WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS

Watching a flock of sheep was probably not the most sought-after career.  Shepherds were usually smelly and worked night and day in the countryside.  However, shepherds had a very unique and God-given role at the birth of Jesus…one that we enjoy singing about every advent season.

WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCH THEIR FLOCKS, is a Christmas carol enjoyed by children and adults alike.  Based on Luke 2:8-14, it may be one of the most Biblically accurate hymns ever written.  The story of this carol composition must include the accounts of two men.

Nahum Tate, born in 1652, attended Trinity College and then migrated to London, England wanting to be a writer.  His success was slow in coming, but eventually he achieved a measure of recognition as he dabbled in plays and adapted the prose of others. 

He collaborated with Nicholas Brady in compiling a hymnbook in 1700.  It was in this collection that his carol was first published.  Unfortunately, Nahum was intemperate and careless with money.  He died in an institution for debtors in 1715.

George F. Handel was the composer of the music for this carol.  He wrote his first composition by the age of twelve and amazed choirmasters with his artistry.  Success for Handel waned and eventually he became bankrupt.  It was the remarkable success of Messiah that salvaged his career and bank account.

Who could imagine God using two men who never met and who were well acquainted with poverty to enrich generations after them with a carol expressing a story of God’s redemption through his Son born in Bethlehem.  It is a carol still enjoyed every Advent season.