Sing to the Lord

“Sing unto the Lord, all the earth.. . .” “Give the Lord the glory due His name. . .”

“Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. . .” “Let the sea roar. . . Let the fields rejoice” “the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord” I Chron. 16.

Onward Christian soldiers, Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus Going on before!

Christ the royal Master, Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle See His banners go!

This familiar old hymn takes on new life as we see it vividly portrayed in the book of second Chronicles!

“the battle is not yours, but God’s.” “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you” II Chron. 20:15,17.

In II Chronicles chapter nineteen we are told that Jehoshaphat, king of Judah “went out again through the people from Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers.”

In chapter twenty a great multitude, “the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other. . . came against Jehoshaphat to battle.”

The king prayed unto the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord came in the midst of the congregation. The promise of victory was given. The people stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

“And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa.” A charge was given by the king: Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established”

“and he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that they should praise the beauty of holiness, as theywent out before the army, and to say,

Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever.”

“And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”

Again, how well the old hymn seems to relate this Old Testament account!

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;

On, then, Christian soldiers, On to victory!

Hell’s foundations quiver At the shout of praise;

Brothers lift your voices, Loud your anthems raise!

What a strange battle! That singers should be appointed to go before the army: that they should praise the beauty of holiness; that as they began to sing, the Lord was busy confounding and smiting the great multitude who thought to destroy them!

How this should challenge our hearts! Lift your voices! Loud your anthems raise! Sing unto the Lord! Praise Him, our Lord Jesus, who Himself is none less than the Beauty of Holiness!

Though the enemy assail, he shall not prevail! Let us not hang our heads in seeming defeat, nor yet in despair. May we be found going before the army, setting the pace, for the battle is not ours, but God’s!

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The Beauty of Holiness

“He came unto His own, and His own received Him Not” “But as many as received Him, to them. . .that believe on His name”

“His visage was so marred more than any man” “As of a lamb without spot or blemish” Isa. 52:14 I Peter 1:19

“No beauty that we should desire Him” “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” Isa. 53:2, Psalm 96:9. “We hid as it were our faces from Him” “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” Isa. 53:3, John 1:14

“We esteemed Him not” “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious” Isa 53:3 I Peter 2:7

“Never did Divine holiness appear more beautiful and lovely than at the time our

Savior’s countenance was most marred in the midst of His dying groans.”

Stephen Charnock

If we would think upon the perfections of the Godhead, of the glory of Divine attribute, we must consider also the strength of His Law and of His mighty works: the manifestation of His Power. If God were not all-powerful, then would He neither be all-glorious. That His power manifests itself in Goodness and Righteousness gives occasion for it to be seen as the Beauty of Holiness. The same sun that gives forth its light in great brilliance, likewise is a powerful generator giving warmth. Of what value, the sun, if it only gave forth light and no heat, or heat without light? Even so, our God is The Almighty Power andHoliness in the fulness of its Beauty.

“Power is God’s hand or arm, omniscience His eye, mercy His bowels, eternity His duration, but holiness is His beauty.”

 Stephen Charnock