The Song:
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| Statue of Watts in London |
Isaac
Watts was one of the most prolific hymn-writers in history. He is credited with
writing around 750 hymns from his first publication in 1707 to his death in
1748. Some of his hymns you may have
heard: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,
At the Cross, Joy to the World (words), and O
God Our Help in Ages Past. A
somewhat lesser-known Watts hymn that you may have heard for the first time
this past Sunday is Ye Nation ‘Round the
Earth, Rejoice. It has been given a
fresh arrangement by a modern-day worship leader named Sarah DeShields who,
like Watts, hails for the British Isles. So if you wonder why parts of the
lyrics sound “antique” and other parts sound modern…now you know: One author
wrote his part when America was just a group of British colonies while the
other is writing in the 21st century!
One
thing I love about the song is how it feels like we’re singing a Psalm straight
from Scripture! Watts loved to pull from the Psalms and this particular hymn
was published in a group of works under the name of The Psalms of David. Don’t miss out on the richness of what we’re
singing. In fact, since there is no
YouTube option to give you on this song, I’m going to take this opportunity to
place the Watts portion of the lyrics below along with some 21st
century commentary done by yours truly.
Thank you for taking time to invest a little in our
Sunday-together-worship by reading these emails. Come Sunday and “bring your
best offering, pour it over the feet of the Lord!”
Find It:
CLICK HERE
to download this song from iTunes.
Lifting my
voice with yours, Pastor Neil
Ye Nations
Ye nations round
the earth, rejoice
[all people…believers & nonbelievers, alike]
[all people…believers & nonbelievers, alike]
Before the
Lord, your sovereign King,
[we’re praying they would recognize Him as King]
[we’re praying they would recognize Him as King]
Serve Him
with cheerful heart and voice;
[are you a cheerful servant of Christ?]
[are you a cheerful servant of Christ?]
With all your
tongues His glory sing.
[praise Him in every way known, the world-around!]
[praise Him in every way known, the world-around!]
The Lord is
God; ’tis He alone
[He’s the only one…]
[He’s the only one…]
Doth life and
breath and being give;
[…who can sustain us & give our lives meaning]
[…who can sustain us & give our lives meaning]
We are His
work, and not our own;
[though we tend to forget Someone else has a claim on us]
[though we tend to forget Someone else has a claim on us]
The sheep
that on His pastures live.
[what great timing with our Psalm 23 series!]
[what great timing with our Psalm 23 series!]
Enter His
gates with songs of joy,
[gates = the entry to the temple…show up Sunday with joy]
[gates = the entry to the temple…show up Sunday with joy]
With praises
to His courts repair;
[talking about the temple again: show up with praise]
[talking about the temple again: show up with praise]
And make it
your divine employ
[make it your job…a sacred job]
[make it your job…a sacred job]
To pay your
thanks and honors there.
[to give God the credit He is deserves]
[to give God the credit He is deserves]
The Lord is good,
the Lord is kind;
[yep!]
[yep!]
Great is His
grace, His mercy sure;
[mercy sure = you don’t have to doubt that He’ll be merciful]
[mercy sure = you don’t have to doubt that He’ll be merciful]
And the whole
race of man shall find
[we’ll find out sooner or later, like it or not]
[we’ll find out sooner or later, like it or not]
His truth
from age to age endure.
[He IS truth and the truth doesn’t change]
[He IS truth and the truth doesn’t change]
