MHB 1
O FOR a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace.
EXPOSITION
The hymn was composed to celebrate Charles Wesley’s May 21, 1738 conversion. Peter Bohler, having Jesus as his Lord and personal Saviour, was also aware that he was created for and by the pleasure of God, he was living for God and if he died, he would die for God. He thus praised God with the little he had and would have praised God with many, if he would get. Charles came to understand this and the many blessings of God upon his life. He wrote “O for a thousand tongues” to sing to God; to magnify and glorify Him. Many are the victories granted us by the risen conquering son, Jesus. We must praise him at all times Knowing Jesus and His command for all to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, (Matt 28: 19-20), he needed strength to go into all the earth to talk about Jesus and that strength comes only from God.
STORY BEHIND THE HYMN
Charles and John Wesley were traveling with a group known as the Moravians on a ship to Georgia. In a serious storm that almost tore the ship apart, the Moravians were singing songs of praise to God, dancing and rejoicing, but the Wesleys could not do that and were wondering what had made his brethren filled with joy to sing at such a juncture of death.
The Wesley’s therefore approached the leader of the Moravians, Peter Bohler to inquire about the secret of their joy and in his response said “had I a thousand tongues, I will praise him with them all”.
Charles picking on the words of Peter Bohler wrote the hymn “oh for a thousand tongues to sing” which originally had 18 stanzas but is currently reduced to 6.