HARPS OF GOLD

Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary, praise Him in His almighty firmament!

Praise Him for His almighty deeds; praise Him according to His exceeding greatness!

Praise Him with a trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!       Psalm 150:1-3

Where did we ever get the idea that God’s angels play on “harps of gold”? In a number of places the Book of Revelation describes the songs of eternity as being accompanied by harps: Rev. 5:8; 14:2-3; 15:2, although their color isn’t specified. And, of course, the Psalms are full of references to the praises of God being accompanied by instruments –a variety of instruments that include cymbals & clapping our hands. But more important than the accompaniment is the content of the songs, -the full-throated praise of our gracious God!

Perhaps, as the carol: “It Came Upon a Mid-night Clear,” indicates, it’s especially when we do not feel like singing to the Lord –times when we feel tired and forsaken and beaten up and down –that we need to hear again the songs of God’s eternal victory and know that in Jesus Christ, the Lamb who died for us and is alive forevermore, we have something TO SING ABOUT!!!

Mary did. Read Luke 1:46-55. Zechariah did. Read Luke 1:68-79. The angels did. Read Luke 2:14. And knowing what we know about God’s love demonstrated in His Son, our Savior, now it’s our time to get out whatever instruments you have or are available to you… these busy days… (pots & pans & wooden spoons if necessary) and use them to declare God’s praise.

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 all from heavens all-glorious King.”

The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.

A note about the writers: Edmund Hamilton Spears, an American clergyman wrote the poem about angels and their “harps of gold” that was published in The Christian Register in 1849. Richard Willis of Massachusetts composed the music a year later.