Jamin Bradley

Our church, 1208 Greenwood, has a new Christmas album coming out on November 28th, called “Of Stars & Straw.” I’m really proud of the eight original songs that four of our artists penned. I think it captures a unique sound for a church album and encompasses the broader elements of the Christmas story that are sometimes overlooked. These songs are also rich in biblical references. I thought it might be fun to share some of the references I work with in my song, ‘Look to the Stars.’

VERSE 1
Look to the stars and count them all (Gen 15:5)
Just rest and take them in
See them shine, the Sons of God (Job 38:7)
Descendants infinite (Gen 15:5)
The word of God says this to you
Oh blessed Abraham (Gen 15:1; cf. John 8:56-59)
The son of Eve is in your seed (Gen 22:17)
He’ll stomp the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15)

CHORUS 1
Oh Angel of Yahweh come
And wrestle with men (Gen 32:22-24; cf. Hosea 12:4)
Put on sacred tendons (cf. Gen 32:32)
Oh Angel of the council come (Is 9:6, LXX)
Leave celestial skin (cf. Gen 18:1-5)
For transfiguration (1 Cor 15:48; Matt 17:2)

VERSE 2
The stars may fight for the highest heights (Is 14:13-15)
For the very throne of God
Now they’re slithering deep below our feet
For their legs have been cut off (Gen 3:14)
And who is this king, our refugee (Matt 2:13-15)
The highest star above
He comes willingly, kenotically (Philippians 2:5-8)
Made of flesh and dirt like us (John 1:14)

CHORUS 2
Oh Word of God like us (John 1:1)
A human alive
In a feeding trough cries (Luke 2:7)
Oh Word of God, he comes
For our enemies too
The ground too holy for shoes (Joshua 5:13-15)

VERSE 3
Angels sing, stars light the way (Luke 2:13-14; Matt 2:9)
To miracles undressed
Emmanuel, now dependent on
Mary’s sweet caress
Though dragons rise with Herod’s plight (Rev 12:13)
The earth will scream and shout
As the waters drain, she flies away (Rev 12:14-16)
Protected from the clout

CHORUS 3
Oh woman clothed with the sun
The moon under your feet
The twelve stars call you queen (Rev 12:1)
Bring us the heavenly one
As the stars fall to earth (Rev 12:9; Is 14:12-17)
May this star find his birth

VERSE 4
A baby born upon this earth
Like any other day
The spiritual becoming physical
Salvation in the hay
And there he holds his mother’s hand
For just a few decades
But his Spirit lives inside her heart
Into the coming age

CHORUS 4
Oh Spirit of Jesus come (Acts 16:7)
That we’d be born again (1 Peter 1:3)
In your resurrection
Oh Spirit of Jesus come
Incorruptible skin (1 Cor 15:53-55)
Given unto your kin

ENDING
Look to the stars and count them all
Oh blessed Abraham
The son of Eve is in your seed
He’s stomped the serpent’s head