Do You Hear What I Hear?

Do You Hear What I Hear? is actually one of the Christmas carols that inspired my first Blogmas post this year. I wrote a little bit about this carol in The Call of Christmas Carols. Today I’m breaking it down further, offering my thoughts on the context of the song and how it applies personally to all of us.

The Little Lamb

Nature first notes the Voice, the song that is being sung throughout the universe of Jesus’ coming. The song is ringing through the sky, it is on the wind and is first heard by the little lamb.

Wind in the Hebrew language is Ruach. That word is also used to mean Breath or Spirit. It is God’s Word coming into the world. God’s Word being spoken to all who will listen and hear.

The Lamb, the symbolism for Christ’s sacrifice, then speaks to the son of man, a little boy who is considered the lowest of the low–a shepherd boy.

The Shepherd Boy

Shepherds were not well thought of back then. They were on the lowest rung of the hierarchy of society. I’m pretty sure bugs might’ve been considered better than shepherds back then. They were considered liars and thieves, and they could not stand as witness in court because their word was held in no regard.

So the lamb speaks of God’s Word coming to a little shepherd boy.

The shepherd boy then brings the news to the greatest man of the kingdom. The little shepherd asks if the king, who sits in a fine palace among the riches and wealth, knows the good and special things that the little boy has been told.

Amongst his wealth, the king has missed the news and is now told it by one who is humble. The little boy then speaks again and says, “Let us give to this Child the silver and gold that He is worthy of.”

This little shepherd boy is really saying, “Humble yourself and bow to Him in humility, for He is above even you, King of Earth.”

The King

In this scenario, this song, the king acts with humility. He hears the Truth and speaks to the people around him. This king declares the truth for the people of his kingdom and encourages them to seek out the Child, the One that will bring Peace, Light, and God’s goodness to them.

The king does not look to himself, but knows that he and his people will be saved by One far above himself. He does not see a threat for power, but a reason to rejoice. A reason to hope.

The People

We don’t know what the people do.

Did they believe their earthly king and seek out the Child? Did they assume the king had had a little too much cider? Did they discount the announcement because it was brought to the king by a shepherd boy?

We are the people everywhere. We are the ones being told that a Light has come, brought in the tiny form of a Child, a Baby. One who is called Prince of Peace, Son of God, a Great Light. (Isa. 9:2&6; Luke 1:32) One whose coming has been announced on the wind. That announcement has been ringing louder and louder throughout all of nature with the hope that we would have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart willing to seek out the Truth, the Child in the night.

There is a call, a voice as big as the sea beckoning us to come and seek out Him who was the Child. Him who was born to be the last atoning sacrifice. Him who comes in the darkest times of our life, bringing Light to our night.

He no longer shivers in the cold. He no longer needs silver and gold, frankincense and myrrh. He no longer needs to flee for His life, but is the Rock, a shelter for all who are fleeing. There is no longer a single star marking His resting place, but all of nature cries out, urging us to look, to seek. Not in a manger. Not on a cross or in a grave. To seek in our hearts for Him.

Jesus is the Child, come once to us, and He will come again not as a Child but as the rightful King of kings, Lord of lords, our Eternal Hope. (Col. 1:27)