LORD God of Israel, Come among Us

Representative text cannot be shown for this hymn due to copyright.

Versifier: Calvin Seerveld

Calvin Seerveld (b. 1930) was professor of aesthetics at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto from 1972 until he retired in 1995. Educated at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan; the University of Michigan; and the Free University of Amsterdam (Ph.D.), he also studied at Basel University in Switzerland, the University of Rome, and the University of Heidelberg. Seerveld began his career by teaching at Bellhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi (1958-1959), and at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois (1959-1972). A fine Christian scholar, fluent in various biblical and modern languages, he is published widely in aesthetics, biblical studies, and philosophy. His books include Take Hold of God and Pull (1966), The Gr… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: LORD God of Israel, come among us
Title: LORD God of Israel, Come among Us
Versifier: Calvin Seerveld (1985)
Meter: 10.8.10.8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: © Calvin Seerveld

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1 = 1 Kings 8:23-26
st. 2 = 1 Kings 8:27-32
st. 3 = 1 Kings 8:33-40
st. 4 = 1 Kings 8:41-53

1 Kings 8:22-53 (and 2 Chron. 6:12-40) record the prayer of King Solomon at the dedication of the temple he had built for God. Though the immediate focus is always the temple, the prayer has far-reaching themes about the covenant (st. 1); worship and its elements-prayer, praise, and repentance (st. 2); daily life, war, and sickness (st. 3); and "the stranger" or "foreigner" (1 Kings 8:41) and repentant exiles (st. 4). Each stanza ends with a refrain: "we praise you, God; you are the LORD."

Calvin Seerveld (PHH 22) wrote the poetic summary of this temple prayer in 1985 for the Psalter Hymnal. He notes that the dedication of Solomon's temple comes at the high point of Israel's history, about midway between the Exodus from Egypt (1 Kings 6:1) and the return from Babylonian captivity.

Liturgical Use:
Dedication of a new church building; inauguration of a new congregation; beginning of a new season of church activities. Because of its far-reaching themes, this prayer is also appropriate at many other occasions of Christian worship.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune

[Lobe den Herren! o meine Seele]

LOBE DEN HERREN, O MEINE SEELE (not to be confused with the more familiar LOBE DEN HERREN at 253) is a German chorale in AAB bar form. Well-known in Germany but less so in North America, this anonymous tune was published in 1665 in an appendix to the hymnal Neu-vermehrte Christlich Seelen-Harfe (166…

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Media

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #159
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Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #159

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