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Titanic

Exactly 112 years ago tomorrow (April 15th), the famed luxury liner RMS Titanic, on its maiden voyage, struck an iceberg and sank with great loss of life.  With every possible scientific advancement of the day on board, it was thought to be unsinkable, but it wasn’t. The disaster has become a cautionary tale, reminding us all that human ingenuity will not bring heaven on earth. Technology may be the god of some, but it has feet of clay, and it can do nothing to cleanse and renew the human heart. Only God can do that, as we turn to Christ in faith (Jn. 3:16; Eph. 1:7).

Our hymnody comes into the tragic story of the Titanic. It was affirmed by a least one credible survivor (a Canadian) that the ship’s orchestra was on deck playing as the great ocean liner sank, and that they were playing the hymn, Nearer, My God, to Thee. In the lead-up to the centenary remembrance of the disaster in 2012, the hymn was heard, playing in the background, of many television news items. There’s a catch, however. The hymn tune North Americans are most familiar with (Bethany, by Lowell Mason) is almost certainly not the one used. To learn more, see the third item on the page here, where I have a clip from the one popular movie that got it right.

O Boundless Salvation

Words: William Booth (b. Apr. 10, 1829; d. Aug. 20, 1912)
Music: My Jesus, I Love Thee, by J. Ellis (further information needed)

Note: This sturdy hymn is sometimes called simply Boundless Salvation (as it is in the Cyber Hymnal). Salvation Army folk refer to it the world over as the Founder’s Hymn, since the words were written by their founder, William Booth. The original had seven verses, though I notice that Living Hymns includes only (1), (2), (6) and (7). When it was first sung, General Booth added a chorus to his verses, which I don’t believe is used today. It said:

The heavenly gales are blowing,
The cleansing stream is flowing,
Beneath its waves I’m going,
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

A further word about the composer and the tune. If you have additional information about “J. Ellis,” his full name, and the dates of his birth and death, I’d greatly appreciate it. The hymnal Hymns of the Christian Life calls the tune Booth, and Hymnary.org calls it St. Anne (possibly in error, as this is the name of an entirely different tune). Still others call the tune Affection, so it seems to have many names.

Since the tune is called, My Jesus, I Love Thee, according to the Cyber Hymnal, it may well have been used with the words of that hymn too. It does fit very well, when the phrase in the last line, “If ever I loved Thee,” is repeated three times. I encourage you to give it a try. It changes the emotional feel of the song from warm and tender sentiment to that of a stalwart and forceful testimony.

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

For an evangelistic campaign held in Exeter Hall, in London, organizers chose the theme “Boundless Salvation.” For the use of those who gathered there was a song sheet of “Boundless Salvation Songs,” including one that began, “Boundless the salvation Jesus offers at the cross.” Inspired by the theme, and the songs, William Booth laboured all one night on a hymn of his own. Coworkers arrived at his home at six o’clock in the morning and he handed them the words of this song.

(1) O boundless salvation! deep ocean of love,
O fullness of mercy, Christ brought from above,
The whole world redeeming, so rich and so free,
Now flowing for all men, now flowing for all men,
Now flowing for all men, come, roll over me!

Used to dealing with men and women often considered the dregs of society, Booth wasn’t afraid to be blunt and specific about sin. Stanzas not usually included in hymnals today fit that design.

(3) My tempers are fitful, my passions are strong,
They bind my poor soul and they force me to wrong;
Beneath thy blest billows deliverance I see,
O come, mighty ocean, O come, mighty ocean,
O come, mighty ocean, and roll over me!

(4) Now tossed with temptation, then haunted with fears,
My life has been joyless and useless for years;
I feel something better most surely would be
If once thy pure waters, if once thy pure waters,
If once thy pure waters would roll over me.

It’s reported that 358 individuals trusted Christ as Saviour at the Exeter Hall meetings. No doubt the song was used of God to set the tone of the services, expressing both human need, and God’s wonderful answer, through Christ. “Nor is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12).

