Jehoshaphat Music Blog

By Levi Myers

The song “The Apple of His Eye” was written in 2014 for the album “Higher Than I”. The goal of writing this song was to speak of the historical significance of Israel in the bible and also to sing of our hope, the Hope of Israel.

In the scriptures, we read of this group of people, the nation of Israel, who are incredible, undeniable evidence to God’s existence. As Christadelphians we firmly believe that the purpose of God is directly tied up in the future of this nation - the hope of Israel. When Abram obeyed God’s call and faithfully followed his direction to leave Ur behind, God blessed him for his faith and made a promise to him to make his descendants a great nation.

Israel became a nation when Moses led them out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into their wilderness wanderings. During their wanderings, Israel was told that if they obeyed his commandments, God would bless them. If not, they would be cursed.

We learn from the Old Testament record that throughout history, Israel would turn their back on God and instead worship idols and serve false gods. Due to their disobedience, God allowed Israel to be taken captive by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

However, this was not the end of Israel by any means. We learn from the book of Deuteronomy in chapter 31:6 that he would never leave nor forsake them. We also read in chapter 32:10 that God sees Israel as the “apple of his eye”, which is where we sourced the title of our song. In the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah we read that God returned them to their promised land under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Following the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, God once again allowed the nation to be taken into captivity, this time by the Romans. It seemed that finally God had forsaken Israel and had not kept his promise towards them. We know however that this is not how God works. As 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “God is not slack concerning his promises”. What may seem like a long time to us is but a moment in time in the big picture of his purpose. So after nearly two thousand years, God brought the nation of Israel back into their own land as a distinct people in 1948. Despite the current nation of Israel not being ready to accept Jesus as their Messiah, their very existence stands as a powerful reminder of the continuous presence of God and the faithfulness of his promises.

Not only do we believe this great return to be a sign of God's existence, we also believe it is one of the many signs pointing towards the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth. We believe that when Christ comes he will set up a kingdom in Jerusalem, of which there will be no end.

Why should the nation of Israel matter to us as followers of Christ ? In Gal. 3:29 we read that we have the opportunity to be a part of the promises made to Israel:

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

We can be a part of the spiritual nation of Israel by choosing to serve God and committing our lives to him through baptism. This is why we write and sing songs about God's people - because our hope is bound up in theirs (Rom. 11:13-15). This is also why we chose to incorporate the tune of hymn number 61 from the green Christadelphian hymn book into the song “The Apple of his Eye” - because we pray for that day of peace in Jerusalem when together as one people we will serve God and sing praises to him for all eternity.

Jehoshaphat Music has a YouTube channel! Each week we upload a lyric video featuring one of the songs from our catalogue. Subscribe to get a weekly dose of spiritual music in your feed.

Watch our lyric video for The Apple Of His Eye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0mZNgqyW1I

Jehoshaphat Music has a YouTube channel! Each week we upload a lyric video featuring one of the songs from our catalogue. Subscribe to get a weekly dose of spiritual music in your feed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weOOg9uiFvo

The Most High Rules was originally written for the Daniel cantata at Manitoulin Youth Conference 2005, and recorded again for the Even So, Come album. Based on Daniel 4, 5, & 7, Hebrews 12, and Acts 15, this song expresses our confidence in how God works in the world,  unapologetically affirms God's purpose with the earth, and rejoices in the part we can play within that plan.

Lyrics:

Though man's kingdom may exist for a time,

His fleshly ways and Godless days are numbered and will end

The God of heaven plans a kingdom and an age

When right will rule and we his tools will claim the earth for him!

 

The Most High rules in the kingdom of men

His son will soon arise to conquer all the earth,

His kingdom shall never be destroyed but it shall stand forever!

And in these days of the kingdom of men, the son will soon arise to conquer all the earth.

His kingdom shall never be destroyed but it shall stand forever!

 

Therefore since we see a kingdom we'll receive,

We serve our God, the path we trod with reverence and with fear.

His kingdom and domain He'll give unto the saints; 

His chosen ones the race have run as people for his name!