O FOR A THOUSAND TONGUES

So let’s notice the words carefully. It expresses the desire to sing  our great Redeemer’s praise and that with a thousand tongues it could better be accomplished than with one. But we might all ask ourselves the question: “Am I singing His praise as I ought with the one tongue that I have?” The scriptures have much to say about singing praise to our God.

Psalm 95:1-3 “O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”

Psalm 96:1-4 “O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name, shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.”

Psalm 81:1 “Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.”

And then we go to the New Testament and read Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;  teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual  songs, singing with grace in  your hearts unto the Lord.”

So it is a good thing to sing praises to the Lord. It is good when we meet as a church to blend our voices singing His praises.  Even if you are confined and unable to meet with the church you can make melody in your heart unto the Lord, and be always giving praise to the Lord to all with whom you converse.

Our hymn says the desire is to sing our great Redeemer’s praise. That reveals we have come to the place we know we need redemption. So many these days feel all is well with their soul; that they are a good person, and there is no reason to be concerned “that it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the  judgment.” But when we see that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” that we all are guilty sinners deserving nothing but the wrath of God; we then see the need of a Redeemer. We have incurred a great debt and we cannot pay it. Therefore, we need one who is willing and able to pay it for us.

How blessed then when we see that Jesus Christ is that Redeemer we need, and we come to Him by faith!  I Peter 1:18, “Forasmuch as ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious  blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

Now we look at the next line of the song.  “The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace.” This Redeemer in whom we rejoice is also King. Philippians 2:9, “Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Isn’t it a joy to think about that great day when every tongue will confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord”? Yes, we desire a thousand tongues to sing of that great day, and to sing now, Jesus Christ is Lord.

Then, the second verse: “My gracious Master and my God, Assist me to proclaim, to spread through all the earth abroad, the honors of thy name.”  Surely, we desire to proclaim abroad the honors of His name. We pray that this gospel be proclaimed the world over.

Verse three: “Jesus! the name that calms our fears, That bids our sorrows cease.” This line points us to the help we need. To Jesus, the one Who can calm our fears and provide comfort. It is good to recall again the words of Jesus in John 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”    

And Jesus is the name which is music in the sinners ears for Scripture says: “He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” And “He came to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Finally, we have verse four: "He breaks the power of canceled sin, He sets the prisoner free, His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me."

The sin debt was paid at the cross, and now He breaks the power of the sin that was canceled there.

Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law but under grace.”

“He sets the prisoner free.” Luke chapter 4 records the scene when Jesus read in the Nazareth synagogue from Isaiah's prophecy concerning Himself. It declared that He had come “to preach deliverance to the captives and to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

“His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me.”

I John 1:7, “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Vs. 9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Now that is enough to put us on shouting ground! Knowing that by nature we were unworthy sinners in the sight of our Holy God, unclean, unable to wash ourselves, but He has made us clean through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. “O for a thousand tongues to sing our great redeemer’s praise!”