Dwelling in Beulah Land

I grew up in a small country church where we sing from hymnals every Sunday. I have a few favorites — hymns I’ve memorized the lyrics to from singing them so much. The ones that I know exactly what page they are on, so when the song leader tells us what page to turn to I get a smile on my face.

One of my all-time favorite hymns to sing at church is Dwelling in Beulah Land. Page 549 in my church’s hymnal. 🙂

If you’ve heard this song before, you know it is upbeat. I think that’s one of the biggest reasons why I enjoy it so much — it’s happy and uplifting.

Here are the lyrics.

Far away the noise of strife upon my ear is falling;
Then I know the sins of earth beset on every hand;
Doubt and fear and things of earth in vain to me are calling;
None of these shall move me from Beulah Land.

Refrain:
I’m living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky, (Praise God!)
I’m drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry;
Oh, yes! I’m feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply,
For I am dwelling in Beulah Land.

Far below the storm of doubt upon the world is beating,
Sons of men in battle long the enemy withstand;
Safe am I within the castle of God’s Word retreating;
Nothing then can reach me—’tis Beulah Land.

Let the stormy breezes blow, their cry cannot alarm me;
I am safely sheltered here, protected by God’s hand;
Here the sun is always shining, here there’s naught can harm me;
I am safe forever in Beulah Land.

Viewing here the works of God, I sink in contemplation;
Hearing now His blessed voice, I see the way He planned;
Dwelling in the Spirit, here I learn of full salvation;
Gladly I will tarry in Beulah Land.

The first thing we probably think is, “What is Beulah Land?” or “Where is Beulah Land?” Most assume it means Heaven. I know that’s what I thought. But the word Beulah is only found once in the Bible in Isaiah 62.

Here it is in the New International Version.

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. -Isaiah 62:4

Here it is with a little more context from The Message.

Foreign countries will see your righteousness, and world leaders your glory. You’ll get a brand-new name straight from the mouth of God. You’ll be a stunning crown in the palm of God’s hand, a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God. No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You’ll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), Because God delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration. For as a young man marries his virgin bride, so your builder marries you, And as a bridegroom is happy in his bride, so your God is happy with you. -Isaiah 62: 2-5

Beulah, according to the Encyclopedia of the Bible, means married. It indicates the delight the Lord will have in His land with His people in its future state of blessing. This marriage relationship is used to portray God’s relationship with His people. Have you heard the analogy of Christ being the groom and the church being the bride? Beulah land is married land.

In this passage in Isaiah, it’s talking about God’s chosen people – Israel. Israel had been in a state of forlorn being called Desolate and Deserted. And yet, God chose to call her His spouse, a great honor. Before, Israel was like a woman being divorced or left as a widow. But God would change that. He would return with His mercy.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary states, “Instead of those two names of reproach, she shall be called two honorable names.”

1. Hephzibah, which means My Delight is in Her. Hephzibah was the name of Hezekiah’s queen, Manasseh’s mother from 2 Kings 21:1. The commentary says it is, “a proper name for a wife who ought to be her husband’s delight.”
2. Beulah, which means married. Matthew Henry’s Commentary talks about Isaiah 54:1 and Psalm 113:9.

“Thy land shall be married, that is, it shall become fruitful again, and be replenished. Though she has long been barren, she shall again be peopled, shall again be made to keep house and to be a joyful mother of children.”

“I am safe forever in Beulah land” the hymn says. Marriage is a forever commitment — married land is a forever covenant. I’m very happy to learn that Beulah doesn’t mean Heaven, but married. Now that I am married, I see the commitment and covenant it truly is. And I also see what a joy it can be to be married. But married to God? That’s a whole other level of joy!

This hymn isn’t talking about being with God once we die and leave this Earth. I believe it’s talking about being with God in the present — right here, right now. We can experience Beulah land now.

God can take our desolate, deserted, ruined, and rejected lives and turn them into something to be delighted in — like a barren woman becoming a joyful mother of children.

Verse 1 says, doubt and fear and things of Earth cannot move us from Beulah land. Doubt and fear and sin and evil and tragedy and heartbreak cannot divorce us from God. What a relief that is! Verse 3 says, let the stormy breezes blow, I am sheltered by God’s hand. Even in the midst of this life with all its struggles and trials, we are still protected by our Heavenly groom. Nothing can reach us when we are in Beulah land.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38

The chorus of this hymn reminds me of the joy we receive when we ask Jesus into our heart’s, when we enter a forever covenant with our God. When we enter married land, Beulah land. Yes, it is definitely a place with a cloudless sky — absolutely full of sunshine.

Listen to this hymn through the video below. If you can’t see it, click here to watch.

I’ve been doing a study with She Reads Truth on some of the classic hymns — learning where they came from, what they mean, and how they apply now. The two studies combined teach about 11 different hymns. But unfortunately, a few of my favorite hymns aren’t represented in these studies. So I’ve decided to do my own. This is my own research and my own take on this hymn.