Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

Scriptures: Psalm 37:23-24, Psalm 73:23-24, John 6:28-35, Exodus 15:22-26; Revelation 22:1-2, John 7:37-39, Exodus 13:17-22, Exodus 15:1-5, Genesis 15:1, Psalm 28:7, Joshua 3:14-17, Revelation 20:14.

Structure:

• Introduction
• Verse 1
• Verse 2
• Verse 3
• Conclusion

Introduction:

A couple of weeks ago Robyn & I were walking along the beach from Waikanae to Paraparaumu when we reached the Waikanae river

• Sometimes, when the tide is low, you can walk across the estuary there and the water only comes up to your knees
• Other times though, when the tide is high, you have to swim across
• Well, this particular day the tide was sort of half in / half out
• We couldn’t see the bottom of the river so we weren’t sure how deep it was. I thought I would test the waters, literally
• It would be nice to say there was a miracle but the waters did not part for me. And, even after all these years of following Jesus, I still haven’t mastered the art of walking on water. Don’t know how he did it.
• I got about a quarter of the way across and the sand gave way underfoot. My pants got wet, but it didn’t matter
• It was a warm day so, to avoid the chaffing you get from walking in salt water pants, I just took my trousers off for a while and walked beside the river in my boxer shorts.
• For some reason Robyn wasn’t all that keen on walking beside me at this point – she made sure there was plenty of distance between us until my pants went back on.

I tell you that story because it is important to be able to laugh at ourselves

• But also because it highlights our need for guidance
• Much of life is routine, like walking along the beach, just putting one foot in front of the other and enjoying the view   
• But every now and then we come to a river (a transition point in our life) and we have to make a decision.
• Do we cross, or walk around it the long way, or do we turn back?
• At those times we need guidance.  

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series

• In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.
• The song we are looking at this morning is Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

‘Guide me O Thou great Jehovah’ was sung at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997 and then again at Prince William and Cate Middleton’s wedding in 2011

• The tune has also been heard at rugby matches in the UK at times
• It is a song which isn’t just sung in church but resonates with wider society

The words for ‘Guide me O Thou great Jehovah’ were written by a man named William Williams

• Now for some reason there seem to be a lot of people called William Williams who lived during the 18^th & 19^th Centuries
• The William Williams we are talking about is a different person from the missionary who came to NZ in the 1800’s
• The author of ‘Guide me O Thou great Jehovah’ was a Welshman who lived during the 1700’s

Williams grew up in a Christian home but his family didn’t attend the established Anglican church – they were part of an independent church

• At first Williams studied to become a doctor but then changed tack and trained instead to become an Anglican minister
• It seems that at some stage during this period of his life Williams heard the preaching of a man named Howell Harris, and had a conversion experience
• The Church of England ordained Williams as a deacon but wouldn’t make him a priest so Williams joined the Methodist movement
• For over 40 years he travelled all over Wales preaching the gospel
• As an accompaniment to his preaching Williams wrote many hymns in his native Welsh language

William Williams first wrote ‘Guide me O Thou great Jehovah’ in Welsh in 1745. Sixteen years later the song was translated into English.

• The tune we sing it to today was written in 1907 by John Hughes

‘Guide me O Thou great Jehovah’ was particularly relevant to Williams’ experience as a travelling preacher

• He spent much of his time walking or riding in the wilderness between speaking engagements, so I expect Williams got his britches wet crossing rivers on more than one occasion

Verse 1:

Williams drew inspiration for his song from Israel’s experience in the wilderness of Sinai. The hymn starts…

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land;

Jehovah is one of the names for God. It is a Latinized version of the Hebrew word ‘Yahweh’

• The word Jehovah emerged in some translations of the Bible during the 16^th Century – so it would have been in use during Williams’ day 
• Some more recent versions of Williams’ hymn use the word ‘Redeemer’ instead. In any case we are singing to God Almighty

A pilgrim is a traveler. Not just any traveler but someone on a sacred journey to a holy place.

• Christians are pilgrims. This world is not our home. We are travelling through the wilderness of this life to reach the holy city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Heaven

You can cross the estuary on Waikanae beach in less than a minute at low tide, but the walk around takes about an hour

• The long way leads you on a meandering track through wetlands which is not unpleasant but not at all efficient or direct  
• After their exodus from slavery in Egypt, Israel could have made it to the Promised Land in just a few months but they ended up wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years, during which time God guided and protected his pilgrim people
• Sometimes, in our journey of faith, God leads us through a barren land
• A place where the good seed we sow doesn’t bear much fruit
• A time when we feel dry and the path is unmarked and tough going
• An environment that seems spiritually corrosive and unforgiving, where we can’t afford to make mistakes and so we need God’s guidance more than ever.

