Song: Stand up stand up for Jesus

Got it! This site "creationpie.com" uses cookies. You consent to this by clicking on "Got it!" or by continuing to use this website. Note: This appears on each machine/browser from which this site is accessed.

The song "Stand up stand up for Jesus" was written by George Duffield, Jr., after the death of Dudley Tyng from a farm accident during the Great Revival of 1858. One of Tyng's last words to his father: "Tell my brethren of the ministry, wherever you meet them, to stand up for Jesus". Both Union and Confederate soldiers sang this song during the American Civil War.

Dudley Tyng preached on Exodus 10:11 right before his death. George Duffield based his funeral sermon and song on Ephesians 6:14. Music: Stand up stand up for Jesus

More: Ephesians 6: Defending the full armor of God

Stand up, stand up for Jesus
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss:

from vict'ry unto vict'ry
his army he shall lead,
'til ev'ry foe is vanquished,
and Christ is Lord indeed.

Exodus 10:8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go? [kjv]

10:9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD. [kjv]

10:11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. [kjv]

The setup for the motivation for the song "Stand up stand up for Jesus" are the verses where Moses asks Pharaoh to go and worship their God. Pharaoh will let a few men go but not the entire group.

Here then is the verse that was the motivation for the song "Stand up stand up for Jesus". The words are spoken by Pharaoh.

After this verse, the plague of locusts came.

Exodus 10:8

All

KJV: And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?

Hebrew: ויושב את משה ואת אהרן אל פרעה ויאמר אלהם לכו עבדו את יהוה אלהיכם מי ומי ההלכים׃

Greek: και απεστρεψαν τον τε μωυσην και ααρων προς φαραω και ειπεν αυτοις πορευεσθε και λατρευσατε τω θεω υμων τινες δε και τινες εισιν οι πορευομενοι

Exodus 10:9

All

KJV: And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.

Hebrew: ויאמר משה בנערינו ובזקנינו נלך בבנינו ובבנותנו בצאננו ובבקרנו נלך כי חג יהוה לנו׃

Greek: και λεγει μωυσης συν τοις νεανισκοις και πρεσβυτεροις πορευσομεθα συν τοις υιοις και θυγατρασιν και προβατοις και βουσιν ημων εστιν γαρ εορτη κυριου του θεου ημων

Exodus 10:10

All

KJV: And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.

Hebrew: ויאמר אלהם יהי כן יהוה עמכם כאשר אשלח אתכם ואת טפכם ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם׃

Greek: και ειπεν προς αυτους εστω ουτως κυριος μεθ υμων καθοτι αποστελλω υμας μη και την αποσκευην υμων ιδετε οτι πονηρια προκειται υμιν

Exodus 10:11

All

KJV: Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

Hebrew: לא כן לכו נא הגברים ועבדו את יהוה כי אתה אתם מבקשים ויגרש אתם מאת פני פרעה׃

Greek: μη ουτως πορευεσθωσαν δε οι ανδρες και λατρευσατε τω θεω τουτο γαρ αυτοι ζητειτε εξεβαλον δε αυτους απο προσωπου φαραω

Exodus 10:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. [kjv]

Here is the first thing that happened after the above verses.

Exodus 10:12

All

KJV: And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.

Hebrew: ויאמר יהוה אל משה נטה ידך על ארץ מצרים בארבה ויעל על ארץ מצרים ויאכל את כל עשב הארץ את כל אשר השאיר הברד׃

Greek: ειπεν δε κυριος προς μωυσην εκτεινον την χειρα επι γην αιγυπτου και αναβητω ακρις επι την γην και κατεδεται πασαν βοτανην της γης και παντα τον καρπον των ξυλων ον υπελιπετο η χαλαζα

Exodus 10:11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. [kjv]

Dudley Atkins Tyng, 1825-1858, Presbyterian minister, removed for speaking against slavery

March 1858: Tyng at YMCA meeting of over 5,000, preached Exodus 10:11, over 1,000 converted.
April 1858: Tyng died days after a farm accident.
One of his last words to his father: "Tell my brethren of the ministry, wherever you meet them, to stand up for Jesus"

George Duffield, Jr, 1818-1888: Presbyterian minister, born in Carlisle, PA

Associate of Dudley Atkins Tyng
Duffield wrote the hymn based on those words.
Added the words "Ye that are men now serve Him" from Tyng's sermon at the YMCA meeting.

At Tyng's funereal, Duffield preached on Ephesians 6:14: "Stand firm, wearing the whole amour of God".

George Webb wrote the music (often used), originally composed in 1837 for "Tis Dawn, the Lark is Singing", a song in a secular musical show.

The hymn was written in 1858, about three years before the start of the American Civil War in April 1861.

Both Union and Confederate soldiers sang this song in the American Civil War.
As Lincoln spoke, both sides felt God was on their side.
Popular in England, by revivalists, the school system, etc.

We will see a difference between what Paul actually wrote and how the soldiers appeared to use the verse.

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? [kjv]

Many use this verse as a "battle cry" or puffed-up-in-pride "badge of honor". Some pastors (and others) promote this misconception.
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

If God is the primary customer, then the customer is always right.

Man's "righteousness" is "what is right" as in an "opinion" that is the "glory" of man (humanism).
God's "righteousness" is "what is right" as in an "opinion" that is the "glory" of God (theism).

More: Romans 8: Battle cry separation for the love of Christ (part 1)

More: Abraham Lincoln

Some people did not like parts of the song.

Some objected to what they called American militarist images in the song - despite the analogies used by Paul in Ephesians, John in Revaluation, Jesus in Matthew, etc.
Some objected to the "stand up" as it might offend handicapped persons (e.g., removed from The Presbyterian Hymnal in 1990).

More: Ephesians 6: Defending the full armor of God

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day:

ye that are men now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger,
and strength to strength oppose.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own:

put on the gospel armor,
each piece put on with pray'r;
where duty calls, or danger,
be never wanting there.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle,
the next the victor's song:

to him that overcometh
a crown of life shall be;
he with the King of glory
shall reign eternally.