Why should we sing "Joy to the World" more than during Christmas Season?

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This Sunday we will sing "Joy to the World" during our Offertory; which begs the question, "Isn't it a bit early for Christmas Carols?"  Actually, Isaac Watts never intended this hymn to be a Christmas Carol.  This hymn was first published in Psalms of David Imitated (1719) under the heading “The Messiah's Coming and Kingdom.”  It is part 2 of Watts Christian paraphrase of Psalm 98.  He used part 2 of the hymn to emphasize Christ's Second Coming and reign during the millennium. Here is the complete text of both parts of the original hymn:

 

Psalm 98 part 1 by Isaac Watts

Praise for the gospel.

To our Almighty Maker, God,
New honors be addressed;
His great salvation shines abroad,
And makes the nations blest.

He spake the word to Abraham first;
His truth fulfils the grace;
The Gentiles make his name their trust,
And learn his righteousness.

Let the whole earth his love proclaim
With all her diff'rent tongues,
And spread the honors of his name
In melody and songs.

                                       

Psalm 98 part 2 by Isaac Watts

The Messiah's coming and kingdom.

Joy to the world! the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heav'n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.

 

For more information on this amazing hymn check out the following links...and let's start a new tradition of singing it more than just at Christmas time :)  : 

http://www.worshipleader.com/index.cfm?tdc=dsp&page=features_detail&aid=57

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_to_the_World#cite_note-1

 

For the Coming Savior,

 

Pastor Mike Berry