"O Come All Ye Faithful"
1. The Story Of A Play
After sharing part of one of our Christmas plays last week, I decided to share a portion of my favorite play. Several years ago I read the story of the song, "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" and it really touched my heart. I decided to research some of the other familiar carols and after two years I finally completed the Christmas play, "O Come All Ye Faithful". Mom made the costumes to match the time period of each song and the cast and the audience really enjoyed the performance. I hope you enjoy the stories behind these beautiful songs that we sing year after year.
2. "O Come All Ye Faithful"
SONG: “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
“O Come, All Ye Faithful”, these words have echoed through the ages, calling us to worship our God and our King. As we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus we see the “faithful” gathered around a lowly manger. We read of faithful men and women in the Holy Scriptures and know that above all, God is faithful to keep His Word. And, tonight we want to look at some of the faithful men and women who, often through adversity, wrote the Christmas carols we enjoy year after year.
“O Come, All Ye Faithful”. What a beautiful old song. Published in 1760 as “Adestes Fideles” in Latin, by John Francis Wade, this song may have been sung as early as the 13th century. Since the shepherds first heard the tidings of the dear Savior’s birth and proclaimed, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem…” we extend this invitation to you, “O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!” Worship with us as we exalt our loving Savior through the scriptures and songs that we have come to know and love.
3. "The Word Was Made Flesh And Dwelt Among Us"
Before we move on, I want to share the words to this beautiful old song. We sing these carols at Christmas and become so familiar with them I am afraid that we overlook the words. Notice the call to worship. Sing praises to Christ the Lord. If the choirs of angels can sing His praises, how much more should we, who have received His glorious gift of salvation. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) "O come, let us adore Him."
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him
Born the King of Angels:
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of Heaven above!
Glory to God, glory in the highest:
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
4. The Song Of Mary
The first song of Christmas can perhaps be found in our Holy scriptures as Mary, the mother of our precious Savior visited with her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. We find those words of praise in Luke 1:46-55.
“…My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.”
(This may have been the first song of Christmas but do you know the first mention of music in the Bible? In Genesis 4:21 we read, "And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ." If we dig into the scriptures a little deeper we can find siniging during God's creation.)
"4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7)
5. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
(Mary exits stage to left and back. Joseph goes on stage from right and kneels with face in hands, looks up when angel calls his name.)
Matthew also opens his book with the Christmas story…
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:18-23)
(Joseph exits stage right and goes to back.)
“Emmanuel”, God with us. This was proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah some 700 years before, as the nation of Israel looked for the coming of the Lord.
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
Possibly as early as the 12th century someone in the medieval Roman Catholic Church penned down these words pleading with God to return and redeem captive Israel. The song was translated into English by John Mason Neale in the early 1800’s.
SONG: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” (sung by a men’s group walking up center aisle with organ playing)
"O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel"
6. "O Little Town Of Bethleham"
The prophet Micah foretold that the Lord would be born in the little town of Bethlehem.
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)
(Mary and Joseph walk slowly up the center aisle and take their place at the manger scene during next scriptures.)
We see this come to pass in Luke chapter 2.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.” (Luke 2:1-5)
In 1868 Phillips Brooks wrote a Christmas carol for the children in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia. He gave it to the organist of the church, Lewis H. Redner, to compose a tune so the children could sing it for the Christmas Sunday School service. He had taken a trip to Bethlehem three years earlier and the memories must have been very dear to him. He had written a letter to his church while still abroad in February 1866. “I remember especially on Christmas Eve, when I was standing in the old church at Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with the splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices that I knew well, telling each other of the “Wonderful Night” of the Saviour’s birth…” Listen now to the familiar words of this beautiful Christmas carol that was written for the children, in Philadelphia, in 1868.
(Children stand together in center front and sing, then go back to seats.)
SONG: “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” (sung by the children)
"O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight"
7. "In A Lowly Manger Sleeping"
“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7)
Fanny Crosby became blind after the wrong medication was used on her eyes shortly after her birth in 1820. Through the darkness, she saw God’s light and wrote 8,000 songs and hymns, often under different names so that all the songs in the hymn book would not be accredited to her. We sing many of her songs today. “Near The Cross”, “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior”, “Blessed Assurance”, “Showers Of Blessings”, “To God Be The Glory”, “Close To Thee”, “Rescue The Perishing”, “All The Way My Savior Leads Me”, “God Will Take Care Of You”, and “My Savior First Of All” are just a few that express the deep love she had for her Savior. She wrote this Christmas hymn in 1883.
