Hark the Herald Angels Sing
This morning we take a glimpse behind one of the most popular Christmas hymns of all time, "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." This hymn was written in 1739 by Charles Wesley. Charles was the brother of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church movement.
Charles Wesley was a stickler for theological detail. The hymn was originally called, "Hark, How All the Welkin Rings." There are two old English words in this title that are mysterious to us. The first word that is confusing is hark. Hark was a word hunters would shout to their hound dogs to encourage them to follow the scent of a wild animal. Hark more generally meant, "Shut up and listen attentively."
Maybe this would be a good word for us to revive at Christmas. We are always on the hunt at Christmas, looking for that perfect gift. The noise of Christmas seems to drown out everything. Maybe we need to stop, quiet our souls, and listen attentively. What are we hunting after? Are we following the right scent trail?
Now the second old English word in this title is welkin.Welkin means the vault of heaven, the sky, or the upper air.In other words, we need to be quiet and listen attentively to the heavens ring! Let me ask, do you ever stop and listen to the heavens ring, or will you be goingninety miles per hourfrom now until well past Christmas?
Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV) says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
This hymn is an invitation to listen to the testimony of the heavens andto consider the work of God. Why would we not hark (listen) how all the welkin (heavens) ring with the majesty of God? I guess we're too busy with family, shopping, traveling, and work.
George Whitfield popularized this hymn.
Shortly after Wesley wrote this hymn a popular preacher by the name of George Whitfield came along and changed the opening line of this hymn. He replaced "Hark, how all the welkin rings" to "Hark, the herald angels sing."
This new lyric caught on rather quickly, and the hymn grew in popularity. Charles wasn’t happy about this change, because nowhere does it say in scripture that the angels sing at the birth of Christ. He deplored those who changed the lyrics of his hymns, encouraging them either to take the lyrics as they were or at least put the original lyrics in the margins whenever they were changed.
Something else that bothered Charles Wesley was how his hymn was set to a more contemporary melody. He thought it best that the hymn be read in a slow, solemn, reflective melody. He didn’t want the music to be a distraction from the powerful, scripture-laden lyrics.
There is a lesson in all of this. Do we care enough about the Christmas story to get every detail right, down to the seemingly most insignificant detail? Can we slow our families down long enough and can we step away from all the distractions long enough to carefully consider the true Christmas story? Hark how all the welkin rings!
The Christmas story.
Luke 2:8-14 (NIV) tells us the Christmas story."And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying (not singing), 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.' "
The shepherds were among the first to "hark how all the welkin rings." They were the first to listen to the infinite expanse of all of heaven ring with the news that Christ the Lord was being born.
Luke 2:15-20 (NIV) continues the story."When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."
Consider John’s Wesley’s original hymn concerning the events in Luke 2 and their eternal significance. I have printed these for you in your bulletin. Do you care enough to listen to the heavens ring with these truths? Do you care enough to make sure your family hears these words this season? Can you hark after the heaven scent which isemanating from a first century manger?
Think of them as a poem, and not so much as a song.
Hark, how all the welkin rings,
"Glory to the King of kings;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
Universal nature say,
"Christ the Lord is born to-day!"
Christ, by highest Heaven ador’d,
Christ, the everlasting Lord.
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb!
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate deity!
Pleased as man with men to appear,
Jesus! Our Immanuel here!
Hail, the heavenly Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild He lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth;
Born to give them second birth.
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface;
Stamp thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the life, the inner Man:
O! to all thyself impart,
Form’d in each believing heart.