Monday- A Psalm of Joy
It was never meant to be a Christmas song, but it is one of the best known. “Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts is iconic in tune and message. Everyone loves to sing this during the Christmas season, but I love to sing this in July! Why? Because it is Isaac Watt’s interpretation of Psalm 98, the Psalm of Joy. Back in Watt’s time, everyone sang psalms only, but his re-interpretations of psalms that we know as hymns was the contemporary understanding for Watts’ church. He wanted to bring out the picture and imagery of the psalm and excitement of God’s coming to Israel. Read this Psalm 98 along with the lyrics of Joy to the World and see what Watts highlights.
Psalm 98 A psalm.
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
“Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts
1 Joy to the world! The Lord is come:
let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare him room,
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n and nature sing
and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
2 Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns:
let men their songs employ;
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, 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,
far as the curse is found,
far as, 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,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.
Stay tuned as tomorrow we will look at the joy of Psalm 98 and our coming King.
Blessings, Jerry