“O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
It’s one of the oldest hymns in the hymnal. Depending on the source you read, the lyrics look to be 1000 years old! (That’s like 850 years before Minnesota became a state.)
What hymn is it? “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” Originally written in Latin, the words express the older Hebrew word “Immanuel,” which literally translated reads, “with us God.”
Isaiah wrote about the one who was coming who would be called by this name. This promise of the coming Savior, the God would be “with us,” gave believers hope during difficult times. During difficult and lonely times it was a lifeline to know that God would come.
Today those words give us hope as well. First, we marvel that God would come to be with us. Why would he even do that? Who really wants to be around disobedient, disrespectful, disengaged people like us? God does! So God sent His Son, to be born in Bethlehem. During the season of Advent we are waiting. Waiting for the God who comes to help us, deliver us, save us. We eagerly look forward
to Christmas each year with the hope that we can gather with others. Even better is the knowledge that we can be with our Lord. That’s what our hearts are longing for. For a thousand years Christians have been saying and singing what we are saying and singing, too.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 NIV 1984
