I Will Sing With Understanding

Night, With Ebon Pinion

INTRODUCTION

  1. The Apostle Paul wrote that he would sing with understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15).
  2. We are taught by God to sing with thankful hearts, with melody in our hearts, and also we are told to admonish one another in our singing (Ephesians 5:19-20; Colossians 3:16-17).
  3. I question I’d like to ask for tonight is this; “Can we admonish, or be admonished, without proper understanding of the words in which we sing”?
  4. There may be some songs that we can have a better understanding with, and I’d like to focus on one of them tonight.

III.  Tonight’s lesson is titled, “I will Sing with Understanding; Night With Ebon Pinion”.

  1. As a disclaimer, I would like to express to you all this matter – I have not consulted L.H. Jameson or J.P. Powell, the individuals who are credited with the authoring and musical arrangement of this song. Therefore, when it comes to the original intent of the author, I cannot speak on their behalf.
  2. However, I propose that we look to the words of the song, see what we can learn with regard to the meaning of some words, and along with that, examine the Scriptures for which the author(s) may have had in mind when composing this hymn.
  3. We will go through the words of the song, line by line, examining the Scriptures in order to enrich our study, and we will also make some applications before we are done.
  4. Hopefully, this will enable us to better appreciate the hymn, and also aid us in singing it with a better, “understanding”.

(So without further ado, let us take a closer look at the song # 162, “Night, With Ebon Pinion”. The lyrics of the song begin thus…)

BODY

  1. Night, with ebon pinion, Brooded o’er the vale; All around was silent, Save the night-wind’s wail, When Christ, the Man of Sorrows, In tears and sweat as blood, Prostrate in the garden, Raised His voice to God.
  2. Night (comma) with ebon pinion, Brooded o’er the vale. What is this speaking to? I believe that is one of the phrases that is not understood by some, so let’s try to address it.
  3. The word “ebon” means “dark brown or black; ebony”.
  4. The word “pinion” speaks to “the outer part of a bird's wing including the flight feathers”, and brooded means “(of a bird) sit on (eggs) to hatch them”.
  5. The word brooded also means to, “think deeply about something that makes one unhappy”.
  6. The word vale means, a valley (used in place names or as a poetic term).
  7. So then, the author of this song seeks for us to think about a dark, dark night; one that is dark like a wing (ebon pinion) that covered the garden (brooded vale), much like a hen would cover her chicks under her wing ; all around was silent, save the night-wind’s wail.
  8. In Matthew chapter 23, after pronouncing woe(s) 23:13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29 upon the unbelieving Jews, Jesus says in Verse 37-38, READ.
  9. Look now to the NJKV rendering of this statement by Jesus according to Luke 13:34; notice word “brood” instead of “chicks”. It is possible that the songwriter had this likeness in mind when he wrote the words. But…

v. Surely, he had this scene in mind; turning to Luke 22:39-46, READ (Particularly note Verse 44).

1.  Verse 44: Luke is the Gospel writer who mentions Jesus as “being in agony”, as “He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground”.

  1. Let us now turn to the Gospel according to Matthew. Matthew provides this detail (Matthew chapter 26); that when Christ went to Gethsemane, READ Matthew 26:36-46. Notice Verse 39 says that He “went a little further and fell on His face, and prayed” (That means that He was completely prostrate; He prostrated Himself in the Garden, He fell to His face, face down on the ground is how He prayed). Mark 14:35 also says that Jesus, “fell on the ground, and prayed”.
  2. Therefore, this is the scene we hopefully seek to think upon while singing this song.

