Singing Of A God Of Action
Like the Psalms, some hymns describe God’s characteristics. He is powerful. He is loving. He is holy, etc.. Illustrating who God is can be a very effective method for teaching the church theology. For example, individuals find encouragement in
A person is known not so much for their intrinsic characteristics, but for what they have done. Jesus speaks to this in Matthew 7:17-20.
“So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Identity is Defined by Action
Consequently, the listing of God’s past mercies and deeds conveys who he is by demonstration. He is the savior because he saves. He is a lover because he loves. He is a
We see this identity/deed theme throughout the old testament narrative, as God regularly commands his people to remember what he has done for them. The first line of the ten commandments states “I am the God who has brought you out of Egypt.” In “How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth” Gordon Fee
“The preamble identified the parties to the agreement (‘I am the LORD your God. . .’) and the prologue gave a brief history of how the parties became connected to one another (‘I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’).”
God chooses to identify himself by his past deeds. And he commands his people to remember those deeds precisely because they reveal who he is. In Exodus 12:26-27 the Lord commands Israel to not only keep the Passover observance but to pass on its meaning to their
“And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.”
Remembrance Leads to Worship
It is deeply profound that the people bowed and worshiped immediately upon hearing of the Lord’s deliverance; keeping in mind that at this point the exodus had not yet taken place. While it is possible they worshiped in anticipation of God’s completed work, it is more probable that they worshiped the God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac
Because God has revealed himself to us in scripture, it is reasonable for us to do as the Israelites; praise him not only for His deeds but for who he is.
Again, in Joshua chapter 4 the Lord miraculously parted the waters of the Jordan river to facilitate Israel’s entrance into Canaan. After moving the whole of the people over the river, Joshua set up twelve memorial stones, one for each tribe that had crossed.
“And he said to the people of Israel, When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
Remember His Deeds To Remember Him
And so the importance of remembering the deed is not only to never forget what God has done but to remember who God is. He is just and holy because Israel came to bring condemnation on the wicked, idolatrous peoples of Canaan. He is faithful for seeing his people through to the land of Canaan as he promised. God’s character is known to us by the action he has taken in scripture.
In the same way, modern congregations declare the works of the Lord through the hymns we sing. Hymns such as “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” praise him as the great helper and comforter. “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “All the Way My Savior Leads” declare our father’s goodness by describing what he has done for us in the past and declaring faith in what he will do in the future.