Many hymns and songs we sing together in church are about our praising to God – we praise God for who he is and how much we have been blessed. O Worship the King, How Glorious Above, is such. A tune usually used for this hymn is Lyons. Together it gives a tremendously strong start to a worship service. It declares who God is. It sets us on the right agenda.
This hymn recalls Psalm 104. Interestingly, this is a hymn that has so little about “I” or “we”. Whether singing the hymn, or reading the Psalm, the feeling is the same – it is all about God.
There is an early invitation in the way we sing praises to God, “gratefully”, in the first stanza: “O gratefully sing.”
One line comes closest to why we are praising God our King – “Our Shield and Defender” in the first stanza. This comes closest to the idea of “The King and I”. The rest of the hymn, across the full 6 stanzas, this is far less declaration of “The King and I”, the words are all about “The King”.
Who is the King?
List all the descriptions of the King. In the first stanzas, the King is glorious. He is all-powerful but also full of love. He is with God at the beginning, full of heavenly splendour but protects us who are his creation.
In the second stanza, his all-powerful nature is also full of grace, generosity and truth. What else does the hymn speak about our King?
O measureless Might,
Ineffable Love,
While angels delight
To hymn thee above,
Thy humbler creation,
Though feeble their lays,
With true adoration
Shall sing to thy praise.
(Closing stanza)
