Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (arr. Mark Hayes)
This hymn is based on Habakkuk 2:20. During Advent season, we contemplate both the first coming of Christ (born in human flesh) as well as His next coming when He shall come as King and Ruler of all nations to judge the living and the dead, and we wait with the same watchfulness for that second advent as those of old watched carefully for His first advent. Though Christ did come to earth as a baby, this offertory rightly marks that even as a baby, Jesus was still King in that he ushered in and will continue to usher in the Kingdom of God, and as the first verse says, is due our full homage. He descended to earth with blessing in His hand both in His first advent when He came to die for sinners and be raised from the dead to secure their blessings, but in His second advent, will, too, come with blessing in His hand for those who have placed their trust in Him, for on that “great and terrible day” of judgment, because of Christ’s atonement for our sins, we will be judged as if we never sinned only because God will look upon Christ’s righteousness instead of our sin. On that day, all “pow’rs of hell may vanish” (as written in the third stanza) because Satan will no longer be able to accuse us as sinners because Christ (because of his perfect life, atoning death, and resurrection) has washed us in His blood and made us righteous in God’s eyes as God looks upon Christ’s righteousness instead of our own. Let us approach God in the same awe as this offertory – and Habakkuk – suggests.
“But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”-Habakkuk 2:20
Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly-minded, for with blessing in His hand, Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth He stood, Lord of lords, in human vesture, in the body and the blood, He will give to all the faithful His own self for heav’nly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way, as the Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the pow’rs of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six-winged seraph, cherubim, with sleepless eye, veil their faces to the presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry, “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Lord Most High!”
