Worship: Come thou long Expected Jesus by Charles Wesley – verse 1 & 4, Verses 2 & 3 are by Mark Hunt and included in 1990 ed. Of the Trinity Hymnal (Great Commission Publications)
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee
Israel’s strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of ev’ry nation
Joy of ev’ry longing heart
Joy to those who long to see Thee
Dayspring from on high appear
Come, Thou promised Rod of Jesse
Of Thy birth we long to hear
O’er the hills the angels singing
“News – glad tidings of a birth!
Go to Him, your praises bringing!
Christ the Lord has come to earth!”
Come to earth to taste our sadness
Thou whose glories knew no end
By Thine life, You bring us gladness
Our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend
Leaving riches without number
Born within a cattle’s stall
This the everlasting wonder
Christ was born the Lord of all!
Born, Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious Kingdom bring
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne
Video: https://youtu.be/vRAFQCOkjgE
Witness:
Christmas has come and gone, but I am still singing Christmas songs. I could sing them all year long. I am also not one to take down the tree the day after Christmas. I will keep it up, decorated and lit for a week or two (or more). I cannot say that I experienced Christmas as I hope to. I have still to give my time to help others as I wish to though I did provide gifts for one young man of 12 through the James Fund, a local charity that ministers to orphans, widows, foster and displaced families. However, I could have done so much more. I did listen to many messages on Christmas, read Advent devotionals, and read about the history of some of the Christmas Carols we sing (the one I sang and included in worship today Was the latest one I read about). This song was actually inspired by his reading Haggai 2:7.
I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty.NIV
How does the background to this song speak to my longing to “do Christmas better?” Perhaps a little more information concerning this carol will make that clear. Let me share a portion from a resource I discovered online concerning this song. I will also share a link to where this article’s source for the information. It will provide further insight. Unfortunately, the source to which it refers to cannot be copied and pasted.
In 1744, Charles Wesley considered Haggai 2:7 and looked at the situation of orphans in the areas around him. He also looked at the class divide in Great
Britain.[7] Through this train of thought, he wrote "Come, Thou long expected Jesus" based upon Haggai 2:7 and a published prayer at the time which had the words:
"Born Your people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, born to reign in us forever, now Your gracious kingdom bring. By Your own eternal Spirit, rule in all our hearts alone; by Your all sufficient merit, raise us to Your glorious throne. Amen."[8]
Wesley adapted this prayer into a hymn in 1744 and published it in his "Hymns for the Nativity of our Lord" hymnal. Wesley wrote "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" with the intent for people to remember Advent and Christmas as commemorating the Nativity of Jesus and preparing for the Second Coming. [9] [10]7 Collins, Ace (2006). "13: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus." More Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-26314-X.8 David Baker (2014-10-03). "Reflection: Good news in a bad news world." Christian Today. Retrieved 2015-11-26.9 "Come, Thou long expected Jesus"Hymnary.org. Retrieved 2015-11-26.10 Mulder, John M.; Roberts, F. Morgan (2015). 28 Carols to Sing at Christmas. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 28. ISBN 1-4982-0682-4.
Things have not changed since Wesley wrote these words. It’s my prayer that as I see the need and according to the ability and opportunity the Lord gives me I will help others. I am already doing that in the life of another in Uganda. I am also trying to minister close to home in the lives of my 3 grandchildren who live next door. I also want to have a greater influence on my 6 children and my 10 other grandchildren. And so, I too will pray a prayer, though it probably will never be set to a tune J.
Lord open my eyes to see the needsAnd bless others with words and deedsGrant to me a heart full of CompassionAnd Thy strength to me do not rationOpen doors for me to serve peopleIn all places, not just under a steepleIn Christ’s Name. Amen!
WORD:
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Ps 25:16-21
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how my enemies have increased
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.
NIV
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Ps 25:16-21
16 Turn to me and have mercy,
for I am alone and in deep distress.
17 My problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all!
18 Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.
19 See how many enemies I have
and how viciously they hate me!
20 Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.
21 May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved..
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Ps 25:16-21
16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
KJV
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Ps 25:16-21
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
ESV
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Up until now, David has been expressing his faith in the Faithful one. He begins the Psalm in prayer followed by praise and proclamation. However, an unusual thing takes place here. Up until now the tone of the psalm has been rather positive. Here, as if holding back until now, he lets loose a series of pleas revealing his troubled soul in light of his present predicament. We find David battling with two enemies. The first is internal – his own struggle with sin. And the second is external and concerns his enemies. All this leaves David in a state of depression. He does not feel the Lord’s presence (“turn to me”) and feels this is as a result of his sins, so he asks the Lord to be “gracious” or to have “mercy” on him. It is interesting that the word used here is not the word “hesed” as we might expect. He uses words of humility. It is a word others may have used when coming before him as king, for it refers to a superior in standing coming to the aid of an inferior.
Strong’s says:
OT:2603chanan (khaw-nan'); a primitive root [compare OT:2583]; properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; causatively to implore (i.e. move to favor by petition):(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Vine’s says:
GRACIOUS chanan OT:2603, "to be gracious, considerate; to show favor." …
The word occurs around 80 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, the first time in Gen 33:5: "The children which God hath graciously given thy servant." Generally, this word implies the extending of "favor," often when it is neither expected nor deserved…
God's "favor" is especially seen in His deliverance from one's enemies or surrounding evils Ps 77:9; Amos 5:15. However, God extends His "graciousness" in His own sovereign way and will, to whomever He chooses Ex 33:19. In many ways, chanan combines the meaning of the Greek Haris (with the general classical Greek sense of "charm" or "graciousness") and the New Testament sense of "undeserved favor" or "mercy."(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
In humble trust, David cries out to the One in whom he trusts (vs. 2). In whom he hopes (vs. 5). And in whom he looks to continually (vs. 15).
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