Afterwords -- heaven and nature sing
"They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God." (Isaiah 35:2)
"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..." (Isaac Watts, 1719)
December 13, 2023
Dear friends,
Our children always enjoyed looking at, and playing with, our Christmas nativity scene. In the traditional creche you have an angel, some wise men, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, and Jesus in the manger. Surrounding the manger were various animals... sheep, donkey, cows, and a camel (usually just one because they are so big). The beloved Christmas carol, "Joy to the World", celebrates both angelic and creaturely joy at Christ's coming -- "Let heaven and nature sing!"
Isaac Watts wrote this hymn not as a Christmas carol, but in reflection upon Psalm 98. It is a celebration of Christ's coming (more specifically, the second coming) and the blessing that his reign will bring not only to the redeemed, but to all of creation. Though Christ comes in two Advents, yet Jesus is one Person, and the blessings of his first coming will be completed at his second. "Let heaven and nature sing!"
I was reading today in Isaiah chapter 35, about God's restoration of his redeemed exiles. The immediate context was the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, but the far view is of the restoration of the Lord's people to himself and the return of God's blessing upon all creation. "Let heaven and nature sing!"
In this chapter we read that the glory of the Lord will be seen (v 2), that we shall know his salvation (v 4), that healings will be given (v 5-6; see the description of Jesus' miracles in Matt. 11:5), the Highway of Holiness will be established (v 8), and everlasting joy will be upon God's people forever (v 10). In and around all of this would be the remarkable change of nature. The Spiritual will transform the natural:
"The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing." (35:1-2)
"For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes." (35:6-7)
"No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there." (35:9)
As Watts wrote, "Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy..." We should remember that some of the earliest sounds the baby Jesus heard were the animals nearby him in the stable. "Let heaven and nature sing!"
Isaiah chapter 35 concludes with verse 10... "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Cf. Rev 7:16-17; 21:4) This last line reminds me of Watts' words, "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..."
So, indeed, it is most appropriate at Christmas that we should join Watts' chorus: "Let heaven and nature sing!"
LISTENING AND READING.
-- Here is a message I heard from Josh McDowell when he spoke many years ago at Virginia Tech. What was memorable to me was that God not only gave prophecies concerning his Son coming into the world, but that, progressing from general to specific over time, the prophecies formed a sort of "address" for identifying the Messiah. Listen to the message here.
-- "Light is our sword in a semantic revolution. And truth is our country. May we show a watching world that every syllable is tethered to the Trinity, whether they like it or not. This is our condition of high visibility." (Pierce Taylor Hibbs) In writing about the ministry of J. Gresham Machen 100 years ago, Hibbs speaks of the preciousness of language (part of the image of God upon man), and how we need to use clear and unambiguous language in our communication with one another and with the world. Read "How Words Matter" (PDF).
This will be the last newsletter for 2023! Lord willing, I will reboot after the new year. May you and your family have a blessed Christmas season!
Sandy
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.