Hymns of Hope: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come! God, be with us!

This was Israel’s cry. Aching. Yearning. Hoping. How long, O Lord? They cried out to God in the midst of their exile, first under Babylon and then under the oppression of the Roman empire. They longed for rescue, for all that was wrong to be made right. They knew the Promised One would come to ransom them. Surely the Messiah would be here soon. In their mourning, they waited for His coming. Clinging to expectation and hope, they rejoiced at the promise of His rescue, knowing that their God was faithful. He would keep His word.

O come, O come! God, be with us!

And He did. God Himself in the form of a helpless babe entered in, made Himself to be a servant, and dwelt among His people. As prophecy foretold (Isaiah 11:1), a shoot had sprung up from Jesse’s stump to save God’s people from the tyranny of sin. Our debt was paid. Our forgiveness was purchased, and the grave lost its sting when Christ rose up in victory. Rejoice! The Rod of Jesse—heaven’s righteous branch—has come!
O come, O come! God, be with us!

At His coming, the clouds of darkness parted. Hope burst forth, dispersing the gloom of night and putting death itself to flight. Light has shown in our darkness, and it cannot be overcome. The firstfruits of the new creation were ushered in. The Savior draws near and joy floods our hearts. Rejoice! Our Dayspring—the dawn of God’s kingdom—has come!

O come, O come! God, be with us!

Life would never be the same. A new chapter was written. The path to our heavenly home was opened wide. Our eternal future is now secure, and we eagerly anticipate the day when
misery will be forever cast out. Rejoice! The Key of David—unlocking heaven’s door—has come!

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The King has come, but the end is not yet here. Creation still groans. Sin still wars on in our hearts. Death still makes its claims. We still await our final deliverance. Our longing continues.

The words of this song reaffirm our desire for Christ’s return. As we live between Christ’s two comings, we simultaneously rejoice in our redemption and tearfully yearn for all that is yet to be. The apostle Paul describes our present reality as “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). Already. But not yet.

One day, the sin that clouds our hearts will dissipate, our tears will cease to exist, and death will end forevermore. While Christ’s resurrection forever changed the course of history, our final resurrection is coming. One day, these earthly bodies will be transformed into the likeness of the Son, and we will dwell in the new earth along with all those in Christ who have gone before us. Until that day, let us rejoice. Our God has come to us, and He is coming again!

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O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

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Ashlee is the Editorial Coordinator for Hope Mommies and author of I AM (Hope Mommies, 2017) and Identity (Hope Mommies, 2018). She and her husband, Jesse, live in Milwaukee with their children—five on earth and two in heaven.

 

 

 

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