About seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah spoke seven words of the messiah to come. About seven hundred years after the birth of Jesus, Christians gathered to remember the event with seven prayers prompted by Isaiah’s seven prophesies. These seven prayers recited on the seven days leading up to their Christmas worship celebration was a part of their Advent celebration. Now we are almost three times seven hundred years from the glorious birth of Jesus and one of our Christmas hymns reflects these prayers as they developed into one song over the past 1400 years. See if you can guess which one as we listen into these ancient prophesies and the early Christian prayers they inspired.

The first word from Isaiah was concerning the spirit of wisdom. We read in Isaiah chapter 11: “The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2-3

So seven days before Christmas, many hundred years ago early Christians would pray:
O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other,
mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.

Second Isaiah speaks of the Messiah’s rule and dominion: “[…] but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.” Isaiah 11:4-5 Isaiah also declared “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler, the Lord is our king; he will save us.” Isaiah 33:22. Later he proclaimed, “
The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head;” Isaiah 59:15b-17a

In chapels and churches a thousand years before the age of Enlightenment and six days before celebrating Christ’s birth, young and old Christians would recite together:
O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

Third Isaiah refers to the Messiah as both the shoot and the root of Jesse. We read “A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1
“On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10

Five days prior to xmas, prayers would remind:
O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.

Forth the Messiah is understood by Isaiah to be the key of David. “I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open.” Isaiah 22:22
“His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore.” Isaiah 9:7
“To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.”Isaiah 42:7.

This next prayer raised four days prior to the day of Jesus birth would be called out:
O Key of David and scepter of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Fifth Isaiah anticipated a great illumination, and morning light that the Messiah would bring to cancel nights darkness . “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2

Now just three days remain, the anticipation climbing still. A thousand and a half years ago Christian voices spoke out:
O Rising Sun (or O Morning Star)
splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Sixth the messiah was known by the prophets to be the king of all the nations. “I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.” Haggai 2:7
Isaiah had prophesied:
“For a child has been born for us, a son given us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
“He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4

On the eve of Christmas eve, the faithful ones of centuries passed would recall:
O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.

Finally and seventh, Jesus was to be God with Us: Immanuel. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

This was prophesied seven hundred years before his birth and seven hundred years after, his disciples would call out on Christmas Eve:
O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Savior:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

For another thousand years these prayers strengthened, changed and grew to become the foundation of a song we now sing. We can thank John Mason Neale for his 1861 translation of the 1710 latin text:

Draw nigh, draw nigh, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear;
Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

Or as would become preferred, opening lines of each stanza: (hymnary.org direct link)

1. O come, O come, Emmanuel,
2. O come, O Wisdom from on high
3. O come, O come, great Lord of might,
4. O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,
5. O come, O Key of David, come
6. O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
7. O come, O King of nations, bind

Mark Young, president of Denver Seminary recently wrote:
We’re all waiting, longing, yearning.That’s why we sing,“O come, O come.” It’s a cry of anticipation, a plea for someone to make everything that’s wrong in the world right, and everything that’s broken in the world, whole, and everything that’s ugly in the world beautiful.We’re not at peace with the way the world is and we instinctively know that no politician, no sage, no warrior, and no earthly ruler can fix it. So, we cry out,“O come, O King of Nations, come!”

Perhaps our prayer can be the current seventh stanza of this great hymn:
7 O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.

May he be our peace with God, may he bring us peace with our fellow man.