"O Worship the King"
Robert Grant
The UM Hymnal, No. 73
O worship the King,
All glorious above,
O gratefully sing
God’s power and God’s love;
Our Shield and Defender,
The Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor,
And girded with praise.
“O Worship the King” draws upon the splendor of 19th-century monarchy as a metaphor for the magnificence of the Almighty. Attributes of an earthly monarch are magnified to communicate the characteristics of the King of kings—one who by nature cannot be described.
The hymn is based primarily on the rich imagery of Psalm 104:1-7: “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent, you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers. You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken. You cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.”
The author deftly combines additional biblical images with the splendor of a ruling monarch to paint an image of God as King in earthly terms.
In stanza one, the monarch’s role of protector of the realm is captured in “Our Shield and Defender.” Psalm 84:9 is one of many passages referring to God as our Shield: “Behold, O God our Shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.”
“The Ancient of Days” parallels the lineage of an earthly monarch—the family line that leads to the throne. References to God as “Ancient of Days” are found in Daniel 7:9, 13 and 22: “As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire” (Daniel 7:9).
Stanza two identifies this monarch as the sovereign of all created order, “whose canopy [is] space” and whose “chariots of wrath” form “deep thunderclouds.” Following the narrative of Psalm 104:8-32, stanzas three and four detail God’s earthly handiwork in the natural world.
The final stanza turns to humanity as a part of creation: “Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail. . . .” In antithesis to the majesty and all-powerful nature of the Almighty described in earlier stanzas, we find a monarch that manifests “mercies how tender, how firm to the end. . . .” Unlike earthly kings, the unique nature of this ruler is captured in the final line of the hymn: “Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.” This hymn captures in 19th-century terms the fuller nature of God’s relationship to humanity.
Composer Sir Robert Grant (1779-1838) was born and died in India—a country that by this time had long played a major role in the British Empire. He was a public servant distinguishing himself in law, serving as a member of Parliament, judge advocate general and governor of Bombay (now Mumbai).
Despite his Scottish roots, Grant was Anglican, not Presbyterian. His father Charles was a leader in the evangelical wing of the Church of England and also played an active civic role with William Wilberforce in the emancipation of African slaves in the British Empire. Robert was born in India when his father went there to negotiate an end to barriers set up against missions by the British East India Company.
The hymn was published posthumously in 1839 in Sacred Poems, a volume edited by Grant’s brother, Lord Glenelg. It had appeared in an earlier form in 1833, but the 1839 publication was said to be a “more correct and authentic version.”
According to British hymnologist Erik Routley, Grant—though not a prolific hymn writer—provides a “good example of the impact on hymnody of the new search for poetic standards which [Reginald] Heber so strongly promoted.”
Heber (1783-1826), the writer of the famous “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty,” is often considered the leader of Romantic hymn writers in the early 19th century. More importantly, he shared Grant’s ecclesial interests as a mission-minded bishop of the Church of England who died while serving as Bishop of Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, India.
Dr. Hawn is professor of sacred music at Perkins School of Theology, SMU.
FAQs
“O Worship the King” draws upon the splendor of 19th-century monarchy as a metaphor for the magnificence of the Almighty. Attributes of an earthly monarch are magnified to communicate the characteristics of the King of kings—one who by nature cannot be described.
What is the history of the hymn Rejoice the Lord is King? ›
Hymnologist J. Richard Watson summarizes “Rejoice, the Lord is King!” as “an economical statement of the final triumph of Jesus as Saviour and Judge, as stated in the Apostles' Creed” (Watson, 2002, p. 193). The opening stanza of this well-known hymn by Charles Wesley (1707–1788) is one of unbridled exuberance.
What is the history behind the hymn? ›
Hymns are religious songs which praise God or gods. Hymns can be traced to many ancient cultures, including ancient Egypt, India, and Greece. Christian hymns in Medieval times included Latin psalm texts from the Old Testament set to simple melodies called a Gregorian chant and sung by monastic choirs.
What is the history of the hymn worthy of worship? ›
This fairly young hymn, in comparison to a few 17th century hymns in The Baptist Hymnal, 1991, was written by Terry W. York and put to music by Mark Blankenship in 1988. The hymn is not only a call to worship but answers the question of why we worship?
Which church hymn was invented by Martin Luther? ›
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" (originally written in German with the title "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott") is one of the best known hymns by the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, a prolific hymnwriter.
What is the main point of the hymn? ›
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word hymn derives from Greek ὕμνος (hymnos), which means "a song of praise".
Is Rejoice the Lord Is King an Easter song? ›
Rejoice the Lord is King… He rules o'er earth and heav'n… The hymnwriter, Charles Wesley, originally wrote this hymn as an Easter Hymn celebrating Christ as ruler over "death and hell".
Did the early church only sing psalms? ›
Hymns besides the Psalms have been composed by Christians since the earliest days of the church, but psalms were preferred by the early church and used almost exclusively until the end of the fourth century.
Who wrote the song Rejoice in the Lord? ›
Trusting God in Trials. Down through the years, one of my favorite songs by Ron Hamilton has been “Rejoice in the Lord.” Ron wrote this song back when he first was diagnosed with cancer in his left eye.
What is the most famous hymn of all time? ›
1. Amazing Grace – John Newton, England (1779)
The “Hurrian Hymn” is the earliest known song to be recorded in writing, dating to around the 13th century BCE. The text of this hymn is concerned with the promotion of fertility.
What are the three hymns? ›
Twenty-one years later, in the 1695 edition, he included three hymns of his own: one for morning (“Awake, my soul, and with the sun”), one for evening (“Glory, to Thee, my God this night”), and one for midnight (“Lord, now my sleep does me forsake”).
Who wrote the most hymns in history? ›
Frances Jane van Alstyne (née Crosby; March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915), more commonly known as Fanny J. Crosby, was an American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer. She was a prolific hymnist, writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, with more than 100 million copies printed.
Who is the father of hymns? ›
Isaac Watts (born July 17, 1674, Southampton, Hampshire, England—died November 25, 1748, Stoke Newington, London) was an English Nonconformist minister, regarded as the father of English hymnody.
What is the story behind the song O come to the altar? ›
The lyrics serve as a reminder that no one is too far gone or beyond the reach of God's grace. The altar represents a place of surrender, where we can lay down our lives and submit to the will of God. It is at the altar where we find forgiveness, healing, and restoration.
What is the history of the hymn This Is My Song? ›
"A Song of Peace: A Patriotic Song", also known by its incipit, "This is my song", is a poem written by Lloyd Stone (1912–1993). Lloyd Stone's words were set to the Finlandia hymn melody composed by Jean Sibelius in an a cappella arrangement by Ira B. Wilson that was published by the Lorenz Publishing Company in 1934.
What is the oldest hymn in the LDS hymn book? ›
Hymn number one in this hymnal, "The Spirit of God", may be the very first LDS hymn ever published with musical notation.
What is the story behind the LDS hymn Come Come Ye Saints? ›
Concerned about his wife, Diantha, who had remained in Nauvoo because she was expecting her first child, William Clayton, a musician in the first pioneer company to enter the Salt Lake Valley, wrote the words to “Come, Come, Ye Saints” after finally receiving news of the birth of his healthy baby boy on April 15, 1846.
