Skip to the content
Icon of Christ
› ›

Resurrection Hymn "I Open My Mouth And Proclaim"

Lovejoypeace_Lovejoypeace_
in Hymns Discussion
Part of this song says, "Then He awoke like a drunk from wine"

I have never understood this line and why we liken the Holy Resurrection to waking up from a drunk blackout (which generally would involve a hangover). If someone could please explain this line to me It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless! :)

Comments

  • ophadeceophadece
    Ekhrestos anesty
    Dear @Lovejoypeace_
    This is taken as a prophecy from one of the psalms.. That melody has other grave flaws anyway..
    Oujai khan ebshois
  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    No. 

    In this particular example, the text is taken from the psalms and you are misunderstanding the symbolism. While the allusion of drinking alcohol usually involves a hangover after an alcoholic binge in our society, it does not necessarily have to include sinful behavior, especially if it is the Lord we are talking about. Put in modern terms, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. The natural consequence after any CNS depressant is for the body to awaken revived. (That is why sometimes the medical treatment to certain diseases or problems is elective coma.) Thus the Psalm symbolizes the greatest depressant - death - which the Lord Himself endured and awoke fully revived (or alive). There is no assumption of evil behavior leading to the Lord's intoxication. God forbid. Would it matter if St King David prophesied and used a different CNS depressant as an example? If the psalm said "The Lord awoke like one who recovered from general anesthesia" would that make the symbolism any clearer that he is prophesying about death and the Resurrection? 

    In addition, there are so many English translations of this psalm text that it are not clear but still prophesy about the Resurrection. Some translations say "He awoke like one heated (or sated) with wine". Just like alcohol, there is a moment of CNS excitement before the CNS is depressed. The psalm could allude to the Lord waking with full excitement and power. Put in another way, the Lord did not wake half asleep as we often do when we hear our own alarms. The Lord did not wake half dead and slowly become alive.

    If there are other flaws in this melody or any other melodies, let's discuss it. Don't assume that the melody is flawed.
  • katanikhoroskatanikhoros
    Or it could simply be relating the act of sobering up from a blackout to the act of rising from the dead. It is merely relating the process of sobering from drunkenness in wine to Christ coming back alive again from the realm of death. Plain and simple. It may be a sin to get drunk but it is merely comparing the process itself to what it is like to rise again from the dead.
Sign In or Register to comment.