It is “so great a salvation” (Heb. 2:3), and an “eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:9). No wonder it is “the gospel [good news]” for lost sinners (Eph. 1:13; cf. Rom. 1:16). For time and eternity, we’ll be praising the Lord for what He did for us at Calvary. “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honour and power belong to the Lord our God!” (Rev. 19:1).

In 1945, a British soldier (and a member of the Salvation Army), walking through a German town, was startled to hear Boundless Salvation being played on a violin. Pushing through the crowd, he found an elderly man, sitting on the curb playing the tune. Having spent some years in the United States, the violinist was able to speak English. He reported that the Salvation Army ministry in the town had been virtually ended by the war. But he, the Sergeant Major, continued to share the gospel message by singing and playing in the streets.

(7) And now, hallelujah! the rest of my days
Shall gladly be spent in promoting His praise
Who opened His bosom to pour out this sea
Of boundless salvation, of boundless salvation,
Of boundless salvation for you and for me.

Questions:

  1. In what ways is God’s salvation “boundless” (limitless)?
  2. What are some effective ways to share the message of salvation?


Links:

Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord

Words: Edwin Hodder (b. Dec. 13, 1837; d. March 1, 1904)
Music: Bethlehem, by Gottfried Wilhelm Fink (b. March 8, 1783; d. Aug. 27, 1846)

Note: Edwin Hodder was a successful Victorian author, with quite a number of books to his credit, including The Way and the Life (about the plan of salvation), Memories of New Zealand Life (where he lived, for several years), and The Story of Jesus in Verse.

Mr. Hodder also published the New Sunday School Hymn Book, containing twenty-three of his own songs, including the one discussed here. His original had seven stanzas, but only three are commonly used today. One of the omitted stanzas says:

Thy Word is like a glorious choir,
And loud its anthems ring;
Though many tongues and parts unite,
It is one song they sing.

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

A simile makes a comparison between two things, for the purpose of illustration, and to enrich our understanding. Often the words “like” or “as” are used (notice, “like a glorious choir,” above). The Bible, especially in the books of Hebrew poetry, makes use of similes.

  • “He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den” (Ps. 10:9).
  • “He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday” (Ps. 37:6).
  • “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God” (Ps. 42:1).
  • “As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him (Prov. 10:26).

The Lord Himself uses similes to describe His Word. We have in Jeremiah, “‘Is not My word like a fire?’ says the LORD, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’” (Jer. 23:29). The imagery of a fire and a hammer refers to words of judgment against false prophets who do not speak for Him (vs. 30-32).

In his hymn, Mr. Hodder utilizes a series of similes to help us understand the value of the Word of God in our lives. In (1), it is like beautiful flowers, in its magnificence. And like flowers in the fields and gardens, it’s accessible to “everyone who seeks.” The Bible can also be compared to a deep mine, where precious gems may be sought.

But notice the distinction between those two similes. Flowers are all around us, and often easily reached. But mining requires skill and great effort, and a dedicated “searcher.” It is the same with the Word of God. There are simple truths on the surface that are easily grasped. But others require a level of spiritual maturity to understand, and a dedication to study and meditation on what God says.

(1) Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;
And every one who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.

(2) gives us another set of comparisons: the Bible is like the glittering light of the stars, giving the traveller help on his way (cf. Ps. 119:105, 130), and like an armoury where a soldier can be equipped to fight the battle for truth and righteousness. The latter picture fits the description of the Scriptures in Ephesians as “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17; cf. Heb. 4:12).

Finally, Edwin Hodder gives us a prayer of dedication in (3). If the Bible is all the things he mentions, like flowers, a mine, starlight, and an armoury, he desires to appropriate it and activate it in his life in appropriate ways.

(3) O may I love Thy precious Word, may I explore the mine,
May I its fragrant flowers glean, may light upon me shine!
O may I find my armour there! Thy Word my trusty sword,
I’ll learn to fight with every foe the battle of the Lord.

