Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11 – NKJV).

This powerful and beautiful passage exalts our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. God the Father give Him a name which is above all names, the sweet name of Jesus, and this is a call to the whole creation to worship Jesus Christ as Lord.

Many scholars believe that this section in this Pauline letter is a Pre-Pauline hymn, and Paul used this ancient song to explain about Christ’s humility and exaltation.

These verses became the inspiration to Baylus Benjamin McKinney (1886–1952) to write down the hymn “Glorious Is Thy Name.” McKinney was a Baptist hymn writer, music editor, teacher, and church musician. For several years he was a music teacher in Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Fort Worth. He was the editor of the Broadman Hymnal, a very popular hymnal in the first half of the 20th century.

McKenney divided “Glorious Is Thy Name” into four themes. The first stanza is about adoration.

“Blessed Saviour, we adore thee;
we thy love and grace proclaim.
Thou art mighty; thou art holy.
Glorious is thy matchless name!”

The second stanza points to the work of our Lord Jesus the Christ, the redemption.

“Great Redeemer, Lord and Master,
light of all eternal days,
let the saints of every nation
sing thy just and endless praise!”

In the third stanza, McKinney is focusing on Incarnation and Atonement.

“From the throne of heaven's glory
to the cross of sin and shame,
thou didst come to die a ransom,
guilty sinners to reclaim!”

Lastly, McKinney focuses in the fourth stanza about Christ’s return and kingship.

“Come, O come, immortal Saviour,
come and take thy royal throne.
Come, and reign, and reign forever;
be the kingdom all thine own!”

B. B. McKinney’s hymn is an explosion of adoration to our Lord and Master, and we can repeat the words of the refrain as a response of worship.

“Glorious, is thy name, O Lord!”

Please, use this hymn as part of your quiet time, and worship your God and Savior.
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In His service,
Israel