I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord – James or Fred Fillmore, Ethan the Ezrahite

What kind of education might have been intended so long ago, and was sought after centuries later, in the words of an ancient psalm by a fellow named Ethan? He began “I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord”, as he mulled over the circumstances that brought him to put ink to paper. The situation was in fact the opposite of what would make an ordinary person offer such an exclamation to God. Some 2,400 years later, could it have been possible that two brothers, musical successors to the psalmist whose words they read, were seeking instruction too? This praiseworthy phrase’s background induces the worshipper to reconsider why one would extol Him.

It began in a time when the people of God were being threatened and finally exiled, and then continued centuries later. Psalm 89 begins with the words of this song, suggesting that its author -- probably a Levite named Ethan, according to this psalm’s superscription – had experienced a great blessing from the Lord. But, in fact the rest of Ethan’s words, particularly the latter one-third of them, paint a much darker picture, one in which the Almighty has seen fit to punish and cause the downfall of His people. The historical episode in fact may have been the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar’s attack and subjugation of the people of Jerusalem, around the year 597 B.C. (See picture here of a coin with Nebuchadnezzar’s picture on it.)

In context, therefore, how does one interpret Ethan’s words? Is he offering praise in a plea for God’s renewed favor? The psalm’s superscription also contains ‘maskil’, a word that may be musical in purpose; but, it may also indicate the composer’s purpose was to teach us something about godliness.  What might Ethan have learned about Him, about His nature? That He experiences pain and disappointment with his children, and dispenses discipline, even at the risk of His own divine reputation, is a lesson not exclusive to Ethan’s generation, certainly. Did James and Fred Fillmore intend this same message when they recaptured Ethan’s words in the late 1800’s in Cincinnati, Ohio? I cry out in pain that He is pure, and I seek His intervention, His Divine help. I’ve forsaken Him, I admit, even as I hope my cries may yet move Him to mercy.  

Ethan’s lesson is not an easy one. And, if we could talk to him, he might further lament that God’s mercy doesn’t work according to the human timetable. It was several decades until some of the people were allowed back to Jerusalem. In God’s estimation, it must have taken that long for His purpose to sink in with His people. There’s a point in any mortal’s life, perhaps when the inescapability of God can no longer be denied – He exists, and I have nowhere else to turn – that I submit. Am I there yet? Are you?  

The source for the song story is the book “The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs”, by William J. and Ardythe Petersen, 2006. Also, see the New International Version Study Bible, general editor Kenneth Barker, 1985, copyright The Zondervan Corporation, for notes on Psalm 89 and the song’s original biblical-era composer.