| 1.
| Evaluate the poetry as poetry:
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| Excellent
| Very Good
| Good
| Fair
| Poor
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| Comments in support of your judgment:
Except for the dubious eye rhyme between the last two verses of stanza 3 (relatively the
weakest of the stanzas), the poetry is very strong. There is anaphora in stanzas 1 & 2, and between verses 1 & 3 in those
stanzas; personification and apostrophe in all of stanza 1, second half of stanza 2; stanza 3 does little that is very interesting.
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| 2. |
Poetic Meter: ___Trochaic tetrameter___
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| 3.
| Biblical/Theological Content:
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| a.
| What does the text reveal about God?
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| First and most obviously, the song reveals God's worthiness of worship and adoration. It makes oblique
reference to Luke 19:40, where Jesus comments on the worship of God by creation. The second stanza celebrates His
empowerment of His saints, and the third repeats the call of the previous to stanzas to glorify Him.
| | b.
| What does the text reveal about man?
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| The song does not make "man" an object in any real sense, except in how it describes him as an
obligated participant in God's worship. It does talk about His believers in verse 2, stanza 2 (where they are made the objects of
God's empowerment), but the purpose of this remark is still to reinforce God's power.
| | c.
| What other areas of Christian doctrine are involved (e.g., Soteriology, Creation, Sanctification, Eschatology, Ecclesiology)?
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| Obviously, the doctrine of creation is alluded to extensively; verse 1 of stanza 3 demonstrates a bit of eschatology in its
reference to Revelation 4:9, 10. Perhaps a vague example of soteriology in stanza 2, verse 2, but a very clear mention of it (if
not very developed) in the next verse.
| | d.
| Is the text built on particular biblical passages? What are they?
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| Psalm 19:1--11 (st.1) ; 50:14, 15 (st.2); 148:11, 12 (st.3), Rev. 4:9, 10 (st.3)
| | e.
| Are there references to biblical personalities, biblical events, or biblical images in the text? Describe.
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| The entire song seems to refer to biblical images. Stanza 1 refers to the image of creation's glorification of God in Psalm 19;
stanza 2, verse 3 uses the term "God of our salvation," a more or less direct quotation of a number of Old Testament Bible
verses. Stanza 3 seems to clearly refer to the worship service of Isaiah 6.
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| 4.
| Potential Usage:
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| a.
| To whom is the text directed?
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| To God
| To Believers
| To Non-Believers
| To Oneself
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| | b.
| If directed to more than one of the above, illustrate from the hymn text:
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| It is very difficult to say that this song refers to just one person or even group of people; it calls for the
worship of God by all of creation: believers, unbelievers, spiritual beings (angels), even heavenly bodies (sun, moon,
and stars). Primarily, however this is a song of adoration and praise to God.
| | c.
| If the text has a dominant spiritual function, what is it? If there are a number of functions, identify and illustrate from
the text:
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| Praise & adoration (stanzas 1, 3); thanksgiving (stanza 2)
| | d.
| Would this text be primarily impressive or expressive in its impact in a service?
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| Expressive--it is about glorifying God for His mighty works in creation, not necessarily the
heart
| | e.
| Where in an order of worship might this hymn function best? Why?
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| I would use this song as an introit or very near the beginning. It is a worship song that glorifies God for
His mighty acts, with little or no real mention of personal reflection.
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