Behind the Hymns: I know that my Redeemer lives

I Know That My Redeemer Lives is an English Christian Easter hymn in by Samuel Medley. It was published in 1775 and is written for Easter Sunday.

Samuel Medley 1738-1799

Samuel received a good education, but not liking the business to which he was apprenticed, he entered the Royal Navy. Having been severely wounded in a battle with the French fleet off Port Lagos, in 1759, he was obliged to retire from active service.

A sermon by Dr. Watts, read to him about this time, led to his conversion. He joined the Baptist Church in Eagle Street, London and shortly afterwards opened a school, which for several years he conducted with great success. Having begun to preach, he received, in 1767, a call to become pastor of the Baptist church at Watford and from 1772 he led a large congregation for 27 years in Liverpool.  Most of Medley's hymns were first printed on leaflets or in magazines and later were included in hymnals.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the hymn was in common use in both Great Britain and America, easily known by the oft-repeated "He lives!".

Though the hymn is originally based on the Old Testament verse from the Book of Job, where Job proclaims "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" (Job 19:25), it is mostly used as a hymn for Easter Sunday commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus. Medley was also inspired by Thomas the Apostle coming to believe after having seen Jesus after the Resurrection

Other versions of the song:

I Know That My Redeemer Liveth is from the third movement of Messiah, George Friederic Handel’s masterpiece, and most well-known work. Like the rest of its songs and choruses, the text is entirely based on Scripture, in this case on verses from Job 19:25-26 and 1 Corinthians 15:20.

Handel’s  unwavering faith was expressed almost poetically;  a few days before he passed he stated his desire to die on Good Friday, “in the hopes of meeting his good God, his sweet Lord, and Savior, on the day of his Resurrection.”

Incredibly, he lived until the morning of Good Saturday, April 14, 1759, and his death came only eight days after his final performance, at which he conducted his masterpiece, Messiah. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, with over 3,000 in attendance at his funeral. 

A statue erected there shows him holding the manuscript for the solo that opens Part Three of Messiah, I Know That My Redeemer Liveth.

 

 The different versions on You Tube:

I Know That My Redeemer Liveth -  Messiah, Handel 

https://youtu.be/Kg7aXEvCeXY

Hymn: I know that my Redeemer lives    https://youtu.be/2k8rKROCaDk

 

My Redeemer Lives - Nicole C. Mullen   https://youtu.be/y8SIcb2j1kQ

 

Michael Hicks music version:  https://youtu.be/SkLuZxqPPzE

 

Behind the Hymns - The God of Abraham's Praise

From The Yigdal of Daniel ben Judah, a Jewish judge in Rome, circa 1400, paraphrased by Thomas Olivers, circa 1765; first appeared in The Gospel Magazine, April 1775. The lyrics are based on the 13 creeds of Moses Maimonides (circa 1130-1204).

Thomas Olivers 1725-1799

One night in London, [Olivers] was attracted to a service in a Jewish synagogue, where he heard a great singer, Leoni, sing an ancient Hebrew melody in the solemn, plaintive mode and he became impressed with a desire to write a hymn to that tune. The result was our hymn, The God of Abraham Praise, which in a sense is a paraphrase of the ancient Hebrew Yigdal, or doxology, though Olivers gave to it a distinctly Christian flavor.

The story is told of a young Jewess who had been baptized into the Christian faith, and in consequence was abandoned by her family. She fled to the home of the minister, poured out her heart to him, and as if to show that, after all, her joy in her new-found Saviour was greater than all her loss of home and family, she sang, "The God of Abraham Praise."

Leoni Hebrew melody, Sacred Harmony, 1780

The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above;

Ancient of everlasting days, and God of Love;

Jehovah, great I AM! by earth and Heav’n confessed;

I bow and bless the sacred name forever blessed.

The God of Abraham praise, at whose supreme command

From earth I rise—and seek the joys at His right hand;

I all on earth forsake, its wisdom, fame, and power;

And Him my only portion make, my shield and tower.

The God of Abraham praise, whose all sufficient grace

Shall guide me all my happy days, in all my ways.

He calls a worm His friend, He calls Himself my God!

And He shall save me to the end, thro’ Jesus’ blood.

He by Himself has sworn; I on His oath depend,

I shall, on eagle wings upborne, to Heav’n ascend.

I shall behold His face; I shall His power adore,

And sing the wonders of His grace forevermore.

Tho’ nature’s strength decay, and earth and hell withstand,

To Canaan’s bounds I urge my way, at His command.

The watery deep I pass, with Jesus in my view;

And thro’ the howling wilderness my way pursue.

The goodly land I see, with peace and plenty blessed;

A land of sacred liberty, and endless rest.

There milk and honey flow, and oil and wine abound,

And trees of life forever grow with mercy crowned.

There dwells the Lord our king, the Lord our righteousness,

Triumphant o’er the world and sin, the Prince of peace;

On Sion’s sacred height His kingdom still maintains,

And glorious with His saints in light forever reigns.

He keeps His own secure, He guards them by His side,

Arrays in garments, white and pure, His spotless bride:

With streams of sacred bliss, with groves of living joys—

With all the fruits of paradise He still supplies.

Before the great Three-One they all exulting stand;

And tell the wonders He hath done, through all their land:

The listening spheres attend, and swell the growing fame;

And sing, in songs which never end, the wondrous name.

The God who reigns on high the great archangels sing,

And Holy, holy, holy! cry, Almighty King!

Who was, and is, the same, and evermore shall be:

Jehovah—Father—great I AM, we worship Thee!

Before the Savior’s face the ransomed nations bow;

O’erwhelmed at His almighty grace, forever new:

He shows His prints of love—they kindle to a flame!

And sound thro’ all the worlds above the slaughtered Lamb.

The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high;

Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, they ever cry.

Hail, Abraham’s God, and mine! (I join the heav’nly lays,)

All might and majesty are Thine, and endless praise.


http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/g/o/d/godofabe.htm