Questions:

  1. What is the value of using similes to teach, as the Bible often does?
  2. Can you think of other helpful comparisons that can be made to the Word of God (either ones found in Scripture, or others)? (For example, how is the Bible like honey, Ps. 19:10-11?)

Links:

Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart

Words: George Croly (b. Aug. 17, 1780; d. Nov. 24, 1860)
Music: Morecambe, by Frederick Cook Atkinson (b. Aug. 21, 1841; d. Nov. 30, 1896)

Note: This is a marvellous and passionate hymn on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. (A slight qualification of that statement is discussed further in the Wordwise link below.) On the whole, the song is far superior to many hymns about the third Person of the Trinity, songs that fail to recognize the post-Pentecost position of the church of Jesus Christ. George Croly, a faithful evangelical pastor, offers a powerful prayer that is worthy to be repeated by us all.

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

In (1) the prayer hymn calls upon God to “wean [our hearts] from earth, teaching us to love Him as we ought to. This contrast is discussed by the Apostle John. And notice how love for God is paralleled not only with avoiding worldly values and priorities, but with obedience to God. That was a prominent theme in the Lord’s Upper Room Discourse (Jn. 14:15, 21, 24; 15:10).

“Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him….Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

I Jn. 2:5, 15-17

(2). There is no need for us to seek the kind of other-worldly supernatural manifestations sometimes experienced by prophets in the Scriptures. Rather, in order the know God more deeply and obey Him more fully, the hymn writer prayers, “take the dimness of my soul away.” In other words, what we need is spiritual insight and godly wisdom. As we meditate upon, and apply God’s Word, the Holy Spirit teaches us. “Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path” (Ps. 119:104-105; cf. II Tim. 2:7).

(3). We can also pray that the Lord will remind us and give us an awareness of His promised presence (cf. Matt. 28:20), teaching us patience in times when prayers seem to go unanswered, and teaching us to trust Him, rather than doubt and rebel. “The rebel sigh” is a colourful turn of phrase. It speaks of an impatient irritation with what the Lord is doing, or not doing, breeding the sarcasm of the scoffer:

“Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’”

II Pet. 3:3-4

(3) Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear.
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh,
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

(4) and (5). As the hymn draws to a close, there’s an earnest plea to love God more wholeheartedly, “as Thine angels love, one holy passion filling all my frame.” With the psalmist, the writer wants to seek after God, and find Him, in continuing and deepening fellowship.

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God” (Ps. 42:1). “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory” (Ps. 63:1-2). “ My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Ps. 84:2).

(4) Hast Thou not bid me love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross; there teach my heart to cling:
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find!

Questions:

  1. Why is this kind of passion so often lacking in our lives? (And what can we do to nurture it?)
  2. What other hymns about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit would you be willing to use?

Links:

Great God of Wonders

Words: Samuel Davies (b. Nov. 3, 1723; d. Feb. 4, 1761)
Music: Wonders (or Sovereignty), by John Newton (b. _____, 1802; d. _____, 1886)

Note: The composer of this rousing hymn tune is not the John Newton (1725-1807) who wrote Amazing Grace, but a later individual, as the dates of his birth and death indicate. According to the Cyber Hymnal, the composer is the grandfather of English author D. H. Lawrence. As to his occupation, he was what was known as a “twisthand,” operating a machine that made lace. Newton was also an accomplished composer and choral conductor.

(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 strong 1769 hymn (published posthumously) about the sovereign grace of God. I’ve only seen stanzas (1), (4), and (5) used in hymn books. But the other two stanzas each make a powerful statement too. The Petersen’s, in their rather pretentiously (and erroneously) titled book, The Complete Book of Hymns (Tyndale House, 2006) tell an interesting story about the use of this great hymn.

For half a century, beginning in 1803, the British used an island in the South Seas called Van Diemen’s Land as a penal colony. (It later became the island of Tasmania.) Over the years, some 40,000 hardened criminals spent time there in penal servitude. Some of them were converted to Christ, and began meeting together for prayer and hymn singing.

According to the Petersens, their favourite hymn was Great God of Wonders, with the stirring questions of the refrain: “Who is a pard’ning God like Thee? Or who has grace so rich and free?” Those who work in prison ministry today report a similar attachment of prisoners to the truths of Newton’s Amazing Grace. The words, “That saved a wretch like me” have special meaning to them.

But consider for a moment some of the phrases of Samuel Davies’ hymn.

(1) Almighty God is a “great God of wonders,” not just in a limited or narrow sense. “All [His] ways are matchless, Godlike and divine.” In the refrain, His “pardoning grace…so rich and free” is noted.

(1) Great God of wonders! All Thy ways
Are matchless, Godlike and divine;
But the fair glories of Thy grace
More godlike and unrivaled shine,
More godlike and unrivaled shine.

Who is a pard’ning God like Thee?
Or who has grace so rich and free?
Or who has grace so rich and free?

(2) This is a stanza not usually used, but ponder the stunning phrases. Our sins are, in the sight of an absolutely holy God, “crimes of such horror to forgive,” and we stand before Him as “such guilty, daring worms.” Only a sovereign God of such infinite grace could exercise the “grand prerogative” to spare us.

(3) This stanza is not used now, but again it makes a strong statement. Such “pity, mercy, love and grace” could never come from “angels and men.” These are “glories [that] crown Jehovah’s name,” and His alone.

(4) Again our sin is characterized in all its awful darkness as “crimes of deepest dye.” There is powerful emotion expressed as, “in wonder lost, with trembling joy, we take the pardon of our God,” a pardon “bought with Jesus’ blood.”

(5) “This strange, this matchless grace” shown to us is a “Godlike miracle of love.” In response, we determine to “fill the whole earth with grateful praise,” an echo of “all the angelic choirs above.”

(5) O may this strange, this matchless grace,
This godlike miracle of love,
Fill the whole earth with grateful praise,
And all th’angelic choirs above,
And all th’angelic choirs above.

Questions:

  1. What imagery in this hymn impressed you most of all?
  2. What is meant by describing sinners as “daring worms”?

Links:

When I See the Blood

Words: John G. Foote (?)
Music: E.A.H. (possibly Elisha Albright Hoffman: b. May 7, 1839; d. Nov. 25, 1929)

Note: No other information on Mr. Foote is currently available. I suspect he was a contemporary of Elisha Hoffman’s, though even that connection is uncertain. Some hymn books credit Foote with the writing of the tune as well.

Choice Hymns of the Faith (published by the Gospel Perpetuating Fund, 1946) has the words credited to J.F.G. and E.A.H., and the music to J.F.H.–initials that don’t match what those of John G. Foote’s would be.) The hymn book also has this interesting footnote: “By Foot Bros., not copyrighted. Let no one do so. May this song ever be free to be published for the glory of God.” Though I realize songwriters have to make a living, I sometimes fear the commercialization of Christian music, and I truly appreciate this sentiment.

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

The gospel song When I See the Blood draws upon a specific Old Testament incident. When the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, the Lord commissioned Moses to lead them to freedom, and on to the Land He’d promised to Abraham and his descendants, centuries before. When Pharaoh refused to free the slaves, God visited a series of ten devastating plagues on the land of Egypt (Exod. 7:14–12:30).

The tenth and final plague involved the death of the firstborn child (and of the animals too) in every household in Egypt (Exod. 11:4-6). But, in grace, the Lord provided a way to escape the plague. A lamb was to be carefully chosen (a lamb “without blemish, a male of the first year,” Exod. 12:5). At twilight, before the night of the coming judgment, the lamb was to be slain, and its blood applied to the doorposts and lintel of the home (Exod. 12:6-7). Then the lamb was to be eaten by those in the house, and God said:

“It is the LORD’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

Exod. 12:10-13

Later, when the seven religious feasts (or holy festivals) of Israel were established, the commemoration of Passover became the first, celebrated on “the fourteenth day of the first month, which was called Nisan (or Abib), corresponding to our late March and early April (Lev. 23:4-5). Each year, since that memorable day in Egypt, the Jews have continued to celebrate Passover.

