Hymn 96

we sang hymn 96 tonight at the hymn singing session

all of us were touched with the words, actually they are quite deep and profound

stanza 1 says 

"My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I,
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh, and die?"

our Savior's love is love unknown, also knowledge-surpassing. to us, who are loveless, i think which means, first, we are not lovable or lovely, second, we do not have love. but to us, the loveless, this unknow, knowledge-surpassing love has been shown, so that we might become lovely, because of His love. for us, loveless ones, the Lord even took frail flesh, and died on the cross. 

stanza 2 says:

"He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know:
But oh, my Friend,
My Friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend."

the Lord stepped out of His glory, left His throne, laid aside all His spendor, so that He could accomplish full salvaton for us. but like the gospel of John chapter 1 says, though the Lord came to His people, His own even did not know or receive Him. but this One, who was called the friend of sinners and tax collectors, who is the good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. 

stanza 3 says:

"Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then “Crucify!”
Is all their breath,
And for His death
They thirst and cry."

it is a super sharp contrast to see here. when the Lord first entered into Jerusalem, all the people welcomed Him, put their own garments with palm tree branches to pave the way for Him, shouting Hosannas to Him. but soon, later on, their cry turned to be "crucify Him!" 

stanza 4 says:

"They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
The Prince of life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
To suffering goes,
That He His foes
From thence might free."

the second half of this stanza is amazing. the Lord cheerfully went to sufferings, so that His foes, which are us as His enemies, might free from sufferings. He drank the cup of God's wrath, so that we may drink the cup of blessing. this is the Lord's heart, the Lord's love for us, and this is what He accomplished for us on the cross. for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame. 

stanza 5 says:

"In life, no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death, no friendly tomb,
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav’n was His home;
But mine the tomb
Wherein He lay."

while the Lord was living on the earth, He said that foxes have homes, but the Son of Man has no where to lay His head. even after He died, there was no tomb for His buriel. but Joseph offered His new bought tomb to lay the Lord's body. the heaven was His home, while for us, our final destination is the tomb. but the Lord laid in the tomb on behalf of us. 

stanza 6 says :

"Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King,
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend,
In whose sweet praise
I all my days
Could gladly spend."

we wil spend our days in eternity, full of our praises to our Lord, our King, who is worthy of all our praises. 

https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/96