PSALM 71
Psalmist wants the LORD to rescue him verse 1- 6
In YOU – O LORD – do I put my trust – let me never be put to confusion
deliver me in YOUR righteousness – and cause me to escape
incline YOUR ear unto me – and save me
Be YOU my strong habitation – whereunto I may continually resort
YOU has given commandment to save me
for YOU are my rock and my fortress
Deliver me – O my God – out of the hand of the wicked
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man
For YOU are my hope – O Lord GOD – YOU are my trust from my youth
by YOU have I been held up from the womb
YOU are HE that took me out of my mother’s bowels
my praise shall be continually of YOU
Psalmist having trouble in old age verse 7- 11
I am as a wonder unto many – BUT YOU art my strong refuge
let my mouth be filled with YOUR praise
and with YOUR honor all the day
cast me not off in the time of old age
forsake me not when my strength fails
For my enemies speak against me
that that lay wait for my soul take counsel together – saying
God hath forsaken him – persecute and take him
for there is none to deliver him
Psalmist wants the LORD to hurry verse 12- 16
O God – be not far from me – O my God – make haste for my help
let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul
let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt
BUT I will hope continually – and will yet praise YOU more and more
my mouth shall show forth YOUR righteousness and YOUR salvation
all the day – for I know not the numbers thereof
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD
I will make mention of YOUR righteousness – even of YOURS only
Psalmist has been a faithful witness for the LORD verse 17- 18
O God – YOU have taught me from my youth
and hitherto have I declared YOUR wondrous works
Now also when I am old and gray headed – O God – forsake me not
until I have shown YOUR strength unto this generation
and YOUR power to every one that is to come
Psalmist believes LORD will help again verse 19- 21
YOUR righteousness also – O God – is very high – WHO hast done great things
O God – WHO is like unto YOU
YOU – which have shown me great and sore troubles – shall quicken me again
shall bring me up again from the depths of the earth
YOU shall increase my greatness – and comfort me on every side
Psalmist will praise the LORD through singing verse 22- 24
I will also praise YOU with the psaltery – even YOUR truth – O my God
unto YOU will I sing with the harp – O YOU Holy One of Israel
My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto YOU
and my soul – which YOU have redeemed
My tongue also shall talk of YOUR righteousness all the day long
for they are confounded – for they are brought unto shame
that seek my hurt
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 “In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). Trust – 2620 חָסָה [chacah /khaw·saw/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 700; GK 2879; 37 occurrences; AV translates as “to trust” 35 times, “to make a refuge” once, and “have hope” once. 1 (Qal) to seek refuge, flee for protection. 1A to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God) (fig.). James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: As we grow older certain truths become clearer! There is a certainty of life that is evident because of all the circumstances faced. Psalm 71 combines elements from other psalms (22; 31; 35; 40). Yet it is a unit in itself expressing the faith of an older person throughout most of his lifetime. In response to his prayer the psalmist, who is not identified, anticipated the same marvelous response the Lord had given him all his life. Many times in the previous psalms we have seen the writers express their desire for the Lord to work and now he is confident in the Lord! There is a reality of God’s presence despite the difficulties! As you spend time with the Lord and mature it is amazing how different our perspective becomes. Don’t give up but continue on with the Lord and linger with some of the gray haired saints to see how they have been taught!
CHALLENGE: Spend some time with an elderly saint and listen carefully to their stories of God’s working in circumstances of life. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 Deliver me in YOUR righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline YOUR ear to me and save me. (5186 “incline” [natah] means stretch out, turn aside, to bend or turn (one’s ear) towards a speaker in order to listen well, extend, or extend one’s love.)
DEVOTION: Do we know who we are in our relationship to the LORD? We should know our relationship to HIM and HE should know us. This only happens if we have made a personal commitment to HIM to follow HIM where ever HE leads us.
The children of Israel were led of the LORD when they were obedient. When they were not obedient they were doing their own thing and the LORD sent judgment. It was simple from the LORD’S perspective. HE had warned them many times that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgment.
Now we find that the author of this Psalm wanted the LORD to deliver him based on HIS righteousness rather than on the righteousness of the nation. They wanted to escape judgment for their sins.
Was this a confession of sin? If it was than the LORD would hear them and would come to save them if they were sincere.
The problem today is that sometimes we ask the LORD for help even when we don’t repent of our sins. We just want to get out of our present circumstances and the LORD knows the difference.
Our confession and move away from the sin that has caused our separation from HIM should be genuine. Sometimes we can confess our sins and not really mean it. It is sad but true because we go right back to the same sin in our lives.
