"Joy to the World!"

This devotion story from “Then Sings My Soul: Special Edition” by Robert J. Morgan. Scripture and commentary for each verse provided by Carol.

Until Isaac Watts came along, most of the singing in British churches was from the Psalms of David. The church—especially the Church of Scotland—had labored over the Psalms with great effort and scholarship, translating them into poems with rhyme and rhythm suitable for singing.

As a young man in Southampton, Isaac had become dissatisfied with the quality of singing, and he keenly felt the limitations of being able to only sing these psalms. So he “invented” the English hymn.

He did not, however, neglect the Psalms. In 1719, he published a unique hymnal—one in which he had translated, interpreted, and paraphrased the Old Testament Psalms through the eyes of New Testament faith. He called it simply, “The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament.” Taking various psalms, he studies them from the perspective of Jesus and the New Testament, and then formed them into verses for singing.

“I have rather expressed myself as I may suppose David would have done if he lived in the days of Christianity,” Watts explained, “and by this means, perhaps, I have sometimes hit upon the true intent of the Spirit of God in those verses farther and clearer than David himself could ever discover.”

Watts’s interpretation of Psalm 98, which says, "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth" (verse 4). As he read Psalm 98, Isaac pondered the real reason for shouting joyfully to the Lord—The Messiah has come to redeem us. The result has been a timeless carol that has brightened our Christmases for nearly three years.”

Verse One

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come,

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.”

Luke 1:68

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.”

Godsbless.ing: Isn’t it truly awe-inspiring to see Zechariah’s gratitude and praise for God sending a Savior to redeem His people? We witness the profound significance of God’s ultimate act of love and mercy towards humanity in this verse. Through the Savior, God displays His unwavering commitment to His people, offering them a path to redemption and salvation. God’s grace and the fulfillment of His promise to rescue and restore His people remind us of the profound impact as we reflect on this verse. It serves as a testament to God’s faithfulness and His profound love for all of us. Zechariah’s praise encapsulates a deep sense of gratitude and reverence for the Savior who brings hope and salvation to a world in need. Let us ponder the profound message of redemption and salvation conveyed in this verse as we appreciate the magnitude of God’s love.

Verse Two

“Joy to the world, the Savior reigns,

Let men their songs employ.

While fields and floods, Rocks, hills and plains,

Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.”

Exodus 15:18

“The Lord reigns for ever and ever.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: This song is the most ancient we know of. It is a holy song, to the honor of God, to exalt his name, and celebrate his praise, and his only, not in the least to magnify any man. Holiness to the Lord is in every part of it. It may be considered as typical, and prophetical of the final destruction of the enemies of the church. Happy the people whose God is the Lord.

Verse Three

“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,

Far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found.”

Hebrew 10:17

“Then he adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.'”

Biblerepository.com. This passage is a powerful statement about God’s forgiveness. It assures us that when we confess our sins and turn to Him, He chooses to forget our wrongdoings completely. In the Old Testament, sacrifices were made regularly to atone for sins. However, these sacrifices were only temporary measures. With the coming of Christ, this verse highlights the shift from the old covenant to a new one. Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross was sufficient, and now, when we accept Him, our sins are fully forgiven. This is a significant truth; it brings us freedom from guilt and shame.

Verse Four

“He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove,

The glories of his righteousness,

And wonders of his love,

And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love.”

2 Chronicles 20:6

“And said: ‘Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.’”

Enduringword.com: Jehoshaphat began his great prayer by recognizing the power of Yahweh over heaven and all kingdoms of the nations. Other peoples believed in localized deities – as if the Moabites had their god, the Philistines their god, the Ammonites their god, and so on. Jehoshaphat recognized that the God of Israel was in fact the God of all kingdoms, of all nations, of all the earth and indeed of heaven itself.

Godsbless.ing: The phrase “rule over all the kingdoms of the nations” highlights God’s omnipotence. It’s an assertion that no earthly power, no matter how intimidating, stands outside God’s control. This universal dominion reassures believers that God’s authority is absolute and unchallenged . . . It’s not just that God rules; He has the power to change situations, to protect, and to deliver. This is a comforting truth, especially in times of personal or communal crisis.

By His Grace . . .