Hallelujah, What A Savior

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2jwn86

The biographies of successful men and women often inspire others to greatness. Such is, and should be, the case with men like Philip Bliss. A talented man, gifted with not only a wonderful voice but also a keen sense of musical compositions, Bliss died tragically at the age of 38. But in his years of life, he was able to direct our minds and hearts to God through his inspiring lyrics and moving music.

Much can be known about a man by watching how he lives and by listening to those who know him. A two-faced man will be watched by all but trusted by few. But a man of noble and righteous character will be watched and followed by many.

One of the peers of Philip Bliss had this to say about the composer. “There has been no writer of verse since his time who has shown such a grasp of the fundamental truths of the gospel, or such a gift for putting them into poetic and singable form.”

Bliss worked for several years with notable evangelists like D. L. Moody and Daniel Whittle. Moody said this about Bliss. “In my estimate, he was the most highly honored of God of any man of his time as a writer and singer of gospel songs, and with all his gifts he was the most humble man I ever knew. I loved him as a brother.”

Indeed Bliss was a very talented man, writing hundreds of hymns over the course of his shortened life. Some speculate that had he lived a normal lifespan his influence would have surpassed that of the writers such as Fanny Crosby, Charles Wesley and Ira Sankey. But still his talent is felt even today.

His songs included such favorites as Wonderful Words Of Life, Almost Persuaded and Let The Lower Lights Be Burning. And he wrote the music to other songs such as It Is Well With My Soul and I Gave My Life For Thee.

When he wrote, Hallelujah, What A Savior, no doubt he drew inspiration from the words of Isaiah 53:3.

He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

And Paul writes of Jesus in Philippians 2:9-11.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Bliss wrote the following verse to this song.

“Man of sorrows!” what a name

For the Son of God who came;

Ruined sinners to reclaim!

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Jesus did come to reclaim the sinners of the world. This song praises Jesus for coming to earth, standing in our place, experiencing the pain and death of the cross. But it also looks for the day when Christ will come again and bring all the ransomed ones home to God. What a savior!

Just a month before his untimely death, Bliss lead this song for the inmates of the Michigan State Prison. Many of the inmates wept openly and confessed Christ as their Savior. With the truths of God set to verse Philip Bliss was able to help draw men to their Savior.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we realize that someone may be looking to us for inspiration to walk the Christian walk today. May we examine ourselves and make sure that all that we do is for the glory of God and that nothing we do will cause others to stumble.

Our thought for the day: “Jesus Christ, the condescension of divinity and the exaltation of humanity.” Philip Bliss

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.