Question:
I've always liked this song, and I was considering playing it this Sunday during our worship service... but then I noticed that the final verse really makes no sense in light of the actual historical account of the Christmas story.
In the last verse (as you might recall), the "mighty king" (having been told of Christ's birth by the "shepherd boy" in the previous verse) tells the "people everywhere" to pray for peace and (basically) to worship the Child. Unless we're just talking about vague concepts of the news of Christ's birth spreading and bringing peace, this verse is a mis-telling of the Christmas story. The "mighty king" was Herod, and he certainly was not concerned with peace or with worshipping Christ.
Thoughts?
In His love,
Nate
Answer:
could mighty king refer to one of the wisemen? its a stretch i know, but they were thought to possibly have been rulers from a far, adn the last line references bringing silver and gold (the wisemen are the only ways who brought gifts of such a nature)
my other thought on it was that the shepherd boy was talking to God the Father, in a kind of rhetorical sense. as to be saying, now i know what you know, and am thanking you for this, the expression of bringing silver and gold is then an expression of the shepherd boy realizing the kinds of gifts the baby is worthy of.
both are stretches i know...but thoughts
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The line about bringing silver and gold is the line that the shepherd boy says to the mighty king, and not what the mighty king himself says to the people.
I don't know. I probably shouldn't be so critical.
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Herod probably is telling people to worship Christ now...
from hotbed #30 behind brimstone #5.
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Wasn't Herod kind of a manipulative lying sack of doggie dung anyway? Couldn't he have pretended to be all for Jesus bringing peace and worship him and stuff?
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I thought about that before we did it last wednesday, then decided not to worry hehe.
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I've never done the song in a worship setting. Interesting discussion.
Ironically, I've had no trouble doing "Away In a Manger" year after year, despite it's questionable accuracy.
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Originally Posted by Nate Unless we're just talking about vague concepts of the news of Christ's birth spreading and bringing peace,
That's my personal take on it. I skimmed through a book recently that had background stories for popular Christmas songs, and I seem to remember there being kinda of a "world peace" idea behind this song. I could be way off, though. I wasn't paying close attention.
The 12 Days of Christmas had a really interesting story, though. The gifts are all symbols of things that were important to Catholic doctrine, and the song was used as a code to teach Catholic children in England when Catholics were being oppressed.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Jay Tea The 12 Days of Christmas had a really interesting story, though. The gifts are all symbols of things that were important to Catholic doctrine, and the song was used as a code to teach Catholic children in England when Catholics were being oppressed.
really, do you know more on what each day stood for??
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Originally Posted by Awzmgd117 really, do you know more on what each day stood for??
PM'd
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Originally Posted by Tony I've never done the song in a worship setting. Interesting discussion.
Ironically, I've had no trouble doing "Away In a Manger" year after year, despite it's questionable accuracy.
No, you're wrong, dude. Jesus did not cry. I don't follow a crying sissy baby.