By now, you have sung a number of Christmas during corporate worship. You might have heard many Christmas songs over the past month especially 20 versions of the same song. You probably bought a new Christmas album by one of your favorite singers. What singer does not have a Christmas album?
There have been many versions of popular Christmas songs that it may surprise you that there is a Christmas hymn that has been sung in churches for years is not really a Christmas song. The song is "Joy To The World," which was written by famous hymn writer, Isaac Watts. I am sure you know how it goes, but in case you may not:
Joy to the world, the Lord is 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 nature sing.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let all their songs employ;
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and 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 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 of his love.
This song is based on Psalm 98. Douglas Bond writes:
Psalm 98 is filled with rejoicing over the marvelous restoring goodness of Israel's God. It is a doxological anthem that looks forward to the promised reign of God over all the earth. Under Watts' sanctified genius, the old covenant psalm became a call to exuberant joy for the promised salvation that came in King Jesus. It is one of the best-loved Christmas carols in the English language, one wherein all people-indeed, all things in heaven and nature-are called to sing praises of the reigning King.
So the next time you sing "Joy To The World," don't think about the manager with baby Jesus surrounded by animals. Think about Jesus coming in on a white horse leading His army to consummate the world. One day, we will truly sing joy in this world for the Lord has come. When He comes again, He will rule the world with truth and grace.
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