Joy to the World!

Read Psalm 98

Issac Watts loved the Psalms and wanted people to be moved by them, so he paraphrased some of them into hymns. "Joy to the World!" (written in 1719) was one of them. It's based on Psalm 98, which calls for the earth to rejoice and sing praises of God's coming. It's a well-known Christmas hymn that we often sing during the holiday season.

However, Watts didn't write it as a Christmas song. It really addresses the second coming of Christ, and there are parallels. Just as the Israelites waited for the promised Messiah, the Savior of the World, Christians now wait for Jesus' return to take His people home. Either way, it's a joyous occasion and yes, joy to the world!

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrow grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And the wonders of His love,

And the wonders of His love,

And the wonders, wonders of His love.

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