Evangelical Christianity benefitted greatly from the great 16th Century Reformation. Among those benefits was the restoration of congregational singing. Choirs had replaced congregation singing and chants and jingles had replaced the rich hymns of the early Christians. Beginning again with the Reformation great, meaningful, rich, Biblical hymns began to be written and the choir became the entire congregation as the church worshiped the Lord in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
One of the great hymns of this era is O Sacred Head Now Wounded. As Christians celebrate and commemorate the Resurrection of Christ, I offer the words of this great hymn as fodder for meditation and Biblical worship and praise.
O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown; O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain; Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place; Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance, Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance. How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn!
Now from Thy cheeks has vanished their color once so fair; From Thy red lips is banished the splendor that was there. Grim death, with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Thy life; Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor, Thy strength in this sad strife.
My burden in Thy Passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me, For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee. I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot; Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!
What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend, For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end? O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.
My Shepherd, now receive me; my Guardian, own me Thine. Great blessings Thou didst give me, O source of gifts divine. Thy lips have often fed me with words of truth and love; Thy Spirit oft hath led me to heavenly joys above.
Here I will stand beside Thee, from Thee I will not part; O Savior, do not chide me! When breaks Thy loving heart, When soul and body languish in death’s cold, cruel grasp, Then, in Thy deepest anguish, Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.
The joy can never be spoken, above all joys beside, When in Thy body broken I thus with safety hide. O Lord of Life, desiring Thy glory now to see, Beside Thy cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to Thee.
My Savior, be Thou near me when death is at my door; Then let Thy presence cheer me, forsake me nevermore! When soul and body languish, oh, leave me not alone, But take away mine anguish by virtue of Thine own!
Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die; Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh. Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell, My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.
It is sad to find so many professing Christians who appear to regard the wrath of God as something for which they need to make an apology, or at least they wish there were no such thing . . . Yes, many there are who turn away from a vision of God’s wrath as though they were called to look upon some blotch in the Divine character . . . But what saith the Scriptures? As we turn to them we find that God has made no attempt to conceal the fact of His wrath. He is not ashamed to make it known that vengeance and fury belong unto Him . . . A study of the concordance will show that there are more references in Scripture to the anger, fury, and wrath of God, than there are to His love and tenderness. (The Attributes of God, p. 75).
One of the characteristics mankind shares with God is anger. Unlike God, however, our anger can be good or bad.
In Genesis 4:1-7, the Bible states that Cain was angry. He was angry at God and angry at his brother Able. At the heart of Cain’s anger was Cain who believed he had been wronged - primarily by God. His anger intensified and stained his worship and resulted in a murderous rage.
In 1 Samuel 17:19-26, David, a man after God’s own heart, is angry. He is angered by the criticism and taunts hurled at God and His people. He is angry because he sees the army of God retreating in cowardice. At the heart of David’s anger is God. His anger causes him to become involved, to take up the challenge and go out and meet Goliath on the field of battle.
Some people are angry people. They grumble and complain. Their nose stays out of joint and they are take everything as an insult. Such people are impatient, demanding, insulting and irritable. Such anger is ugly, controlling and hurtful.
Some people are angered by sin. They are angered by the injustice and devastation of sin. They are angered by political corruption and by a godless culture that is ruled by sex and violence. They are angry that the church is polluted and has sold the truth for approval and appeal.
We need some angry men. Not men like Cain, but men like David. Men that are distressed by evil and engaged for good.
Paul David Tripp notes,
The primary implication is that if God is holy and angry at the same time, then anger is not evil in and of itself. If it were, God would never be angry . . .Therefore, it is not merely possible to be holy and angry at the same time, it is a calling (Broken Down House, 130).
Many of us will become angry this week. Why? Will your anger be petty, self-centered and lead to hurt and disappointment? Or, will your anger propel you to do good? Our day cries out for people who are “good and angry.” Angry at sin, inequities, poverty, crime . . . Angry that God’s word, house, and day are ignored and trampled. Such anger will not lead to sin, but actions of love and righteousness.
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