Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child.
By, by, lully, lullayb
The days in which God determines Jesus was to arrive here on earth were tremulous ones.
Great political unrest, overtaxing, long hard days forced to serve ‘landlords’ not of your choosing. Revolution was constantly simmering when it wasn’t breaking out against the oppressors.
God’s people were crying out for their Messiah.
When Herod began the slaughter of all the boy children of Israel in the hopes of destroying the newborn King, many families were suddenly grieving and wailing and grieving over the sudden loss of their children.
For you know who hoped to stop God in His tracks, in a feeble attempt to undermine His will, but a very costly one to those left with empty arms and wounded hearts.
Many likely thought all hope was lost.
And into that exact time and place, God chose to deliver His people through Jesus, soon to be delivered into the world as one of His people, as well as His Beloved son.
God did not let the madness of one fearful king halt the delivery method He was choosing to set His people free.
We know that God has always heard the cries of His people for deliverance, and mourned with them over their losses. The Bible is full of true life stories of His rescues.
If you are empty armed, missing your loved one, whether they have passed on or are on the other side of the country or world?
God hears your pain and lament.
I believe this song must have been written by someone who lost a child, and was horrified by reading the account of Herod killing an entire generation of boys.
We all should be, for God was horrified by it as well.
So full of compassion for His people, He sent His Son to us, to give us a beacon of Hope we could reach out and touch.
Because our God is the God of all comfort, justice, hope and compassion.
He couldn’t turn away from the cries of the brokenhearted. The frustrated. The poor. The exhausted. The empty armed. Those grieving. Those without hope.
This Christmas, if you hear this song of lament, be reminded of His compassion.
Each person ever in history has mattered to Him.
Those you have lost or had taken from you included.
Jesus came as one of the weakest to show us that weakness does not mean God cannot use you.
He came as one of us to show us that God understands the frailties of humanity first hand.
He came as an expression of God’s great love for each and every one of us.
And is right there beside us when we are hurting, feeling lost, wavering in our hope, and needing a God would can reach out and hold us as we lament.
So if you need to cry this Christmas, for it isn’t the holiday you thought it would be?
Allow Him to rock you in His loving arms as you lament.
God came right smack dab in the middle of turmoil to be there with us, for us, as one of us.
That same Love has not changed, and never will.
Historical Background:
This lyrics for this piece were written in 1534 for a Christmas pageant by Robert Croo, the composer is still unknown, but believed to be in the early 1500’s.
KARLA LEES 