Hymns4Him

Even though it has happened in the past (Lincoln, Kennedy, Reagan), it was still shocking when news media began reporting that former president Donald Trump had been shot at an open air rally in northwestern Pennsylvania.  This hymn study is being written the day after that happened, with a hymn deliberately chosen to reflect the biblical perspective that Christians should embrace in the wake of that.  It includes our relief that the former President’s life was providentially spared (though sadly there was the tragic death of a husband / father in the stands, and two others seriously injured).  This study also seeks to be a reminder of important truths that the Bible illuminates from such events.

Here are a few thoughts about that attempted assassination.  If I had been preaching the next morning, I would have changed my sermon at the last minute.  Everyone in church was thinking about that terrible event, so how could I, as their pastor, ignore this divinely-ordained opportunity to provide guidance in how believers should process all this?  At least one major news network has been repeatedly broadcasting interviews with people who pointed out what should be obvious to everyone … that it was God’s providence that not only spared the former President’s life, but also spared the country from unimaginable grief and trauma and confusion in the wake of such an assassination.

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It should come as no surprise that many of our most beloved hymns were written as a result of some extremely painful experience.  We have examples of that with “It Is Well with My Soul” (four daughters lost in a ship sinking), “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go” (a fiancé who backed out), “Just As I Am” (a bed-ridden invalid), “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (a drowning just before a wedding), and “Now Thank We All Our God” (millions of deaths during Germany’s 17^th century Thirty Years’ War).  In moments of our lives that are most emotionally powerful, even devastating, it’s natural that the human heart finds strength in the beauty of poetry wedded to music.  That’s probably one of the main attractions to the biblical Psalms, which are, as Calvin called them, “the anatomy of the soul.”

One of those examples of hymns that came from tragedies is the Swedish hymn, “Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment.”  Carolina (“Lina,” pronounced Lie-nah) Wilhelmina Sandell Berg (1832-1903) wrote this text in 1865 at the age of 26, several years after she experienced a terrible tragedy.  She had been with her father, Jonas, a Lutheran pastor, on board a ship while crossing Lake Vättern in Sweden.  Suddenly the ship lurched, and before her eyes her father was thrown overboard and drowned.  Lina had written hymns before, but after this calamity, she poured out her broken heart in an on-going stream of beautiful songs.  She grew to become Sweden’s most celebrated author of gospel hymns, and wrote so many that she has often been called “the Fanny Crosby of Sweden.”  Her more than 600 hymns also included “Children of the Heavenly Father” and had a mighty influence on the revival that swept across Scandinavia after 1850.

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Ours is a time when a longing for peace grows stronger by the day in each of our hearts.  We watch heart-breaking video news reports of the suffering in Gaza and Ukraine.  We get details about oppression by tribal lords in Africa and the Middle East, and brutal dictatorships in North Korea and China, and even physical abusive within homes and among family members.  And on top of all that, we have not only the street warfare from criminals in our American cities, but also of the political war that rages between rival Democrats and Republicans.  The reality of all these hostilities from war and oppression, from tyranny and brutality,from slander and corruption all continue.  Jesus even told us to expect “wars and rumors of wars” until the end.

Our secular culture talks about peace as something that is attainable through legislation or education, through stronger armies or increased police presence, through judicial process or political campaigns … or even through ridiculous “new age” ideas like meditating under a tree and thinking happy thoughts! But none of these are realistic hopes because of the “desperately wicked” condition of human hearts (Jeremiah 17:9).  Only the Holy Spirit can renew the soul, and that’s what He does through the miracle of regeneration.  And that will only take place in a complete way when “the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6-7) returns in glory.  So what’s the most effective thing we can do?  It’s to draw near to that Prince of Peace in prayer.

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When new members are publicly received into a church during a morning worship service, it is quite common that to welcome them, people will sing together the familiar hymn, “Blest Be the Tie That Binds.”  While that 1772 text is quite appropriate for such an occasion, that’s not exactly the setting which the 18^th century author had in mind.  By one count, the hymn has appeared in at least 2200 hymnals!  And it has been said that more church services have been concluded with the singing of “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” and “God Be With You” than with all other hymns combined. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, but this song is quite appropriate for use on other purposes than just a closing hymn. One of the greatest blessings that Christians have on earth is the fellowship and association of God’s people to give us encouragement as we try to live here in preparation for heaven. And this song so beautifully pictures the blessings of this relationship based on brotherly love, as it says, “Blest Be the Tie That Binds.”

John Fawcett (1740-1817) grew up in a poor family in Yorkshire, England, and lived his entire life in small towns (probably more like villages) in the Yorkshire moors in England. There were no railways in those days, mail was very slow, and the only way of moving around was on foot or horseback over very poor, barely-formed roads. News would travel slowly from London to a place like Hebden Bridge (his village in Yorkshire).

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How often do we think about what it will be like to be in glory?  Jesus has promised that He has gone there to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-6), and that He will come again to take us to be with Him.  This world and this life are so filled with hardship, disappointment, and misery, isn’t it a wonder that think so seldom about the “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8) which lies ahead of us, and is partially ours even now in anticipation of that day?

