Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Music and songs help to provide us with joy and entertainment but also transport our minds and emotions to different places. Through song we can reflect on things in our lives or even meditate on certain truths. For Christians, songs play the same role as we consider God and faith, and most importantly reflect on God’s word to us. Colossians 3:16 reads, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Now that it is after Thanksgiving we have begun playing Christmas music around the house. I realized that we sing a lot of the same Christmas songs every year to the point where I don’t always reflect on what the words are pointing me towards. Instead I should be asking, how are the authors of this hymn drawing on scriptures so that the words dwell in me richly? How are the words teaching and admonishing me? So today I ask these questions of, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
The hymn was originally written by Charles Wesley which he called a “Hymn for Christmas-Day.” Later, George Whitefield adapted it modifying just a couple of lines, most notably the first line from which it is now titled. Let’s explore these stanzas together.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
The most notable scripture reference here is to Luke 2:14 where the angels appear to the shepherds in the field and sing, “Glory to God in the highest…” We are reminded that we are excited about this new-born king because he will reconcile God and man. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10; See also Col. 1:21-22).
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
Psalms 67:4 begins, “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy.” Here we are reminded that they join the earth in praising God (Psalm 19:1; 97:6) and we join with the angels in proclaiming, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
In Revelation we see that Jesus is sitting on his throne and “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea” are singing praises to him (Rev. 5:13). The scripture we are told to remember is Isaiah 40:28, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God.” How would we know that this Christ, adored by all of heaven, who is everlasting, had come to us? “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son…” (Isaiah 7:14).
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
This child is “the word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) who “opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:20) to be able to see God himself. Jesus gave up his deity to come to earth “born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form” (Philippians 2:7-8). This Jesus would have the name Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14) which means God with us.
Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings;
That Jesus is called the Prince of Peace should remind us of the list of names for the Messiah given through the prophet in Isaiah 9:6. also, “for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings” (Malachi 4:2). Jesus himself told us, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12; Also, John 1:9).
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Again we are reminded that Jesus gave up his glory to come to earth (Philippians 2:5-7). He did so in order that mankind could “pass from death to life” (John 5:24) and just like he told Nicodemus, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
In all, there are more than 40 references to different Bible passages in this one hymn. As you listen and sing they should draw your mind to the promises and truth found in the Bible. As a response and as a way to continue to reflect on truth I hope you will sing:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!
