Some of the most enduring hymns contain a treasure-trove of scripture framing the whole. So it is with There’s a Song in the Air. It was written by Josiah G. Holland in the 1800s.
There’s a song in the air! There’s a star in the sky!
There’s a mother’s deep prayer and a Baby’s low cry!
A star, a song, a prayer, and a cry. The star was a promise from above that this Baby would be the Savior. The angels’ song points to God’s purpose of peace with mankind through this Savior, as foreshadowed by the deep prayer and answering cry.
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
The cause for the beautiful angel song and star light is the Baby in the manger, the King becoming flesh and blood to dwell among us. The star raining grace and truth down from above gives us a hint as to how the King will dwell with us.
There’s a tumult of joy o’er the wonderful birth,
For the virgin’s sweet Boy is the Lord of the earth.
“Wonderful” doesn’t describe even half of this eventful birth, and the life-changing tumult of joy He will bring to all who believe in Him. We experience a tumult—a rocking, shaking, and shifting—as our lives realign with the Savior’s love, resulting in joy to the world. He is no less than the Lord of the earth. The Creator of all has invaded His creation and become like us in every way but sin.
Ay! the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
In the light of that star lie the ages impearled;
And that song from afar has swept over the world.
The Gospel song of the angels, of giving glory to God and restoring peace on earth among men, has indeed swept over the earth from nation to nation. The starlight has opened the eyes of those who believe, and the immortal ages are within their grasp—for everlasting life has been given to them.
Every hearth is aflame, and the beautiful sing
In the homes of the nations that Jesus is King!
Beautiful in God’s heart are those who sing of the King Jesus who leads their lives day by day. The time is coming when the nations will sing of His kingdom of life and love. Like the hearth in the home, the Gospel warms the hearts of those who embraced Him.
We rejoice in the light, and we echo the song
That comes down through the night from the heavenly throng.
Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring,
And we greet in His cradle our Savior and King!
This lovely evangel message we have shouted from the housetops, the song that came down to be ours: God so loved the world that He gave us His Son. So we echo the song from above, “Glory to God in the highest” for this greatest of gifts. God in the highest has come down and visited the lowly, and the cradle we greet now rests in our hearts, His home forevermore.