God want a real change to take place in our life, so that, we are growing in grace and knowledge of HIM. HE wants Christians that are growing in their personal relationship with HIM. HE doesn’t want us to stay babies all of our Christian life. HE wants us to mature into mature believers that can help others when they need good counsel.
CHALLENGE: Do you genuinely want the LORD to forgive your sins? Are you willing to change what is happening to things that are pleasing to the LORD? Only you can answer these questions!
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: 13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul, let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt. (954 “confounded” [buwsh] means to be ashamed, to put to shame, to be or become characterized by feeling of shame, guilt, embarrassment, or remorse, or to fail in hope and expectation.)
DEVOTION: There are people who are much smarter than we are. There are people who know how to put words together better than we can. There are people who can say things that cause us problems because we don’t want to defend ourselves of their false accusations.
Here we find the Psalmist asking the LORD to deal with those who are against him. They are people who seek to hurt believers with their words. There are many people who like to do it because they can.
God doesn’t want us to be discouragers of believers but encouragers. If we know believers who are struggling we need to come along side and encourage them to strengthen the areas of their life with an attitude of love.
Too often we find those who claim Christ coming to other believers with the wrong attitude that discouraged them rather than helps them. We are not to be those types of believers. There are enough people who are not believers who can to it to believers.
Here we have what is called an imprecatory prayer.
He wants the LORD to deal with this person in a way that he/she would understand that they were not being good representative of the LORD. If they were not genuine believers that the LORD would have to deal with them differently.
Christians are to encourage other Christians as much as they can because there are enough discouragers in this world.
CHALLENGE: We need to be helping fellow believers to understand that the LORD is the one they can turn to when things are not going well. We need to do the same as well.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 18 “Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed YOUR strength unto this generation, and YOUR power to everyone that is to come.” (“Old,” 2209 זִקְנָה [ziqnah] Six occurrences; AV translates as “old” three times, and “old age” three times. 1 old age. “Gray-headed,” 7872 שֵׂיבָה [seybah] 19 occurrences; AV translates as “old age” six times, “gray hairs” six times, “hoar head” three times, “hoary head” twice, “gray-headed” once, and “hoary” once. 1 age, gray hair, hoary head, old age. 1a gray hair, hoary head. 1b old age. [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software]).
DEVOTION: This psalm was composed by an older man (see also verse 9), asking for the Lord’s protection. Some of us (unlike Pastor Rich) have gray hairs and lots of them! Old age is a time when we have to be more dependent (not less dependent) upon the Lord.
One advantage of being older is that you can reflect on more instances where God has intervened on your behalf during your life. God wants us to remember and rehearse all that He has done for us during our lives, and this is the major way that we are to transmit the faith to a younger generation. This can also be a form of declarative praise back to the Lord.
Another advantage of growing older is that you are able to correctly assess key issues like the relationship between good and evil. While younger people sometimes tend to disregard morality and that which is good for what is pleasurable, there are consequences to their decisions. Older people are able to put these concepts into perspective, since they value things like legacies and family.
So rejoice if you are older. We are all getting older all the time, and we should ask the Lord to make us wiser as we go. Never fear—He is the one who will protect us if we call out to Him!
CHALLENGE: What do you most fear about aging? Recall all the times that God has rescued you in the past, and call out on Him when you start fearing something. Then spend some time with a younger person and tell them about the Lord! (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
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: 20 You, which hast shown me great and sore troubles, shall quicken me again, and shall bring me up again from the depths of the earth. (2421 “quicken” [chayah] means to live, revive, keep alive, nourish up, preserve, recover, be whole or restore.)
DEVOTION: Being a public witness of the greatness of our God is very important for all believers. Our witness can help others make a decision to become a follower of the LORD. If all people hear from us is complaints they will not likely want to become a follower of the LORD.
This psalm ties in with the one before it. The psalmist asks the LORD to use haste to deal with his enemies. The psalmist has been a follower of the LORD from as long as he can remember. He believed from his mother’s womb. He knew the LORD helped him in his youth and would like the LORD to now help him in his old age.
The LORD was holding him up since he was in the womb. He promises to praise the LORD at all times. He has gone through hard times. He has suffered in the past. He has watched the LORD nourish him after his troubles. He can’t number the times the LORD has helped him.
There is no one that can compare to the LORD. The LORD has put him through great and sore troubles in his life. But he praises the LORD because HE has revived him from every time of trial. HE has restored him to fellowship with HIM. During the restoration, HE has been a comfort to him. All he can do is praise the LORD more for all HE has done. He is going to talk about the LORD. He is going to sing unto the LORD. He wants his enemies to be confounded.
