Scripture Verse

Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Ezekiel 37:12

Introduction

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Short Hymns (Bris­tol, Eng­land: E. Far­ley, 1762), num­ber 1227. Eze­ki­el’s pro­phe­cy, the theme of this hymn, brings to mind the birth of the state of Is­ra­el in 1948, a na­tion in a day.

Music: Sar­ah (Ar­nold) Will­iam Ar­nold, in the Me­tho­dist Hymn and Tune Book (To­ron­to, Ca­na­da: Me­tho­dist Book & Pub­lish­ing House, 1894), num­ber 733 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Lyrics

illustration
The Vision of Ezekiel
Gustave Doré (1832–1883)

Messiah, full of grace,
Redeemed by Thee we plead
The pro­mise made to Ab­ra­ham’s race,
To souls for ag­es dead.

Their bones as quite dried up,
Throughout our vale ap­pear;
Cut off and lost their last faint hope
To see Thy king­dom here.

Open their graves, and bring
The out­casts forth, to own
Thou art their Lord, their God and king,
Their true An­oint­ed One.

To save the race for­lorn,
Thy glo­ri­ous arm dis­play;
And show the world a na­tion born,
A na­tion in a day!