No Christmas carol list would be complete without the exuberant celebration song, “Joy to the World.” This lively tune is easily memorized and simple to play on an instrument. But do you know the interesting story behind this well loved hymn?
Isaac Watts (1674-1748), author of around 750 songs, is commonly called “The Father of Hymns” due to his popularity as the first English hymn writer. A few of his most well-known songs still sung today include: Come ye that Love the Lord; When I Survey the Wondrous Cross; At the Cross; and the topic of today’s post, Joy to the World. Isaac Watts was a young man when hymns other than the Psalms were allowed to be sung in the Church of England (and you thought your church was conservative). This gave way to Watts developing many beloved songs. Watts still based many of his songs on the Psalms, but he was especially interested in writing hymns based on the “Christian experience.” Joy to the World was written in 1719 and based on Psalm 98:
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together. Before the LORD; for He comes to judge the earth: with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity.
If you notice the lyrics of the song, Joy to the World, you will see nothing about shepherds, a manger, wise men, angels, or any other character or element that we normally associate with the Christmas story. The reason being that Isaac Watts did not write Joy to the World to be a Christmas song. The original theme of this song was the second coming of the Lord. Christmas won’t always be a joyful time, but when Jesus comes back, even the rocks will sing! Certainly we can look at the message in the song and see that it can be applied to Christ’s appearance as a babe in Bethlehem. We must prepare room for Him in our hearts and lives. This is a joyous occasion! However, we should not stop rejoicing at Christmas but should understand that there will come a time when Christ will return from Heaven and reign on this Earth. If this Christmas season is filled with sadness (loss of a loved one, family members away, etc) you can still rejoice because you know one day Christ will no more let sin and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground, He will come to make His blessing flow, far as the curse is found. Joy to the World should cause us to rejoice in the now (Jesus has come as a baby at Christmas) and the not yet (He will come again and establish His Kingdom on Earth). We joyfully sing Joy to the World at Christmas with eager longing for that day when He will rule the world with truth and grace, and make the nations prove, the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love.
In conclusion, as you hear and sing this beloved carol this season, think about the words. Yes, they apply to the Christmas story in that the Lord is come! We should rejoice! But, let the lyrics all point you to the reason Jesus came: to save the world. Be ready because He is coming again! What a glorious day THAT will be when the whole earth celebrates His appearing!
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