Jesus Shall Reign

Psalm 50:1-6

The mighty one, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: ‘Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!’ The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. ‘Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt-offerings are continually before me.

Jesus Shall Reign LBW 530

1      Jesus shall reign where'er the sun does its successive journeys run;
        his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2      To him shall endless prayer be made, and praises throng to crown his head;
        his name like sweet perfume shall rise with ev'ry morning sacrifice.

3      People and realms of ev'ry tongue dwell on his love with sweetest song;
        and infant voices shall proclaim their early blessings on his name.

4      Blessings abound where'er he reigns: the pris'ners leap to lose their chains,
        the weary find eternal rest, and all who suffer want are blest.

5      Let ev'ry creature rise and bring peculiar honors to our king;
        angels descend with songs again, and earth repeat the loud amen.

Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, alt.

     The hymn writer, Isaac Watts who penned this hyn, said that it was his intent to turn David into a Christian, which is why he uses so many psalms as lyrics for hymns!  I dunno, it seems to me, after all, that since God Himself chose David to be King over Israel, that would be sufficient pedigree for anyone!

     This particular hymn, based on Psalm 72,  was written to be a missionary hymn.  The only problem, there was no great mission ongoing at the time Watts wrote it.  So like David, the hymn was redeemed by a later generation. William Cary, father of the modern missionary movement, plucked it from its obscurity and used it as the battle hymn for the great missionary efforts in India, some 60 years after it was first written. Then the words of the first verse resonated, as the reign of Christ's Kingdom stretched from "shore to shore!"

Prayer:  God of the nations, may we ever be mindful, and thankful, of the many ways that you use people, places and things to expand the boundaries of your Kingdom.  Help us to know that everything we do is to your wIll and your glory, even when we cannot see it!  Amen.