1 THE heavens declare thy glory, Lord,
In every star thy wisdom shines;
But when our eyes behold thy word,
We read thy name in fairer lines.
2 The rolling sun, the changing light,
And night and day, thy power confess;
But the blest volume thou hast writ
Reveals thy justice and thy grace.
3 Sun, moon, and stars convey thy praise
Round the whole earth, and never stand;
So when thy truth began its race,
It touched and glanced on every land.
4 Nor shall thy spreading gospel rest
Till through the world thy truth has run
Till Christ has all the nations blest,
That see the light or feel the sun.
5 Great Sun of righteousness, arise,
Bless the dark world with heavenly light:
Thy gospel makes the simple wise;
Thy laws are pure, thy judgments right.
The Heavens Declare Thy Glory, Lord
The Heavens Declare Thy Glory, Lord Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration
The hymn "The Heavens Declare Thy Glory, Lord" is a cherished work by Charles Wesley, one of history's most prolific hymn writers. Wesley penned thousands of hymns that continue to shape Christian worship. This particular hymn draws profound inspiration from Psalm 19, seamlessly weaving together themes of God's revelation in the natural world and His more direct, salvific revelation through Holy Scripture. It stands as a powerful expression of theological truth and devotional praise, reflecting on the majesty of the Creator and the transforming power of His Word.
The opening stanza immediately establishes the hymn's foundation, echoing the initial verses of Psalm 19. It acknowledges that the cosmos, in its vastness and order, serves as a testament to God's glory and wisdom, visible in every star. However, the stanza makes a critical distinction, asserting that the clearer, more personal understanding of God's nature and character is found not in the silent witness of creation, but in the written Word, where His name is revealed in "fairer lines."
Continuing this comparative theme, the second stanza highlights the dynamic aspects of creation – the constant movement of the sun and the cycle of day and night – as further declarations of God's power, referencing Psalm 19:4-6. Yet, it elevates "the blest volume," the Bible, as the source that unveils God's attributes of justice and grace with unparalleled clarity. This reinforces the biblical teaching that while creation reveals God's power and divine nature (Romans 1:20), scripture offers a full and specific revelation of His redemptive character and purposes.
The third stanza expands on the theme of God's omnipresent glory, noting how the celestial bodies convey His praise across the entire earth without pause, drawing directly from Psalm 19:4b. This eternal, pervasive witness of creation is then paralleled with the initial spread of God's truth, likened to the sun's circuit, touching and glancing on every land it reached. It speaks to the inherent dynamism and universal reach of God's message from its inception.
Building upon the momentum of the spreading truth, the fourth stanza takes on a distinctly missionary vision. It declares that the gospel's advance is relentless, driven by a divine purpose. It will not cease its journey until it has traversed the entire world, reaching every corner and culture. The ultimate goal is portrayed as Christ blessing "all the nations," encompassing everyone who experiences the light of day or the warmth of the sun, fulfilling the Great Commission given in Matthew 28:19-20 and prophetic visions of global worship.
The final stanza culminates in a powerful invocation, addressing Christ Himself as the "Great Sun of righteousness." This title, found in Malachi 4:2, depicts the Messiah bringing healing and restoration. The plea for this divine "sun" to arise underscores the need for God's heavenly light to pierce the spiritual darkness of the world. The stanza concludes by extolling the transformative effects of the gospel, noting how it imparts wisdom to the simple and affirms the perfection of God's laws and the rectitude of His judgments, echoing the descriptions of God's Word in Psalm 19:7-8. The hymn thus moves from observing God's glory in the universe to embracing the profound, life-changing power of His revealed Word and the coming of His Son.
