"Lead On, O King Eternal"

God is Eternal, everlasting.  He never had a beginning and will never have an ending.

Aion (Hebrew) means eternity in the full sense when linked with God (Rom 16:26: “but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;” 1 Tim 1:17: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”  Jeremiah 10:10: “But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.”)

 “In the OT this means first that God always was (Gen 21:23) and will be (Deut 5:23), in contrast to us mortals. By the time of Isa 40:28 this comes to mean that God is eternal, the "First and Last," whose being is "from eternity to eternity" (Ps 90:2 ). Eternity is unending time, but in later Judaism it is sometimes set in antithesis to time. The NT took over the Jewish formulas but extended eternity to Christ (Heb 1:10 ff.; Rev 1:17-18; 2:8). Here again eternity could be seen as the opposite of cosmic time, God's being and acts being put in terms of pre- and post- (1 Cor 2:7; Col 1:26; Eph 3:9; John 17:24; 1 Peter 1:20).”  (from Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abridged edition, Copyright © 1985 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)

Several passages that deal with the Eternal God:

 ²⁶ “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
   who rides on the heavens to help you
   and on the clouds in his majesty.
²⁷ The eternal God is your refuge,
   and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you,
   saying, ‘Destroy him!’
²⁸ So Israel will live in safety alone;
   Jacob’s spring is secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
   where the heavens drop dew.
²⁹ Blessed are you, O Israel!
   Who is like you,
   a people saved by the LORD?
He is your shield and helper
   and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
   and you will trample down their high places.” (Deuteronomy 33:26-29)

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. (Psalm 90:1)

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

“I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1,2

“Lead On, O King Eternal”

The story behind the hymn

Ernest Shurtleff, author of this text, was about to graduate from Andover Seminary in 1887. His classmates, recognizing his poetic ability, shortly before graduation one day approached Shurtleff with this request: 

       “Ernest, why don't you write our class poem.  After all, you have already published two volumes of poetry--What's the use of having a distinguished author in the class if he cannot rise to the occasion and do his class the honor of writing a good poem just for them?” 

       “Let's make it a hymn that we can all sing,” replied Shurtleff, “We've been spending days of preparation here at seminary. Now the day of march has come and we must go out to follow the leadership of the King of kings, to conquer the world under His banner.” 

       Although the metaphors and expressions in this hymn were intended to challenge the graduating class of 1887 at Andover Seminary, the truths of this hymn have challenged the world.

--Adapted from Kenneth W. Osbeck 

LEAD ON, O KING ETERNAL
by Ernest Shurtleff

Lead on, O King eternal,
The day of march has come;
Henceforth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong;
And now, O King eternal,
We lift our battle song.

Lead on, O King eternal,
Till sin’s fierce war shall cease,
And holiness shall whisper
The sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords’ loud clashing,
Nor roll of stirring drums;
With deeds of love and mercy
The heavenly kingdom comes.

Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears,
For gladness breaks like morning
Where’er Thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted over us,
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.