When I got home from choir last week, I was thinking of the words we sang. “He’s alive hallelujah He is alive” and suddenly the song, “Joy to the World” flooded my thinking.

Yes! He is alive!

The author of “Joy to the World,” is Isaac Watts. He wrote it in the 1600’s or about 420 years ago. The music is possibly adapted from something that Handel wrote. The tune name is “Antioch.” The scripture no doubt was taken from Psalm 98:4 “Make a joyful noise unto the lord, all the earth: Make a loud noise and rejoice, and sing praise”

Even as a boy in London, England, Isaac Watts displayed literary genius and had an aptitude for study. At age of five, he was learning Latin: at nine, Greek: at eleven, French; and at thirteen, Hebrew.

While Isaac Watts was still in his teens, he became very dissatisfied with the deplorable negative characteristic songs being sung in the churches. One Sunday after return from a service of this type of Psalm singing and being deeply concerned and critical of congregational singing, young Isaac was challenged by his father with the words, “Well, then, young man, why don’t you give us something better to sing?”  At 18, Isaac Watts, accepted his father’s challenge. The next Sunday he produced his first hymn, to which the congregational response was enthusiastic. Fore the next two years, young Watts, wrote a new hymn text for his people every Sunday. He published a collection of 201 of these hymns in 1707. This collection and the later one published in 1719, represented the first real hymnals in the English language.

He is said to have written over 600 hymns. Besides Joy to the World, you would recognize:

                “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross;” “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past;” “Come Ye that Love the Lord;” “Come Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove;” “I Sing the Mighty Power of God;” “My Faith Looks Up to Thee,” and many more.

At the age of Seven Watts wrote out an acrostic spelling out the letters of his name, this acrostic reflects not only his brilliance at an early age, but the theology that characterized his entire life.

• “I”-I am a vile, polluted lump of earth
• “S”-So I’ve continued ever since my birth
• “A”-Although Jehovah, grace doeth daily give me
• “A”-As sure this monster, Satan, will deceive me
• “C”-Come therefore Lord, from Satan’s claws relieve me
• “W”- Wash me in Thy blood, O Christ
• “A”-And grace divine impart
• “T”-Then Search and try the corners of my heart
• “T”-That I in all things may be fit to do
• “S”-Service to Thee, and Thy praise too.

Categories: Hymns of the Faith Judy Marshall

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