(hymn 285b in the 1940 Hymnal), 19 December 2023 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
(Hebrews 11:6; Authorized King James Bible)
I have seldom heard this hymn sung in worship, but I would have hoped to have heard it sung often. This being the Season of Advent, we would profit to remember that promise made to Abraham of a Seed that would come to redeem Israel, and we are on the verge of observing the fulfillment of that Promise at Christmas. It was a work of God begun at Eden, confirmed to Abraham and the prophets, and fulfilled at Bethlehem of Judea. The Coming of the Baby Jesus at Bethlehem was God the Father’s Christmas gift to us – one that gives every moment of the life of the believer. There are two hymns by this title in the Hymnal, but I have chosen this one for its directness and simplicity. The composer of thgis hymn is lost in antiquity, but it is of Jewish origin. The original verses number twelve. The tune for this version of the hymn is Covenant by Stainer.
Click here to Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIUH4B5qpzU
THE GOD OF ABRAHAM PRAISE
The God of Abraham praise, Who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days, and God of Love;
To Him uplift your voice, At whose supreme command
From earth we rise, and seek the joys.
He by Himself hath sworn; I on His oath depend;
I shall, on eagle’s wings up-borne, to Heaven ascend;
I shall behold His face, I shall His power adore,
And sing the wonders of His grace Forevermore.
There dwells the Lord our King, the Lord our righteousness,
Triumphant o’er the world and sin, the Prince of Peace;
On Sion’s sacred height His kingdom still maintains,
And, glorious with His saints in light, forever reigns.
The God of Abraham praise, Who reigns enthroned above; Ancient of everlasting days, and God of Love; To Him uplift your voice, At whose supreme command From earth we rise, and seek the joys. The gift of God the Father’s only Begotten Son to us is the greatest expression of grace in Holy Scripture. In our rightful joy at the birth of Christ and all He means to us, it is a bit sad that we often forget the loving Heart that from whom that gift emanated. God is Love to those who echo His love; but those who, with grievous reprobation, reject the Son will also garner the scorn of the Father and an eternal separation from Him. His from everlasting to everlasting.
He by Himself hath sworn; I on His oath depend; I shall, on eagle’s wings up-borne, to Heaven ascend; I shall behold His face, I shall His power adore, And sing the wonders of His grace Forevermore. There is a grave difference in the oath and promise of God and that of mortal man. Even if man proposes to fulfill an oath made, he often fails in its realization; but the oath of God stands as firm as the deed already performed. Just as God bore Israel as on eagle’s wings out of bondage in Goshen of Egypt, so He does for those who have received and believed on His son, Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note that a mother eagle carries her young on her back. She knows not the power of her talons which could crush her young ones – furthermore, if she becomes the target of the archer, the arrow must pierce her own bosom ere striking her young one. Just as surely as the blind Fanny Crosby shall see her Savior face-to-face, so shall all who are the elect and persevering believers in Christ.
There dwells the Lord our King, the Lord our righteousness, Triumphant o’er the world and sin, the Prince of Peace; On Sion’s sacred height His kingdom still maintains, And, glorious with His saints in light, forever reigns.Standing before the heights of Mt. Zion stands Mt. Horeb – both referred to as the Mountain of the Lord; but Mt Zion stands for the Law and its curse, and Mt. Horeb, where Moses struck the Rock and water gushed forth, stands for the Mountain of Mercy. Mercy comes before the Law and triumphs over it. Not that we are not bound to obey the Commandments of God – nay, we are bound by an even stronger compulsion to obey in Love the Commandments of God – and love is the only means whereby we are enabled to obey.
