Last week I shared with you journal-contemplations from the first verse of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” As with most hymns and praise songs, it’s easy to sing through the lyrics of this carol and miss their full significance.
By putting pen to paper, we slow our thinking and wonderful blessings begin to emerge—like increased understanding of God and his Word, renewal of the mind, and augmented intimacy with God.
Contemplations can become worship.
With that in mind, let’s savor the second verse:
“Christ by highest heaven adored”
How glorious the music in heaven must be! Rich, clear voices, every note perfectly pitched. Intricate harmonies and faultless instrumentation.
All these sublime elements come together to worship You, Lord Christ–the Anointed One–who left the magnificence of heaven to be the Savior of humankind.
Thank you, Father, for giving us a glimpse (in the book of Revelation) of the heavenly song that celebrates King Jesus. I can’t help but hear Handel’s majestic melody from Messiah for the lyrics:
I praise You, Lord Jesus, for Your splendor!
“Christ, the everlasting Lord!”
You, O Christ, existed throughout the infinite past and will prevail into the infinite future.
Though Son of God, You are also the Eternal Father, forever with us and LORD of all. Nothing is outside Your control (1).
Power often corrupts in the human realm. But You are perfect in all attributes and motivated by matchless love.
I praise You, O Christ, for the supreme grace of Your Lordship!
“Late in time behold Him come”
To those who waited for Your arrival, You must have seemed late! Centuries had passed since the last prophecy of Your coming.
“But when the time was right,” You, O God, sent Your Son to redeem us (2).
In retrospect we can see why You chose the time of Roman rule. They had established stability in their far-reaching empire, built thousands of miles of roads, and established a common language.
Such factors meant early Christians could spread the good news about You more easily than ever before (3).
I praise You, O God, for Your masterful orchestration
that’s always in operation for the benefit of Your children!
“Offspring of the Virgin’s womb”
You are the One and Only begotten Son of the God the Father, the only Man of heavenly origin who ever lived on earth.
You committed no sin. Without that absolute perfection in You, there would be no salvation for us. God made You, who never sinned, to be sin so we could be made right with Him (4).
I praise You, Righteous Savior, for Your perfection!
“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see”
You embodied all the magnificent attributes of God during Your time on earth, yet You were also human.
You dealt with exhaustion, frustration, temptations, and discomforts, just as we do. The fullness of Your glory was veiled behind the ordinariness of Your humanity (5).
How difficult that must have been to know Your full capabilities yet continually hold Yourself in check.
I praise You, Lord Jesus, for your fierce love
that compelled You to complete such an arduous mission.
“Hail th’incarnate Deity”
No one has ever lived a sinless life except You.
No one espoused wisdom as You did or performed miracles like You.
You are the radiance of God’s glory!
I praise your for your divine holiness.
“Pleased as man with men to dwell”
You chose to come to earth and dwell among us, in spite of our self-centeredness, pride, weakness, and brokenness.
Such an incredible reality!
I praise You, O Lord, for your mercy, for wanting to be with us.
“Jesus, our Emmanuel.”
You are Emmanuel—God with us (7). Once we invite You into our lives we’re never left to our own feeble devices; we’re never without Your attentive care.
In Your presence we experience joy, refreshment, help, and pleasure (8). You enhance every moment of life with Your radiant attributes!
I praise You, O Christ, for choosing to veil Yourself in flesh that we might behold You.
I praise You for dwelling with us that might enjoy You!
Notes:
- Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 28:20; Philippians 2:9-11
- Galatians 4:4-5 CEV
- See “The Appropriate Time” for further details
- John 3:16; 1 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21
- Daniel Ruben, http://www.fbccarson.org/harktheheraldangelssing
- John 10:17 and 1:14
- Matthew 1:23
- Isaiah 9:3; Acts 2:28 and 3:19; Psalm 42:5; Psalm 16:11
Art & photo credits: http://www.rawpixels.com; http://www.openclipart.com; http://www.pexels.com; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.worldhistory.org; http://www.canva.com; http://www.freebibleimages.org (2); http://www.wallpaper4god.com; http://www.hippopx.com.
From the Inside Out 
Great teaching from this beautiful hymn!
Thank you, Robert. Praise God for guiding my thoughts!
You truly made the words of this hymn “take on flesh and dwell among us,” Nancy. You have such a gift, my friend.
Blessings!
Thank you for your sweet encouragement, Martha. I DO enjoy word play, with (I pray) God’s Spirit leading the way.
