Unless stated otherwise, my source for hymn texts and tunes is The Lutheran Service Book.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

LSB #433 "Glory Be to Jesus"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Peter 1:18-19, Ephesians 1:6-8, Revelation 7:9-14

1 Peter 1:18-19:  "18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."

Ephesians 1:6-8:  "6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,  8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight..."

Revelation 7:9-14:  "9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'  11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'

"13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?'  14 I said to him, 'Sir, you know.'  And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

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The text is public domain:
Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the life-blood
From His sacred veins!
Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!
Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream
Which from endless torment
Did the world redeem!
Abel's blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.
Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.
Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious blood!
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The first three verses and the second half of the fourth describe Jesus' blood "Which... Did the world redeem."  These verses are drawn from 1 Peter 1:18-19 and Ephesians 1:6-8, both of which explain that "we have redemption through his blood."

The first half of verse four ("Abel's blood for vengeance / Pleaded to the skies") comes from Genesis 4:10:  "And the LORD said, 'What have you done?  The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.'"

The last two verses (and specifically "Angel hosts rejoicing") come from the text from Revelation.