For the Christian, there is a clear connection to our Easter season. It was the Passover meal that the Lord Jesus ate with His disciples in the Upper Room, just before He went to the cross (Matt. 26:18-19), and it was part of the Passover ceremony that the Lord Jesus applied to Himself, when He instituted what we call the Lord’s Supper, in commemoration of His death (Matt. 26:26-28). We are to continue to participate in this ceremonial supper until Christ returns (I Cor. 11:23-26).

The Lord Jesus is spoken of as “the Lamb of God” (Jn. 1:29; cf. I Pet. 1:18-19). Even in heaven, the title remains. In the book of Revelation, the Son of God is called “the Lamb” over two dozen times (e.g. Rev. 5:6, 8, 12). He is the fulfilment of the symbolism of the Passover, “for indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (I Cor. 5:7). When we put our faith in Christ as Saviour, it is as though His blood is applied to us and, covered by the blood of the Lamb, we are safe from eternal judgment.

“Without the shedding of blood there is no remission [no forgiveness of sins]” (Heb. 9:22). Given the importance of the shed blood of Christ (“We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,” Eph. 1:7), it is unfortunate that the version of Foote’s hymn used by the Cyber Hymnal (as I write this) has removed most of the references to it.

  • (1) “Sprinkle your soul with the blood of the Lamb” becomes: “All who receive Him need never fear.”
  • (2) “Wash in the fountain opened for sin” becomes: “Oh, sinner, hear Him, trust in His Word.”
  • (3) “Hide in the saving, sin-cleansing blood” becomes: “Oh, sinner, hasten, let Jesus in.”
  • (4) “Find peace and shelter under the blood” becomes: “All who believe are safe from the storm.”

This almost becomes an entirely different song. It’s not that the revised version is in error. But are we not intelligent enough to make a spiritual application of the imagery the Bible itself uses? (cf. “a fountain opened…for sin and uncleanness,” Zech. 13:1; and “the blood of sprinkling,” Heb. 12:24). Surely we can see the meaning.

(1) Christ our Redeemer died on the cross,
Died for the sinner, paid all his due.
Sprinkle your soul with the blood of the Lamb,
And I will pass, will pass over you.

When I see the blood, when I see the blood,
When I see the blood, I will pass, I will pass over you.

Questions:

  1. How do you (or how does your church) treat the many hymns about the blood of Christ? (Does your hymn book rephrase them to remove references to the blood?)
  2. Why is the shed blood of Christ important to you personally?

Links:

I Surrender All

Words: Judson Wheeler Van DeVenter (b. Dec. 5, 1855; d. July 17, 1939)
Music: Winfield Scott Weeden (b. March 29, 1847; d. July 31, 1908)

Note: Sometimes this 1896 hymn is titled All to Jesus I Surrender. This is appropriate for a couple of reasons. It is the opening line of each stanza. But also, since the theme of the song is giving “all” we are and have into the hands of Christ, beginning with that, and not “I” seems fitting. Van DeVenter and Weeden were friends, and they also combined their talents in creating a gospel song entitled Sunlight, and published a book of gospel songs together.

General Winfield Scott (1786-1866) was an outstanding soldier in the American army, and I suspect the composer of the tune may have been named after him. Scott’s tune, in the refrain, does something interesting. The phrase “I surrender all” is expressed in a descending musical phrase, suiting the idea of bowing in submission. But “All to Thee, my blessed Saviour” utilizes ascending notes, picturing something being offered up. Nicely done.

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

Judson Van DeVenter could be described as a reluctant servant of Christ. His dream was to become a famous artist, and he studied drawing and painting for some years to pursue his goal. For a time he also worked as the supervisor of art in the public schools of Sharon, Pennsylvania. But the Lord was calling him to set his earlier ambition aside and enter full-time Christian ministry. He says:

“The Spirit of God was strongly urging me to give up teaching and to enter the evangelistic field, but I would not yield. I still had the burning desire to be an artist. This battle raged for five years. At last the time came when I could hold out no longer and I surrendered my all….I wrote ‘I Surrender All’ in memory of the time when, after a long struggle, I surrendered and dedicated my life to active Christian service for the Lord.

