Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1 – NKJV)

This beautiful psalm is part of a group of psalms called “The Song of Ascents”, several psalms that the people of Israel used to sing while they were going to Jerusalem to celebrate the national festival three times per year. We call these psalms “The Song of Ascents” because in the title of them we can find the Hebrew word for stairs, which some take to mean “ascending to Jerusalem” and because Jerusalem is on the mountain. These “Song of Ascents” are from psalm 120 to psalm 134, and Jewish people used them during their pilgrim journey to remember God’s faithfulness to the people of Israel.

Psalm 127 is unique among the Songs of Ascents because it is attributed to Solomon rather than David. In this psalm, Solomon teaches us that whatever efforts we undertake, if the Lord is not involved, our labor is ultimately in vain. This psalm reminds us to make God our priority in every area of life.

This same passage was the inspiration for Dustin Kensrue to write this modern hymn that we love to sing here at OCBC, “All Glory Be to Christ.”

Kensrue was a worship pastor but now has a career of a solo artist. His style started as a rock musician, but while he was pastoring his style became more like a contemporary style. It is in 2012 that he wrote this hymn. Like many people around the world, he was familiar with the melody of the traditional song, “Auld Lang Syne”, a popular song to sing during the New Year’s Eve, but Kensrue, while he loved the melody, did not agree with the lyrics, at least to be sang during a worship gathering, then he wrote the new words that we are familiar with now.

“Should nothing of our efforts stand,
No legacy survive,
Unless the Lord does raise the house,
In vain its builders strive.
To you who boast tomorrow’s gain,
Tell me, what is your life?
A mist, it vanishes at dawn,
All glory be to Christ!”

This stanza reminds us that any effort without God is futile. We need Christ in every area of our lives, because without Him we are nothing.

The second stanza tells us that Christ is the fulfilment of human longing. He is the Messiah that came, and we can rejoice that He is part of our lives.

“His will be done, His kingdom come,
On earth as is above.
Who is Himself our daily bread,
Praise Him the Lord of love.
Let living waters satisfy
The thirsty without price.
Come eat of Him, our Living Bread,
All glory be to Christ!”

And the third stanza is about our future in glory with Christ. We cannot picture this yet, to see the great I AM in all His glory, and us, worshiping the Lamb of God for all eternity.

“When on the day, the great I Am,
The Faithful and the True,
The Lamb who was for sinner’s slain,
Is making all things new.
Behold our God shall live with us,
And be our Steadfast Light,
And we shall e’er His people be,
All glory be to Christ!”

And the hymn ends with a powerful doxology, a doxology that I encourage you to sing during your quiet time.

“All glory be to Christ our King,
All glory be to Christ.
His rule and reign we'll ever sing,
All glory be to Christ!”

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:1-5).
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In His service,
Israel