Songs Week of 8 April 2008: Minor Prophets, 1

Songs Week of 8 April 2008
Minor Prophets, 1

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BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES

"They know not the thoughts of the Lord: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor" (Micah 4:12).

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve; Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
  {Refrain} Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves, Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

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JONAH

In the Bible we're told of a prophet who was called to a city that was steeped in an awful sin. All the people in that place were devoid of saving grace and the prophet was afraid to enter in. Oh some people don't believe that a whale could him receive but that does not make my song at all untrue. Why there are whales on every side with their big mouths open wide, just take care my friend or one will swallow you. Then this prophet full with sin that old Ninevah might begin, but instead of that to Tarshish he set sail. All the winds began to blow on the did Jonah and he found a mercy seat inside the whale. In the cold and deep, tears of grief did Jonah weep and the big fish threw him out upon the shore. preached to Ninevah, Ninevah night and day and he did not anymore and he did not care to backslide anymore. Oh some people don't believe that a whale could him receive but that does not make my song that all untrue. There are whales on every side with their big mouths open wide, just take care my friends or one will swallow you.

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JONAH

You know God sent Jonah to the Ninevah land, "Preach my gospel to the wicked man." Jonah got angry, and didn't want to go, he bought him a ticket to a distant shore. Got his ticket, got on board, ship went a-rocking from shore to shore. They tell me the ship was toppled from side to side and everybody on board had trouble in mind. God found Jonah, found him fast asleep, "Oh, my body, don't go into the deep." God he rode in a windstorm (3) and he troubled everybody's mind.  Throw me overboard! I got a hiding place. Yeah!

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JONAH AND THE WHALE

A white gospel version of the previous song:

Well God sent Jonah down to Ninevah land to preach the Gospel to the wicked man and to repent his wicked ways, I'm going to overthrow the city in forty days. God moves in the windstorm, he rose in the windstorm, and troubled everybody in mind. Well Jonah went down to the seashore and he made up his mind which way to go. Well he got himself a ship and he paid his fare, oh God called up with Jonah down there. God moves in the windstorm, yeah, yeah, you know he rose in the windstorm and troubled everybody in mind. Well God saw the ship and he came in time, the captain of the ship had trouble in mind. And then he went into the deep, well he saw old Jonah there fast asleep. He said, hey stranger tell me your name, my Name is Jonah and I came from the king. All this trouble is on a kind of me, why don't you throw me overboard and let the ship sail free. Well God moves in the windstorm, you know he rose in the windstorm and troubled everybody in mind. Well I threw old Jonah overboard, along comes a whale and swallowed him whole and took him on over to Ninevah land yeah well I threw old Jonah on a bar of sand. God moves in the windstorm, oh yeah, you know he moves in the windstorm and troubled everybody in mind. Well God sent Jonah down to Ninevah land to preach the Gospel to the wicked man and to repent his wicked ways (everybody), I'm going to overthrow the city in forty days.

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JONAH

Go Jonah! Go Jonah! Go to Ninevah. Go Jonah! A message came from Heaven. Ninevah was undermined. God said to Jonah go and let my light shine. Go and tell my people, you'd better mend your ways. Cause if you don't, this might be your last day. And God said, "Go Jonah! Go Jonah! Go to Ninevah. Go Jonah.  Well get on up and get on up and go down Jonah. Well get on up and get on up and go down Jonah. God will tell you what to say. Well instead of going down to Ninevah, Jonah looked the other way. But things didn't go the way old Jonah had planned. For soon Jonah jump and hollered, by the big old fish he was swalloed. God made that fish jump up that preacher man. God said, "Go Jonah! go Jonah! Well, Go to Ninevah. Go Jonah! Get on up and get on up and go down Jonah, get on up and get on up and go down Jonah! God will tell you what to say. Go Jonah! Go Jonah! Go to Ninevah, go Jonah! Well get on up and go down, Jonah! God will tell you what to say! Heigh-ho Silver, away! Heigh-ho, Silver, away!

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MALACHI (3:2-3)

The Day of the Lord motif again. Handel set 3 verses from Malachi in his Messiah, because Christians interpret these Messianic words as a prophecy of Jesus. We hear Handel's and a soul versions of both settings:

    But who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire (3:2).
    And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness (3:3).

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MARTIN LUTHER KING & AMOS

Amos is a key text for social activists. Martin Luther King used one verse ("Let justice roll down like waters, righteousness like a mighty stream" [5:27]) at least twice in his recorded speeches, as here. King also quotes Isaiah 61:1, which Jesus later used for his first sermon:
    Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher? Somehow the preacher must have a kind of fire shut up in his bones. And whenever injustice is around, he must tell it. Somehow the preacher must be an Amos, who said, "When God speaks, who can but prophesy?" Again, with Amos, "Let Justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." Somehow the preacher must say with Jesus, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me. And he's anointed to deal with the problems of the poor."
    "No, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

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King's speeches are filled with biblical quotes and references, as in his final "Mountaintop" speech, where he compares himself to Moses, who has led the people to the Promised Land but will not see it himself; he also refers to the Battle Hymn, based on Isaiah's Battle God. King also refers to Psalm 27:1f.: "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?"

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MARTIN LUTHER KING

But it really doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. I don't mind. Let anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything, I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

HOSEA

The image of the wind as a means of God's punishment is found throughout the Bible, but most clearly in Hosea "They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind" (8:7). The "wind" refers to the uprooting of an unjust society. Bob Dylan borrowed this image for the lyric of  "Blowing in the Wind."
How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man? How many seas must the white dove sail, before she sleeps in the sand? Yes and how many times must the cannonballs fly before they're forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind!

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