“Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
Psalm 46: 10 – 11 (NASB)
“Silent Night“ is one of the first hymns that gave me my love for researching the background of sanctified songs.
Parish priest Joseph Mohr (1792 – 1848) wrote the original German text in six stanzas in Oberndorf, Austria, on December 24, 1818, for St. Nicholas’s Church. Because the church organ had broken down that day, Mohr and his parish organist composed this beloved hymn to be accompanied on guitar for the Christmas Eve service. The organ repairman heard the hymn and took the manuscript to the Tyrol region where its popularity spread quickly. The hymn spread throughout Europe and North America during the middle nineteenth century. The hymn was first published in 1838. The English translation was completed by John Freeman Young (1820-1885), a native of Pittston, Maine, USA.
Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
’round yon virgin mother and child!
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.
With a mixture of meditative reflection and awe, the writer describes the night of Christ’s birth, recalling not only the birth but also its meaning to us all: the Christ child who is born in Bethlehem is our Savior and our King!
Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
heav’nly hosts sing, “Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born!”
I have a fondness for a pure voice that can touch hearts while telling a story; which is why I share the rendition of this carol by Carrie Underwood – her voice is exceptional. As one who used to enjoy moonlit walks in the countryside, I can almost imagine the fear of the shepherds when Heavenly light shone around them and an angel appeared:
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:10-12
And then the Heavenly choir appeared as if the sight of one angel wasn’t magnificent enough! What an awesome vision to try and imagine brethren.
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
radiant beams from Thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!
Can you imagine these shepherds at the end of their walk down from the hills, standing before a babe in a trough? They knew this was no ordinary child; did they know the redeeming power that lay before them in the hay?
Silent night! Holy night!
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
with the angels let us sing
“Alleluia” to our King:
“Christ the Savior is born!
“Christ the Savior is born.”
Dear Reader, what inexplicable wonders are in this carol for our meditation. Let us bow in thanks before the Father who sent His Son, and before the Son who redeems us. The star leads the Wisemen, but our Star is our Messiah – He is “the bright morning star“(Revelation 22:16) that lights our way to Heaven.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures
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