Once To Every Man And Nation
Introduction:
I was involved in a singing group that was slated to sing the hymn Once To Every Man And Nation and then it was pulled due to theological questions. A paper had been written outlining seven theological questions in the song and so I wrote a response addressing each of the seven issues. The writer of the song used many analogies and metaphors to express spiritual truth. Jesus did the same thing by using parables to picture spiritual truth. It is an admonition to Christians today to make the hard decisions in life and stand for truth and right.
We ended up not singing the hymn in order not to offend people. This was a good move, but it made me stop and think. When there is something we do or don't like, we will often take God's Word and try to make it line up with our way of thinking. I know I tend to do this. But we should put our personal opinions aside and look at both sides from God's Word.
Challenging Lines From The Hymn:
Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, God's new Messiah,
Offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by for ever
'Twixt that darkness and that light.
By the light of burning martyrs
Jesus' bleeding feet I track,
Toiling up new Calvaries ever
With the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties,
Time makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still and onward
Who would keep abreast of truth.
Though the cause of evil prosper,
Yet ‘tis truth alone is strong;
Truth forever on the scaffold.
Wrong forever on the throne.
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow
Keeping watch above his own.
Download Research:
Once To Every Man And Nation.pdf (104kb)
You must have Acrobat Reader to view this file. Download Acrobat Reader