In the 1970’s the Florida Orange Juice Growers began a TV ad campaign promoting — yes — orange juice! The slogan was, “orange juice, it’s not just for breakfast anymore.” So that is the inspiration for this title. JOY to the WORLD! It’s Not Just For Christmas Anymore!
I fully realize that this is ‘just a song.” It is not inspired in the same way that our Bible is. But Isaac Watts, writing the words in 1719, did have inspiration. And there is a lot of Bible in this amazing song.
Joy! Great pleasure, happiness, delight. And my favorite — excited, amazed admiration. Why/ Because the Lord has come! The Lord – Kyrios. This word, this title means someone having authority, power, influence. A master, a ruler. It has been said and rightfully so, that Jesus is Lord of ALL, or not Lord at all. There can be no middle ground. He is either Lord – my Lord – or He is something else. Just as there is but one Savior, there is only one Lord. And He has come! He has been revealed to us and now each of us must choose. We must decide what we believe about Him. It is the greatest decision of our lives. It is the decision that determines my eternity. Either Jesus is Who He says He is – Lord and Savior – or He is a liar or lunatic.
So earth! The substance and diversity of life on this planet. So earth! Every rock, tree, grain of sand, snowflake, raindrop. Indeed, every inch and every person on every inch. Receive your King! Receive your Sovereign. Your Master. Your Ruler. Your Prince of Peace. Your Redeemer.
Prepare Him room! Empty yourself of yourself. Every thought, every action, every desire and hope. Every sin. Move over. Move out!
Paul writes in Romans 10.9: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved” and you will have prepared Him room. And when the Lord – the King – enters the room – enters your being, you will be a new creation. A new person. Your old way of living, thinking, speaking, acting, and believing will pass away because He makes all things new (2 Cor. 5.17).
Jesus says to each person, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup with him.” (Rev.3.20)
So heaven, and nature SING! The opportunity for me, for you, for “the world” to be restored to a right relationship with God our Creator is before us. The relationship He meant for us to have at the beginning.
Isaac Watts must have been familiar with Psalm 96. “Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.” (I strongly encourage you to read the entire Psalm)
Men and women – brothers and sisters – people of God! You who were once lost, once hopeless fearful, afraid of death. You who were once enemies, scorners, scoffers. You who have now been brought near to the Holy of Holies, by the precious blood of our living, reigning King. You – lead the way! Break out into song! Employ your songs! Proclaim good tidings in English. In Chinese. In Spanish. In tongues. Proclaim it in any and every way possible. But Sing. Sing. Sing!
We have something to sing about! And if we do not, then the rocks and fields, and hills and plains will! And I for one would love to hear that happen, but ONLY AFTER REPEATING AFTER ME!
Again, Isaac Watts read Psalm 95. “O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.” (And, yes, read the entire Psalm)
Praise breaks the barriers. Praise is spiritual dynamite. Praise is God’s address. For He inhabits the praises of His people. Praise breaks chains. Praise is victorious. Praise brings the presence of Holy Spirit. So, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
No more let sins and sorrows grow. Nor thorns infest the ground.
He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.
The curse. The Hebrew word is arar, and it first appears in Genesis 3.14 where God, after the yielding to temptation by Adam and Eve, speaks a curse on the serpent and then on Adam and Eve.
A curse is judgement. It is a pronouncement of a penalty. It severed the perfect, original relationship between God and mankind.
And this curse extended to the earth itself. Thorns and thistles would grow. It would be difficult for Adam to live. He – and all mankind to follow – would now have to toil and sweat and suffer and ache and worry. Mankind would now be subject to fear. Mankind would now have to deal with a broken relationship between the Creator and creation. No more would Adam and Eve stroll peacefully in the garden, plucking ripe fruit from trees that they did not plant, nor cultivate. Sins and sorrows would grow and multiply. And today, thousands of years later, our world seems overtaken by thorns of all kinds, economic, political, social.
Fast forward hundreds of years to Deuteronomy 27 and the law under Moses. There are a multitude of specific curses listed. And in Deut. 28.1-8 we find these words: “Now it shall be, if you will diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and when you go out.”
So this idea, this reality of the curse is always linked to its opposite – the blessing.
We must – like Joshua in 24.15 – we must determine – today – in this hour – whom we will serve. “Choose you this day.” Shall we continue to walk under and live under the curse of the law, or receive the majestic gift that we are being offered in and through Christ Jesus.
“Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith that are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations shall be blessed in you.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is every one who does not abide by the things written in the book of the law, to perform them.”
“Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for “The righteous man shall live by faith.” However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.”
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is every one who hangs on a tree”
“in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3.6-14
Just as the curse extended to every inch of the earth so does the promises of God!
Ding-dong! The witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch!
The curse is broken. Satan has lost. The serpent’s head has been bruised.
HE COMES TO MAKE HIS BLESSINGS FLOW. FAR AS THE CURSE IS FOUND!
How far? Every inch of the earth. How far? Every inch of my life! The blessing has come. Adam’s rebellion has been checked. The Creator and His creation can now be one. What Adam lost is now restored.
And now I must believe this. I must believe that this is true. And I must keep His word. I must love His laws. I must walk in His ways. And if I do, then my life will be NOTHING BUT AN EXPERIENCE OF MY FATHER’S blessing.
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord,. And in His law he meditates day and night.
And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1.1-3
He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and the wonders of His love.
This is a present reality. This is not some far-off distant hope. Psalm 24.1 tells us that “the earth is the Lord’s and all it contains – the world and those who dwell in it.”
So do not despair. Neither Covid-19 nor any created thing, in heaven or on earth, can separate us from the love of Jesus. Nothing happens, nor can happen on this earth without the “expressed consent” of our Lord. HE RULES THE WORLD.
And one day, one fine day, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
So, in this Christmas season, perhaps a season that is without precedent, Jesus Christ is still on the throne! And with that, may we strive to walk in the entire blessing of God!
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons ALL my iniquities;
Who heals ALL my diseases;
Who redeems my life from the pit;
Who crowns me with lovingkindness and compassion
Who satisfies my years with good things
So that my youth is renewed like the eagle.”
Whew! And that is enough, for now.