Judson Van DeVenter

(1) All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Saviour,
I surrender all.

The Word of God deals with this subject by calling upon us to offer up to God our bodies, as “living sacrifices” (Rom. 12:1). If our bodies are fully under His authority, then all of our living selves, all that we do and say, is too. In this text, Paul “beseeches” us (pleads with us) “by the mercies of God.” In other words, in consideration of all that God has done for us, through Christ, we ought to willingly surrender all to Him.

“He [Christ] died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (II Cor. 5:15). “Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13). “You were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Cor. 6:20). “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

My one quibble with the lyrics of this song is its reference to “feeling” the work of God within ((3) and (5)). The Spirit of God indwells the believer, and accomplishes a spiritual work within us. This is not something physically “felt.” We may rejoice as we see the effects manifested in our daily lives, but we do not detect the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit in a tangible way.

Hymn books have dealt with this idea as it appears in Van DeVenter’s song in two ways: either to change the wording, or omit those stanzas ((3), “Let me feel the Holy Spirit,” and (5), “Now I feel the sacred flame”) that express it. Hymns for the Living Church (Hope Publishing Company, 1974) changes (3) to this more biblical prayer:

All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine;
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me,
May I know Thy pow’r divine.

This is an effective hymn of dedication, but be careful! The Lord is listening. “Worldly pleasures all forsaken” (2). Really? Is that true? And can you sing sincerely that you are yielding all, you time, talents, and treasures to Him? If not, to sing such a hymn is sheer hypocrisy.

Questions:

  1. How do you believe hymns of commitment should be handled in congregational singing? Is it wrong to call upon all to join in, knowing that it may be putting pressure on some to lie? (If you tell people not to sing along if they can’t do so sincerely, that may not work either.)
  2. What do you believe are the best hymns of dedication and commitment that we have?

Links:

Jesus, Wondrous Saviour

Words: Daniel Arthur McGregor (b. Dec. 13, 1847; d. Apr. 25, 1890)
Music: Franconia (also called Hastings), by Thomas Hastings (b. Oct. 15, 1784; d. May 15, 1872)

Note: The Wordwise link below will tell you a little about this remarkable author. Though he only lived to the age of forty-three, McGregor’s was a very productive life in terms of spiritual fruit. Sadly, the wonderful 1889 hymn he wrote seems to be little known outside his home country Canada. Few hymn books include it, and reference books (including John Julian) seem to ignore it. It is found in Living Hymns, a hymn book I’ve occasionally recommended on this blog.

(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 an exuberant expression of devout worship. The original has six stanzas. The final word of the song, “ecstasy” says it. The dictionary defines the term as: rapturous delight, and overpowering emotion or exaltation. That’s exactly the mood McGregor reflects. Superlative phrases are heaped one upon another to laud our “wondrous Saviour.” He is “fairest…fairer far… sweeter far…more and dearer…all perfections rise and end in [Him].”

(1) Jesus, wondrous Saviour! Christ, of kings the King!
Angels fall before Thee, prostrate worshiping;
Fairest they confess Thee in the heav’n above.
We would sing Thee fairest here in hymns of love.

The supremacy of Christ is attested to again and again in the Word of God. Though He was with God from all eternity, and was (and is) Himself God (Jn. 1:1), Christ willingly set aside the glories attendant on His deity (Phil. 2:6-7), impoverishing Himself, submitting Himself, as Man, to the will of God the Father, that He might provide for us infinite riches, through His salvation (II Cor. 8:9).

Now, “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). The Father “seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Eph. 1:20-21).

One Bible book that particularly emphasizes Christ’s superiority is Hebrews. For about fourteen centuries, the Jews had been following the ceremonies of the Law, as they waited for the coming of their Messiah. Now, He had come. But some still questioned whether they should leave behind all the familiar rituals of Judaism. And some had doubts: was Jesus, after all their true Messiah?

