Henry van Dyke Jr. – Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Henry van Dyke Jr. was an American whose father immigrated from Holland.  He was part of the Presbyterian clergy and served as a professor of English at Princeton from 1899 to 1923.  He also lectured at the University of Paris, from 1908 to 1909 and became the Minister to the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1913, appointed by President Woodrow Wilson.  He resigned in 1916, a few years after World War I broke out.

He also wrote two Christmas stories, The Other Wise Man (1896) and The First Christmas Tree (1897), as well as several hymns.  The most famous is the subject of this review: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, with its tune borrowed from Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the fourth movement in his Ninth Symphony.

Side Note: I’m not sure how this became a Christmas song.  Is this a case of the Mandela Effect?  Did I and many others imagine that this was a Christmas song when it’s really not?  I’m not sure, but I’m happy to review it nonetheless!

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1. What message does the song communicate?

We are joyful and adore God because He gloriously and lovingly drives our darkness away with His magnificent light.  Like a flower in bloom that depends on the rays of the sun and water for sustenance, so we too depend on God’s living water and bright illumination for life, both here and for eternity.  His creation declares and mirrors His glory forever and ever, praising Him without ceasing.  Both the Father and Jesus have the authority to forgive sins.  They lavish their blessings upon others, who themselves are also blessed.

This song ends with Henry van Dyke speaking directly to us, begging us to receive this message, joining followers of Jesus who joyfully worship and adore Him.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

The entire song is Biblical.

Lyrics are public domain.

[Verse 1]

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,

We praise God joyfully (Philippians 1:25, Philippians 4:4, and 1 Peter 1:8)

God of glory, Lord of love;

God possesses glory (Exodus 16:7, Exodus 24:17, Exodus 40:34-35, Leviticus 9:23, 1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 8:1, Psalm 19:1-4, Isaiah 6:1-3, Isaiah 40:5, Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 58:8, Isaiah 60:1, Habakkuk 2:14, John 1:14, John 17:22, Romans 3:23, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Philippians 4:19, Hebrews 1:1-3, Revelation 21:10-14, and Revelation 21:23) and love (Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 17:7, Psalm 36:5-7, Psalm 63:3, Psalm 69:16, Psalm 117:2, Isaiah 54:8, John 3:16, John 13:34, John 15:13, Romans 5:6-8, Romans 8:37-39, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:4-5, Ephesians 5:25, Titus 3:4, 1 John 4:8-10, and 1 John 4:16-19 ).

Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

In the same way that flowers open up to the gazing sun, so too our hearts bloom to God’s light that drives out the darkness within us (Psalm 107:10-16, Luke 1:79, John 1:1-13, John 12:46, Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:13, and 1 Peter 2:9).  Clouds that prevent the light from shining forth represents lawbreaking that causes sadness, leading to the second death: eternal separation from God (Matthew 18:7-9, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43, Romans 6:23, Jude 1:7, and Revelation 14:11).  Instead, we receive eternal life (Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:40, John 10:28, John 17:3, John 20:31, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11, Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 2:23-27, 1 John 5:10-13, 1 John 5:20, Jude 1:20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, and Revelation 21:3-4).

This is especially clever imagery given that most (if not all) planets cannot survive without light.  We too cannot survive without God.  John 15:1-11 is an especially relevant passage because Jesus’ statements about dependence on Him was to bring us joy (John 15:11), tying this imagery back to the song’s opening line and central theme.

[Verse 2]

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,

It pleases God to work for and within us (Philippians 2:13).  It also pleased the Father to crush Jesus (Isaiah 53:10), not because He is a sadist, but because it brought about salvation to mankind.  Jesus is the only way to be saved (John 14:6 and Acts 4:12).

Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,

That is, creation declares the glory of God (Psalm 19:1-4 and Romans 1:18-20).

This is normally the part where I deduct a point for the “singing” angels as I’ve done in other reviews.  However, the inclusion of stars changes the meaning to figurative rather than literal singing.  Besides, it’s not specifically referencing Jesus’ birth.  Thus, the angels are declaring God’s glory just like the stars.

Center of unbroken praise;

According to Revelation 4:8, the four living creases ceaselessly praise God.  It seems reasonable for the stars to do the same, given that they reflect God’s light.

Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!

Similar to the list in Psalm 148:1-14, though it doesn’t say they praise Him “forever”, He establishes them forever, and, as I said earlier, they delcare His glory.  Thus, they praise Him forever.

[Verse 3]

Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,

God is our provider (Genesis 2:15-16, Genesis 9:3, Genesis 22:8, Exodus 16:1-36, Psalm 18:2, Psalm 34:10, Psalm 81:10, Psalm 84:11, Psalm 107:9, Proverbs 10:3, Malachi 3:10, Matthew 6:25-30, Matthew 7:7-8, Matthew 21:22, John 14:13-14, John 14:26, John 15:1-10, John 15:16, Romans 8:32, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 9:8, and 2 Corinthians 12:9) and the only One who can forgive our sins (Mark 2:7 and Luke 5:21).  He is also blessed (Psalm 113:2, Job 1:21, and Daniel 2:19-20).

Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!

Most likely references Isaiah 12:3.

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who love and live are Thine;

The Father and Son are both ours in the sense that we can have a personal relationship with God (Acts 17:27, Romans 8:15, John 15:1-11, and Romans 11:16-24).

Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

A prayer that God teaches us to love like He did (1 John 2:6).

[Verse 4]

Mortals, join the happy chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward
In the triumph song of life.

Henry van Dyke invites us to join in the procession, rewording previous points as part of his appeal.  The only part that he added is that we will have victory over pain and suffering, fully realized when we enter His Heavenly Kingdom (Revelation 21:4).

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

This song contains Christian terminology that points unbelievers to interpret this song as Christian, including “God”, “Christ”, and “sin”.  I doubt that its “ye olde English” will be a distraction, especially since some modern versions sometimes sanitize it for modern listeners.

Van Dyke struck a great balance by using mostly everyday language to write a song that sounds sophisticated, but isn’t difficult for unbelievers to interpret.  Christians are joyful when they praise God.  Creation praises Him.  God offers gifts and forgiveness.  Van Dyke wants them to become followers of Jesus.

I have two issues concerning the unbeliever’s perspective.  One, the word “sin” is to them merely mistakes and not lawbreaking.  Second, while I understand that songs aren’t meant to be sermons, it doesn’t warn them that following Jesus will cost them their lives (Luke 14:25-33), almost as if to say that following Him is as easy as singing joyfully.  Most likely, it wasn’t written with unbelievers in mind.

Score: 6/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It declares that God is glorified through creation’s joyful praise, God’s light that defeats darkness, and God’s generous offerings of blessing and forgiveness.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Henry van Dyke’s Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee is wonderful for Christians.  We are joyful because God loves us by offering blessing and forgiveness, which indirectly points to the cross.  It explicitly states that God is glorified, both within Himself and through His creation that reflects His light.  While unbelievers should have little to no issues interpreting it, aside from the word “sin”, the call to follow Him doesn’t contain the cost of following Jesus, which is vitally important information.

I highly recommend this for corporate worship in non-seeker-sensitive churches.  If you play this one during Sunday service, just understand that unbelievers who might be attending won’t receive the full Gospel.  This won’t be an issue for services where the preaching of the Gospel and the cost of following Jesus are both parts of the sermon.

Final Score: 9/10

Artist Info

Track: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (listen to Reawaken Hymn’s version of this song)

Artist: Henry van Dyke

Album: N/A

Genre: Christmas, Hymn

Release Year: 1907

Duration: N/A

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