As we live our lives and go through times of trouble, we need to remind ourselves of this psalm. The LORD will take care of us all the way through old age. Praise HIS name!!!!
Today I received an email about someone who was just laid off a job he had for many years. He is an older man who will be wondering if anyone will hire him now. We have to always remind ourselves that our income doesn’t come from a job but from the LORD. Pastors have to realize this fact as well as everyone in the pew.
CHALLENGE: Our daily question has to be “Who are we counting on to supply our every need?” Are we depending on our own abilities or the LORD?
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayer of an old saint verse 1- 24
Don’t forsake me in old age verse 9
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Mouth filled with praise verse 8
Praise God with psaltery verse 22
Sing with the harp verse 22
Lips with greatly rejoice verse 23
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandments verse 3
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1
Righteousness verse 2, 15, 19
Incline ear to believers verse 2
Commandment to save verse 3
Rock verse 3
Fortress verse 3
Deliverer verse 4
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 4, 11, 12,
17- 19, 22
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner) verse 5, 16
GOD – Jehovah verse 5, 16
Lord GOD verse 5, 16
Holds up believers verse 6
Strong refuge verse 7
YOUR righteousness verse 15, 19, 24
YOUR salvation verse 15
Done great things verse 19
Holy One of Israel verse 22
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Hand of wicked verse 4
Hand of the unrighteous verse 4
Hand of the cruel verse 4
Enemies verse 10
Say God has forsaken verse 11
Adversaries – confounded and consumed verse 13
Adversaries – covered with reproach verse 13
Adversaries – dishonored verse 13
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Confusion verse 1
Wicked verse 4
Unrighteous verse 4
Cruel verse 4
Lay wait against righteous verse 10
Take counsel against righteous verse 10
Lie – God has forsaken righteous verse 11
Seek hurt of righteous verse 24
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Trust verse 1, 5
Never put to confusion verse 1
Deliverance verse 2, 4, 11
Escape verse 2
Answer prayer verse 2
Save verse 2, 3
Strong habitation verse 3
Resort to the LORD verse 3
Hope verse 5, 14
Held up verse 6
Praise verse 6, 8, 14, 22
Refuge verse 7
Help verse 12
Verbal witness verse 15- 21, 24
Strength verse 16
Taught verse 17
Declare wonderful works of God verse 17
Show strength of the LORD to others verse 18
Quicken verse 20
Increase believers greatness verse 21
Truth verse 22
Sing verse 22, 23
Rejoice verse 23
Redeemed verse 23
Talk of God’s righteousness to others verse 24
YOU will bring to shame those who
seek my hurt verse 24
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David – thought to be author of this Psalm verse 1-24
Holden up from the womb
Took me out of my mother’s bowels
Continually praise
Don’t forsake me in old age (2x)
Don’t forsake me when my strength fails
Make haste to be my help
Let enemies be confounded and consumed
Let enemies be covered with reproach and
dishonor that seek my hurt
I will hope continually
I will praise YOU more and more
Go in the strength of the LORD God
I will mention your righteousness
Taught me from my youth
I have declared YOUR wonderous works
I am old and greyheaded
Show your strength to next generation
YOU shall increase my greatness
YOU shall comfort me on every side
I will praise YOU with psaltery and harp
You have redeemed my soul
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
The psalmist commits himself to God’s care. He had enjoyed a life of faith commitment; and through the experiences of communion with the Lord, he has learned that Yahweh is faithful. (p.463)
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Verse 1 also forms an inclusion with the last verse by the repetition of “shame” …. The duress has caused him “shame,” but he is confident that Yahweh will overturn his shame and let his adversaries “be put to shame” (v. 24).
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…. The psalmist trusts in Yahweh to deliver him from the wicked who in turn are characterized by their devotion to evil and unrighteous acts (cf. Jer. 6:7). Yahweh is his rock , his refuge, and his fortress …. (p. 464, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5, Willem A. Germeren)
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… “a portent (mopet, “a wonder”) to his contemporaries, i.e., a sign of trouble, chastisement, and divine retribution. (p. 465, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5, Willem A. Germeren)
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Yahweh is “righteous” in his holiness, as he delivers his children and avenges (“puts to shame,”; cf. v. 1) those who harm them. (p. 468, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5, Willem A. Germeren)
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The sense of sharing in Israel’s redemption while experiencing his own, which was brought out in verse 20 (see comment), reappears in the singer’s double invocation of his Lord: the personal cry, O my God, and the cry of an Israelite, O Holy One of Israel (22). The latter name, moreover (which is a rarity outside Isaiah), is one in which ‘unapproachable light’ and covenant-love meet together. Appropriately, therefore, the theme of his praise is the partnership of righteousness (righteous help, 24) and faithfulness (22) in his deliverance and in the silencing of the enemy. This is vindication, not vindictiveness. It will be part of the joy of heaven (cf. Rev. 15:3; 18:20).