Your hymn revelations glorify Him and bless many. Thank you Nancy.
Thank you for your kind words, Fred. Praise God!
Wow what a wonderful message this songs has. I alway think that those long ago without as much resources as have got Jesus. It gives me chills as I read your explanation of the Holy song. .
What a privilege for me to cooperate (as best I can) with the Spirit, to write these reflections and give you holy goosebumps! Thank you, Wise Hearted, for taking the time to share your reaction.
I love coming here, Nancy. Your words always faithfully resonate with the truth of God’s Word. How good to be able to count on this … “Your” thoughts always show us more of Christ. THANK YOU!… I love this hymn.
And thank you, Heidi, for your kind words of encouragement. How delightful that I, in turn, love visiting your blog also, because you never fail to minister to MY heart!
This is so beautifully written Nancy… you really expand our picture and understanding of just how glorious He is…( although He’s so much more than our feeble minds can comprehend)…I appreciate your insight!!❤️
Thank you, dear friend. As always, I must give praise to God. He’s the Giver of all good gifts, including inspiration, ideas, and the words to express them!
praise God for the rich teaching and deep adoration of hymns, carols, and ancient songs of praise! thanks for taking us there today, Nancy.
advent blessings to you!
Thank you, Linda. It HAS been an Advent blessing to journal through this carol. Charles Wesley gifted us with many rich lyrics, tightly written too. He incorporated broad concepts with few words, and/or borrowed phrases from scripture–without the help of search tools on the internet! I marvel at his knowledge and genius.
Ah, that photo: His hands of healing on the head and heart of the wounded. Thank you, thank you. I feel transfused with fresh hope.
Isn’t that a wonderful image? I see so many of Jesus’ attributes in the actor’s pose, including grace, compassion, and kindness. All his attention is focused on the one man in need. Praise God you feel transfused with fresh hope, Laurie. What a glorious outcome!
What a glorious carol! So much theology packed into a few lines. This could be a real springboard for sharing the gospel, in a season where people are enjoying the songs and being more open to the message. 😉
That would be a glorious outcome from these mediations, Annie!
This verse is a treasure-trove of blessings and this “How difficult that must have been to know Your full capabilities yet continually hold Yourself in check.”…? How frustrated He must have been at times when He was about His father’s business. You are so right about familiar hymns (and scriptures as well): I find myself breezing through verses too quickly, thus missing out on their full significance and blessings. Thanks for sharing this hymn in such a profound way.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying these reflections, Cheri. I’ve certainly benefited from the effort to comprehend the lyrics more fully and turn those thoughts toward praise. The truths presented in this carol are truly mind-boggling, aren’t they?
I had no idea it was Handel who wrote the music to “Hark!…” No wonder it sounds so majestic. Was the music lifted from one of Handel’s classical compositions or written specifically for the Christmas carol?
Oh dear! I didn’t make myself clear. The tune for “Hark! The Angels Sing” comes from a piece by Felix Mendelssohn. My Handel reference was to the words in Revelation 5:12, which he incorporated into his oratorio, “Messiah.” I’m sorry for the confusion, Dave!
Beautifully written Nancy. Thank you for sharing. I pray for good health for you and your family through this holiday season.
Thank you, Shauna, for your encouragement and for your prayer!
so loving this series – what a great spiritual practice you are leading us through!
Thank you, Jean! Journaling through this carol has certainly expanded my understanding and appreciation for Wesley’s lyrics, but also impressed upon me afresh all the wonders we enjoy because of Jesus, our heav’n born Prince of Peace.
Hi Nancy,
Merry Christmas. Thank the Lord He is all that was promised. Christmas songs do carry such weight for sure.
In Christ,
Gary
If the prophecies and promises concerning Jesus’ birth had not come true, we’d have no reason for the hope within us now. So AMEN to your statement, Gary: “Thank the Lord He is all that was promised!”
Yes, it’s all true but the real thing in the Holy Spirit at work.
Blessings Nancy for sharing this look at the next verse of this inspiring hymn. In reading, one discovers quickly that God’s plans are filled with depth that only our true Creator could envision.
Amen to that, BSB! You’ve got me thinking that no person could ever design a salvation plan for humanity as complete, life-changing, and at such cost to himself as our Heavenly Father did. Praise be to God for his indescribable gift!
Amen and AMEN!! 👍💗🕊📖😇
Thank you, Roland! Praise God for inspiring me to journal through this carol, and then guiding my research and thoughts as I did so.
I loved it Sister Nancy!! 😉 ❤