God of Abraham Praise
Psalm 99:1-3
The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is he!
The God of Abraham Praise LBW 544
1 The God of Abr’ham praise, who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days, and God of love.
Jehovah, great I Am! by earth and heav’n confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name forever blest.
2 The God of Abr’ham praise, at whose supreme command
from earth I rise and seek the joys at his right hand.
I all on earth forsake-- its wisdom, fame, and pow’r--
and him my only portion make, my shield and tow’r.
3 The God of Abr’ham praise, whose all-sufficient grace
shall guide me all my pilgrim days in all my ways.
He deigns to call me friend; he calls himself my God!
And he shall save me to the end through Jesus’ blood.
4 He by himself has sworn; I on his oath depend.
I shall, on eagle wings upborne, to heav’n ascend.
I shall behold his face; I shall his pow’r adore,
and sing the wonders of his grace forevermore.
5 Though nature’s strength decay, and earth and hell withstand,
to Canaan’s bounds I urge my way at his command.
The wat’ry deep I pass, with Jesus in my view,
and through the howling wilderness my way pursue.
6 The goodly land I see, with peace and plenty blest;
a land of sacred liberty and endless rest.
There milk and honey flow, and oil and wine abound,
and trees of life forever grow with mercy crowned.
7 There dwells the Lord our king, the Lord our righteousness,
triumphant o’er the world and sin, the Prince of Peace.
On Zion’s sacred height, his kingdom he maintains,
and glorious with his saints in light forever reigns.
8 Before the great Three-One they all exulting stand
and tell the wonders he has done through all their land.
The list’ning spheres attend and swell the growing fame
and sing the songs which never end, the wondrous name.
9 The God who reigns on high the great archangels sing,
and “Holy, holy, holy!” cry, “Almighty King!
Who was, and is, the same, and evermore shall be:
Jehovah, Father, great I Am! We worship thee!”
10 Before the Savior’s face the ransomed nations bow,
o’erwhelmed at his almighty grace forever new.
He shows his wounds of love; they kindle to a flame!
and sound through all the worlds above the Paschal Lamb.
11 The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high.
“Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!” they ever cry.
Hail, Abr’ham’s God and mine! I join the heav’nly lays:
all might and majesty are thine and endless praise!
Text: Thomas Olivers, 1725-1799, alt.
The author of this hymn, Thomas Olivers, was an incorrigible youth. An orphan raised on the streets, he was headed for prison. But as a young man he heard the evangelist George Whitfield preach on Zechariah 3:2; “Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” He was converted and lived an exemplary life, eventually becoming a Methodist minister.
At the urging of Charles Wesley, he entered the mission field and preached extensively in both England and Ireland. One day, passing a Jewish synagogue, he heard the cantor singing. Enchanted by both the words and the music, he was inspired to adapt the words into a hymn; “The God of Abraham Praise” – a hymn that recounts the entirety of salvation history! Many stanzas of this hymn are omitted from hymnals today, including one that was most personal to him, stanza 3; The God of Abr’ham praise, whose all-sufficient grace shall guide me all my pilgrim days in all my ways. He deigns to call me friend; he calls himself my God! And he shall save me to the end through Jesus’ blood.
Prayer for Good Counsel: Caregivers and those that they care for need wisdom and counsel from pastors, lawyers, health care providers and others. However such counsel is often lacking. Today we pray that God help them to find knowledgeable advisors, and that they be given the wisdom to discern that which is truly needed, and truly helpful. Amen.