Today’s reading, Psalms 87-89, brought to mind two songs, one a hymn by John Newton in 1779 and the other a chorus from my youth that is still sung today (occasionally). I really love reading the scriptures and having songs I’ve sung jump off the pages at me as these two did today.
“Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken” was written by Newton in 1779 and the title and first phrases come pretty much straight from Psalm 87:3 “Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.” The rest of the hymn draws from other scripture text.
Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God;
He whose word cannot be broken formed thee for His own abode;
on the Rock of Ages founded, what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded, thou may’st smile at all thy foes.
See! the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love,
well supply thy sons and daughters and all fear of want remove.
Who can faint while such a river ever floes their thirst to assuage?
Grace, which, like the Lord, the giver, never fails from age to age.
Round each habitation hov’ring, see the cloud and fire appear
for a glory and a covering, showing that the Lord is near.
Thus deriving from their banner, light by night, and shade by day,
safe they feed upon the manna which he gives them when they pray.
Blest inhabitants of Zion, washed in the Redeemer’s blood!
Jesus, whom their souls rely on, makes them kings and priests to God.
‘Tis his love his people raises over self to reign as kings:
and as priests, his solemn praises each for a thank offering brings.
The second, from Psalm 89, is “I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord” written by James Fillmore in the early 20th century and reached popularity in the 1960s.
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever,
I will sing, I will sing.
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever,
I will sing the mercies of the LORD.
With my mouth will I make known
your faithfulness your faithfulness;
With my mouth will I make known
your faithfulness to all generations.
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever,
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD.
How about you? How often do the songs you sing come to light when you read the Bible?
