspirational British song.

Just When I Need Him Most

Words: William Charles Poole (b. Apr. 14, 1875; d. Dec. 24, 1949)
Music: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (b. Aug. 18, 1856; d. Sept. 15, 1932)

Note: William Poole was a pastor with the Methodist church in America. He also wrote quite a number of hymns, including this one in 1907. It was his very first attempt, and he sent the text to Charles Gabriel to fit it with a tune.

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

Being properly prepared for a particular experience, good or bad, is a great thing. But being human, and with our limited knowledge of what lies ahead, sometimes we aren’t. Take a simple example. Suppose you are walking through a park, and you see a cute little child playing with her dog. You pause for a moment to watch them, as the child laughs in delight, and you think, “Oh, if only I had my camera with me!”

In a more serious vein, the Bible reminds us, “You do not know what will happen tomorrow” (Jas. 4:14). Unexpected blessings and unanticipated trials may lie ahead. How can we be equipped to make use of the one, and cope with the other? For the Christian, the most basic answer is that the Lord is with us, every step of the way, and we can look to Him for what we need. He is “a very present help….The Lord of hosts [Commander of all the armies of heaven] is with us” (Ps. 46:1).

Annie Hawks gave us the hymn I Need Thee Every Hour, and I’m sure that expresses the thought of each of us, as we consider the future. And “He’s only a prayer away,” says another gospel song. “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him” (Ps. 145:18).

William Poole approaches the same subject, but in a slightly different way. The song is not complicated. It has a simple message, and it’s simply put. But it’s important. In the four stanzas of his song, Pastor Poole reassures us by looking at several aspects of his subject. First of all:

(1) Just when I need Him, Jesus is near,
Just when I falter, just when I fear;
Ready to help me, ready to cheer,
Just when I need Him most.

There are times when we’re anxious and afraid, times when we falter and stumble on the path of life. But the Lord is “ready to help [us], ready to cheer.” The fearful disciples could testify to that. They were caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. But the Lord Jesus came to them in the storm, walking on the sea [showing His power over it] and called to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Good cheer. It’s a phrase that expresses courage, confidence, and comfort.

(2) reminds us that “Jesus is true,” meaning faithful to His promises. He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). We can count on that.

(2) Just when I need Him, Jesus is true,
Never forsaking all the way through;
Giving for burdens pleasures anew,
Just when I need Him most.

(3) reminds us of the power of God. He has the ability to lift our burdens, and give us a song of joy, even in trying circumstances. In Acts 16:25 we see missionaries Paul and Silas singing hymns of praise in a prison cell. And in the book of Philippians, written from prison, Paul has a lot to say about joy and rejoicing. There’s reference to it in every single chapter (Phil. 1:4, 18, 25, 26; 2:2, 16, 17, 18, 26; 3:1, 3; 4:1, 4).

In (4) the author sums up his message with “He [Christ] is my all.” He watches over me and He answers prayer when I call upon Him. As Hebrews tells us, Christ is our great High Priest in heaven. He sympathizes with us in our weakness and distress, and we can obtain mercy and grace for the asking (Heb. 4:14-16).

(4) Just when I need Him, He is my all,
Answering when upon Him I call;
Tenderly watching lest I should fall,
Just when I need Him most.

Questions:

  1. In what particular circumstance did you find the Lord a “very present help” in the past week?
  2. If you were adding a stanza to Pastor Poole’s hymn, what would its subject be? “Just when I need Him…” what?

Links:

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