Peace (It Came Upon the Midnight Clear)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: The following information comes from an on-line source called hymnary.org.
One theme of this hymn is the contrast between the message “peace on earth, good will toward men” proclaimed by the host of angels at Christ's birth and the war and oppression that dominate the earth. As this hymn is sung, think about the coming time when God will make all things new and bring His peace.
Here’s information about the Text:
Edmund H. Sears, a Unitarian minister at Wayland, Massachusetts, wrote this hymn in 1849. It was published that year a few days after Christmas in the Boston Christian Register. While obviously a Christmas hymn due to its theme of the angels' song, there is no mention at all of Christ or His birth about which the angels sang; it is a social gospel hymn. Perhaps this is due to the theological leanings of its author, even though Sears believed in the divinity of Christ, contrary to most Unitarians. Written only a dozen years before the outbreak of the American Civil War, the peaceable leanings of the Unitarian school of thought are evident in the text.
Originally written in five stanzas, this hymn is usually published with four. The third stanza (beginning “Yet with the woes”) is most commonly omitted, and the fourth (beginning “And ye, beneath life's crushing load”) is next most common. The first and second stanzas (“It came upon the midnight clear” and “Still through the cloven skies they come”) describe the coming of the angels and their song. The third condemns war, and the fourth commiserates with those in bondage and trial. The fifth stanza (“For lo! the days are hastening on”) describes a future time of peace.
Here’s information about the Tune:
CAROL is the most common tune to which this hymn is sung. It comes from the twenty-third study in Church Chorals and Choir Studies of 1850 by Richard Willis. The composer later arranged the tune into its present form for the Christmas text “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks.” CAROL was first paired with “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” in 1878.
This tune may be sung in harmony, or in unison. The accompaniment should be legato, and an additional instrument such as a flute or violin would work well.
Now let’s sing The Carol together: Congregation will sing.
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heavens all gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world:
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
O ye beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
Transitional Sentence: So is there any theology hidden in this hymn?
Verse 1
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heavens all gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Line 1 says: It came upon the midnight clear,
Midnight is pointing to the time of the angels appearance and presenting of the message of Christ’s birth. Luke 2:8
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
The verse says by night. But - “It came upon the night clear” doesn’t sound as good as “It came upon the midnight clear.” Midnight really isn’t any more specific than by night but it does provide a deeper sense of timing to the arrival of the messengers. It points to the deep part of the night when everything is still and not many other people are up and moving at this hour. At least not many others but the shepherds who receive this wonderful message.
Line 2 says: That glorious song of old
It’s a message that has been passed down from generation to generation. It’s the message of a coming Messiah - Genesis 3:15
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
The glorious song of old led generations of Jews to pray for and to watch for the coming of the Messiah.
Lines 3 and 4 says: From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold:
The glorious message of old is being delivered by angels. The angels are coming down near the earth to present their message! They have left their heavenly home to glorify God and give all the people a message. A message which will bring great joy to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Line 5 says: "Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
This is the message from the angels. The message which promises peace for those that God looks upon with favor. Those who will call upon the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
“Peace on Earth” means the cessation of war and conflict, but also refers to a deeper sense of inner contentment, spiritual reconciliation, and holistic well-being for all humanity. Its meaning is multifaceted, encompassing everything from an end to global hostilities to personal peace and living in harmony with others and with God.
Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men is associated with the arrival of Jesus and signifies a message of peace from God to humanity.
It brings Peace with God through reconciliation.
It brings Inner peace - we are freed from inner conflict and fear - especially the fear of death.
It brings Peace with others - living in harmony with others by extending love, and forgiveness to neighbors and enemies while seeking to make peace with all people. So far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
It brings Holistic well-being - The Hebrew idea of Shalom is a peace or wholeness encompassing completeness, welfare, and health, not just the absence of conflict in ones life.
Line 6 says: From heavens all gracious King!"
A gracious King is a ruler who is kind compassionate and just, demonstrating goodwill and favor towards their subjects. In a religious context, the term often refers to a benevolent deity who acts with mercy, love, and forgiveness towards humanity, accepting them despite their imperfections. He is one who offers salvation and acceptance, not based on human merit but on divine love. He is Jesus Christ.
It is this divine love that will carry Him to the cross. It is the divine love that will be poured out on all people for the forgiveness of sins. It is the divine love that brings “Peace on Earth”.
Although the author does not mention Jesus Christ as the gracious King, the message of the angels does so the author is being very unitarian with his vagueness.
Lines 7 and 8 say: The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.
To be Solemn is to be formal and dignified, characterized by deep sincerity. There is a solemn stillness over everything. A solemn hush, a peace as though all of creation is waiting for something to happen. And then…
(pre hurricane story in Okinawa - there was a hush and stillness and then..........)
Verse 2
Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world:
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
Lines 1 and 2 say: Still through the cloven skies they come, With peaceful wings unfurled;
They, the angels come flying through the rift in the skies. They come flying in with their wings unfurled. They come in peace, they come to share a message of exceeding joy. And there is a multitude of the heavenly host. There are so many of them that they ripped the sky apart. I wonder if the shepherds got to see a bit of heaven through that tear in the night sky.
