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nd when the chief
priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children
crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore
displeased, 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these
say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes
and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? (Matt
21:15-16)
An
old hymn that reminds us of the voice of children singing praises to our Lord
in the very perfection of praise. Is it still so? The lyrics were composed by
John Henley in 1841, and the music is the composition taken from Curwen’s Tune Book of 1842. The
children of the lesser Temple in Jerusalem sang “Hosanna to the Son of
David” but will our children sing the same in the Holy Temple of New Jerusalem?
Unfortunately, the modern churches believe the only way to attract the children
of the world is to imitate the worlds songs and music. It is often more worldly
and sensual than it is spiritual and biblically sound.
Children
of Jerusalem
Children of
Jerusalem
Sang the praise of
Jesus’ Name:
Children, too, of
modern days
Join to sing the
Savior’s praise.
Refrain
Hark, hark, hark!
While infant voices
sing,
Hark, hark, hark!
While infant voices
sing
Loud hosannas, loud
hosannas,
Loud hosannas to our
King.
We are taught to
love the Lord,
We are taught to
read His Word;
We are taught the
way to Heav’n:
Praise for all to
God be giv’n.
Refrain
Parents, teachers,
old and young,
All unite to swell
the song;
Higher and yet
higher rise,
’Til hosannas fill
the skies.
Refrain
Children
of Jerusalem Sang the praise of Jesus’ Name:
Children, too, of modern days Join to sing the Savior’s praise. I hope the children of our
churches today can become like unto the Children of Jerusalem in the day they
sang simple praises to our Lord untainted by modern vulgarity. But I believe the hymn
writer may have been overly optimistic in the future purity of the churches to
teach the young people Godliness and reverence. Innocent children have a unique
talent, given by the Holy Ghost, to find innocence and joy wherever it can be
found. These children of Christian antiquity were overwhelmed with joy at the
words and works of Christ in the Temple. God put an immediate song in their
hearts as He does for all who are touched by His Word. They did not refrain
from expressing their joy in song.
We are taught to
love the Lord, We are taught to read His Word; We are taught the way to Heav’n Praise to all for
God be giv’n In the day that this hymn
was written, it was a common practice to teach them Bible stories and hymns at their mother’s knee. Even as late as my childhood, my mother taught me simple
lessons of Jesus at her knee. Though there was much labor to be performed in
those days, there also were fewer distractions to the moral mind. Honesty was more a
common characteristic of the general population. Today, many parents haul their
children off to Sunday School and Church, and leave them there at the door. But
the most important teachers in the life of the child returns home and leaves all
teaching to the Sunday School teacher, and the public educators who often teach
error and corrupt morals. The practice of Old Time Religion was to teach the
child to love the Lord; to read His Word; to live morally sound lives; and to
praise God for every blessing. Honestly, how many children in our culture are
so taught in our day?
Parents, teachers,
old and young, All unite to swell the song; Higher and yet higher rise, ‘Til hosannas fill
the skies. Hosanna means “Save us, Lord” in
its ancient origin, but came to mean a prayer of praise to God. It has the
connotation of the Latin, EXCELSIOR, meaning ever upward, and is the motto of
the State of New York. Of course, the Narrow Way described by our Lord leads
ever upward as Hosanna suggests. Do parents, teachers, old and young, join
their voices to swell the heavens with Hosannas? Shouldn’t we? If we do not do so, does this not point to a Laodicean
characteristic in the modern church? If we are disturbed by this fact, we
needn’t be since we have it in our power to belatedly join our voices in Hosannas to the Son of
David!
Refrain
Hark,
hark, hark! While infant voices sing, Hark, hark, hark! While infant voices
sing Loud hosannas, loud hosannas, Loud hosannas to our King. In the imperative sense, HARK means
to ‘listen’ with intense focus of thought. Often, we
consider that children should be seen and not heard; however, children can
teach us great lessons. Perhaps we should HEAR the children. The innocence of
the infant should be nurtured by good and Holy teaching, example in living, and service to God.
If the parents fail in that enterprise, what shall the children do?
In the coarser years
of a man life, after traveling a road of sin and wickedness for many years, it
is not impossible for him to regain that innocence of childhood in the call of
the Holy Ghost to his heart. Such coarse men may show the sweetest and most
endearing livelihood once they have answered that call. John Newton (Amazing
Grace) is a perfect example of that change. 3 Verily I say unto you,
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this
little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall
receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend
one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a
millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the
depth of the sea. (Matt 18:3-6)