So, with his name cleared and his faith confirmed, this veteran can set his mind at rest, and his fingers, lips and heart to the praise of God and the telling of his story. (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, p. 272). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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The writer was a poet, a singer, and an instrumentalist, and he used all his gifts to praise the Lord. The divine name “Holy One of Israel” is used thirty times in Isaiah but only three times in the Psalms (71:22; 78:41; 89:18). The name connects with the emphasis in the psalm on God’s righteousness. “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25). The psalmist sang and shouted all day long (vv. 24, 8), not just during the stated services at the temple. He opened the psalm with a request that he would never be put to shame and confusion, and now he closed the psalm with the assurance that his enemies would be put to shame and confusion! He had looked back at a life of trials and blessings from the Lord; he had looked around at his enemies; he had looked ahead at old age and its problems; and he had even looked down into the depths of the earth (v. 20). But it was when he looked up and realized that God’s righteousness “reaches to the heavens” (v. 19, nasb; see 36:5; 57:10; 108:4) that he grew in confidence and left his worries with the Lord. This is a good example for us to follow. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., pp. 232–233). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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Ver. 24. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long, &c.] See the note on ver. 16. For they are confounded; his adversaries, for whose confusion he prayed, ver. 13. For they are brought unto shame that seek my hurt; as Absalom and Ahithophel, being both brought to a shameful end. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 821). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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As the Wall Street Journal reported recently, Americans continue to leave religion behind in large numbers. According to Pew Research, the percentage of American Christians has fallen about 12 percent over the last ten years, from 75 percent in 2011 to around 63 percent today. The number who pray every day is even lower, at 45 percent. The demographic rising in its place are the so-called “nones,” those who identify religiously as “nothing in particular.” This group grew to about 20 percent of the US population in 2021, up from 16 percent in 2017.
The surprising thing here isn’t that Americans are leaving organized religion behind. That’s been happening at about the same rate for a while now. However, it is newsworthy that this trend continued unabated in the face of a global pandemic. Historically, catastrophic events that bring uncertainty, stress, or political chaos tend to draw people to reconsider faith.
In this sense, ours is in sharp contrast with other historic moments, such as World War II, the assassination of JFK, and the Gulf War. More recently, 9/11 brought a flood of Americans back to church and, although the trend wasn’t permanent, those who lived through it remember a renewed sense of unity and commitment to spiritual activities such as prayer.
Of course, other moments were deeply divided along religious lines. America’s war in Vietnam is a good example. While overall church attendance remained steady, Vietnam represented what some have called “a ripping of the nation’s religious fabric.” Mainline churches, in particular, posted significant losses about this time. As the Washington Post reported in 1982, the United Presbyterian, Episcopal, and United Church of Christ lost 21 percent, 15 percent, and 11 percent of their membership respectively in the previous decade.
The fact that certain crises inspire unity, and others division, likely says more about the state of the culture affected than the crisis affecting it. The Covid pandemic has only further ignited the rift created by America’s massive political and ideological differences, and further shaken religious loyalties. In the 1970s, people reacted to the cultural upheaval by changing religious affiliations. Today, people are dropping their religious identities altogether.
Of course, one reason that Americans didn’t flock to churches was many were closed. Still, even after Churches adapted, attendance took a hit. In June 2020, even though 96 percent of pastors said they offered live streaming services, Barna reported that just 48 percent of otherwise regular attendees were tuning in. Today, even with Sunday morning services available nearly everywhere, in-person attendance is still between 30-50 percent lower than before the pandemic.
In contrast, Netflix added an incredible 10 million subscribers to its ranks in just three months in 2020. While an encouraging number of Americans reported that the pandemic strengthened their faith, they were the minority. When given the choice of where to find meaning, Americans chose streaming platforms over church pulpits.
On a purely pragmatic level, this is bad news. Recently Tyler Vanderweele and Brendan Case argued over at Christianity Today that “Empty Pews Are an American Public Health Crisis.” They have a point. Study after study suggests that church attendance corresponds with lower rates of substance abuse, divorce, incarceration, and depression, not to mention higher levels of meaning and satisfaction, volunteering, longevity, and civic engagement. (BreakPoint)
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Jesus is seen in a vision as a glorious, powerful, heavenly being.
