We sing some amazing songs in worship to our God. Some speak of God’s power, some about His love. Many songs are about the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, there is a song I’d like to take a closer look at that is about the magnificent words of the Bible: “Ancient Words.” It has a simple, yet beautiful melody and helps us to focus on and give our appreciation to God for the great, soul-saving gift of His words.
The first stanza says, “Holy words long preserved for our walk in this world; they resound with God’s own heart, O, let the ancient words impart.” The song begins with the fact that the words of God are holy. These aren’t just any old words. They are the words of Almighty God. Psalm 18:30 tells us, “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” Then, the song states an often overlooked blessing, that the Scriptures have been preserved throughout the ages. God saw fit to make sure that once we received His word, it would never be lost (cf. Matt. 24:35). In Romans 3:1-2, Paul talks about how God preserved the Old Testament, “What advantage then has the Jew?…because to them were committed the oracles of God.” And now, that responsibility was passed to the Lord’s church, who have kept them perfectly for 2,000 years. How amazing!
The second stanza reads, “Words of life, words of hope, give us strength, help us cope; in this world where’re we roam, ancient words will guide us home.” The Bible gives us comfort. No matter what tragedies may happen in our lives, we can always go the words of God to lift our spirits. Psalm 119:54 tells us, “Your statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage.” Whatever life brings, I can rejoice in the words of God.
The third stanza says, “Holy words of our faith handed down to this age, came to us thru sacrifice; O, heed the faithful words of Christ.” We continue the reminder of the preservation of the Scriptures, but focus, this time, on the sacrifices men made to bring them to us. Over the millennia, men of God poured their time and energy into copying the Bible. And in the pursuit of translating it into common languages, some even lost their lives. We owe a tremendous debt to the men that God used to preserve the Bible for us today.
The chorus states, “Ancient words, ever true, changing me, and changing you; we have come with open hearts, O, let the ancient words impart.” What a precious gift the Bible is. In the pages of Scriptures are words of life, leading to salvation. May we show our appreciation by continuing to open our hearts and let the words of God change our lives and guide our steps to walk in the ways of the Lord.