This Christmas, pipe down so you can ‘hear the angels sing!’

Rev. Edmund Sears’ 1849 poem entitled, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” was a reflection upon the revolution in Europe and the ending of the United States war with Mexico.

Richard Storrs Willis’ 1850 tune entitled, “Carol,” set the poem to music, making this combination the most popular version in the United States.

Let’s look at the first verse of the song. It reads:

1. It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,” From heav’n’s all-gracious King.
The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing!

This is speaking to the supernatural event recorded in Luke chapter 2 with the angelic visitation, the message, and the singing of an angelic host to a group of shepherds on a hillside outside Bethlehem. The Bible teaches us the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior of all mankind, was born in Bethlehem as was foretold through numerous ancient prophecies. In fact, this was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Adam and Eve, after Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. This was the beginning of the most important event since Creation: the salvation of mankind through Jesus Christ the Savior. That is why it is such a “glorious song of old.”

Let’s read verse 2 of the song, “It Came upon a Midnight Clear”:

2. Yet with the woes of sin and strife, The world has suffered long,
Beneath the angel strain have rolled, Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not, The love song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing!

Here the song speaks to what has transpired since that wondrous night outside of Bethlehem, and says, even with this message from God Almighty, 2,000 years of sin, strife and wrong have continued.

Writing in 1849, Rev. Sears had not yet seen the Civil War, World War I, World War II all the other wars afterward and the insane conflicts that we are in today, but his statement certainly applies today when he says, “and man at war with man hears not,” the love song that the angels bring. Then the pastor states, “O hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing.”

How much more does that need to be expressed today? The Bible is clear that “strife” is on the list of the “works of the flesh,” and Galatians 5:21 says, those who pursue the works of the flesh, shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Rev. Sears wrote that men of strife need to “hush” and “and hear the angels sing.”

What is it that the angels sang 2,000 years ago? It is the second half of verse 1, which says:

“Peace on the earth, good will to men,” From heav’n’s all-gracious King.
The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing!

When my family sings this song, we come back to this part like a chorus, for it is the message that came upon a midnight clear, which is “peace,” shalom, has been extended to all mankind from God their maker. “Shalom” means “peace, health, prosperity, and general well-being, with nothing missing and nothing broken.”

If men would just stop and consider the reality of this for a moment, a lot of strife would cease, for we are talking about God Almighty coming to the Earth.

Verse 3 of the song reads:

3. All ye, beneath life’s crushing load, Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way, With painful steps and slow,
Look, now! for glad and golden hours, Come swiftly on the wing:
O rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing!

Here Rev. Sears writes about life and aging. Sometimes life does seem like we are just trudging along, and unfortunately, our bodies do get older, but Proverbs 16:31 says, gray hair is a crown of glory “if it be found in the way of righteousness.” The song says we should look for and appreciate our “glad and golden hours” with which the LORD has blessed us.

Also, along life’s way we need to always remember to rest and pause and “hear the angels sing,” that God has extended “peace,” shalom, toward all of mankind, and all we have to do is reach out, and receive it, through receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and LORD.

Consider verse 4:

4. For lo! The days are hast’ning on, By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years, Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth, Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song, Which now the angels sing!

This is saying God’s prophets have foretold the end of the age and the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. That will truly be the age of gold, where “peace,” shalom, shall cover all the earth. The whole earth will give back to God the song, which the angels sang 2,000 years ago. We will all sing the song given to us by God, back to Him.

“Peace on the earth, good will to men,” From heav’n’s all-gracious King.
The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing!

Why will we sing God’s song back to Him? It is because that is how faith works.

When we quote God’s Word back to Him, we are coming into agreement with Him, allowing the LORD God Almighty to be involved in our lives.

Isaiah 43:26 says, “Put Me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.”

Sing the song back to the LORD this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas, readers of WND.