Yes, “Jesus is Messiah [the Christ], yesterday and today the same, and forever” (Heb. 13:8, Kenneth Wuest’s Expanded Translation). I believe this captures the intended meaning of the texts–that Christ’s messiahship is enduring; the Jews must not look for another.

The symbols and ceremonies of Judaism pointed forward to Him, and are fulfilled in Him. What we have now is far better. “Better” is a word used over and over in Hebrews. By what the Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross He has become “so much better than the angels” (Heb. 1:4; cf. 2:9). What He provides is “a better hope” (7:19), based upon “a better covenant” (vs. 22), “established on better promises” (8:6).

What a “wondrous Saviour” we have! “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9), and He is “our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honour and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12).

(2) Fairer far than sunlight unto eyes that wait
Amid fear and darkness, ’til the morning break;
Fairer than the day-dawn, hills and dales among,
When its tide of glory wakes the tide of song.

(4) All earth’s flowing pleasures were a wintry sea,
Heav’n itself without Thee dark as night would be.
Lamb of God! Thy glory is the light above.
Lamb of God! Thy glory is the life of love.

(6) Jesus! All perfections rise and end in Thee;
Brightness of God’s glory Thou, eternally,
Favoured beyond measure they Thy face who see;
May we gracious Saviour, share this ecstasy.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the ways in which Christ is infinitely superior to all others?
  2. What are some things that make the salvation He has purchased for us great and wonderful?

Links:

Thanks to God for My Redeemer

Words: August Ludvig Storm (b. Oct. 23, 1862; d. July 1, 1914)
Music: Johannes Alfred Hultman (b. July 6, 1861; d. Aug. 7, 1942)

Note: This hymn was written in Swedish. It was translated into English in 1931, by Carl Ernest Backstrom (1901-1984). The original version had four stanzas, but when he made his translation Backstom reduced the number to three, incorporating some of the ideas from the other stanzas into his adaptation. In Storm’s Swedish version, he lists some thirty-two things to be thankful for. For our Swedish friends, here is how he begins.

Tack min Gud för vad som varit,
Tack för allt vad du beskär.
Tack för tiderna som farit,
Tack för stund som inne är.
Tack för ljusa, varma vårar,
Tack för mörk och kulen höst.
Tack för redan glömda tårar,
Tack för friden i mitt bröst.

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

The word “thank” (and related words such as thankful and thanksgiving) is found in our English Bibles 136 times. But that’s just the beginning. There are hundreds more times when the Hebrew and Greek words involved are translated “praise” or “bless” also indicating gratitude to God. In other words, it’s a big subject.

Thanksgiving to Almighty God permeates the Scriptures, from early examples in the books of Chronicles, such as this one: “Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” (I Chron. 16:8), to this one in the book of Revelation: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned” (Rev. 11:17).

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High (Ps. 92:1).  “Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Ps. 106:1).

In our own lives, if we do as another gospel song invites us to and “Count [our] blessings, name them one by one,” we’ll find the list is lengthy indeed. But we do have a tendency to define “blessings” as something positive and pleasant. Yet if we truly believe the promise of God’s Word that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28), we need to include more than that.

This is where Lieutenant Colonel Storm (of the Salvation Army, in Sweden) can be a help to us. He reminds us that we can trust God to work for our good in our pains as well as our pleasures (2), in our sorrows as well as our joys (3), and in the times He denies a prayer request as well as with those He answers (2). Eight years after he published these words in 1891, Storm was stricken with a painful and crippling disease. But he continued to praise the Lord in it all.

When the Bible exhorts us, “In everything give thanks” (I Thess. 5:18), it is not telling Christians to take some kind of neurotic, masochistic pleasure in trials and suffering. Rather, it is asking us to trust the truth of Romans 8:28, and believe that God will be at work in such things for our good and His glory, just as surely as He will in those things in which we take enjoyment and delight. We are thankful in them because we know, as Paul discovered, that God can be glorified in our trials by revealing His enabling grace in our weakness (II Cor. 12:7-10).

