Text: Isaiah 11. Hymn: 797, Praise the Almighty.
Organist: Kantor Nathan Beethe, Director of Parish Music, Grace Lutheran Church in Little Rock, AR.
I couldn’t do this hymn earlier because a summer cold had really robbed me of anything above a D. Kantor again has done a great job both with the introduction and the doxological stanza.
Isaiah 11 is interesting to me because there are both fulfilled and unfulfilled prophecies in this text. Christ was born from the lineage of Jesse (David’s father), but wolves don’t peacefully live with lambs yet. 
Dan
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It’s interesting that the author spends verse 2 talking about earthly rulers. Apparently Johann Daniel Herrnschmidt wasn’t a big fan of this earthly rulers!
Trust not in rulers; they are but mortal;
Earth-born they are and soon decay.
Vain are their counsels at life’s last portal,
When dark the grave engulfs its prey.
Since mortals can no help afford,
Place all your trust in Christ, the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia!
At first glance, the author seems like an anarchist or some sort of libertarian. Yet we are to show honor and respect to our earthly leaders and pray for them. Some earthly leaders hold Christian values and others don’t. Some are true leaders and some are not. Good, bad or indifferent, we honor them for the position they serve as we honor all those in authority.
The heart of the issue is in lines two and four:
Vain are their counsels at life’s last portal…
Since mortals can no help afford
Earthly leaders serve the earthly kingdom (we pray they serve it well) yet they are of no avail for the heavenly kingdom.
For this we trust solely on Christ Jesus and his work on the cross on our behalf.
We should certainly try to elect those leaders who understand that they are accountable not only to their electorate but God who has placed them in their positions.
Amen to that! I would not want to imply differently. My apologies if I did.
Also, some leaders are appointed, such a judges and cabinet members, and we need to elect representation that will confirm the appointees who adhere to the above criteria.
I didn’t think you implied otherwise, and I agree about the rest.