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Glory Be to God
Sovereign Grace Music Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let peace on earth descend
God comes down before our eyes
To Bethlehem
God invisible appears
Endless ages wrapped in years
He has come who cannot change
And Jesus is His name
Emptied of His majesty
He comes in human form
Being’s source begins to be
And God is born
All our griefs He’ll gladly share
All our sins He’ll fully bear
He will cover our disgrace
And suffer in our place
Let the joyful news ring out
The Prince of Peace proclaim
Lift your heart and voice to shout
Immanuel’s name
God has kept His promises
What a work of grace this is
Son of Mary, chosen One
The Lamb of God has come
Hosanna, hosanna
The Lamb of God has come
Hosanna, hosanna
He is the promised One
Glory be to God on high
Let peace on earth descend
God comes down before our eyes
To Bethlehem
The song "Glory Be to God" by Sovereign Grace Music is a hymn that praises the arrival of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The opening line of the song, "Glory be to God on high," sets the tone for the song as a joyful exclamation of praise. The next line, "Let peace on earth descend," is a reference to the angels who appeared to the shepherds at the time of Jesus' birth, proclaiming, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased" (Luke 2:14). The song celebrates the fact that God, who is normally invisible and eternal, chose to become visible and enter the world as a human being.
The second verse of the song describes how Jesus, who is God, emptied Himself of His majesty and came to earth in human form. The phrase "Being’s source begins to be" echoes the words of the Nicene Creed, which begins, "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made."
The final verse of the song proclaims the fulfillment of God's promises in the birth of Jesus, who is the Son of Mary and the chosen one who will suffer for our sins. The repetition of "Hosanna, hosanna" emphasizes the joyful nature of the song, as the people of Bethlehem shouted "Hosanna" when Jesus entered the city in triumph (Matthew 21:9).
Overall, "Glory Be to God" is a celebratory hymn that praises God for His great work of salvation in sending His Son to become a human and suffer on our behalf. The song reminds us of the miracle of Christmas and calls us to lift our voices in praise and gratitude to God.
Line by Line Meaning
Glory be to God on high
Praise be to God in the highest of places
Let peace on earth descend
May peace come down to earth
God comes down before our eyes
God descends visibly before us
To Bethlehem
He appears in a small town called Bethlehem
God invisible appears
Although invisible, God manifests Himself in human form
Endless ages wrapped in years
He has existed for eternity in the span of time
He has come who cannot change
The unchanging one has arrived
And Jesus is His name
He is known as Jesus
Emptied of His majesty
He laid aside His glory and honor
He comes in human form
He takes on a human body
Being's source begins to be
The source of all existence comes into being
And God is born
God is born in human form
All our griefs He'll gladly share
He is willing to take on our sorrows and pains
All our sins He'll fully bear
He will endure the punishment for our sins
He will cover our disgrace
He will hide our shame and sinfulness
And suffer in our place
He will suffer instead of us
Let the joyful news ring out
Spread the good news with joy
The Prince of Peace proclaim
Declare the coming of the Prince of Peace
Lift your heart and voice to shout
Exalt and exclaim with your whole being
Immanuel's name
His name is Immanuel
God has kept His promises
God has faithfully fulfilled His promises
What a work of grace this is
This is an incredible demonstration of grace
Son of Mary, chosen One
He is both the son of Mary and the chosen one
The Lamb of God has come
The sacrificial Lamb of God has arrived
Hosanna, hosanna
Save, we pray!
He is the promised One
He is the one who was promised
Glory be to God on high
Praise be to God in the highest of places
Let peace on earth descend
May peace come down to earth
God comes down before our eyes
God descends visibly before us
To Bethlehem
He appears in a small town called Bethlehem
Contributed by Bentley Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.