Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,

Let me share a passage with you, “when Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty [El Shadai]; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly’” (Genesis 17:1). It is good to know that the same God that made this promise to Abram is the same God that we serve and worship; He was El Shadai for Abram, and He will be El Shadai for you.

In the twelfth century a Jew called Moses Maimonides wrote a creed in thirteen articles, but two centuries after, in Rome, another Jew called Daniel ben Judah wrote a metrical form of these articles to be used as a hymn. Daniel ben Judah’s hymn became very popular in the famous Great Synagogue of London, and it was sang almost every Sabbath, and it was there where Thomas Olivers heard it for the first time. This man became a Christian under the ministry of Whitefield and several years afterwards he was a close collaborator of John Wesley. Nevertheless, when he heard this Jewish hymn and its powerful words, he made a Christian translation.  The old hymn based on the Old Testament now has new clothes, the New Testament message, that Jehovah is Jesus Himself.

The melody has a Hebrew flavor and scholars believe that the cantor of the Great Synagogue composed the melody; his name was Meyer Lyon.

This is a great hymn that sadly has been taken out of the hymnals, but the message is still great, and a wonderful tool to worship El Shadai. Read it, and meditate on its words.

1 The God of Abraham praise,
who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of Everlasting Days,
and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM!
by earth and heaven confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name
forever blest.

2 The great I AM has sworn;
I on this oath depend.
I shall, on eagle wings upborne,
to heaven ascend.
I shall behold God's face;
I shall God's power adore,
and sing the wonders of God's grace
forevermore.

3 The heavenly land I see,
with peace and plenty blest;
a land of sacred liberty,
and endless rest.
There milk and honey flow,
and oil and wine abound,
and trees of life forever grow
with mercy crowned.

4 The God who reigns on high
the great archangels sing,
and "Holy, holy, holy!" cry
"Almighty King!
Who was, and is, the same,
and evermore shall be:
Jehovah, Lord, the great I AM,
we worship thee!"

In His service,
Israel