The Mighty God, Jehovah, Speaks

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The mighty God, Jehovah, speaks

Tune: ST. PETERSBURG
Published in 9 hymnals

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Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ
	A Wesley Organbook: Eight Hymn Tune Prel…

Representative Text

1 The mighty God, Jehovah speaks
And calls the earth from sea to sea;
From beauteous Zion God shines forth,
He comes and will not silent be;
Devouring flame before Him goes,
And dark the tempest round Him grows.

2 He calls aloud to heaven and earth
That He may justly judge His own;
My chosen saints together bring
Who sacrifice to Me alone;
The heavens His righteousness declare,
For God Himself as Judge is there.

3 Hear, O my people, I will speak,
Against thee I will testify;
Give ear to Me, O Israel,
For God, thy covenant God, am I;
I do not spurn thy sacrifice,
Thy offerings are before My eyes.

4 I will receive from out thy fold
No offering for My holy shrine;
The cattle on a thousand hills
And all the forest beasts are Mine;
Each mountain bird to Me is known,
Whatever roams the field I own.

5 Behold, if I should hungry grow,
I would not tell My need to thee,
For all the world itself is Mine,
And all its wealth belongs to Me;
Why should I aught of thee receive,
My thirst or hunger to relieve?

6 Bring thou to God the gift of thanks,
And pay thy vows to God most High;
Call ye upon My holy Name
In days when sore distress is nigh;
Deliverance I will send to thee,
And praises thou shalt give to Me.

Source: Psalter Hymnal (Red): doctrinal standards and liturgy of the Christian Reformed Church #98

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First Line:	The mighty God, Jehovah, speaks
Title:	The Mighty God, Jehovah, Speaks
Meter:	8.8.8.8.8.8
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

Psalm 50
(hymns)

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Notes

The LORD calls the people to covenant account.

Scripture References:
st. 1 = vv. 1-3
st. 2 = vv. 4-6
st. 3 = vv. 7-8
st. 4 = vv. 9-11
st. 5 = vv. 12-15
st. 6 = vv.I6-17
st. 7 = vv. 18-21a
st. 8 = vv. 21 b-23

Psalm 50 is the first of twelve psalms (the others are 73-83) ascribed by tradition to Asaph, head of one of the Levitical choirs (1 Chron. 6:31-48). It is unusual among the psalms in that, for the most part, it represents God's address to Israel rather than Israel's address to God.

For Christians who sing this psalm, the LORD appears in Zion to confront the people (st. 1), to call them to covenant account. After summoning the covenant witnesses–the earth (v. 1) and the heavens (v. 4)–the LORD calls for an assembly of all "who made a covenant" with him (v. 5; st. 2). First God instructs them with warnings against false notions about sacrifice, exhorting them, "Call upon me" (v. 15; st. 3-5). Then God turns to the wicked with indictments and rebukes, making clear that God desires people's complete trust and a wholehearted commitment to his moral will (st. 6-8).

Marie J. Post (PHH 5) prepared this versification in 1985 for the Psalter Hymnal using the 1912 Psalter as her starting point.

Liturgical Use:
Times of self-examination; beginning of worship; service of confession of sin.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

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Tune

ST. PETERSBURG

Dmitri Stephanovich Bortnianski (b. Gloukoff, Ukraine, 1751; d. St. Petersburg, Russia, 1825) was a Russian composer of church music, operas, and instrumental music. His tune ST. PETERSBURG (also known as RUSSIAN HYMN) was first published in J. H. Tscherlitzky's Choralbuch (1825). The tune is suppo…

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