Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him

Beauty here is not outward beauty. His beauty causes attraction. I was attracted to the Lord since I was young. I did have to choose Him over other attractive options for my life. There was a choice for a wife that was a big one. Then the choice of a career. I can see these as idols that would capture my love and take Christ of first place. As grew in love with Him other idols or attractive things do not usurp his first place. Now I can say I’m caught, captivated by his beauty. I recommend you to look up authors biography.

Unrivaled King

Lord, we are Captivated by Your beauty,
Worthy tribute haste to bring;
Let His peerless worth constrain thee,
Crown Him now unrivaled King.

Jesus’ name isn’t mentioned once in this song but only He can be such a captivating Person that this song must be about Him!!

There is some captivating going on this morning!

Captivate me again today!

Ora Rowan’s life is hidden from the pages of history but her hymn allow us to see into the character of this Lord’s worker. These two commentaries describe some of the stanzas on this hymn and what it means to let go (of idols) and let God (captivate you through the beauty of the Lord Jesus).

“Hast thou heard Him, seen Him known Him? This question comes from a hymn written by Miss Ora Rowan in the 19th century. This question actually mirrors the apostles John’s utterance in 1 John 1:1– That which was from the beginning, which we heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we beheld, and our hands handled concerning the Word of life. “The Word of life” is the “Him” spoken of by Miss Rowan. This “Him” is our wonderful and precious Lord Jesus.

Miss Rowan’s hymn says in the chorus: Captivated by his beauty,

Worthy tribute haste to bring,
Let His peerless worth constrain thee,
Crown Him now unrivaled King.

“We know little of Miss Rowan‘s life, but her experience of the Lord based on her seeing Him in the Word is clearly visible in her hymn. As 2 Corinthians 5:14 mentions. Miss Rowan was one who was constrained by the love of Christ. She states:

What has stripped the seeming beauty from the idols of the earth?

Not a sense of right or duty but the sight of peerless worth.

To her, she did not need to regretfully or painfully give up things and elements of the world. She was one who heard the Lord, saw the Lord, and knew the Lord. He was the most beautiful One, and she could not but give her entire being to such a One. ”

(Truth and Experience)

“This text is one of the best I know of the topic of idolatry and the central idea that 19 century Scottish Presbyterian Thomas Chalmers develops in his sermon, ‘The Expulsive Power of a New Affection. ’”

What can strip the seeming beauty,
From the idols of the earth?
Not a sense of right or duty,
But the sight of peerless worth.

“It is only as we see the beauty of Jesus that we can be set free from our love of idols. It’s not enough to see what we are to do, we must be captured by a greater beauty than the false gods that compete for our heart’s affection. ”

‘Tis that look at melted Peter,
‘Tis that face that Steven saw,
‘Tis the heart that melted Mary,
Can alone from idols draw.

“There is nothing more powerful than seeing the mercy of God expressed in the person of Jesus. As Romans 2:4 teaches us, God’s mercy and kindness is designated to lead to repentance and in Jesus the mercy and kindness of God appeared” (Titus 2:11).

(Indelible Grace Hymn Book)

But the beaming of His beauty, The unveiling of His hear !!!!! Lord Jesus! Makes us ready for your coming!

There's an edification story with reference to the first stanza of this hymn from the book "On Going Full-Time":

'Lending a Broken Umbrella to the Queen'

One rainy day, an unfamiliar lady came knocking on an old lady's shanty to borrow an umbrella. The old lady reluctantly lend her a broken umbrella. The following day, the royal guards came to the old lady and returned the broken umbrella. The old lady shamefully said, "If I have known earlier that she was the queen, I would have lend her a better umbrella."

The reason why your consecration today is so pitiful is because you have not known who He is.

There's also a quote from that book which says, "The Lord does not strip you of your pursuit in the world. But when you see the best, you will spontaneous throw away the rest."

What caused us to throw away our idols and give ourselves to the Lord is not some kind of regulation, it is the result of our seeing and knowing the One with peerless worth.

“If a man would give all the substance of his house for love” – S. of S. 8:7. There is no treasure on earth that could be given to match the value of the love of Christ. His love strips away the attraction of so many inward idols, and destroys the worldly idols that once occupied and delighted our hearts.

'Tis that look that melted Peter (Luke 22:61-62)
'Tis that face that Stephen saw (Acts 7:55-60)
'Tis that heart that wept with Mary (John 11:32-35)
Can alone from idols draw (1 John 5:21)