dlg...you blow me away with how insightful you are at such a young age.
'A Mighty Fortress is Our God' is one of the greatest hymns ever written. I love hearing it sung or singing it. Very inspiring.
I looked up a little history of it. I like looking up history on hymns. There is often a story behind many of them. The story of "It Is Well" is especially awe inspiring to know how a man can overcome such tragedies and still sing and have written that song. God, through these writers, has penned some of these old hymns that move us so deeply.
Thanks for your insight. You're wiser than your years.
Hymn Title: - A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Hymn Author: - Martin Luther, 1483-1546
Hymn Composer: - Martin Luther, 1483-1546
Hymn Tune: - Ein' Feste Burg
Hymn Meter: - 87.87.66.667
English Translation: - Frederick H. Hedge, 1805-1890
Scripture Reference:
2 Samuel 22: David's Psalm of Deliverance
1. And David spoke the words of this song to the Lord in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
2. And he said, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3. My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; and my refuge;
Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Saxony, Germany. He was educated at the University of Erfurt, later becoming an Augustinian monk, teaching philosophy and theology at the University of Wittenberg. On October 31, 1517, sometimes called the "4th of July of Protestantism," Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the Cathedral of Wittenberg, Germany. These theses condemned various practices and teachings of the Roman church. After several years of stormy disputes with the Pope and other church leaders, Martin Luther was finally excommunicated from the fellowship of the Roman Catholic church in 1520.
One of the important benefits of the Reformation Movement was the rediscovery of congregational singing. Luther had strong convictions about the use and power of sacred music. He expressed his convictions in this way, "If any man despises music, as all fanatics do, for him I have no liking; for music is a gift and grace of God, not an invention of men. Thus it drives out the devil and makes people cheerful. Then one forgets all wrath, impurity and other devices." Again, "The Devil, the originator of sorrowful anxieties and restless troubles, flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God." In another place, "I wish to compose sacred hymns so that the Word of God may dwell among the people also by means of songs." Finally, Luther wrote, "I would allow no man to preach or teach God's people without a proper knowledge of the use and power of sacred song."
The single most powerful hymn of the Protestant Reformation Movement was Luther's "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," based on Psalm 46. This hymn became the battle cry of the people, a great source of strength and inspiration even for those who were martyred for their convictions. This hymn has been translated into practically every known language and is regarded as one of the noblest and most classic examples of Christian hymnody. It is said there are no less than sixty translations of this text in English alone. In England the version by Thomas Carlyle is in general use, while in this country the translation by Frederick H. Hedge, a professoar at Harvard University, is used most frequently. This translation was not made until 1852 and first appeared in a book entitled Gems of German Verse by W. H. Furness, published in 1853.
The first line of this national hymn of Protestant Germany is fittingly inscribed on the tomb of the great reformer at Wittenberg, and may still be read with appreciation by travellers to that historic spot.
(Osbeck's 101 Hymn Stories - Bible Library, Ellis Enterprises, Inc.)
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
May The Sheep Be With You
