My People, Give Ear

My peo­ple

give ear

at­tend to My Word

In pa­ra­bles new deep truths shall be heard;

The won­der­ful sto­ry our fa­thers made known

To child­ren suc­ceed­ing by us must be shown.

Instructing our sons we glad­ly re­cord

The prais­es

the works

the might of the Lord

For He hath com­mand­ed that what He hath done

Be passed in tra­di­tion from fa­ther to son.

Let child­ren thus learn from his­to­ry’s light

To hope in our God and walk in His sight

The God of their fa­thers to fear and ob­ey

And ne’er like their fa­thers to turn from His way.

The story be told

to warn and re­strain

Of hearts that were hard

re­bel­li­ous

and vain

Of sol­diers who fal­tered when bat­tle was near

Who kept not God’s co­ve­nant nor walked in His fear.

God’s won­der­ful works to them He had shown

His mar­vel­ous deeds their fa­thers had known;

He made for their path­way the wa­ters di­vide

His glo­ri­ous pil­lar of cloud was their guide.

He gave them to drink

re­liev­ing their thirst

And forth from the rock caused wa­ter to burst;

Yet faith­less they tempt­ed their God

and they said

Can He who gave wa­ter sup­ply us with bread?

Jehovah was wroth be­cause they for­got

To hope in their God

and trust­ed Him not;

Yet gra­cious

He op­ened the doors of the sky

And rained down the man­na in rich­est sup­ply.

With bread from on high their need He sup­plied

And more did He do when thank­less they sighed;

The strong winds com­mand­ing from south and from east

He sent them abun­dance of quail for their feast.

Though well they were filled

their fol­ly they chose;

Till God in His wrath o’er­whelmed them with woes;

He slew of their strong­est and smote their young men

But still un­be­liev­ing they sinned ev­en then.

Because of their sin He smote with His rod

And then they re­turned and sought for their God;

Their Rock and Re­deem­er was God the Most high

Yet false were their prais­es

their pro­mise a lie.

Not right with their God in heart and in will

They faith­less­ly broke His co­ve­nant still;

But He

in com­pas­sion

re­luc­tant to slay

Forgave them and oft turned His an­ger away.

His pi­ty was great

though oft­en they sinned

For they were but flesh

a swift pass­ing wind;

Yet though His com­pas­sion and grace they be­held

They tempt­ed and grieved Him and oft­en re­belled.

They lim­it­ed God

the Most Ho­ly One

And hin­dered the work His grace had be­gun;

The hand that was migh­ty to save they for­got

The day of re­demp­tion re­mem­ber­ing not.

Ungrateful and blind

no long­er they thought

Of won­ders and signs and migh­ty deeds wrought

Of how all the riv­ers of Egypt ran red

And plagues in God’s an­ger were heaped on their head.

They thought not of how

their free­dom to gain

In Egypt’s abodes the first born were slain

And how all God’s peo­ple were led forth like sheep

The flock He de­light­ed in safe­ty to keep.

Unharmed through the sea

where per­ished their foe

He caused them with ease and safe­ty to go;

His ho­ly land gain­ing

in peace they were brought

To dwell in the mount­ain the Lord’s hand had bought.

He gave them the land

a her­it­age fair;

The na­tions that dwelt in wick­ed­ness there

He drove out be­fore them with great ov­er­throw

And gave to His peo­ple the tents of the foe.

Again they re­belled and tempt­ed the Lord

Unfaithful

they turned to id­ols ab­horred

And God in His an­ger with­drew from them then

No long­er de­light­ing to dwell among men.

He gave them to death in bat­tle

al­though

His glo­ry and strength were scorned by the foe;

Their young men were fall­en

their maid­ens un­wed

Their priest slain in bat­tle

none wept for the dead.

Then mer­cy awoke

the Lord in His might

Returned

and the foes were scat­tered in flight;

Again to His peo­ple His fa­vor He showed

And chose in Mount Zi­on to fix His abode.

His serv­ant He called

a shep­herd of sheep

From tend­ing his flock

the peo­ple to keep;

So Da­vid their shep­herd with wis­dom and might

Protected and fed them and led them aright.