SONG: “In A Lowly Manger Sleeping”
"In a lowly manger sleeping,
Calm and still a Babe we see,
’Tis the Holy Child of promise,
Light of all the world is He.
Holy angels sing His welcome
In the realms of glory bright,
While the morning stars around Him
Fall in soft and tender light.
Blessèd Savior, dear Redeemer,
King of Judah, Prince of Peace,
Rock of Ages, Star of nations,
Thy dominion ne’er shall cease."
8. "Hark The Herald Angels Sing"
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:8-14)
The words and music of our next song span one hundred years. Charles Wesley, leader of the Methodist movement, wrote the song in 1739 and although the words sing with triumphant praise, he had specifically stated that he wanted slow solemn music. The song we sing today rings with the joyful cantata of the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn, written in 1840. He declared his music only to be used for secular use. In 1855 Dr. William Cummings joined the words and music into the song we sing today, although both men would have objected if they had been living. Can you imagine what they would have said if they had known the song would be sung on a Christmas cartoon in 1965 by Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and a dog named Snoopy?
SONG: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (sung by the children)
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King:
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th'angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King"
9. "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day"
This is the song that God used to lead me to write the play. The song is so moving, I could feel the emotion that stirred the author as he listened to the civil war cannons booming as the church bells chimed. We used all seven verses in our play, for in the end he realized that God will prevail "With peace on earth, goodwill to men!" Please take time to read these words that were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow after experiencing great sorrow at the loss of his wife. I will try to give the story of his tragedy tomorrow.
"The following are the original words of Longfellow's poem:
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christiandom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."
10. "God Is Not Dead, Nor Doth He Sleep; The Wrong Shall Fail, The Right Prevail"
“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” (Luke 2:15-18)
“I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” was written by one of America’s best known poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The Civil War began in 1861 and tragedy also struck his home in July of that year when his wife was melting sealing wax with a candle and caught her dress on fire. Longfellow tried to smother the flames with a small rug in the room, but Fanny Longfellow died the next morning, leaving him behind with five children. Due to his burns, he was unable to attend her funeral and was still grief stricken at Christmas when he wrote, “How inexpressibly sad are all holidays.” A year after her death he wrote, “I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace.” His journal entry for December 25th of 1862 reads, “A merry Christmas’ say the children, but that is no more for me.” His son Charles was severely wounded in the Civil War almost a year later and his journal was indeed wrapped in silence. On Christmas Day, in 1864, still months away from the end of the Civil War, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned these words to “Christmas Bells”. Listen as he proclaims, “God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men!”
SONG: “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day”
11. "Silent Night"
(British Soldier of WWI – left side in beige uniform)
Silent Night was written by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf, Austria in 1816. Two years later, on Christmas Eve 1818, he gave the poem to his church organist and asked him to write music for the guitar, possibly because the organ was broken. The music was written quickly and the song was sung on Christmas Day. Two singing families traveled to that little church and carried the song with them across the land. During the next hundred years the song traveled around the world.
(German Soldier of WWI – right side in gray uniform)
World War I started in the summer of 1914 and by Christmas almost a million lives had been lost. As the German and British soldiers lay some 60 yards apart on either side of “No man’s land” in deep trenches of icy, murky mud, an amazing thing happened. Late Christmas Eve a baritone voice came booming from the German side, “Stille Nacht”. The British could not understand the words, but knew the music well and responded with their words of “Silent Night”. The opposing troops alternated singing Christmas carols and the Germans lit candles on small Christmas trees. On Christmas Day the soldiers crossed the barbed wire and called a truce. They exchanged small gifts and buttons, and joined services to bury the dead. This one time in history, never again repeated, the guns were silenced and enemies called a truce as they celebrated Christmas, in the first World War, December 25th, 1914.
SONG: “Stille Nacht” sung in German by German Soldier and “Silent Night” sung by British Soldier, alternating verses.
12. "What Child Is This?"
What Child is this whose birth was foretold and so anticipated? What Child is this whose promise of a second coming brings hope to a Christian people? What Child is this that left His mark on the little town of Bethlehem and still bears the marks of the cross throughout eternity? What Child is this that can heal the broken in spirit and give sight to blinded eyes? What Child is this whose birth was heralded by angels and yet gives the peace of a Silent Night? “This, this is Christ, the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.” These words were penned by William Chatterton Dix in 1865 after a sudden near-fatal illness confined him to bed rest for several months. Through his illness and deep depression he wrote many hymns, including this beautiful song set to the familiar tune Greensleeves, which had been written centuries before.
SONG: “What Child Is This?”
"What Child Is This?"
