1. Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,Â
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
2. Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
6. Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel! Translated from the Latin by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)
I’ve always thought this hymn closely resembled the style, the cadence of a psalm. It is a song of hope. It is a song longing from the created to their Creator. And that is where our Hope is found.
My fellow disciples, let us journey through this season not superficially like many blinking lights on a tree. Let us instead draw close to our LORD just as the shepherds and Magi did. Whether we come to Him with nothing in our hands or with the blessings of wealth, both came a long distance and knelt in humility before an infant. In faith they worshiped God in the flesh, not understanding what that meant but knowing somehow there was nothing more important in their lives to do than give their best to Him.
Rejoice! God is with us!
The Little Drummer Boy written by Katherine Kennicott Davis (1941) sung by The Vienna Boys Choir
