Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Monday, November 29, 2010 2:31:41 PM
Even after fifty years I still have fond memories of our Christmas time programs in elementary school, including the singing of Isaac Watts’ hymn Joy to the World! Not only did we celebrate the Christmas season, but more importantly we were given truth about the meaning of Christmas; truth that was consistent with what was being taught at home and church. The public school system still understood its proper role.
This was the era of transition when the truth of Christ was proclaimed in traditional ways, but the meaning was being changed and the implications of the new meaning was resulting in the church withdrawing from the culture as salt and light. Let us examine the view of the kingdom that Watts presents in his hymn and compare his view with that held by many today in the churches. We will see that a transition has indeed come in America and with it a weakened church and an increase in lawlessness in the culture that has led to the failure of the public education system and the subsequent failure of the other systems that depend on an informed public.
When Watts’ hymn is sung today many sing without knowledge of his meaning of why joy has come in the coming of Christ.
Psalm 98 Second Part: The Messiah's coming and kingdom.
[Isaac Watts, Psalms of David, Psalm 98, 1719]
1. Joy to the world; the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King,
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
2. Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy.
3. 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.
4. He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,