What child is this
Who lay to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping
So bring him incense, gold and myrrh
Come peasant king to own him
The King of Kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone him
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The Babe, the Son of Mary
O raise, raise a song on high
His mother sings a lullaby
Joy, oh joy for Christ is born
The Babe, the son of Mary
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The Babe, the Son of Mary
13. "How Many Kings?"
We finished our songs from the Christmas play, but with such a short time left until Christmas I want to mention a few more Christmas songs that praise our Lord. I was going through the grocery store one Christmas and really concentrating on the things I needed for Christmas, but I noticed the song that was playing. Now, I usually only notice the songs that I know and even though others may be playing, I don't really hear them. But this song was different. I heard the chorus once and I asked myself if I really heard the words I thought I heard. I listened. Again I heard the words, "How many kings step down from their thrones? How many lords have abandoned their homes? ... How many fathers gave up their sons for me? ... Only One did that for me." As soon as I got home I searched online and found the song. "How Many Kings?" was released in 2008, by Downhere. We ordered a CD for me and also ordered several for Christmas gifts. Read the words to this amazing song of praise for our Savior. I don't know many Christmas songs that mention the cross, but this one is beautiful and it means so much to me because, "Only One did that for me."
How Many Kings?
"Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe, after all we've projected,
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl
Just a child
Is this who we've waited for?
'Cause how many kings stepped down from their thrones
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe
Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross he will suffer
Do you believe?
Is this who we've waited for?
How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only One did that for me
Oh, all for me, oh
All for me, all for you
All for me, all for you
All for me, all for you
All for me, all for you"
14. "While You Were Sleeping"
My granddaughter, Meredith, introduced me to a song last Christmas titled, "While You Were Sleeping." Andrew Little wrote our Christmas play this year, "What The Innkeeper Missed" and Susanna sang this song at the end of the play. The little town of Bethlehem missed the birth of Jesus, all except for a few lowly shepherds watching their sheep. This song tells that story, and also brings to light our sleeping nation. The Lord is coming back just like He promised. Are we watching for His return, or are we sleeping?
"While You Were Sleeping"
Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight
Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping
Mary shivers in the cold
Trying to keep the Savior warm
Born among the animals wrapped in dirty rags
Because there was no room for Him in the world He came to save
United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night
America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping
United States of America
Looks like another silent night
15. "Good Tidings Of Great Joy"
My heart is full! We had our family Christmas dinner last night and it was great to have most of our family together again. A few months ago Micah asked me if we could have a talent competition at Christmas and I told him that would be great. It was so much fun watching their performances. From reciting things they had learned this year, to turning flips, I enjoyed it all. Even little Madison showed us her faces, (fish face, bashful face, precious face, etc.) and how she could count to two. It was wonderful to hear some recite scripture, sing, and play the piano. They have worked hard to learn "Silent Night", "Angels, We Have Heard On High", and "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing". It is a blessing to know that my grandchildren are being brought up in Christian homes where they are learning about Jesus and know the true meaning of Christmas. As the angels proclaimed that the Savior was born that first Christmas, let's continue to tell the good news of our dear Savior's birth. I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas, and I pray that you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
"8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." (Luke 2:8-15)
16. The Faithful
In closing our theme on "O Come All Ye Faithful" this week, let's look at faith. Some have described faith as a blind leap in the dark, but that is not faith. We can learn about faith in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews 11.
"1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
I believe that faith is no greater than the object of that faith. Before I sit in a chair, I have faith that the chair will hold me. If the chair breaks, my faith in that chair is no stronger than the chair. This is true for those who say that it doesn't matter what you put your faith in, as long as your faith is strong. People with other religious beliefs think that Christians are dogmatic and intolerant because we believe that there is only one way to heaven. Believing verse 3 as stated above, I have faith in the God of creation. I believe that Jesus is God's only begotten Son and He said, "...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) This is the God of my faith. This faith comes from the Word of God. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" (Ephesians 2:8) This is why Christmas is so special to me. I believe in the Baby in the manger, because He is God's gift to me!
17. "Come And Worship, Worship Christ The Newborn King"
Today I wish you a Merry Christmas and invite you with the chorus of "Angels From The Realms Of Glory" as it has been sung since 1816, "Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King." We turn again to Hebrews 11 for our faithful find. "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." (Hebrews 11:4) Abel worshiped God. Our faith begins with salvation and our worship of God. Let us come this Christmas day and worship the Savior who was born King of the Jews. The shepherds listened to the angels and went to find the new born Baby in the manger. The wise men saw His star and followed it to worship Him and give Him gifts. "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." (Matthew 2:1-2) Let us also listen to His Word, and watch for His second coming, and most of all, worship Him.
