Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
If you are following the new Bible reading plan that we just started two weeks ago, perhaps you noticed an obscure hymn, “The God of Abraham Praise.” This is a wonderful hymn to worship the God that Abraham praised a long time ago. I want to share with you some of the background story of this hymn.

The original lyrics were penned by Daniel ben Judah, a Jew that lived in Rome in the fourteenth century. He used a previous work from another Jewish man called Moses Maimonides from the twelfth century. What Daniel ben Judah did was to create a metrical form to be sung in the synagogue, for special celebrations or regular meetings; he called this hymn The Yigdal. Around 1763 or 1779, Thomas Olivers heard this hymn in the Great Synagogue of London, and because he was Christian, he rewrote the hymn with a Christian language. In fact, in the last verse, we can read or sing about the mystery of the Trinity, which was not in the original poem of Daniel ben Judah.
Meyer Lyon, was a Jewish cantor who transcribed the tune upon Olivers' request; this is the melody that we are now singing.

It is a minor key, but this doesn’t mean that this is a sad hymn, but one to sing for joy.
I encourage you to use this hymn during your quiet time, singing or reading it. I know it will be a blessing to you. Remember the words of Exodus 3: 6, “And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

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