1. As in the days of Haggai when
The Hebrews hewed from stone
Jehovah’s temple, built again
To serve their God alone,
So too our hearts can be remade,
From stone to flesh—the heav’nly blade
Carves out an earthly home.
2. The temple of Zerubabel,
Like that of Solomon
Sustained attack, gave way, and fell
To rise and fall again.
But when God’s temple died and rose
He kept the promise giv’n to those
Who built the temple then.
3. God shook the earth and Gentiles then
Brought treasure to His store,
But heaven and earth will shake again
When our King comes once more.
Then all that can be shaken will
Be purged and dross removed until
He clears His threshing floor.
Born: September 27, 1979, Nashville, Tennessee.
Drake grew up on 40 acres of land that had been in his family for three generations. While studying Sacred Music at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, he became interested in sustaining the church’s hymnody, and developed a love for poetry. In 2001, he went to pursue postgraduate studies in Musicology at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, where he graduated with a M.Mus. in 2003. As of 2006, he was pursuing his Ph.D. on late 15th Century Latin motets. He teaches Humanities and Music Theory at Grove City College, Pennsylvania, and worships at… Go to person page >
(released to the public domain):
I wrote [this hymn] after a sermon series on Haggai preached by my pastor, Scott Fleming at Rocky Springs [Presbyterian Church] in Harrisville [Pennsylvania]. Scott has a gift for making clear connections between the prophecy of the Old Testament and the fulfillment of that prophecy in the New Testament--something I hope is clear in the text of the hymn.