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

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

LSB #666 "O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 12:32, 2 Timothy 4:18, Luke 18:7-8a, Revelation 7:9-17

Luke 12:32:  "'Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'"

2 Timothy 4:18:  "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.  To him be the glory forever and ever.  Amen."

Luke 18:7-8a:  "7 'And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?  Will he delay long over them?  8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.'"

Revelation 7:9-17:  "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.

"15 'Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'"

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The text is public domain:
O little flock, fear not the foe
Who madly seeks your overthrow;
Dread not his rage and pow'r.
And though your courage sometimes faints,
His seeming triumph o'er God's saints
Lasts but a little hour.

Be of good cheer; your cause belongs
To Him who can avenge your wrongs;
Leave it to Him, our Lord.
Though hidden yet from mortal eyes,
His Gideon shall for you arise,
Uphold you and His Word.

As true as God's own Word is true,
Not earth nor hell's satanic crew
Against us shall prevail.
Their might?  A joke, a mere facade!
God is with us and we with God -
Our vict'ry cannot fail.

Amen, Lord Jesus, grant our prayer;
Great Captain, now Thine arm make bare,
Fight for us once again!
So shall Thy saints and martyrs raise
A mighty chorus to Thy praise
Forevermore.  Amen.
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The first three verses of the hymn are drawn from the first three cited passages (Luke 12:32, 2 Timothy 4:18, and Luke 18:7-8a), although Luke 12:32 is the clearest to see (in the first line).

The passage from Revelation appears in the lines "So shall Thy saints and martyrs raise / A mighty chorus to Thy praise / Forevermore" at the end of the fourth verse.

The life of Gideon, who is mentioned in the second verse, is detailed in Judges 6-8.

The lines "Not earth nor hell's satanic crew / Against us shall prevail" in the third verse may be patterned after Matthew 16:18:  "'And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'"