Joy to the World - 'Prepare Him Room.'

One of my favorite Christmas hymns is "Joy to the World."  Though it is typically a song we sing on Christmas Eve mass, I have found myself listening to it repeatedly during Advent.  The lyrics of this hymn stir the soul.  It calls us to joyful action, reception and preparation for the Lord's 'birth' and his second coming. 

The hymn was written by Isaac Watts in 1719 and is inspired by Psalm 98.  The music was adapted and arranged to Watts' lyrics by Lowell Mason in 1839, based on what is believed to be an older melody partially written by Handel. 

 Over 300 years after its initial publishing of 'Joy to the World,' the hymn still ignites a spark in the faithful, humbling us in thought through the gift of music.

As a musician, I connect to the spirit of music and lyrics.  It is a guiding force and I believe God gives us the gift of music to bring us peace, joy and fill our hearts with wonder.  Listening to Joy to the World, I feel the Holy Spirit within me and I hear the call to prepare him room resounding in my core being.

Verse 1:
Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing

The first verse speaks to me as we approach the fourth Sunday of Advent.  Christmas is nigh. It is time for every heart to prepare room for Christ, to repent and to resound with joy for the gift we are receiving - our Savior Jesus Christ.  It is interesting that Isaac Watts chose to say 'The Lord is come."  This seems strange at first.  Our sentence structure typically says: has, was, is coming...yet Watts chose this phrase with meticulous delivery.  The message is clear, Christ has come, is coming and will come again.  The gift of Christ's salvation is like a cup of overflowing water, continuous cleansing power.

Verse 2:
Joy to the world! The Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

Verse two reminds us that we cannot become stagnant in our faith, we must constantly sing praises to our savior.  Is joy resounds, penetrating the core of all creation with glory and grace.

Verse 3:

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

Far as the curse is found

Far as, far as, the curse is found

In receiving the gift of God's forgiveness, we no longer are burdened by sin.  Yes we will face suffering, trial and adversity, but sins curse no longer has condemned us.  In turning fully to dependence in God, we find freedom and are released from the curse of sin, which is death.  We are called to be joyful even in sorrow for the Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ is with us as an advocate. 

Verse 4:
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

God is the seat of judgment, ruling with truth and grace.  He does not judge us according to our sins, instead he offers us redemption through love and faith in his mercy.  I appreciate the line 'And makes the nations prove,' as tangled as politics gets, we can rely on God as our all encompassing and righteousness ruler.  We need to turn to his wisdom and not lean on our own understanding.  The nations often turn away from God, but in the end, we all need God's grace and uncorrupted love and judgment to guide our steps. 

'Let every heart prepare him room,' for Christ is coming and has coming.  He rules with truth and grace.  Let us bask and actively rely on the wonders of his love.

Joy to the World - Nat King Cole version

Psalm 98:
Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
² The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
³ He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

⁴ Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
⁵ Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
⁶ With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

⁷ Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
⁹ before the Lord, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity.