Jesus, Priceless Treasure

[sknoerr]

Another one of my favorite hymns that you don't see too often anymore is this song, "Jesus, Priceless Treasure" by Johann Franck to a traditional German melody.  Get a good vocal quartet singing this accapello and be ready to be blessed!



"Jesus, priceless treasure - Source of purest pleasure - Truest Friend to me.

Long my heart hath panted - 'Til it well nigh fainted - Thirsting after Thee.

Thine I am O spotless Lamb, I will suffer naught to hide Thee,

Ask for naught beside Thee.



In Thy strength I rest me - Foes who would molest me - Cannot reach me here.

Tho' the earth be shaking - Ev'ry heart be quaking - God dispels our fear.

Sin and hell in conflict fell -  With their heaviest storms assail us;

Jesus will not fail us.



Banished is our sadness!  For the Lord of gladness - Jesus enters in.

Those who love the Father - Tho the storms may gather - Still have peace within.

Yea, whatever we here must bear - Still in Thee lies purest pleasure,

Jesus, priceless treasure."



I will admit that some of the meaning might get lost in the King James English for those who are not familiar with it - but the song rings so true!  Jesus is our Priceless Treasure.  What a Name for the Lord!!!  (No need to look for it in the Bible - it's not an "official" name)!!!!  Those who seek Him will never find Him pushing them away - His heart will always melt for the humble of heart who make Him their Treasure.  Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.  May our's be the Lord Jesus.



Sandy K



Music: Je­su, Meine Freude, in Prax­is Pi­e­ta­tis Mel­i­ca, 1653; har­mo­ny by Jo­hann S. Bach, 1723

[DeanZF]

I love the richness of this one. 'Tis true that part of its fabric will be lost on those who've not experienced language of that era and who are not interested in expending the energy to crack open a dictionary to discover the meaning of words not in their vocabularies.



I listened to an interview of John McArthur today (of Grace to You fame, I think). He was discussing the whole Emergent Church/Emergent Worship issue and the essence of his warning was to refuse to dumb down or numb down the truths of Scripture, to avoid "going to the levels where the unsaved are found". Part of that has to do with language like this. As a Chistian Church Culture and even in the super-secular society that surrounds us, we've been so willing for so long to discard anything that requires effort to understand that our reading and comprehension levels have diminished--no, a better word would be atrophied, I think. The folks in the pew today, fairly new to Christendom have little idea of what it is that they're part of. Words like justification, sanctification, and phrases like "propitiatory sacrifice". Sin is a word seldom heard, and change of life and lifestyle are concepts that are deftly avoided. Christ is being drummed out of Christmas, out of "spring break", out of Thanksgiving and anything else imaginable.



Don't give up on language that is loftier than that of the average pewsitter in your congregation. Obviously you don't want them to drown, but you want to challenge them to greater depth and to educate them in their heritage and in their inheritance. Most of the modern hymns and choruses don't do that. Fight for their rights!! :boxer:

[HelenaZF]

Considering the joyful quality of the words of this hymn, I thought this verion was an interesting melodic interpretation.

<URL url="http://www.tributek.com/jesuspriceless.html">http://www.tributek.com/jesuspriceless.html



I'm not sure I would use it in place of the original melody, but it is interesting to look at a completely different treatment.

[sknoerr]

I agree with you completely Dean...



After I was saved at the age of 16 and then later completed my high school education, God led me into Bible School. I was raised Catholic, where you get just a "taste" of some of the terms...but Bible School opened my eyes to the wonderful truths of words that are full of doctrine and meaning - justification, sandtification, eternal security, etc. etc. etc. Had it not been for that training, I doubtless would have gotten some things from the fundamental churches I attended at that time, but nothing like what I was blessed to receive during my years in Bible School.



I am deeply saddened at the "education" people receive in most churches today. It is reflected in our level of commitment as Christians, and in our music. Truths that are meant to be foundational are either so watered down or not even taught on or sung about at all that at best, what it serves to produce are nominal Christians who do not know why they believe what they do. Sometimes, people don't even know what they believe other than the fact that Christ died for their sins.



While I am involved in a contemporary church, I feel that the hymns of old still have their place - they are a constant reminder of the depth of Christianity. Often I have wished that someone, or some group - would take more time to make those classic hymns that are rich in meaning and give them more of a contemporary flare. It's not an impossibility to do - and it would benefit the church so much. Please forgive my ramblings - this is one of the hobby horses I get on from time to time.



Be blessed today...



Sandy Knoerr