The second part of verse one reads…

I am weak, but Thou art mighty; hold me with Thy powerful hand;

Now if, like me, you listened to too much music in the 80’s then this line might remind you of the Billy Idol song, ‘Catch my fall’ with its repeated refrain…

• ‘If I should stumble, catch my fall’
• Of course Williams was more influenced by the psalms than he was Billy Idol 

From psalm 37 we read…

• If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

And in psalm 73 we find similar words…

• Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

The metaphor of God upholding us with his hand speaks of God’s nearness to us – his close presence

• Not carrying us, but letting us walk on our own two feet, while still staying close by if we get into trouble.
• During the holidays I read the Christian classic Hinds Feet on High Places. It’s an allegorical story about the journey of faith
• The main character, ‘Much Afraid’, learns to walk in the high places by walking with sorrow & suffering, and not by being carried.
• Sometimes ‘Much Afraid’ stumbles but the Shepherd (Christ) does not let her fall.

Becoming like Christ is a process, it doesn’t happen overnight. We need to be patient and hold grace & truth together

• That means being honest about our own short fallings and, at the same time, affording ourselves some grace, not beating ourselves up
• Sometimes we will stumble morally and spiritually but that’s okay
• God’s grace is sufficient for us
• If we do stumble, then the Lord is close at hand to catch our fall.

Verse one of the hymn finishes with the repeated refrain…

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me now and ever more.

There is a double reference here…

• Firstly, to Exodus 16 where the Lord God feeds the nation of Israel with manna from heaven for 40 years
• And secondly, to John 6 where Jesus multiplies the loaves and fishes to feed the 5,000
• Afterwards the crowd catch up with Jesus and ask him for a sign saying, “Our forefathers ate manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ And Jesus replied…
• I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
• Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Jesus is the bread of heaven who nourishes and sustains our spiritual life

• In other words, Jesus feeds our souls with a relationship with God

Verse 2:

Verse 2, of the hymn, starts with the line…

Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow;

‘Whence’ is an old fashioned word that simply means ‘from which’ and ‘doth’ means ‘does’

Again this verse alludes to a number of different Scriptures

• Please turn with me to Exodus 15, verse 22, page 76 near the front of your pew Bibles. We are back now with the people of Israel in the wilderness. From Exodus 15, verses 22 to 26 we read…

Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they walked through the desert, but found no water. ²³ Then they came to a place called Marah, but the water there was so bitter that they could not drink it. That is why it was named Marah. ²⁴ The people complained to Moses and asked, “What are we going to drink?” ²⁵ Moses prayed earnestly to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood, which he threw into the water; and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord gave them laws to live by, and there he also tested them. ²⁶ He said, “If you will obey me completely by doing what I consider right and by keeping my commands, I will not punish you with any of the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians. I am the Lord, the one who heals you.”

God healed the water with a piece of wood and he heals our souls with his law

• Obeying God’s commands is like clean water to our soul, it cleanses us on the inside.  

The term ‘crystal fountain’ reminds me of the last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22…

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 

The apostle John is describing a picture of heaven in these verses

• Jesus himself says in John’s gospel “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

The next stanza of verse 2 of the hymn reads…

Let the fiery, cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through:

Exodus 13 describes the way God led the people of Israel through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night

• When the pillar moved the people followed and when the pillar stopped the people pitched their tents.
• The pillar was a clear and visible sign of God’s presence – sort of like a divine GPS

The pillar of cloud symbolises the mystery or inscrutability of God

• We can’t see God or understand all of his ways
• We are limited creatures and there are aspects of God Himself which remain hidden from us 

The pillar of fire symbolises the holiness of God

• At the right distance fire gives light and warmth and comfort but fire can also be incredibly powerful and dangerous
• A pillar of fire is not tame, it can’t be domesticated
• We need to have a deep reverence, a holy respect, for God.
• We need to remember that while God helps us in many ways, he is also free and won’t be controlled or manipulated by us 

Wouldn’t it be great if discerning God’s direction for our life was as clear and simple as looking out the window and seeing a pillar of cloud and fire. But that isn’t usually our experience is it

• Although we don’t have a ‘fiery, cloudy pillar’ we are given the Holy Spirit, who Jesus says leads us into all truth

Verse 2 finishes with the line…   

Strong deliverer, strong deliverer; be thou still my strength and shield.

As a travelling preacher William Williams would have felt quite vulnerable at times, travelling in the wild, at the mercy of the elements, not always certain where he might sleep at night

• But he was also vulnerable in facing crowds of people who didn’t know him and could turn on him if they felt so inclined
• Williams was not in a position to defend himself so he had to trust God to protect him

The idea of God being a shield is found in a number of places throughout the Bible

• In Genesis 15, for example, after Abram has just saved his nephew Lot and come through the horrors of battle, the Lord (Yahweh) says to him,
• ‘Do not be afraid Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward’
• And in psalm 28, David (who was a soldier) says,
• ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped.’
• Then there is the shield of faith that we read about in Ephesians

We may not face the same sorts of physical threats that Abraham and David and William Williams faced, but we might battle internally with unwanted thoughts and emotions which take us captive and lead us down a dark path

• In many ways the inner battle is harder I think because the enemy is invisible
• We need God to deliver us from the thoughts that lead us on – we need God to be our shield against the evil that we can’t see

Verse 3:

A river is a powerful thing – powerful to give life and powerful to take it away

• When we were young, my friends and I would sometimes go kayaking on the Wairoa River, in the Kaimai Ranges, near Tauranga
• The water level of the Wairoa River is controlled by a hydro dam
• Most of the time the water level is quite low, with calm gentle flowing pools
• But on certain days during the summer they open the flood gates of the dam and the water level rises creating some spectacular rapids

When I was still a novice paddler, just learning, I came out of my kayak on the rapids. The water took my fibre glass boat and literally wrapped it around a boulder – broke it in two like it was a match stick

• This was a good experience to have in some ways because it taught me to respect the river. A river is a powerful force of nature
• It doesn’t matter how good a swimmer you are, sometimes the current is just too strong
• A couple of years later one of the men in our canoe club drowned on the Wairoa. Although he was a very experienced paddler, the current pinned him under a ledge and there was nothing anyone could do to save him
• The forces of nature are no respecter of persons. The wild is not just or merciful

Verse three of our hymn reads…

When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside;

Death of death, and hell’s destruction, land me safe on Canaan’s side

‘The verge of Jordan’ here refers to the Jordan River

• And ‘Canaan’s side’ refers to the land of Canaan – the Promised Land, the Holy Land – it is a metaphor for heaven

In Joshua 3, after the Israelites’ time in the wilderness had come to an end, we read how the nation of Israel passed through the waters of the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land…

^14-15 It was harvest time, and the river was in flood.

When the people left the camp to cross the Jordan, the priests went ahead of them, carrying the Covenant Box. As soon as the priests stepped into the river, ¹⁶ the water stopped flowing and piled up, far upstream at Adam, the city beside Zarethan. The flow downstream to the Dead Sea was completely cut off, and the people were able to cross over near Jericho. ¹⁷ While the people walked across on dry ground, the priests carrying the Lord’s Covenant Box stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until all the people had crossed over.

God, the creator of rivers, stopped the waters of the Jordan (while it was in flood) to enable his people to cross safely

• But the people still had to take that step of faith
• They had to trust that God would hold the waters back while they crossed and they wouldn’t be swept away

William Williams was using the image of the Israelites crossing the Jordan into Canaan as a metaphor for the people of God crossing the river of death to enter the Promised Land of heaven  

• ‘When I tread the verge of Jordan’ is a poetic way of saying, ‘when I face the hour of my death’
• ‘Bid my anxious fears subside’ means calm my fears. Give me faith and courage to face death without fear.

That phrase, death of death and hell’s destruction sounds foreboding

• What does it mean?
• Well the closest Scripture reference I can find to illuminate this line is found in Revelation 20, verse 14…

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  

In the context, Revelation 20, talks about a universal resurrection of the dead

• All the dead are raised to life and face judgement
• Some pass through the river of judgment to enjoy eternal life
• Others are sentenced to death for a second and final time
• As I understand it the purpose of the ‘lake of fire’ is not so much to torture but to destroy; to annihilate or vaporise things
• Verse 14 uses poetic language to describe the ‘death of death’ or the end of death in other words – which means for those whose names are written in the book of life there will be no more death, no more tears or grief
• The good news is that through faith in Christ we are delivered from the second death, and landed safe on Canaan’s side
• All those who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead will be saved.
• So do not be afraid. It does no good living in fear of hell.
• God is just and merciful and he will do what is right by each one

Our hymn finishes on a note of hope…

Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee.

Williams is imagining his future in the kingdom of heaven, singing praise to God forever

• But from our vantage point in history we can see how Williams’ songs are still giving praise to God now, more than two centuries since the Welsh Hymn writer died.

Conclusion:

The start of a new year is often a time when we need God’s guidance

• It is a time of facing a river to cross perhaps in the form of starting a new school, or a new job or leaving home to live in a new city 
• Whatever 2020 holds for you may God give you the courage and strength to face the unknown as you trust in him
• And may you know that the Lord is with you and for you.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1. Listen to (or sing) the song, ‘Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does it evoke for you?) 
2. Have you ever crossed a river before on foot or horseback? What was it like?
3. William Williams identified with the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai. Have you ever walked through a barren land, spiritually speaking?  (Or perhaps you feel like you are in a barren land now?) What is/was your experience of God in that space?
4. How does God teach us to walk by faith? Give thanks to God for the times you have stumbled and He has caught your fall. 
5. What do you think Jesus meant when he said, ‘I am the bread of life’?
6. What does the fiery, cloudy pillar symbolise?
7. Verse 3 of the hymn sounds echoes of hope. Discuss / reflect on the hope you hear in this verse. 
8. Which verse (or line) of the song do you identify with most?  Why?