What do you think?
There is a love
There is a love, so fierce a love,
that breaches death to save
A power great, beyond our laws,
that has unlocked the grave.
For Christ descended into death
and battled satan’s fury
Armed with faith and righteousness
he rose to life in glory.
His triumph fills our hearts with hope
and strengthens weary frames
for those in Christ have naught to lose
and everything to gain
Love has won the victory
Death’s reign is now defeated
The grave has lost its pow’r o’er me
I stand, in Christ, victorious.
Why would I fear the rolling years?
Or fight the ebbing tide?
The sands of time may cover me,
But I, in Christ, will rise.
The sands of time may cover me,
But I, in Christ, will rise.
sar 2012
I even went as far as considering the effectiveness of the chiastic structure, but couldn't come up with anything to complain about. I might not have chosen the same words, but that's not much of nothing.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that's of no use, so I've gone back to see what I can find at the bottom of the barrel.
Do you want 'victory' and 'victorious' in the same verse?
Rolling years? Is rolling the right word? I'm not sure what you mean with it - dwindling?
'Why would I...' - perhaps 'How can I'/'How may I'.
Not much more than not much of nothing, but there it is.
I don't like the 2 victories in the same verse either. You're right.One of them has to go. In that verse there also used to be 2 powers and 2 triumphs. Weak.
ReplyDelete"Why would I fear the rolling years?"
I'm thinking here of the dread many (women) feel at the thought of getting old. Fighting the ebbing tide is trying to stay young. Fine up to a point, but ultimately impossible. But if you didn't understand the lines, then they need to be changed.
Am I theologically questionable in verse 2?
Ah. So 'rolling' is 'piling up' rather than 'running out'. 'Mounting'?
ReplyDeleteI got the drift, just not the specifics. I'd have happily sung it with a slightly fuzzy meaning, so I don't think it needs to change - at least, not without further research!
Verse 2 - who knows?! If you're worried, does 'He saw off Satan's fury' help it, by pushing the win back to the cross? He could then be robed/clothed/smothered (ok, joking, just looking for a new term here) in the next line.
You could change 'victory' to 'dread affray'...wait, that's been done before ;-) But there are plenty of options, and I like 'victorious' as the closing word of the verse, it's really strong.
'love has healed the mortal wound'? 'drawn the fatal sting'? ... yep, lots of options. That's what we pay you for!
I like it. I especially like how we go on a journey from thinking about Christ's resurrection to ours, and what hope that gives us. I also like how you've highlight that these things come through our union with Christ. I don't think we ponder our union with Christ enough.
ReplyDeleteThe battle imagery in verse 2 is interesting. My question is: is there a battle, or is there just a defeat? And if so, what is the nature of this battle/defeat? is it true that Satan was angry and needed to be dealt with? It is true that Satan and other powers were defeated.
Col 2:14-15 "He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him."
Heb 2:14-15 "Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death — that is, the Devil — and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death."
These verses seem to talk about Satan and the other powers being defeated by the death and resurrection of Jesus in themselves, rather than a particular conflict. In addition, Christ's resurrection is a passive activity on his part. It is the Father who raises him. He doesn't win a battle with Satan to get out of hell.
The 'armed with faith and righteousness' idea is interesting. Who are what would Jesus have faith in? Is he trusting his father to raise him? Is he trusting in the promises of the Messianic Psalms that he wouldn't be left in Hades?
Acts 2:24,31 "God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it... 31 Seeing this in advance, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He was not left in Hades, and His flesh did not experience decay."
I wonder why it was not possible for him to be held by death. Perhaps it was because he was righteous, as opposed to merely just powerful.
Good thoughts, kirsty.
DeleteWas there a battle, or was there just a defeat. I think there was a battle. Not particularly after Jesus died, but certainly in the years before. But that's not what I wrote in the song. Hm.
I'll need to think more about this.
I think death couldn't hold Jesus because of his righteousness.
De-lurking to say: My favourite lyrics you've posted since I've been reading your blog (about 4 months?).
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Anthony about the two 'victories, though.
Fin