Nearer My God to Thee — Jacob’s Dream
- Website Article: Nearer, My God, to Thee – Article
- YouTube Video: Nearer, My God, to Thee
This hymn has been a favorite of mine since I was a teenager. And because I know how beloved it is, not just for members of The Church of Jesus Christ but for Christians everywhere, I was pretty intimidated to arrange it. I had to tell myself — all I can do is approach it my own way and do my best with it.
As I started reading about the background of the hymn it only deepened my love for it. It was written by Sarah Flower Adams in 1841 — her pastor had asked her to write a song to accompany his upcoming sermon on a story found in Genesis 28. Jacob’s dream. Jacob’s ladder.
10 ¶ And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night…and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, (a vision) and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, (or “beside him”) and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac….
14 …and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families (Abrahamic Covenant) of the earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee (Jesus appeared to him two other times around this period and said the same thing, “I am with thee”), and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest…
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar….
19 And he called the name of that place Beth-el: (“House of God”)…
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, (this is serious) saying, If God will be with me….
21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:
The hymn was originally set to music written by Sarah’s sister, Eliza Flower — but the tune most of us know today is called “Bethany,” written by Lowell Mason in 1856. The combination of Sarah’s lyrics and Lowell’s melody is what I think has made this song so special. Together they capture something that may be hard to put into words — a sense of what it feels like to draw near to God, and to feel his love and light drawing near to you.
Sheet Music can be found here:
Distrokid Hyperlink central hub for this song with links to listen on services like Apple Music, Spotify etc.
- There are two versions of the song available to stream; Nearer, My God, to Thee (Vocal Solo) and Nearer, My God, to Thee (Accompaniment track).
Lyrics:
Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me.
Though like the wanderer, The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
There let the way appear, steps unto heav’n;
All that thou gavest me, in mercy giv’n;
Then with my waking thoughts bright with thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
Angels to beckon me. Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
Or if, on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to thee.
Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
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*Reach out if you would like a simplified version of any arrangements. You can find the songs I already have sheet music for here: http://marileekaymusic.com/sheet-music/
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