"Joy to the World" (Isaac Watts)
"Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
"Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ.
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
"No more let sins or sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground.
He comes to make His blessings flow,
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.
"He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders, and wonders, of His love."
Dear Mrs. Kurtz
I love the Christmas theme of your new post! I have never thought that in depth on that song, but you are definitely right about the "wonders of His love" and all the Bible text to support these wonders. In particular, God providing an Advocate to those who obey Him is kind of a cool concept. Like Someone who looks out for you and defends you?
I also liked the idea that because God sent His Son to die for us, there can no longer be endless sorrow or suffering because there is now a way out of what once was inevitable destruction for us sinners. You know I love feeling like there is a way out of a situation.
Dear friend,
I am glad that you enjoyed it, thank you. I agree with you; having an Advocate is indeed a cool concept--I need Someone to look out for me and defend me, because on my own I am a mess! Jesus is the ONLY hope that we have in this world. "He comes to make His blessings flow". Where would we be without those blessings?
When I think about this song, I often spend time mulling over "far as the curse is found". Oh, the sorrow bound up in those words!
What is the curse? The curse is sin.
How far is the curse found?
"And to the man He said, 'Since you have listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you." (Genesis 3:17)
"For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are" (Romans 8:19)
"Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse." (Romans 8:20)
"But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay." (Romans 8:21)
"For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." (Romans 8:22)
How far is the curse found? Is there anywhere untouched?
Death, cancer, oppressive governments, divorce, war, flooding, pollution, homelessness, drought, depession, earthquakes, mental illness, corrupt leaders, rotten food, murder, slavery, contaminated water, disease, infestations, arguing, suicide...
"Far as the curse is found"
Oh, the sorrow bound up in those words!
"Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed His powerful arm? My Servant grew up in the LORD's presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him. He was despised and rejected--a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
"Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's path to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the sins of us all.
"He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth. Unjustly condemned, He was led away. No one cared that He died without descendants, that His life was cut short in midstream. But He was struck down for the rebellion of My people. He had done no wrong and had never decieved anyone. But He was buried like a criminal; He was put in a rich man's cave.
"But it was the LORD's good plan to crush Him and cause Him grief. Yet when His life is made an offering for sin, He will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's good plan will prosper in His hands. When He sees all that is accomplished by His anguish, He will be satisfied. And because of His experience, My Righteous Servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for He will bear all their sins.
"I will give Him the honors of a victorious soldier because He exposed Himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels." (Isaiah 53)
"Far as the curse is found"
Oh, the joy bound up in those words!
"But even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:15)
"And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin." (Romans 5:16)
"For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins." (Romans 5:16)
"But even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)
"but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and a new life for everyone." (Romans 5:18)
"But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19)
"So there is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death" (Romans 8:1-2)
"So there is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death" (Romans 8:1-2)
"but the angel reassured them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!'" (Luke 2:10-11)
Joy to the World!
Can you see why "heaven and nature sing"?
Can you see why "fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy"?
At Christmas we celebrate Jesus!
He came,
with full knowledge of His mission,
to rescue us
from the mess we are in.
Here's another YouTube link to the song.
Here are some questions to ponder:
- How far is the curse found? What examples could you add to my list?
- How can my sin affect others; isn't it only mine?
- Can't I undo the effects of my sins by making things right with the people I hurt?
- Do I experience joy at Christmas? If I do, Who/what is the source of my joy?
- How should I respond? (this is a good time to take another look at the song: it calls us to respond in multiple ways)
Heavenly Father, Joy is ours in abundance because You have undone the curse, taking the punishment on Yourself. We can't even begin to fathom the depth of that choice, or the expanse of Your love for us. Thank You!
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