Sunday, August 23, 2009, 6:58 a.m. – I woke to this hymn:
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah / William Williams / John Hughes
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee. Amen.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Lamentations 2, but nothing in the passage jumped out at me in relation to this song, so I went back and read the words to the hymn and then I realized that the hymn itself was rich with scriptural references from the exodus of Israel from Egypt all the way to our final home.
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through
Exodus 13:17-18, 20-22:
My Understanding: The Israelites had lived in captivity in Egypt. God sent his servant Moses to Pharaoh to tell him to “let my people go.” Pharaoh either didn’t listen to Moses, refused to let the people go and/or he promised to let them go if God relented on the plagues, but then he changed his mind and went back on his word. The Bible tells us that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he didn’t listen and so that he did not let the people go. Most commentators agree that Pharaoh’s heart was already hardened and that God just let it take its natural course. Either way, this was clearly God’s providential will for his people and for Egypt.
God sent a series of plagues against Egypt and each time Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he did not let God’s people go. So, finally God sent the plague of the first born. This is where Israel was instructed to take the blood of a sheep or a goat and to put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses. The blood would be a sign for them, for God said that when he saw the blood, he would pass over them and that no destructive plague would touch the Israelites when God struck Egypt. This is yearly celebrated during the time of the Passover.
When Pharaoh did let the people go, following this last plague, by day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or by night. The clouds never left their place in front of the people. God was their guide by day or by night as they ventured out on faith into a land that they had not previously possessed, so they truly were strangers and pilgrims in a barren land (the wilderness).
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside
Joshua 3:14-17:
My Understanding: The Israelites had left Egypt and they had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Then God brought them to the Promised Land of Canaan. After the death of Moses, God appointed Joshua to be the leader of the people. God told Joshua that he would be with him just like he had been with Moses. He told him to get ready and for the people to get ready to cross the Jordan.
Prior to crossing the Jordan, Joshua instructed the people to consecrate themselves, i.e. to dedicate and to devote themselves to Almighty God. He told the priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, “When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.” I thought of the words to this song where it speaks of the “verge” of the Jordan – “the limit or point beyond which something begins or appears; the edge; brink” (Webster), i.e. right before you cross over.
The ark was to go into the Jordan ahead of the people. As soon as the priests who carried the ark set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream would be cut off and would stand in a heap. This made me think of the words in the song where it says, “When I tread…” – “to set down the foot or feet in walking…”
The Jordan was at flood stage. As soon as the priests’ feet touched (tread) the water’s edge (verge of the Jordan), the water from upstream stopped flowing. So, the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed crossing on dry ground.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
John 6:30-35:
My Understanding: The people were looking for Jesus because he fed them physical bread (food). He then told them not to work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man would give to them. He told them that our Heavenly Father is the one who gives us the true bread from heaven, and that bread is “he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world,” namely Jesus Christ himself. Jesus told them that he is the bread of life. He said that he who comes to Jesus will never go hungry and he who believes in him will never be thirsty.
Then, Jesus stated that no one could come to him unless the Father who sent him draws him and Jesus will raise him up at the last day.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow
Revelation 22:1-6:
My Understanding: This is at the end of all things. The time on earth as we now know it will be gone. The tribulation will be past. The beast and the false prophet will have been thrown into the lake of fire and Satan will have been bound for 1,000 years after which time he will be released for a short time before he also will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity. Then, the Great White Throne judgment will occur and anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will also be thrown into the lake of fire for eternal torment.
Then, we will have a new heaven and a new earth and we will dwell with God in the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:27: “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.” Then, chapter 2:1-6 just continue this description of the holy city and the throne of God and what it will be like to dwell with the Lord forever in his eternal kingdom.
To be continued...
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah / William Williams / John Hughes
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee. Amen.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Lamentations 2, but nothing in the passage jumped out at me in relation to this song, so I went back and read the words to the hymn and then I realized that the hymn itself was rich with scriptural references from the exodus of Israel from Egypt all the way to our final home.
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through
Exodus 13:17-18, 20-22:
My Understanding: The Israelites had lived in captivity in Egypt. God sent his servant Moses to Pharaoh to tell him to “let my people go.” Pharaoh either didn’t listen to Moses, refused to let the people go and/or he promised to let them go if God relented on the plagues, but then he changed his mind and went back on his word. The Bible tells us that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he didn’t listen and so that he did not let the people go. Most commentators agree that Pharaoh’s heart was already hardened and that God just let it take its natural course. Either way, this was clearly God’s providential will for his people and for Egypt.
God sent a series of plagues against Egypt and each time Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he did not let God’s people go. So, finally God sent the plague of the first born. This is where Israel was instructed to take the blood of a sheep or a goat and to put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses. The blood would be a sign for them, for God said that when he saw the blood, he would pass over them and that no destructive plague would touch the Israelites when God struck Egypt. This is yearly celebrated during the time of the Passover.
When Pharaoh did let the people go, following this last plague, by day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or by night. The clouds never left their place in front of the people. God was their guide by day or by night as they ventured out on faith into a land that they had not previously possessed, so they truly were strangers and pilgrims in a barren land (the wilderness).
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside
Joshua 3:14-17:
My Understanding: The Israelites had left Egypt and they had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Then God brought them to the Promised Land of Canaan. After the death of Moses, God appointed Joshua to be the leader of the people. God told Joshua that he would be with him just like he had been with Moses. He told him to get ready and for the people to get ready to cross the Jordan.
Prior to crossing the Jordan, Joshua instructed the people to consecrate themselves, i.e. to dedicate and to devote themselves to Almighty God. He told the priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, “When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.” I thought of the words to this song where it speaks of the “verge” of the Jordan – “the limit or point beyond which something begins or appears; the edge; brink” (Webster), i.e. right before you cross over.
The ark was to go into the Jordan ahead of the people. As soon as the priests who carried the ark set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream would be cut off and would stand in a heap. This made me think of the words in the song where it says, “When I tread…” – “to set down the foot or feet in walking…”
The Jordan was at flood stage. As soon as the priests’ feet touched (tread) the water’s edge (verge of the Jordan), the water from upstream stopped flowing. So, the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed crossing on dry ground.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
John 6:30-35:
My Understanding: The people were looking for Jesus because he fed them physical bread (food). He then told them not to work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man would give to them. He told them that our Heavenly Father is the one who gives us the true bread from heaven, and that bread is “he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world,” namely Jesus Christ himself. Jesus told them that he is the bread of life. He said that he who comes to Jesus will never go hungry and he who believes in him will never be thirsty.
Then, Jesus stated that no one could come to him unless the Father who sent him draws him and Jesus will raise him up at the last day.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow
Revelation 22:1-6:
My Understanding: This is at the end of all things. The time on earth as we now know it will be gone. The tribulation will be past. The beast and the false prophet will have been thrown into the lake of fire and Satan will have been bound for 1,000 years after which time he will be released for a short time before he also will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity. Then, the Great White Throne judgment will occur and anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will also be thrown into the lake of fire for eternal torment.
Then, we will have a new heaven and a new earth and we will dwell with God in the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:27: “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.” Then, chapter 2:1-6 just continue this description of the holy city and the throne of God and what it will be like to dwell with the Lord forever in his eternal kingdom.
To be continued...
