Joachim Neander was born in Bremen, Germany in 1650. In his early years, he lived a riotous and immoral life. At about age 20, he and a group of his friends decided to attend a Christian service conducted by a visiting preacher. Their intentions were to heckle and ridicule the pastor for the fun of it. That didn’t work out the way he intended because he heard the gospel and God saved him that night.
After his conversion, he was influenced by Philipp Spener who began the Pietist Revival Movement in the Lutheran Churches in Germany.
Joachim began teaching, writing poetry, and occasionally preaching in the church but, because of his pietistic convictions, there was tension between him and the head minister. He could not, in good conscience, participate in the dead rituals of the church. After about two years, he was suspended and spent a lot of time in the surrounding hills and valleys.
The suspension was not long, though; maybe about two weeks. but the gossip that spread, resulted in a local legend that he had become a hermit living in a cave near the river in the valley.
Joachim wrote about 60 hymns before he died at the early age of 30 years.
After his death, the river was named for him. The German word for valley or dale, is Thal, so the river’s valley became known as Neander Thal.
About two hundred years later, some dead man’s bones were found in a quarry in the Neander Valley. Those bones became the famous remains of a mythical early evolutionary man who was named, NeanderThal Man, for the place where his bones were found.
One Commentator, Tim Chaffey, of Answers in Genesis, wrote, “The words, ‘Bitter Irony’ come to my mind when I think of this hymn which is a wonderful reminder to praise God for the tremendous blessings He gives us. So, where’s the irony?
“Ironically, instead of being remembered as the author of a beloved hymn about the ‘the King of creation,’ Neander’s name will continue to be linked with humanistic beliefs about the origin of man that deny the work of the Creator.
“Perhaps now when you hear about Neanderthal Man, you will remember to PRAISE “THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY, THE KING OF CREATION” for His marvelous provision and thank Him for faithful servants like Joachim Neander who penned these inspiring words.”
This hymn is loosely based on Psalms 103 and 150.
“Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
“Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
“Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
“Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
“Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!” Ps. 150
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