Posted on 12/27/2018 12:17:58 PM PST by pastorbillrandles
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.(Luke 2:8-14)
I know, I know, I’ve already heard it all, every year.’ Christmas is a pagan holiday, the celebration of the winter solstice, a christianised celebration of the feast of Bauchus. The Yule log is Celtic paganism, the decorated tree is all about Babylonian Tamuz worship’, and besides all that Jesus probably even born in December! Right?
But once a year, there is a holiday ,that however imperfectly, commemorates the Incarnation of God into this sinful “weary world”. It wouldn’t matter to us what month or day, because the Bible doesn’t give us the birthdate of Jesus. What matters is that “unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given“.I love it.
Upon my conversion to Jesus Christ somewhere around 1977-78, I remember being amazed to find around Christmas time, that the familiar words to the carols I had sung for years actually conveyed powerful ,relevant,theological meaning.
Hark the herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled” Joyful, all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies With the angelic host proclaim: “Christ is born in Bethlehem” Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King!” Christ by highest heav’n adored Christ the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come Offspring of a Virgin’s womb Veiled in flesh the Godhead see Hail the incarnate Deity Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings Ris’n with healing in His wings Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King!”
Tears streamed down my face as I sang again the songs I had known and loved since childhood, now realizing personally the depth of the message,
“…God and sinners reconciled…veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,Hail the incarnate Deity, pleased as man with man to dwell,Jesus our Emmanuel…Born to raise the Sons of earth, born to give them second birth…”
Everywhere I go this time of year, I hear this evangel streaming from the radio, covered by popular singers, pouring out of loudspeakers at shopping malls,sung by choirs and carolers in the streets themselves. Personally , I love it.
Who knows how many hard hearts have been touched, melted, perhaps even turned back to God in repentance. by Lyrics such as ;
“Silent Night, Holy Night , Son of God, Loves pure Light, radiant beams from thy Holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace, Christ our Saviour is born…Silen night, Holy Night, Shepherds quake, at the sight, Glories stream from heaven afar,Heavenly Hosts sing Hallelujah, Christ the Saviour is born…”
And yet as I was for years, so many are oblivious to the meaning of the songs of the “Heavenly Hosts”, repeated every Christmas season. But this is as it was at the first Noel. How else could it be that of all the people of Judea, who had long been promised a coming deliverer, that only the lonely and despised Shepherds heard the Angelic songs ?
“Gloria ,Gloria,Gloria, in Exelcis Deo !…Glory to God in the Highest and Peace on earth to Men with whom He is pleased!”
We are told that the Sovereign God himself has chosen to hide the things of God from the wise of this Age, yet reveals them unto babes in his sight ,
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.(Matthew 11:24-28)
How fitting, that not to the powerful, but to the lowly, and not into a palace or temple, but into a lowly, filthy barn, basically a cave, did the “High and Lofty God”, from of Old, choose to condescend unto us, in order to save us.
You would have to be willing to stoop to enter into the place where “unto us The child was born…” even as one would have to stoop 33 years later to enter into the other cave, the empty tomb! Don’t you love it? Has the Incarnation of God yet done its softening work in your heart?
But other than scripture who says it better than Philip Brooks,the hymnist who gave us “O Little Town of Bethlehem”?
How silently, how silently The wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven. No ear may his His coming, But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him still, The dear Christ enters in
Merry Christmas everybody!
Except that in the Bible, the angels were not singing, they were “saying”. But let us not let facts get in the way.
Only one Christmas hymn brings a lump to me throat, and a tear to me eyes - “Silent Night”!
Gets me every time.
*”Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”* (IMO) is a masterpiece, but it shalt not ever be equal to, nor exceed, the standards set forth by the GREATEST NATIVTY HYMN OF ALL TIME ...
_________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, All is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy Infant so Tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia!
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!
Silent night, holy night!
Wondrous star, lend thy light!
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King!
Christ the Saviour is here,
Jesus the Saviour is here!
Silent night, Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord at thy birth;
Jesus Lord at thy birth.
Everybody is entitled to my opinion.
Only one other song gets me emo, and that is ‘Amazing Grace’. [the end result of being at far too many funerals]
Christians, Awake!
(John Byrom & John Wainwright, 1750)
Christians, awake, salute the happy morn
Whereon the Savior of the world was born.
Rise to adore the mystery of love
Which hosts of angels chanted from above,
With them the joyful tidings first begun
Of God incarnate and the virgin’s son.
Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
Who heard the angelic herald’s voice, Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Savior’s birth
To you and all the nations of the earth;
This day hath God fulfilled His promised Word;
This day is born a Savior, Christ the Lord.
He spoke; and straightaway the celestial choir
In hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire;
The praises of redeeming love they sang,
And Heaven’s whole orb with hallelujahs rang.
God’s highest glory was their anthem still,
Peace on the earth and unto men good will.
To Bethlehem straight the enlightened shepherds ran
To see the wonder God had wrought for man
And found, with Joseph and the blessed maid,
Her son, the Savior, in a manger laid;
Then to their flocks, still praising God, return,
And their glad hearts with holy rapture burn.
Like Mary let us ponder in our mind
God’s wondrous love in saving lost mankind!
Trace we the babe, who hath retrieved our loss,
From His poor manger to His bitter cross,
Tread in His steps, assisted by His grace,
Till man’s first heavenly state again takes place.
Then may we hope, th’angelic hosts among,
To sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song.
He that was born upon this joyful day
Around us all His glory shall display.
Saved by His love, incessantly we sing
Eternal praise to Heav’n’s almighty king.
Silent Night, Holy Night--Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra (1928)
Fiji Hill wrote:
Only one Christmas hymn brings a lump to me throat, and a tear to me eyes - “Silent Night”!
Silent Night, Holy Night—Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra (1928)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqjlNtmxhMk
william jude2 minutes ago
Fiji Hill recommended I hear this. IDK Paul Whiteman, but he has earned his place among the greatest musical arrangers ever born...
when the morning stars vsang together
and all wthe sons of God xshouted for joy?(Job 38:7)
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.(Revelation 5:9-10)
Yes we all know that in the Bible Angels don’t sing (sarcasm)
Excuse me. The article was talking about the Annunciation, specifically from Luke, not Revelation. The article even quoted that verse from Luke.
Taking something out of context is usually a pretext for something else.
Oh yeah, I am trying to sneak some singing angels into the text,LOL!!! I thought you said “in the Bible, the angels were not singing, they were “saying”. But let us not let facts get in the way.” so I showed you angels singing in the Bible, and showed you that even in the greek the Christmas Angels were praising, which often involves singing...
The actual article is about the birth of Christ...”Suddenly there ws with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, singing...”
Paranoid much?
I was not claiming that you were trying to “sneak” anything in. But I always tell my church members to be very careful when they make assumptions about the Bible stories or “myths” the believe. Like everyone thinks Mary rode a donkey, there were three wise men, or that the wise men showed up at the manger.
When we use “singing” but the Bible says “saying”, then we are giving a wrong message and need to be careful. The vast majority of English translations read “saying”, not singing, so I assume there are contextual reasons for the translators to ALL use “saying”.
https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Luke%202%3A13
I misspoke, not the annunciation, but the angelic visitation to the shepherds. However, you misquoted the verse.
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Not Paranoid at all, are you? I was just introducing a little levity. I get what you are saying about precision of text, but as I showed you in the Answers in Genesis article, it is a perfectly legitimate assumption to say that the Angels were singing in their praises... Angels do sing in the Bible
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.