Something to Remember

Chorus 26 in the oratorio “The Messiah” by G. F. Handel is called “All We Like Sheep.”  It is a light-hearted, upbeat musical score that repeats the words, “All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way.”  This is taken from Isaiah 53:6 in the Old Testament.  The song, written in F Major, evokes images of playful sheep in a pasture joyfully frolicking in the meadow, kicking up their heels on a warm spring day.  They have no concerns, nor are they cognizant of anything that may be amiss.

Then at the end of the chorus, the mood darkens considerably as the key changes to F Minor.  The tempo slows to a largo if not grave tempo, and the latter part of this verse is used as the lyrics.  “And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

This is the kind of music that, if you’ll let it, hits you right between the eyes and knocks you down for the count.  And if you understand that you and I are the sheep that Isaiah is talking about who go merrily on our way unconcerned for the iniquities (read that wickedness, evil, or sin) we are piling upon ourselves; and that God in his mercy has given all of those iniquities to His son to bear on our behalf, the verse suddenly becomes larger than life.

This holiday season, as we pass the cranberry salad, carve the ham, and pile on the sweet potatoes, let us take a moment to recall this verse out of Isaiah and acknowledge and thank the One who has taken our burden of wickedness from us and placed it on His only Son.