Read: Psalm 98
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. (v. 4)
”Joy to the World” has been a popular carol, right from when it was written. One reason is that its author was the best-known hymnwriter of the time (and one of the greatest of all time), Isaac Watts. Another is that it’s not really a Christmas carol, though we have pigeon-holed it that way. It’s a psalm paraphrase, and Watts wrote dozens of them, publishing them in a hymnal in 1719.
The psalm in this case is Psalm 98, which opens with a call to “sing to the Lord a new song” because of the marvelous and powerful things he has done in salvation. The psalmist goes on to invite the world of creation to join with the people of God in offering praise. “Let the sea roar . . . Let the rivers clap their hands . . . Let the hills sing for joy together” (vv. 7-8). All of these show up in stanza 2 of “Joy to the World,” as the “fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, repeat the sounding joy.” But in the third stanza Watts takes a detour from Psalm 98 and looks back at Genesis 3: No more let sins and sorrows grow, / nor thorns infest the ground; / he comes to make his blessings flow / far as the curse is found.
Remember how even the ground was cursed because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience? Well, Jesus comes to undo all the consequences of sin, including the consequences in nature itself. Joy to the world, indeed!
As you pray, praise God for the wonders of his love.
Listen along: Joy to the World – Phil Wickham, Joy to the World – The Kingdom Choir
About the Author
Rev. Dave Bast retired as the President and Broadcast Minister of Words of Hope in January 2017, after 23 years with the ministry. Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. He is the author of several devotional books. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he has also studied at both the Fuller and Calvin seminaries. Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and four grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
