The God of Abraham Praise

"Be still, and know that I am God. 

I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth!" 

-Psalm 46:10 (ESV) 

Some days God has to remind us to "be still" or "cease striving" (as it says in the NASB) and simply know that He is God. There are so many hymns of adoration, hymns that declare the glory of who God is and praise Him for it. For this blog post, I chose The God of Abraham Praise, which was paraphrased by Thomas Olivers around 1765 from The Yigdal of Daniel ben Judah, a Jewish judge in Rome in the 15th Century. Obviously, Olivers changed it significantly as he incorporated the revelations of the gospel into the Jewish text. It is set to the tune Leoni, which is a Hebrew melody.

I don't really want to say much more, but would rather have you just soak in the words of the hymn itself and adore God for who He is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. This is our God, who reigns above.

The God of Abraham Praise 

The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above, 

Ancient of everlasting days, and God of love. 

Jehovah! Great I AM, by earth and heav’n confessed! 

I bow and bless the sacred Name for ever blest. 

The God of Abraham Praise, at whose supreme command 

From earth I rise-- and seek the joys at His right hand; 

I all on earth forsake, its wisdom fame and power; 

And Him my only portion make, my shield and tower 

The God of Abraham praise, whose all sufficient grace 

Shall guide me all my happy days, in all my ways.

He calls a worm His friend, He calls Himself my God! 

And He shall save me to the end thro’ Jesus’ blood. 

 He by Himself has sworn; I on His oath depend, 

I shall, on eagle wings upborne, to Heav’n ascend. 

I shall behold His face; I shall His power adore, 

And sing the wonders of His grace forevermore. 

 Tho’ nature’s strength decay, and earth and hell withstand, 

 To Canaan’s bounds I urge my way, at His command. 

The watery deep I pass, with Jesus in my view; 

And thro’ the howling wilderness my way pursue. 

The goodly land I see, with peace and plenty blessed; 

A land of sacred liberty and endless rest. 

There milk and honey flow, and oil and wine abound, 

And trees of life forever grow with mercy crowned. 

There dwells the Lord our king, the Lord our righteousness, 

Triumphant o’er the world and sin, the Prince of Peace; 

On Zion’s sacred height His kingdom still maintains, 

And glorious with His saints in light forever reigns. 

He keeps His own secure, He guards them by His side, 

Arrays in garments, white and pure, His spotless bride: 

With streams of sacred bliss, with groves of living joys-- 

With all the fruits of paradise He still supplies. 

Before the great Three-One they all exulting stand; 

And tell the wonders He hath done thro’ all their land; 

The list’ning spheres attend, and swell the growing fame; 

And sing in songs which never end, the wondrous name. 

The God who reigns on high the great archangels sing, 

And “Holy, holy, holy!” cry, “Almighty King! 

Who was, and is, the same, and evermore shall be: 

Jehovah--Father--great I AM, we worship Thee!” 

Before the Savior’s face, the ransomed nations bow; 

O’erwhelmed at His almight grace, forever new: 

He shows His prints of love--they kindle to a flame! 

And sound thro’ all the worlds above the slaughtered Lamb. 

The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high; 

“Hail Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,” they ever cry. 

Hail, Abraham’s God and mine! I join the heav’nly lays, 

All might and majesty are Thine, and endless praise.

(Public Domain)