I’ve been listening to a Christmas CD from the Boston Camerata – An American Christmas, which contains few familiar carols, but many beautiful early American hymns, which demonstrate an understanding of [I cringe to use the cliche] the true meaning of Christmas far beyond that which pervades pop culture today. This song is called Bozrah, from the Biblical reference given further down; you can hear a rendition of it by the Rose Ensemble here, very similar to the Camerata version, but with different verses at the end.
Who is this that comes from far,
With his garments dipped in blood?
Strong triumphant traveller
Is he’Emmanuel, is he God?
I that reign in righteousness,
Son of God and Man I am.
Mighty to redeem your race –
Jesus is your Savior’s name.
Hark the trumpet’s awful voice
Sounds abroad through sea and land.
Let his people now rejoice –
Their redemption is at hand.
I that reign in righteousness,
Son of God and Man I am.
Mighty to redeem your race –
Jesus is your Savior’s name.
See, the Lord appears in view;
Heav’n and earth before him fly.
Rise ye saints, he comes for you;
Rise to meet him in the sky.
I that reign in righteousness,
Son of God and Man I am;
Mighty to redeem your race –
Jesus is your Savior’s name.
The first half of the song is a paraphrase of Isaiah 63:1. The prophet asks, “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?” And Christ answers, “I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
Messianic prophecies often refer to blood-red garments: either the Lamb’s blood, shed to cover his people’s sins, or the blood of the Lion’s enemies, spilled as he comes in judgment.
A lot of people have been known to remark at Christmas-time that they “relate best to baby Jesus,” or some similar nonsense; as though it is possible to believe only in Jesus as a helpless infant, and to ignore the rest of his life. Jesus’ birth was a real moment in time and space, when one Person of the Triune God took a human body. But he existed before that, indeed from all eternity, as the Son of God, the Word, the Wisdom of God who breathed life into creation (Proverbs 8, John 1). He existed after that, as a sinless man, the perfect sacrifice who died, and then rose from the dead. He exists now, reigning at the Father’s right hand, while all enemies are put under his feet.
And now, when we remember his birth, we also remember and long for his second coming, which will be from the heavens, awesome and full of glory; when those who have denied and mocked him will see the One who was pierced for our transgressions, and weep at their fatal error; when those who have believed in him will realize in full the truth of his promise, “He who believes in me, though he be dead, yet shall he live; and he who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
As the historic church recognized in the observance of Advent, Christmas is a joyful time, not only because our Savior was born, but because he is coming again.
Belatedly, Merry Christmas.
Cut On The Dotted Line 
December 29, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Hey…some good Ole’ Ole Testament!!! And gotta agree with ya on that whole Baby thing…I find babies sorta creepy, timed my own offsprings births to just coinidentally occur when I was in Europe keeping America save from the Serbs….Trick is to return home when they’ve mastered that “sleeping through the night” stage….And if its all the same, I’d rather postpone that whole Second Coming thing, like till about 5 minutes before my death, I mean, it still counts if I accept him as my saviour at the last minute doesn’t it??????
December 29, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Alice, we sure disagree on politics, but love the same music! I’ve nearly worn out that CD, and you are the only other human being I know of who owns it!
Ruth
December 31, 2008 at 6:50 am
I love that hymn. We have a couple of hymnals with some of the older Christmas hymns and carols and I noticed as I looked through them how many of them referred not just to Jesus’ birth but his death, resurrection, and return. Those songs are either not sung at all, or the more “difficult” verses are edited out.
December 31, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Frank – I wouldn’t count on being able to pull that timing off. After all, it’s written that no one knows the hour of his return – or of one’s own death.
Ruth – Do you have many of the other Boston Camerata CDs? You’re right, not many people know about them; I’ve taken to giving them away to anyone I think might remotely like them, and playing them for family at all opportunities.
Margaret – I do so dislike skipping verses of hymns. The goods ones are written as consecutive series of thoughts; skipping is like leaving out chapters in a book – irrational.
January 4, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Alice, I have 3 of their Christmas recording, but you question prompted me to go the their site, and I created quite a ‘wish list’ for my kids, who sweetly always want to know what I want! I am hoping they might have a performance when I’ll be in Boston in July, but that looks like a non-performing stretch for them.