A weekend NOT so busy – and that is super blessed to have the time to find the time…  Saturday, I had hoped it would work out for me to go to my favorite summer local it seems, and it did!!!!  I got to Ocean Grove for the evening… ahhhh…. last minute I brought a friend who has never been, my goal is to let everyone know about Ocean Grove… so many activities so many blessings!!! We even chatted with a resident of one of the tents – who was really enjoying the atmosphere. We too loved the atmosphere – it is an oasis from reality into real-nicety…

And “cultured” – we felt cultured, with an amazing concert of Handel’s Messiah – from the 1700s just as pertinent today – the scriptures amazing and I had to google the lyrics to follow along – and the singing superb – both professional and community – and we also were both in awe and in relaxed state – even a dog was next to me – stretching and enjoying himself…  The concert melted into our minds like we melted into the comfy seats like the ice cream melted in our mouths. It was good to take the time to know that we took the time…

And the praise! Yeah – and I always am amazed that people also remember that we stand during the Hallelujah Chorus – just like the King of England stood in the 1700s, we stand now…  And the text reminds us that we are blessed because Jesus stood in our place to be a ransom for our sins… Hallelujah!!!

Hallelujah Jesus! and thank you!

Amen

Handel-Messiah-Texts.pdf https://share.google/ARZa2JIHbpHHGnGs9

HANDEL MESSIAH
Text taken from the Scriptures by Charles Jennens (1700–1773)
PART 1
Sinfony (orchestra)
Accompagnato (tenor)
Comfort ye, comfort ye,
my people, saith your God:
Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that
her warfare is accomplish’d, that
her iniquity is pardoned.
The voice of Him that crieth in the
wilderness: Prepare ye the way
of the Lord, make straight in the
desert a highway for our God.
(Isaiah 40:1–3)
Aria (tenor)
Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and
ev’ry mountain and hill made low,
the crooked straight and the rough
places plain. (Isaiah 40:4)
Chorus
And the glory of the Lord shall be
revealed. And all flesh shall see
it together, for the mouth of the
Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40:5)
Accompagnato (bass-baritone)
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts:
Yet once a little while, and I
will shake the heav’ns and the
earth, the sea, and the dry land,
all nations I’ll shake; and the desire
of all nations shall come.
The Lord, whom ye seek, shall
suddenly come to His temple; even
the messenger of the Covenant
whom ye delight in, behold,
He shall come, saith the
Lord of Hosts.
(Haggai 2:6–7, Malachi 3:1)
Aria (countertenor)
But who may abide the day of
His coming, and who shall stand
when He appeareth? For He is like
a refiner’s fire. (Malachi 3:2)
Chorus
And He shall purify the sons of
Levi, that they may offer unto the
Lord an offering in righteousness.
(Malachi 3:3)
Recitative (countertenor)
Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a son, and shall call His
name Emmanuel, “God with us.”
(Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23)
Aria (countertenor)
and Chorus
O thou that tellest good tidings
to Zion get Thee up into the high
mountain; O thou that tellest good
tidings to Jerusalem lift up thy
voice with strength, lift it up, be
not afraid; say unto the cities of
Judah: Behold your God!
Arise, shine, for thy light is come,
and the glory of the Lord is risen
upon thee. (Isaiah 40:9, 40:1)
Accompagnato (bass-baritone)
For behold, darkness shall cover
the earth, and gross darkness the
people: but the Lord shall arise
upon thee, and His glory shall be
seen upon thee. And the Gentiles
shall come to thy light, and kings
to the brightness of thy rising.
(Isaiah 60:2–3)
Aria (bass-baritone)
The people that walked in
darkness have seen a great light.
And they that dwell in the land of
the shadow of death, upon them
hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)
Chorus
For unto us a Child is born, unto us
a Son is given and the government
shall be upon His shoulder, and His
name shall be called:
Wonderful Counsellor, The Mighty
God, The Everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace! (Isaiah 9:6)
Pifa (orchestra)
Recitative (soprano)
There were shepherds abiding in
the field, keeping watch over their
flock by night. (Luke 2:8)
Accompagnato (soprano)
And lo, the angel of the Lord came
upon them, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them, and they
were sore afraid. (Luke 2:9)
Recitative (soprano)
And the angel said unto them:
Fear not; for behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people. For unto
you is born this day, in the city of
David, a Saviour, which is Christ
the Lord. (Luke 2:10–11)
Accompagnato (soprano)
And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heav’nly
host, praising God, and saying:
(Luke 2:13)
Chorus
“Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth, good will
toward men.” (Luke 2:14)
Aria (soprano)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter
of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, thy King com’th unto thee.
He is the righteous Saviour, and
He shall speak peace unto the
heathen. (Zechariah 9:9–10)
Recitative (countertenor)
Then shall the eyes of the blind
be open’d, and the ears of the
deaf unstopped; then shall the
lame man leap as an hart, and the
tongue of the dumb shall sing.
(Isaiah 35:5–6)
Aria (countertenor and soprano)
He shall feed His flock like a
shepherd: and He shall gather
the lambs with His arm, and carry
them in His bosom, and gently
lead those that are with young.
Come unto Him, all ye that labour,
