Hymn Study: Have thine Own Way Lord

Lyrics:

1 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still.

2 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
as in thy presence humbly I bow.

3 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

4 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!

United Methodist Hymnal, 1989

Written by Adelaide A. Pollard, a woman who wrote hymns, but we can't be sure how many as she seldom signed them.   Her devotion was to furthering the cause of God, not to seeking recognition for her own work. 

This particular hymn was inspired by the prayer of an elderly woman who asked God to simply “Just have your own way with us”. 

"As Adelaide left the prayer meeting that night the phrase from that prayer, “Have Thine own way”, rang in her mind. On the way home she formed the lyrics in her mind and before going to bed that night, she wrote the words on paper." (source)

The tanbible includes this tidbit "Upon returning home that evening, Miss Pollard mediated on the story of the potter, found in Jeremiah 18:3-4.

       Then I went to the potter’s house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it."

Some hymnals have altered verse two to say 

 2 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Search me and try me, Savior today!
Wash me just now, Lord, wash me just now,
as in thy presence humbly I bow. 

The reason for that change being found here.   Personally I think she's meaning how our hearts are changed from being dark with sin to be being white with the light of being cleansed by God's work in our lives.  
 
      

Set your face against Mount Seir

We continue our study in Ezekiel, the last time we met was about Showers of Blessing. You can read more in my Ezekiel Studies here and here.

Today the Lord has a word against Mount Seir. 

I wondered where this was so thought I would do a bit of research on it.  This image comes from right here. 

Mount Seir was located in the mountainous region for the descendants of Esau. Genesis 36:8 tells us this is where Esau made his home.

The descendants of Esau were called Edomites.

"The name Edom is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Edom is: An alternative name of the Old Testament character Esau. Red, a reference to either the red skin or the red earth of Eden from which the Old Testament Adam was created in Genesis 2."  (source)



God is speaking out against The Edomites today.
Why?

•  cherished perpetual enmity 
•  gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity

I read that word cherished and it made me quake inside.
I watched a show the other day and the bad person in the show was one who cherished the pain and destruction of others.   LOVED watched it,this character did.  All over a small wrong done to them a long time ago.

Cherishing such hatred.  I don't understand it.  
Why couldn't they just let it go?

Kicking a man when he is down.  That is basically what the Edomites (those who dwelled on Mount Seir) did.   They saw the Israel had been punished, and instead of being satisfied by that, allowed the sword to be brought against them.   Whether they attacked them or allowed them to be attacked isn't immediately apparent to me in this passage. 

Therefore, since they like bloodshed so much, God is going to prepare them for a time of bloodshed.     

As he says: I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation, and I will cut off from it all who come and go. ⁸ And I will fill its mountains with the slain. On your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those slain with the sword shall fall. 


God end purpose?  Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Isn't that always his purpose though?   For people to know that HE is the Lord.

The people of Mount Seir knew that Israel belonged to the Lord and none the less said "These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will take possession of them’—although the Lord was there—"

Their envy and jealousy will be their downfall, they will learn the folly of putting themselves above the Lord, wanting to claim his people and their land for their own.  They will "know that I am the Lord" says God. 

God heard it all you know, their reviling of the people, their reviling of him, that joy at Israel's destruction.  He saw how they magnified themselves (built themselves up).   It caused the Lord's displeasure.

And so God will make them a desolate place, all of Mount Seir and Edom.
For the purpose of teaching that God is the Lord. 

It makes me wonder you know, how long the Lord will withhold his judgement on so many people in the world today.   All those who see themselves above the Lord and above the Lord's people.  

It also makes me feel small.  There are so many times that I can (and do) elevate myself, seeing the results of my actions, and putting it out that I DID THIS.  When in actuality, it was the Lord doing it, just using me in the process.    I need to remember that more often.