18. Let Us Walk By Faith
Our next step in our growing faith is our walk with the Lord. Hebrews 11:5-6 tells us, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 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." We get more of the story of Enoch in Genesis 5:24, "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." And we also read in II Corinthians 5:7 "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)" I also like Amos 3:3, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" To walk together the two must be going in the same direction, so to walk with the Lord we need to let Him guide us on the right path. Another thing about walking with someone is walking at the same pace. When Mom and I go shopping, we may walk briskly through the parking lot, but then when we see something we are interested in we slow down and take a closer look. Many times in our Christian walk we want to get ahead of what God has planned for us. We are prone to maybe say a quick prayer about something, and take off on our own, not waiting for the Lord to answer. There are also times when God wants us to go forward for Him and we are sitting around waiting, not getting anywhere. I close our thoughts today with the first verse and chorus of "Trust And Obey". This old song was written by John H. Sammis in 1887.
"Trust And Obey"
"When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
19. The Faith Of Noah
We have come to Noah in our Faith Hall of Fame, and there are many things we can say about him. Noah had great faith "And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him." (Genesis 7:5)
Noah Worked - "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (Hebrews 11:7)
Noah Walked - "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." (Genesis 6:9)
Noah Witnessed - "And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;" (II Peter 2:5)
Noah Waited - "There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth." (Genesis 7:9-10) God let Noah wait seven days on the ark before the flood. Yet, no one else would believe, not even his brothers and sisters and their families. Noah and his sons and their wives and the animals waited almost a year on the ark.
Noah Worshiped - "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar." (Genesis 8:20)
20. Did Noah's Faith Waver?
Yesterday we saw many positive attributes of Noah's faith. He worked, he walked, he witnessed, he waited, and he worshiped. Sometimes I like to think about things in the story that we are not told. Noah did all that God told him to do, and his family and the animals went into the ark and waited seven days for the rain to begin to fall. I wonder if Noah stood in the doorway those seven days and pleaded with the people to come in. Maybe when Noah built the ark the doorway was the ramp they used to go into the ark and he thought it would be like a floating dock for those who changed their minds. Can you imagine the look on their faces as they watched the heavy door close as God shut Noah's family in, and in the same process shut the unbeliever's out? Do you think the sound of the thunder and storm drowned out the screaming voices of their aunts and uncles and cousins and neighbors?
I am a could've, should've, would've kind of person and now that we are nearing the end of another year I look back and think, "I could have done that differently...", "I should have ...", or "If I had thought about it I would have..." I wonder if Noah looked back and wondered if he did all he could. We see Noah as the one who saved the animals and his family but he may have looked back at the many he could not save. It must have been hard to know that his brothers and sisters were lost in the flood. As we come to the end of another year let's pray for our faith and courage and strength to be strong. Do you remember how the people in the house criticized the woman who anointed Jesus with the alabaster box of ointment? But He said, "She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." (Mark 14:8-9) Let us do all we can for the Lord. Let us hold fast to our faith and not waver.
21. "By Faith Joseph, When He Died..."
My son, Daniel, was over at our house recently and he was talking about the people of faith in Hebrews 11. He said he was curious about what the writer said about Joseph. "By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." (Hebrews 11:22) So much could be said of Joseph's life and his faith, Daniel wondered why this example was given of faith in his life. Daniel said that as he thought about it God showed him that Joseph was a man of dreams. God showed him that his family would bow down to him in a dream. God also let him see and prepare for the future through interpreting the dreams of others. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Daniel thinks that Joseph did see, through dreams. When he came to the end of his life he had faith for that which he had not seen, that his bones would be taken back home. "Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you." (Exodus 13:19) The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness 40 years, and carried those bones with them just as Joseph said. "And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph." (Joshua 24:32) Joseph's faith reached beyond his death. Isn't wonderful that we can have faith for everlasting life!
22. The Author And Finisher Of Our Faith
Faith. We have been talking about faith for a few weeks and I hope that you have been encouraged and strengthened. The world seems to grow darker as time goes by and we don't know what the new year will bring. But I just finished my yearly reading with the book of Revelation and God has assured us that we are on the winning side. The Lord reigns and He will call His children home to heaven where He is preparing us a place. Some of the splendor and glory is revealed in the last book, but I think it is too marvelous for even John to fully describe. We looked at just a few of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, and today we are passing on to a new chapter. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2) As we cross over into the new year remember that Jesus is "the author and finisher of our faith" and He is seated at the throne of God. We can depend on Him just as much today as we did for our salvation. He has never failed us and He will not fail us now. Stay faithful so that one day you can say like Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" (II Timothy 4:7)