While the Bible doesn’t give us a lot of detail about what the new heavens and earth will look like (other than the highly symbolic descriptions in apocalyptic books like Revelation) or what we will do there for unending ages into eternity (again part from those passages in Revelation), God has revealed enough to whet our appetites, as it were, and to leave us looking forward to the day when “faith shall be sight.”  The God who has ordained all our days (Psalm 139:16) has not only ordained all our days in this life, but also in the life to come.  And what incredibly wonderful things has He ordained for us into eternity?  Shouldn’t we be thinking of those and singing of them now?

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Notice in the heading, it’s “the church militant,” not “the church military!”  Christians are called to battle every day against the world, the flesh and the devil.  This is the spiritual warfare that is everywhere addressed throughout Scripture, and which every believer experiences continually every waking hour, whether conscious of it or not. Paul was very much aware of this battle as he wrote of this warfare in his letter to the church in Ephesus.  He concluded that in the last chapter where he wrote, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

It was in this paragraph that the apostle went on to identify the spiritual armor God has provided for His people for this spirit battle.  “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:14-18).

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Every year countless folks make a new Year’s Resolution to read through the entire Bible in the year ahead.  They launch into Genesis and find themselves freshly challenged with the familiar stories of Adam and Eve, Noah and the flood, Abraham and Isaac, and Joseph with his coat of many colors.  Then Exodus holds their attention around Moses, with the plagues in Egypt, the burning bush in the wilderness, the Ten Commandments at Sinai, and the instructions for the tabernacle and its furnishings.

But then people hit Leviticus, and it’s like hitting a brick wall.  Within a few days they feel overwhelmed by all the legislation and are overcome with the frustration of not understanding what value is to be found.  And so they give up there and forsake their intention of reading through the Bible that year, becoming content with just a few devotional verses here and there every few days throughout the rest of the year. If that’s been your experience, I hope you’ll find fresh encouragement to look at the book again with this hymn study that focuses on the central theme of Leviticus: holiness.  

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Each summer, Protestant denominations in America hold their annual meeting.  Depending on the polity (church government) of each, different types of representation from local churches gather to review how their bodies are carrying out the Great Commission.  This includes addressing such things as expanding the effectiveness of missions abroad and church planting at home, responding to doctrinal challenges that threaten their biblical integrity, overseeing their educational ministries in colleges and seminaries, overseeing the work of local congregations and regional bodies, and managing printing of educational and training resources.

These assemblies range from delegated meetings of just a few hundred to thousands of delegates coming from every church across the nation, from 150 to 15,000 commissioners.  Secondarily, these assemblies are occasions of fellowship as friendships of colleagues are renewed, training in specialized areas of ministry are provided, and perhaps best of all there is corporate worship with great singing, focused prayer, celebrations of the Lord’s Supper, and of course excellent preaching from some of the best pastors in the land. 

But among the denominations that will meet, there are significant branches of the church today that have embraced such serious heresies as to be legitimately considered apostate, having become no longer a true church of the Lord Jesus Christ.  One of the most blatant examples of this is the way too many have capitulated to cultural pressures in the area of sexuality.  Whether it’s abortion, so-called same sex marriage, homosexual clergy and lifestyle, or the absurd woke ideologies of the transgender movement, those of us who love the Lord, the Word, and the gospel, weep to see this widespread abandonment of the truth, something Al Mohler has called theological treason.

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Paul wrote in Philippians 2 that, as a result of Jesus’ having humbled Himself and being obedient even to death on the cross, “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  What a glorious day that will be, and with so much misery and chaos and confusion and sadness in our world today, how we all long for that day to come soon!  It all brings to mind that thrilling description in Revelation 4 and 5 of all 24 elders (representing the church of all the ages, from the 12 tribes of the Old Testament to the 12 apostles of the New Testament) falling down before the enthroned Son of God, worshipping this one who lives forever and ever, casting their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.”

It is the name of Jesus, a name which includes all that He is and ever has been, all that He has done, and all that He has promised to do, which is truly the central message of the Bible.  That’s what must have been involved in that amazing conversation He had with the disciples from Emmaus as He sat there at the dinner table, explaining what the Bible was all about. “And He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25-27).

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Christians are on a journey through life, and our destination is heaven, where we will forever be with the Lord.  But this is not an easy journey.  It is one that demands perseverance and determination, as well as the struggle against temptations and distractions.  Of course, none of us are able to do this on our own.  We need the Savior who has promised to lead us all the way home.  “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psalm 32.8). There are many spiritual obstacles on the way, but Jesus has promised to lead us “all the way.”

One of the beloved hymns of Fanny Crosby says exactly that: “All the Way My Savior Leads Me.”  Frances Jane Crosby (1820-1915) is remembered as “the Queen of Gospel Hymnody” for the ten thousand gospel songs she composed, almost all of them during the last half of her 95 years!  When Fanny was about six weeks old, her parents realized with alarm that something was wrong with her eyes. The local doctor was away, but the Crosbys found a man, no one afterward recalled his name, who claimed to be a physician. He put a hot poultice on the baby’s inflamed eyes, insisting it would draw out the infection. The infection did clear up, but white scars appeared and in the months that followed the baby registered no response to objects held before her. As it turned out, Fanny was not totally blind, but her eyes were severely damaged. Even in old age she could discern day and night. But any clarity of vision was gone.