come unto Him all ye that are
heavy laden, and He will give you
rest. Take His yoke upon you, and
learn of Him; for He is meek and
lowly of heart: and ye shall find
rest unto your souls.
(Isaiah 40:11, Matthew 11:28–9)
Chorus
His yoke is easy,
and His burden is light.
(Matthew 11:30)
INTERMISSION
PART 2
Chorus
Behold the Lamb of God, that
taketh away the sin of the world.
(John 1:29)
Aria (countertenor)
He was despised and rejected
of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief. He gave
His back to the smiters, and His
cheeks to them that plucked off
the hair: He hid not His face from
shame and spitting.
(Isaiah 53:3, John 1:6)
Chorus
Surely He hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows; He was
wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement of our peace was
upon Him. (Isaiah 53:4–5)
Chorus
And with His stripes we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:5)
Chorus
All we, like sheep, have gone
astray, we have turned ev’ry one
to his own way; and the Lord hath
laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 53:6)
Accompagnato (tenor)
All they that see Him laugh Him
to scorn; they shoot out their lips,
and shake their heads, saying:
(Psalm 22:7)
Chorus
He trusted in God that He would
deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, if
He delight in Him. (Psalm 22:8)
Accompagnato (tenor)
Thy rebuke hath broken His heart;
He is full of heaviness; He looked for
some to have pity on him, but there
was no man, neither found He any
to comfort Him. (Psalm 69:20)
Aria (tenor)
Behold, and see if there be any
sorrow like unto His sorrow.
(Lamentations 1:12)
Accompagnato (soprano)
He was cut off out of the land of
the living: for the transgression
of Thy people was He stricken.
(Isaiah 53:8)
Aria (soprano)
But Thou didst not leave His
soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer
thy Holy One to see corruption.
(Psalm 16:10)
Chorus
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and
be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of Glory shall come
in. Who is this King of Glory? The
Lord of Hosts: He is the King of
Glory. (Psalm 24:7–10)
Recitative (tenor)
Unto which of the angels said He
at any time: “Thou art My Son,
this day have I begotten Thee?”
(Hebrews 1:5)
Chorus
Let all the angels of God worship
Him. (Hebrews 1:6)
Aria (countertenor)
Thou art gone up on high; Thou
hast led captivity captive, and
received gifts for men; yea, even
from Thine enemies, that the Lord
God might dwell among them.
(Psalm 68:18)
Chorus
The Lord gave the word; great was
the company of the preachers.
(Psalm 68:11)
Aria (soprano)
How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good
things. (Romans 10:15)
Chorus
Their sound is gone out into all
lands, and their words unto the ends
of the world. (Romans 10:18)
Aria (bass-baritone)
Why do the nations so furiously
rage together, and why do the
people imagine a vain thing? The
kings of the earth rise up, and
the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord and His anointed.
(Psalm 2:1–2)
Chorus
Let us break their bonds asunder,
and cast away their yokes from us.
(Psalm 2:3)
Recitative (tenor)
He that dwelleth in heaven shall
laugh them to scorn, the Lord shall
have them in derision. (Psalm 2:4)
Aria (tenor)
Thou shalt break them with a rod
of iron; Thou shalt dash them in
pieces like a potter’s vessel.
(Psalm 2:9)
Chorus
Hallelujah, for the Lord God
Omnipotent reigneth. The
Kingdom of this world is become
the Kingdom of our Lord and
of His Christ; and He shall reign
forever and ever. King of Kings,
and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!
(Revelation 19:6, 11:5, 19:16)
PART 3
Aria (soprano)
I know that my Redeemer liveth,
and that He shall stand at the
latter day upon the earth: And tho’
worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God. For now is
Christ risen from the dead, the first
fruits of them that sleep.
(Job 19, 25–26, I Corinthians 15:20)
Chorus
Since by man came death, by man
came also the resurrection of the
dead. For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(I Corinthians 15:21–22)
Accompagnato (bass-baritone)
Behold, I tell you a mystery:
we shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be chang’d, in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet. (I Corinthians 15:51–52)
Aria (bass-baritone)
The trumpet shall sound and the
dead shall be rais’d incorruptible,
and we shall be chang’d. For
this corruptible must put on
incorruption and this mortal must
put on immortality.
(I Corinthians 15:52–54)
Recitative (countertenor)
Then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written;
Death is swallow’d up in victory.
(I Corinthians 15:54)
Duet (countertenor and tenor)
O Death, where is thy sting?
O Grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin and the
strength of sin is the law.
(I Corinthians 15:55–56)
Chorus
But thanks be to God, who giveth
us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
(I Corinthians 15:57)
Aria (soprano)
If God be for us, who can be
against us? Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God’s elect? It is
God that justifieth: Who is he that
condemneth? It is Christ that died,
yea rather, that is risen again, who
is at the right hand of God, who
makes intercession for us.
(Romans 8:31, 8:33–34)
Chorus
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,
and hath redeemed us to God
by His blood, to receive power,
and riches, and wisdom, and
strength, and honour, and glory,
and blessing. Blessing, and honour,
glory, and pow’r be unto Him that
sitteth upon the throne and unto
the Lamb for ever and ever.
(Revelation 5:9, 12–13)
Chorus
Amen.