(It was a very dark and grim circumstance for which the Lord was in the Garden, praying alone in the silence of the night, prostrating Himself to the ground as “His soul was exceedingly sorrowful”; He was “deeply distressed” -- while praying to the Father. Line # 2…)

  1. Smitten for offenses Which were not His own, He, for our transgressions, Had to weep alone, No friend with words to comfort, Nor hand to help was there, When the Meek and Lowly Humbly bowed in pray’r.
  2. Here we are reminded of Isaiah 53:1-6, READ.
  3. Jesus was the Christ. He was the Servant of God (Isaiah 52:13). He was the One concerning whom God gave His angels charge that they should bear Him up lets He dash His foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11-12). Jesus came into the world claiming to be the Son of God, claiming to be the Messiah.
  4. Yet, when everything reached its climax, Jesus’ enemies seized Him, convicted Him falsely, and crucified Him. Some contend (even today) that Jesus was literally forsaken by God while He hung on the cross. Where were the angels? Where was God? Did God forsake Him?
  5. The explanation should be obvious! It was before men that Jesus appeared forsaken by God. It was in the eyes and minds of men that God forsook Christ. But, He did not literally and actually forsake Him. Jesus could have called for twelve legions of angels (READ Matthew 26:52-54). No one took His life from Him. He laid it down of Himself (John 10:17-18, READ)
  6. As Isaiah said, “We esteemed” or “counted” Jesus as one smitten of God (Verse 4). He was not really smitten of God; He was wounded for our transgressions (Verse 5).
  7. That being said… While our Lord was praying in the Garden before His arrest… He had no one to weep with Him, even His disciples -- were asleep. So with the darkness covering Him, He went to the ultimate source of comfort - He went to God in prayer.

(We (as in… mankind) esteemed –or counted – Jesus smitten by God... But He was not really struck down “by God”. Outwardly, for those who were there, that seemed to be the case. He was wounded for our transgressions, and He did indeed weep without any fellow humans around to offer words of encouragement. But He humbly bowed in prayer to the Father. Line #3…)

  1. “Abba, Father, Father, If indeed it may, Let this cup of anguish Pass from Me, I pray; Yet, if it must be suffer’d, By Me Thine only Son, Abba, Father, Father, Let Thy will be done.”
  2. In line number three, we are reminded of the statement of Jesus in Mark 14:36, READ Mark 14:32-36.
  3. Similar statements are found in Matthew 26:39, 42; Luke 22:42; and there is reference to this in Hebrews 5:7. I believe the cup of anguish is what the Lord prayed to have removed. Yet, I believe the cup of anguish to which He referred was the fact that His “soul was exceedingly sorrowful”, that His being “deeply distressed” would pass. Our Lord knew that He was going to die as our sin offering. He had been preaching on that as a matter of fact to His disciples for some time leading up to this. He even rebuked Peter for speaking against that as a necessity (Matthew 16:21-23, READ; this is also referenced in Mark 8:31-33 and Luke 9:22-25). There are many more times that we could note in pointing to the fact that Jesus predicted His death. As well as the manner of it.
  4. Therefore, I find it difficult to believe that Jesus would now (in the Garden) pray for God to somehow alter course for Him (in the 11th hour so-to-speak) to now have to not “suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day”. READ again Matthew 26:52-56; John 10:17-18.
  5. Again, it may be that Jesus was requesting for His Father to comfort Him, provide Him with strength and courage to press forwards, for His cup of distress to pass from Him.
  6. Yet, if it must be suffer’d, By Me Thine only Son, Abba, Father, Father, Let Thy will be done.”

i.  Psalm 143:10; Acts 18:21; James 4:13-17; 1 John 5:14-15

  1. We need to always remember the last part of line 3 in the song “Night, With Ebon Pinion”, not only in our singing but when we pray and also in our daily activities as well.

CONCLUSION

  1. In conclusion, I hope this lesson will in some way be helpful in our understanding of “Night, With Ebon Pinion” and in so doing, make our worship more pleasing and acceptable to God.
  2. Some things that we may note from our singing, by way of application, are thus…
  3. Realize that, if you want to be like Jesus; then be willing to pray like Him, and be willing to accept the Father’s will for you, no matter what that entails.
  4. Also, remember that Christ died a cruel death, and He was put to an open shame. He suffered and died for you (and me).
  5. We do not want to sensationalize the gospel; but, nor do we want to divorce our emotions as a reactionary measure against the charismatic movement.
  6. If reflecting upon the Lord’s anguish and suffering does not prick your heart, then you need to reevaluate some things.
  7. Consider what God has done for you, and consider your ways.

OFFER INVITATION &…

SING “Night, With Ebon Pinion”