Behind every classic hymn lies a story of its writing. “Joy to the World” is no exception. Written by Isaac Watts in 1719, it’s known as one of the most celebrated and beloved Christmas carols of all time. Yet, did you know it was never written as a hymn for the Christmas holiday?
Here’s the back-story . . .
Growing up in England, Isaac Watts (1674-1748), from an early age held a natural propensity for rhyming and poetry. During the late 1600s, most worship music in Europe centered on singing the Old Testament Psalms. One day after church, young Isaac complained about the boring worship music. A deacon challenged him to “give us something better.” This prompted the 15-year-old to write his first hymn, and the love of hymn writing then remained with him all his life.
Commonly known as “The Father of Hymns,” Watts is credited with writing some 750 hymns in his lifetime. Favorites include “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” and “Jesus Shall Reign.”
Originally written as a poem, “Joy to the World” was based on Psalm 98.
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. (Psalm 98:4-9 KJV)
Over 100 years later, in 1839, a Boston music teacher named Lowell Mason set the poem to music using fragments of the work of George Frederick Handel. Because it was released at Christmastime, it quickly became a holiday favorite. By the close of the 20th century “Joy to the World” was the most published Christmas carol in North America.
Yet if you look at the words, there is no mention of a manger, shepherds, angels or a star. This is because Watts understood that Psalm 98 spoke about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, not His birth.
And that is exactly what “Joy to the World” is about! It speaks of Jesus’ final coming to the earth when “the Saviour reigns” and “He rules the earth with truth and grace.” Like many of us, Watts longed for the day when the “nations [will] prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.”
Singing the song at Christmas affirms that the birth of Christ will eventually usher in His Second Coming—a time when there will be no more sorrow, death, or tears—a day when we will sing with hearts full and free “Joy to the World.”
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 sorrows 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 wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
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