INSIGHT
When Jesus came to earth, He came in poverty, humility, and obscurity. He willingly allowed men to victimize Him and to seemingly triumph over Him. But this is not a complete picture of who Jesus really is. In coming to earth, Jesus Christ left a state of glory and power, clothed Himself in humanity, and veiled His divine appearance. The book of Revelation gives us a broader picture of who He is by telling us a little about His divine appearance and nature(vv. 14-15). Although we cannot know how Jesus looked while on earth, this description of Him certainly discloses many of His divine traits (vv. 17-18). (QuietWalk)
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PRAY FOR HOLINESS
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:15
We can pray that all the precepts, all the promises, and all the prophecies in the Bible with respect to ourselves may be fulfilled in us. “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). And if you pray for sanctification, you can be sure that God will sanctify you. It is God’s will that we may know His love; ask Him therefore to reveal His love to you by the Holy Spirit, and you can be certain He will do so. And it is the same with all the various other promises that are in the Scriptures: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).
Are you concerned that you do not love as much as you ought? Tell Him about it; ask Him to shed His love abroad in your heart, and He will do so. Are you concerned about some sin that casts you down? Pray a confident prayer. It is the will of God that you should be delivered from sin; so pray for it. Are you concerned that your heart shall be clean? Well, offer David’s prayer (“Create within me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” Psalm 51:10), and I assure you, on the basis of the Word of God and His character, that He will answer you, and the blood of Christ will cleanse you from all sin and all unrighteousness. Go through your Bible, and make a list of the promises of God to you; then take them to God, use them in His presence, plead them, and you can be quite certain that you have your petitions. You already possess them, and in His own time and way God will give you a full realization of them and a full enjoyment of them.
A Thought to Ponder
We can pray that all the precepts, promises, and prophecies in the Bible may be fulfilled in us. (From Life in God, p. 125, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Sorrow According to God
“And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32)
In one of the most important passages in the New Testament regarding repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-11), Paul uses essentially the same phrase three times to express what he means by repentance: He rejoices that the Corinthian believers were made “sorry after a godly manner” (v. 9), calls it a “godly sorrow” (v. 10), claiming that they “sorrowed after a godly sort” (v. 11). This phrase could literally be translated “sorrow according to God,” which leads to repentance. Such sorrow is contrasted to the “sorrow of the world [that] worketh death” (v. 10), which is a mere regret of consequences or remorse of conscience, which does not yield repentance but only despair and possibly suicide. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation” (v. 10).
Just as godly sorrow leads to repentance, so should the blessings of God. “Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). God desires repentance on the part of the sinning one and is free to use whatever vehicle He chooses to bring it about.
True repentance involves a recognition of sin as a crime against God and a violation of His holy nature. Our recognition of this fact brings godly sorrow that leads inevitably to a change of mindset toward the sin and a confession of it as sin (1 John 1:9), and this brings forgiveness from God.
Christ taught that this “sorrow according to God” brings great joy elsewhere in the universe: “Likewise, I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10).
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Daily Hope
It is so important that certain traditions are preserved by families each year. Somehow it is not Christmas unless those annual rituals are kept and cherished. It could be the reading of Scripture before opening gifts or the making of a special meal that will create memories among the family.
One of the songs of Christmas is The First Noel. This song has a French origin in the 15th century, yet very little is known of the source. The song was brought across the English Channel by troubadours and appeared anonymously in 1823 in a hymnal written by Davis Gilbert. Taken from a poem and put to music, this hymn portrays in vivid style the story of the birth of Christ. All six verses are needed to complete the entire story of the life and death of Christ. The song brings praise to God for His coming and subsequent salvation through Christ’s shed blood.
The First Noel was sung primarily as a Christmas Eve song in England as the people sang popular religious songs outside the church instead of within the building. The word for “Noel” has a Latin root which means birthday. The repetition of “Noel” in the refrain is equivalent to our singing “happy birthday” to someone and was intended to be a joyous occasion as people went about the town.
Perhaps you will have the opportunity to go out caroling or taking a group of people out to an Assisted Living center to celebrate the season to friends or people who may become friends. Remember that you are celebrating the birth of Christ. Wish people a Merry Christmas and then perhaps singing “The First Noel” would be a unique way to conclude the festivities, ending with “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. Starting a new tradition singing together “The First Noel” and “Happy Birthday” would be a fun way to celebrate the birthday of Christ!
With an Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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