An Old Account Was Settled

There was a time on earth, when in the book of Heav’n
An old account was standing for sins yet unforgiv’n;
My name was at the top, and many things below,
I went unto the Keeper, and settled long ago.

Chorus
Long ago (down on my knees), long ago (I settled it all),
Yes, the old account was settled long ago (Hallelujah!);
And the record’s clear today, for He washed my sins away,
When the old account was settled long ago.

The old account was large, and growing every day,
For I was always sinning, and never tried to pay;
But when I looked ahead, and saw such pain and woe,
I said that I would settle, I settled long ago.

When in that happy home, my Savior’s home above,
I’ll sing redemption’s story, and praise Him for His love;
I’ll not forget that book, with pages white as snow,
Because I came and settled, and settled long ago.

O sinner, trust the Lord, be cleansed of all your sin,
For thus He hath provided for you to enter in;
And then if you should live a hundred years below,
Up there you’ll not regret it, you settled long ago.

I was reminded of this great Red-back hymnal tune recently.  I have had this song on my “to-do” list for awhile, but just hadn’t gotten to it.  As an accountant by trade, I am partial to the “bookkeeping” imagery found in this song.  This song was written by Frank Monford Graham in the early 1900’s.  Mr. Graham was an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church.  He was a district superintendent in northern Georgia from 1895 to 1915.  He was also one of the founders of what eventually became Southern Wesleyan University in Central, South Carolina.  I couldn’t find much else about Mr. Graham online.  I wondered if he was an accountant or bookkeeper before he became a minister, and maybe that was his inspiration for this song.  Or maybe, a coal miner that had bought things from the “company store.”  A place where he always seemed to owe more than he could repay.  Maybe his account was constantly in a deficit.  I don’t know for sure.  But I do know there is truth found in the words to this great song.  Each of us has a sin debt that has to be paid.  Money can’t repay it.  Works can’t repay it.  Righteous living can’t repay it.  No, only the shed blood of Jesus can pay the debt of sin.  But I am grateful today that my account has been settled.  It wasn’t settled by anything that I could do on my own though.  My “money” was no good in the company store.  Only Jesus could pay that debt for me, and I am so glad He did.

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “My name was at the top, and many things below” – Two things I like about this line.  One is that the author was honest enough to admit that his name was at the top.  Paul echoed this kind of sentiment when he referred to himself as the chief of sinners in I Timothy 1:15.  He was honest enough to admit he wasn’t a “saint” looking for Jesus to forgive just a few things.  He was a “top of the list” kind of sinner.  The second thing I like is that the author summarizes his personal list of sins with the word “many.”  He doesn’t go into detail about his sins, and I am glad he didn’t.  But he was honest once again by admitting that his sins were “many.”  Chapter 59 of the Book of Isaiah has some things to say about sin, confession and redemption.  Here’s what Isaiah says in verse 12 “For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities…”  That kind of honest assessment is the beginning of true repentance.

• “The record’s clear today for He washed my sins away” – In Isaiah Chapter 1, the writer starts off in the first 15 verses with some really hard words about the record of the sins of Israel.  Let me share with you a few of those verses:

Verse 4 “Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.”

Verse 13 “Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.”

Verse 15 “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!”

But I am grateful for verse 18 of Isaiah Chapter 1.  It gives me hope.  It is a settlement offer from God.  Here’s what Isaiah wrote “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”  God’s desire was to settle the account.  To clean the slate.  To wash away their sin.  What a beautiful picture of His love and mercy!

As an accountant, I have had lots of different accounting type jobs in my life.  Cashier at Red Lobster in high school.  Internal Auditor.  Assistant Controller.  Underwriter.  Lots of funny names for jobs that had some tie into Accounting.  What I have never done, though, is be a bookkeeper.  I have worked with many bookkeepers over the years in different jobs, and I have found out a few things about bookkeepers.  Bookkeepers know what is going on inside a company.  They not only know how the money comes in, and how the money goes out, they also know who does what, when, where, how, and why.  Sometimes they know more than the boss about what goes on day-to-day.  Bookkeepers that I have known in many ways were “know it alls.”

In Heaven, there is a bookkeeper.  He is the Keeper of the Lamb’s Book of Life.  This “Bookkeeper” knows whose names are in the Book, and whose names are not in it.  He knows it all.  The secret sins of our past.  The sins we may commit today.  But He also knows whose account has been settled.  Whose heart has been washed, forgiven, and redeemed.  Whose account is showing “Paid in Full.”

So I want to ask you today – Has your account been settled?  I know for most of you on the “Hymn of the week” list, you would answer like the author of this hymn did, and say “Yes, the old account was settled long ago, Hallelujah!!”  But do you know anybody that has a balance due on their account?  Someone that hasn’t met the “Bookkeeper?”  That hasn’t seen their sin debt for what it is – A debt that they cannot pay on their own.  I know you know someone like this, and I hope this hymn reminds you to tell them about the day your account was settled, and tell them where to find the “Bookkeeper.”  He is waiting with pen in hand waiting to write another name in the Book of Life.  Waiting to settle an old account, and mark it “Paid in Full.”