Lines 3, 4 and 5 say: And still their heavenly music floats, O'er all the weary world: Above its sad and lowly plains
A bit more than 2,000 years ago the angels provided a message to poor and lowly shepherds. That message, that heavenly music is still floating over all the weary world. Its light and magical. Its like bubbles floating on the wind. Have you ever watched kids making bubbles with dish soap and a little piece of plastic? Were you captivated by them as they went floating along defying gravity. This message is like the bubbles. It isn’t defying gravity but it is defying time. Every time someone reads the story of Jesus’ birth more bubbles are released into the night sky to float over the weary world to float over the sad and lowly plains. So release some bubbles - read the story.
Lines 6, 7 and 8 say: They bend on hovering wing, And ever o'er its Babel sounds, The blessed angels sing.
The angels have come through the skies and offered up their message. The message goes forth over all the land. The message is even heard over all of the babel sounds. The babel sounds are all of the confused voices and noises of this world as we scurry along through our days. But the message is still there, the praise is still there. Our praise lifts up to the heavens as the angels sing.
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Are you one of the men with whom He is pleased?
Verse 3
O ye beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
Lines 1-4 says: O ye beneath life's crushing load, Whose forms are bending low, Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow;
The weight of our sin is a crushing load, It blinds us to the truth and keeps us trapped and imprisoned to sin and death.
The weight of the crushing load keeps us bending low as we try to carry it. It forces us to toil along the climbing way. Upwards toward Jesus. Upward towards our heavenly home. And the weight of the crushing load makes each step painful and slow. This is the woes of life. This is the woes of the sin that we carry but, it isn’t a load God wants us to carry.
Lines 5 and 6 says: Look now, for glad and golden hours, Come swiftly on the wing;
21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
The glad and golden hour. The hour when the virgin brought forth a Son who is Christ the Lord. The Son who would save His people from their sins. The Son who would save us all from the burden of a crushing load that we are forced to carry along the upward way. All those who call upon His name will be able to drop their load at the foot of the cross and continue their climb towards heaven.
Line 7 and 8 says: Oh rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing.
If you are carrying that crushing load as you walk along your weary and hard road, take a break. Sit down and rest. Sit down and take off that crushing load and leave it at the foot of the cross. Be reconciled to God and find peace in Christ Jesus.
All you have to do is listen to the angels sing. Listen to the message. Take the message to heart and let it change you.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Great joy for all the people. A Savior is born who is Christ the Lord. The author of this Carole didn’t use His name but he is pointing to Him, he is leading people to come and see. Search for Him, search for the peace that He will bring to all those who call upon Him. Dump the crushing load at His feet.
Verse 4
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
Line 1 and 2 says: For lo! the days are hastening on, By prophets seen of old,
The days are hastening on, time is going by quickly. Have you ever pondered a roll of Paper towels? In the beginning it is big and moves slowly, but as it gets closer to the cardboard core it begins moving faster. Time is moving faster - the end is growing near.
The Prophets of old saw what would happen. The Prophet Micah foretold the coming of this day and the place where it would come to pass. Micah 5:2
2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”
And the Prophet Isaiah told us just who this child would be. Isaiah 9:6
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Once again the author isn’t saying His name but He is pointing to Him - come and see.
Lines 3 and 4 say: When with the ever-circling years Shall come the time foretold,
The ever circling years, the earth keeps revolving around the sun, year after year. God is patiently waiting for the fullness of the gentiles to be brought into the kingdom of God, and then the end will come.
1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—
The ever-circling years draw us closer to the end. It draws us closer to other times that have been foretold. A time for other prophecies to come about. Prophecies that will bring final and ultimate peace. Prophecies that point to the return of the king. Prophecies that point to a new heaven and a new earth. Prophecies that bring peace to the heart of the believer. Prophecies that have us dwelling with God forever.
Line 5 and 6 says: When the new heaven and earth shall own, The Prince of Peace, their King,
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
The New Heaven and Earth will be established in due time. When the events that are recorded in the book of Revelation must come to pass then the King of Kings will sit upon His throne and everything will be as it has been foretold.
That is when the Prince of Peace will rule over all things.
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
The new heaven and earth shall own, The Prince of Peace, their King. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Line 7 and 8 say: And the whole world send back the song, Which now the angels sing.
Around the time of Jesus’ birth the world population is estimated to have been around 300 million people. Of course there is no way for us to truly know. But it was substantially lower than the 8 billion or so that it is today. Either way the whole world sent back the song the angels sang. The song of Peace on earth, Good will to men. Of course at His birth there were only a few voices returning the song. But now there are more than 2.5 billion Christians in the world today. That’s a lot of voices returning the song which the angels sang.
Exit: According to the Lexham Theological Wordbook Peace is:
Peace denotes the wholeness, soundness, and well-being that characterizes God and that God created in the world. As peace was broken due to human sin, such well-being constitutes the hope for ultimate restoration by God.
Although Jesus is never directly named in this Carole He is pointed to as the provider of ultimate peace.
There is a saying:
NO Jesus, No peace
Know Jesus, Know peace
You’ll never have true and lasting peace without Jesus.
The angels delivered the message, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
First they glorified God and then gave their message. Peace on earth. Peace is here, peace is available. However it is only available to those with whom He is pleased. Meaning that His wrath still rests upon the wicked and rebellious. But those who call upon Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are the ones with whom He is pleased. Upon them rests His peace. God has reconciled Himself to those who believe in His Son, He has forgiven us our sins and granted us eternal life.
If you do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior then today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to find complete and lasting peace in your life.
Today is the day to acknowledge that you are a sinful person and need saving. Then repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus and confess Him as Lord and Savior.
Know Jesus and Know Peace.
Pray:
