Of the Father’s Love Begotten[1]
The best songs are those which amplify the words of holy Scripture. We see this so beautifully in the songs we sing during Advent and Christmas, and an excellent example of a song drawing on the Bible for its lyrics is the Advent hymn, Of the Father’s Love Begotten. This 3rd century text, set to a 12th century plainsong melody, brings together the scope of scriptural truth about the foretelling and the coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Let’s let the words of Scripture and song aid us in meditation on the advent of our Lord. The Scriptures come from the New Living Translation.
Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the Source, the Ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been, and that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore.
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes (Ephesians 1:4 NLT).
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13 NLT).
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him (Colossians 1:15-17 NLT).
O that birth forever blessed, when the Virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving, bore the Savior of our race;
And the babe, the world’s Redeemer, first revealed His sacred face,
Evermore and evermore.
The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel – which means “God is with us” (Isaiah 7:14 NLT).
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-35 NLT).
This is He whom heaven-taught singers sang of old with one accord,
Whom the Scriptures of the prophets promised in their faithful word;
Now He shines the long-expected; let creation praise its Lord,
Evermore and evermore.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! (Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT).
“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:10-14 NLT).
O ye heights of heaven adore Him; angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him, and extol our God and King;
Let no tongue on earth be silent, every voice in concert ring,
Evermore and evermore.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11 NLT).
Christ, to Thee with God the Father, and, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving and unwearied praises be:
Honor, glory, and dominion, and eternal victory,
Evermore and evermore.
Enjoy an a cappella rendering of this Advent carol.
[1] WORDS: Aurelius C. Prudentius (348-413); translated by John M. Neale (1854) and Henry W. Baker (1859). MUSIC: DIVINUM MYSTERIUM, Plainsong, 12th century. https://youtu.be/cOF9JLJkPis
Musings and Contemplations 