The Story of the World

 The Story of the World

by Lydia Herman

(written in iambic pentameter with 10 syllables in each line)

The chaos brought to order by a Word
The light, the sky, the land, the sea were made
And filled with animals of every kind
The Lord, the Maker of the universe.

Then image-bearers were brought forth from dust
So, man and woman made to work the ground
"Be fruitful and increase" was God's command
God walked with them in perfect unity.

But sin destroyed the perfect paradise
The good replaced with hardship and with death.
But Light shines in the midst of all the wrong
The promise of a Savior, God does give.

A Savior who will crush the serpent's head
And bring His people out of all their sin
Into a new and perfect paradise
Where God will dwell again with all mankind.

Then generations pass without The King;
But then the LORD to Abraham appears
A covenant to him the LORD does make
A nation great will Abraham become.

But then enslaved in Egypt they are found
God hears His people's groans and knows their pain
In burning bush God does reveal Himself
To Moses as the powerful I AM.

To Egypt Moses goes to free the slaves
Confronting Pharoah in the name of God
The plagues God sends to show His mighty hand
The 10th a picture of the work of Christ.

The blood upon the doorpost kept them safe
The angel saw the blood and would go by
But Egypt's firstborn sons did not survive
And Pharoah told the people they could go.

Then through the sea God led His people safe
Destroying Egypt's mighty chariots.
Into the wilderness the people went
The Lord in pillar led in flame and cloud.

But soon the songs of joy became complaints
The Israelites lost sight of God's whole plan
"No food" they groaned, but God would still provide
With bread, the manna sent from God on high.

The law an outline how to live for God
A new identity in Him is found
Obey and blessings would the LORD God send
But disobey and curses shall befall.

To pay for sin, burnt offerings were made
But blood of beast could never pay for sins
A shadow of the work of Christ they showed
Redemption comes at much a higher cost.

But soon their sin no longer bothered them
The ugliness no longer touched their hearts
They soon forgot the holiness of God 
And disobeyed the law that He had giv'n.

The tabernacle built for God to dwell
A foretaste of when God would come again
No curtain then will separate from God
But boldly come into God's throne of grace.

Into the promised land the people led
They quickly stray from all of God's commands
The idols turn their eyes away from God
Their hearts no longer yearn for Him to come.

"A king" they cried, to be like other lands
But they forgot that they were set apart
To be a nation only for the Lord
With warnings giv'n the Lord grants them a king.

But kings did stray and turn away from God
No longer trusting in the Lord alone
But in the riches they believed they earned
Forgetting it all comes from God's own hand.

A man from God's own heart ascends the throne
To David God renews His covenant
The scepter shall remain in David's line
The coming King forever rule the world.

The prophets testify against the land 
Of judgment that will come because of sin
With hope that God would still redeem His sheep
And shepherd them in land of peace and rest.

Four hundred years without a word from God
His people feel the silence from above
In darkness they believe they would remain
Without the Promised One that God would send.

But God had not forgotten what He said
For to the darkness God has sent His Son
The rising sun, the Promised One has come
To guide His sheep in ways of peace and rest.

In Bethlehem a Son, a King is born
A baby born to set His people free
The Great I Am has entered into time
Immanuel has come to earth to dwell.

Christ's life was one of serving and of love
The Son of God was sent to serve the meek
The lame, the blind, the sick were all Christ's friends
His touch brought healing to this fallen world.

The Bread of Life was sent to satisfy 
To fill the yearning deep within our souls
To give us life abundant and in full
So we might live with Him forevermore.

Christ brings a message full of hope and peace
Comparing us to lilies of the field
To show His Father's good and loving care
He knows just what we need and will provide.

Christ's life was full of suff'ring and of pain
The suff'ring servant came His life to give
Upon the tree the weight of all our sins
His death so He might give us life with God.

The wrath of God descends upon His Son
No other blood could ransom all mankind
The Lamb of God will shed His precious blood
A righteousness for sinners underserved.

A crown of thorns adorns the Promised King
A cry of war resounds from dying lips
The shout of "finished" fills the darkened sky
The king of heaven bows His head in death.

The Son of God was laid in borrowed tomb
The grave could not contain the Lord of life
But on the third day Christ rose from the dead
The head of Satan crushed beneath Christ's feet.

When Christ arose victorious from the grave 
He broke the curse and sting of sin and death
Now grave no longer has a hold on us
For Christ has silenced death forevermore.

To glorious throne above does Christ ascend
To sit at God's right hand in might and pow'r
He did not leave us to ourselves alone
But sent the Holy Spirit from on high.

The Lord has made a new and better oath
A covenant where blood is not required
The law is written in our hearts and minds
The Spirit gives us power to obey.

Our calling to proclaim good news to all
How Christ fulfills the Word of God in full
Through life and death and rising from the dead
He saves from sin to give us life anew.

He will return to make the wrong things right
A promise of a new creation gives
Where God again will dwell with man on earth
Our King with peace and justice rules His sheep.

Around the throne God's children praise His name
We'll sing "How worthy is the Lamb of God"
And lay our crowns down at His glorious throne
And worship Him for all His mighty deeds.