Blessed Be the God of Israel
Blessed be the God of Israel
The hymn expresses the Lutheran understanding of Christ as the fulfillment of Old Testament promise and the center of redemptive history. It celebrates God's covenant faithfulness and the incarnation as the climax of salvation, reflecting Grundtvig's robust incarnational theology.
History & Background
Grundtvig wrote this Danish hymn in 1844 based on the Benedictus (Zechariah's song of praise). It was translated into English by Gregory Norbet and has appeared in major Lutheran hymnals including LBW and LSB.
Hymnal Appearances
- Chalice Hymnal — 135
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 313
- Glory to God — 109
- The Hymnal 1982 — 444
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 271
- Lutheran Service Book — 341
- Lift Up Your Hearts — 76
- Lutheran Worship — 24
- New Century Hymnal — 109
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 8
- United Methodist Hymnal — 209
- Voices Together — 248
Translation
Bulletin Note
Danish bishop Nicolai Grundtvig composed this 1844 hymn to express Lutheran incarnational theology: God's promised Messiah arrives not as damage control but as the fulfillment of covenant sworn from the world's beginning.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies Grundtvig's incarnational theology by presenting Christ not as an afterthought to human sin but as the fulfillment of God's oldest promises, transforming how we understand the arc of redemption from Law to Gospel.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Christological anticipation (St. 1-2) → Incarnational paradox (St. 3) → Pneumatological reign (St. 4)
Themes
Salvation history Messianic promise God's faithfulness Redemption Light and forgiveness