How Great Thou Art
Notes
Transcript
I imagine there are at least two hymns most have heard of:
The first would be Amazing Grace,
The second would be How Great Thou Art!
This hymn has been sung by everyone from Elvis to Carie Underwood and Vince Gill.
This is the last of the hymns in this series. Next year we will do part two of Hymns of Faith.
I have heard this hymn my whole life, there are times that I sing it and think about people of my past — Develop
I think about the wonders of creation
24 Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions.
25 There is the sea, great and broad, In which are swarms without number, Animals both small and great.
26 The ships move along there, And Leviathan, which You have formed to have fun in it.
27 They all wait for You To give them their food in due season.
28 You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.
29 You hide Your face, they are terrified; You take away their breath, they perish And return to their dust.
30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; May the Lord rejoice in His works;
Are you ready for the message God has for us today?
Cool let’s dig in!
Carl Gustav Boberg and Stuart K. Hine
Carl Gustav Boberg and Stuart K. Hine
How Great Thou Art started as a poem set to a Swedish melody.
The Poem was called, “O Store Gud” (O Great God) by Carl Boberg written in 1885.
According to hymnologist Irving Erickson, the poem is said to be inspired from a sudden violent thunderstorm which Boberg was caught in on his way home from church.
After the storm had cleared, and Boberg had returned home, he opened his window to let in fresh air.
He looked out towards the sea and the tranquility that greeted him stirred something deep in his soul.
The sky had cleared, thrushes were heard in the distance.
He could hear the faint sound of the Church bells.
It was these sights and sounds that inspired the words of O Store Gud!
Some unknown Swede put the lyrics to a traditional Swedish folk song and it was first sung in church in 1888, three years after the poem was written.
The hymn’s popularity started to spread and gain momentum across the world.
British Methodist missionary Stuart Hine was on a mission trip in Ukraine in 1931 when he overheard O Store Gud.
He translated the lyrics into English.
Hine’s translation was actually done from Russian lyrics which were themselves a translation of German lyrics, which were a translation of the original Swedish lyrics.
Hine also added two of his own verses to his 1949 translation which still features in the hymn today.
His addition of the third verse was inspired by the conversion of villagers in Russia who cried out to God in repentance and discovered God’s mercy — read verse three
The fourth verse was added during WWII. After the outbreak of the war Hine and his family fled Ukraine and settled in Somerset, England.
There he continued to minister to Polish refugees.
The fourth verse was inspired by displaced Russians who had experienced great suffering but looked forward to seeing their loved ones again in heaven — Read verse 4
Once again Billy Graham has a place in the story of a song.
As late as 1954, How Great Thou Art, was still relatively unknown in US.
However, with the help of Mana Music the song was given to George Beverly Shea, the famed soloist in Billy Graham’s crusades.
Graham is said to have loved the song and quickly made it his crusade’s signature song.
Shea really should be credited with introducing the song to the United States.
Thinking of the thousands reached via radio, TV, and stadium attendance.
We have been singing it ever since.
What does the song remind usand teach us?
What does the song remind usand teach us?
Read verse 1
How often do we stop and consider all of the wonder of God’s creation?
This takes me right to the Psalm we opened with.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34 For Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
35 Or Who has first given to Him, that it would be paid back to him?
36 For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Read verse 2
Ever go for a hike and take the time to stop and listen to everything around you — Camping and the babbling brooke
1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord And to sing praises to Your name, Most High;
2 To declare Your goodness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,
3 With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp, With resounding music on the lyre.
4 For You, Lord, have made me joyful by what You have done, I will sing for joy over the works of Your hands.
5 How great are Your works, Lord! Your thoughts are very deep.
Read verse 3
Do we ever ponder within ourselves what this verse is telling us?
Do we hear these words?
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Read Verse 4
Do we not look forward to the return of Christ?
His return is our hope!
That is the day that faith becomes sight!
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.
15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
What a wonderful day that will be!
End with reading the chorus!
Conclusion
I have so enjoyed learning about these songs.
My prayer is that we see their importance in the worship of the church!
They teach and remind us of principles, salvation, and God that are a necessity as the days grow darker around us!
In the midst of all the tumult and darkness of our world — Read the chorus again!
What are you going to do based on what God has said?