Chapter 17

This chapter reminds me of Handel’s Messiah because of vs. 14: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  According to Stefan Zweig, author of Decisive Moments in History, the 21^st of August, 1741, Handel received the lyrics for the Messiah from his lyricist, Jennens, the poet who had written the words for two previous oratorios by Handel. The music descended from the heavens into Handel’s pen as a rushing of many waters. After three short weeks wherein Handel hardly ate, drank, or slept, the work was completed.  Handel put down his pen on September 14^th (Zweig, pp. 63-83). I especially love this book because my friend, Lowell Bangerter, translated it from German into English.