Today is Tuesday, December 17th, 2013; Karen's Korner #2717
At Sunday School on Sunday, our class discussion drifted to "Joy to the World" and how it really isn't a Christmas Carol; about the birth of Jesus and His coming to earth the first time. In fact, it is about His coming back to earth a second time.
Here is a little bit more from web research:
"The Bible doesn't talk much about happiness, but it does say a lot about joy. The words happy or happiness are only used 27 times in the NIV Bible. But the words joy and rejoice are used 320 times. Joy has a deeper meaning than happiness. Happiness has to do with what happens to you, and it is going to fluctuate according to circumstances. But joy overrides circumstance. Joy is an inner sense of well being that abides even when circumstances are unfavorable. Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always." You are not always going to be happy, but you can always have joy within. II Corinthians 7:4 says, "..in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds."
"Almost 300 years ago, Isaac Watts wrote the hymn, "Joy to the World". It is odd that 'Joy to the World' is considered a Christmas carol because it only has a veiled reference to the birth.......'the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King'. The song was not inspired by the Gospel accounts of the birth of Christ, but by the later parts of Psalm 98'.
The words:
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
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,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
***