Worship Devotional III
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 12/7/2019.
Weekly Worship Devotional
Hey everyone, sorry for the late post. This week is the first of three sets of Christmas songs. These songs are focused on the meaning of Christmas, which is all about how God has given light, hope, salvation, and eternal life to mankind because of his everlasting love. These songs are pretty rich in theological insight as it pertains to Christmas, so if you don't have time today to listen to them and read the related Scriptures, please do so sometime next week if you can.
When we sing Christmas songs, it is easy to pass over words that we may not really know the meaning or significance of, because we are so used to them. It can be very enlightening to look into the definitions and history of words we hear only during the Christmas season, so that we might not miss the deep and profound insight contained in our Christmas hymns/carols. Here are this week's songs, as well as some insight into certain lyrics that might be helpful for better understanding the song:
The word noel is of French origin, and it simply means, "Christmas." The French word noel comes from the Latin "natalis," which means "birthday" or "birthplace." This first song speaks of a Child, born unto us, who shall reign forever according to prophesies spoken long ago. The chorus repeats the word noel, and invites us to come to see what God has done, and to hear the story of His amazing love.
2) O Come O Come Emmanuel
This classic Christmas hymn, with its beautiful and haunting minor key melody, reflects a prayer for Emmanuel, the promised Messiah, to come and to ransom Israel, God's chosen people. The word Emmanuel, we know from Matthew 1:23 means "God with us." In verse 2 (out of the 4 we are singing), Jesus is referred to as the "Dayspring." This word comes from Luke 1:78, where Zechariah prophesied about the Messiah. Other translations might say "Dawn from on high" or "Sunrise from on high." Verse 2 also uses the word advent, which means arrival, or more specifically in the context of Christmas, the arrival of Christ. Verse 3 refers to the Lord as the Rod of Jesse. This term comes from Isaiah 11:1. The word rod is used here archaically to mean "root" or "branch." Finally, in verse 4, we read "Desire of nations." This term comes from the KJV translation of Haggai 2:7. The more literal translations of this verse would suggest that the "desired of all nations" is referring not to Jesus, but to earthly treasures. However, as many Bible scholars and theologians have attempted to explain, there is also a sense in which the verse does apply to Jesus Christ, the Savior and the Messiah, who is the real and true Desire of nations, whether they realize it or not, since only He can truly satisfy the deepest desires inherent to all mankind. There are many different versions of this song, which may include different verses. If you are interested, you may enjoy taking the time to look up some of the other references contained in verses I've left out. Overall, although this song is very theologically deep, it is also a simple cry for the Lord to come. Through it we remember that a Messiah was promised to Israel, and because of God's faithful love, He came to save not only them, but also the whole world.
3) Joy Has Dawned by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty
This song is a modern day Christmas hymn that tells the Biblical Christmas story and reminds us of the joy came with the birth of Jesus. This song also contains a lot of theological insight. In verse 3 for example, we sing about the gifts that were given by the wise men in Matthew 2:1-12. Each gift has meaning that has been recognized by theologians and scholars for centuries. Gold represented kingship and royalty, and it was given to Jesus to symbolize His eternal kingship. Frankincense was used by the priests in the temple for worship, and is thought to have represented Christ's role as High Priest. It is also thought to have represented deity, referring to Christ's oneness with the Father. Lastly, myrrh was a spice used for embalming. It represented mortality and death, and it was given in reference to prophecies of the suffering and substitutionary death of the Messiah. It is also interesting to note that Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 60:6 that the nations would come to Jerusalem bringing gifts of gold and frankincense. Overall, this is a modern Christmas carol that is also full of rich Christmas theology.
4) He Shall Reign Forevermore by Chris Tomlin
To conclude our set, we have a song that passionately declares the eternal reign of the Messiah. This song expresses the reason we worship Him in the context of the Christmas story, and the significance of His birth. This birth we celebrate fulfilled prophecies, brought hope and joy and light, and changed the world. The One who was born not only represents, but is in essence life, truth, love, and hope—and He shall reign forevermore.
Related Bible verses:
Isaiah 7:13-14, 9:1-7, 11:1-5, & 60:1-6
Haggai 2:6-9
Matthew 1:18-24 & 2:1-12
Luke 1 & 2:1-40 (esp. 1:31-33 & 78-79)
There is a lot in these songs and Scriptures that can be studied in depth and explored for a deeper understanding of the meaning of Christmas. Whether we have many hours to spend in deep reflective study or only a few minutes to read the Word and listen to some of the songs, let us come together this Sunday in unity as God's people, who have life and hope and salvation because the Messiah was born.