For some while I've had the idea to publish reflections on the songs we sing in church, especially when I myself have chosen those songs and led singing.
This last Sunday at Lighthouse Community Church (Kalamazoo, MI) we sang:
"Sing to the King" - words and music by Billy James Foote, adapting first verse and theme from "Sing We The King" by Charles Silvester Horne, 1910 [Copyright 2003 EMI CMG].
"How Great Is Our God" - words and music by Christ Tomlin, Jesse Reeves and Ed Cash [Copyright 2004 EMI CMG].
"Above All" - words and music by Lenny LeBlanc and Paul Baloche [Copyright 1999 Integrity's Hosanna! Music/LenSongs Publishing].
All of the songs we sang this Lord's day acclaimed God as our King of all. Our service began with an informal greeting and an invitation to hear God's word. Our reading from Revelation 22:1-5 follows the destruction of Babylon, the doom of Satan, the general resurrection and final judgment. Chapter 21 of the Revelation tells of the new heavens and new earth, and the New Jerusalem, which is also called the bride of the Lamb. This would give us reason to believe that the author is describing the church, and not only a city with walls of defense and buildings like Babel. In contrast, God makes his dwelling with humans. He is their king. After chapter 21, 22:1-5 describes the "River of Life" which flows through the center of the city, with the tree of life growing on both sides of the river, bearing fruit all-year-round for eternal life, for the healing of nations. I particularly chose to read this passage because it mentions the healing of nations in the reign of the Lamb (after the doom of Satan and right before a word from Jesus, "See, I am coming soon" Rev. 22:7). These are themes celebrated in our first song:
"Sing to the King who is coming to reign. Glory to Jesus, the Lamb that was slain. Life and salvation his empire shall bring, And Joy to the nations when Jesus is King. Come, let us sing a song . . . declaring that we belong to Jesus - he is all we need."
The song in its second verse says we will be vigilant in prayer for the coming of our Lord Jesus, after which Satan will be vanquished. It may be a sore spot in many of our spiritual lives that we do not anticipate, prepare and pray for the coming of Jesus enough. In the New Testament, the resurrection and exaltation of Christ are directly related to his return to earth. (For example, in the book of Acts, after Jesus is taken up into heaven, two men dressed in white as the disciples why they are staring at the sky, and remind them that Jesus will return in the exact same way the disciples saw him leave earth.) Any faith in the crucified and risen Jesus must be accompanied by faith in his coming soon to judge the earth, defeat his enemies and reign with those who loved and obeyed him. We Christians bear the testimony that Jesus the crucified has risen and been raised to earth, is Lord of all and is reconciling the world to the Father. We proclaim that God is wanting all people to turn from their wicked ways to receive forgiveness through Jesus' death and life through his resurrection. Therefore, we should heed the warnings of Jesus in the gospels: let us not be found with our lamps empty of oil, without faith as unfaithful servants. Rather, let us be ready for the coming of our master, with faith, reverence and the fear of God.
"How Great Is Our God" celebrates, with the other two songs, the supreme rule of God the LORD (YHWH) over every nation, over all the earth. This was the faith of the Old Testament, and was supposed to be the faith of Israel. God consistently proved to Israel and their enemies that he was sovereign over all the earth (since he created it), and could move kings and armies to do his will. One of the most frequent titles for God in the Old Testament is YHWH of armies (hosts); this is sometimes translated 'the LORD almighty.' In this song the authors urge us (in a most biblical fashion) to sing, see and proclaim "how great is our God."
The greatest irony is, of course, shown us in Revelation 5:12: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" "Above All" worships Jesus, who was revealed to us after his resurrection and exaltation above all (powers, kings, nature, creatures, wisdom, human ways, kingdoms, thrones, wonders, wealth, treasures) to have existed before all these things as well. We believe him to be the divine Word and Son of the Father. But we would not have known this except that he lived among us, was crucified, died and was buried, and on the third day was raised to life by the Father, and exalted to God's right hand. Not only did the King of the earth die a criminal's death; more, it is the crucified, the rejected, the slaughtered lamb who did not open his mouth, the humiliated, the scorned, the one who did not seize the kingdom: he is the one who will receive the kingdom, the worship and subjection of all at the end.
He who existed before all things, and was "Above all . . ." was "Crucified, laid behind the stone . . . lived to die rejected and alone, like a rose trampled on the ground. You took the fall, and thought of me above all."
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