(2) Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Questions:

  1. Take a few moments to list ten things for which you are thankful to God this very day?
  2. What are some practical ways you can show your gratitude for these things?

Links:

Blessed Redeemer

Words: Avis Marguerite Burgeson Christiansen (b. Oct. 11, 1895; d. Jan. 14, 1985)
Music: Harold Dixon Loes (b. Oct. 20, 1892; d. Feb. 9, 1965)

Note: Harry Dixon Lowes took the middle name “Dixon” in honour of Rev. Amzi Clarence Dixon, pastor of Moody Church in Chicago (1906-1911), a man well known for his defence of the fundamentals of the faith. Mr. Loes was a music teacher at Moody Bible Institute (1939-1965). He wrote many hymns, sometimes providing the words as well as the music.

As for the present hymn, this is one of those cases when the tune came before the text. It was a sermon he heard entitled “Blessed Redeemer” that inspired Loes to write a melody that he thought captured the mood of the message. Then, he sent the tune, and the suggested title, to longtime friend, Avis Christiansen, who was eventually to become one of the most significant gospel songwriters of the twentieth century. Mrs. Christiansen wrote the lyrics, and the song was published in 1920.

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

In the Greek language of the New Testament, the word “blessed” is eulogeo, from which we get our English word “eulogy” (something we often hear at funerals). Eulogeo means to speak well of, to praise, or to celebrate with praises. Used of the Lord Jesus Christ, it indicates that He is worthy of all praise and glory, worthy to be honoured, both for who He is and what He has done.

There are two special occasions when this word was applied to Christ.

1) Of His Incarnation

One came before He was even born. By a miracle of the Holy Spirit, a young virgin named Mary was prepared to give birth to the incarnated Son of God (Lk. 1:31, 35; cf. Matt. 1:19-23).

When her cousin Elizabeth greeted her, she was given prophetic insight into what had happened to Mary and exclaimed, “Blessed [eulogeo] is the fruit of your womb!” (Lk. 1:42). Later, when Paul described some of the privileges God had granted to the nation of Israel, one was that they were the people “from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God” (Rom. 9:5).

The first instance of Christ being called blessed, worthy of praise, came near the beginning of His earthly life. A second came near the end.

2) Of His Messiahship

The Gospels record that in the days before He was crucified, Christ entered into the city of Jerusalem, presenting Himself to the people as their Messiah-King, in a manner that fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (Matt. 21:1-11; cf. Zech. 9:9).

On that occasion, many of the people cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David [a messianic title]! ‘Blessed [eulogeo] is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9), and “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!” (Lk. 19:38).

A few days later, He was crucified.

Though he was rejected at His first coming, the Lord Jesus Christ will return in triumph, and reign over the earth. God the Father will place Him on the throne (Ps. 2:6) as “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (I Tim. 6:15; cf. Rev. 19:11-16).

To the eyes of His enemies, and of those who rejected Him, when the Lord Jesus walked to the place of execution, He was anything but blessed. He was scorned and ridiculed. But we who have been saved through faith in His shed blood bless Him with sincere joy.

“To you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient [He is], ‘the stone which the builders rejected.’”

I Pet. 2:7

In the words of Avis Christiansen concerning our wonderful Saviour (3), “How can my praises ever find end!”

(1) Up Calvary’s mountain, one dreadful morn,
Walked Christ my Saviour, weary and worn;
Facing for sinners death on the cross,
That He might save them from endless loss.

Blessèd Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!
Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree;
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,
Blind and unheeding–dying for me!

(3) O how I love Him, Saviour and Friend,
How can my praises ever find end!
Through years unnumbered on heaven’s shore,
My tongue shall praise Him forevermore.

Questions:

  1. Christians are to “be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12). What are some ways that we can praise the Lord, with words, and without them?
  2. What would characterize the life of a person who is not being to the praise of His glory?

Links:

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