But wait! Hold your radio tubes just a second mister...I thought the legendary singer Tennessee Ernie Ford did the song "Sixteen Tons"! What gives?
You are absolutely right!!! One of Tuesday's Musical Notes' favorite singers/entertainers, Tennessee Ernie Ford covered the song "Sixteen Tons" after it was recorded and released by its writer Merle Travis, the Country Music Hall of Famer who is credited with coming up with the "Travis Picking" style of guitar fingerpicking. This method, rooted in the Ragtime style music of the '20s, has the guitarist playing the chords and bass line with his thumb, while the melodies are simultaneously picked by the index finger.
Obviously, Travis' most famous song is today's feature, "Sixteen Tons". The 1947 recording by Travis on Capitol records failed to chart, but fast forward 8 years and Tennessee Ernie Ford would take the song all the way to #1 on Billboard Charts. "Sixteen Tons" tells the story of coal miners, as do many of Merle Travis songs, who are constantly troubled by the balance of needing to work and the hard labor in which they find themselves.
"Sixteen Tons" has been performed and covered many times. Artists all over the musical spectrum have taken its somber tone and used it to entertain thousands. It has been translated into languages all over the world. It has also been used several times in tv and movies including the 1990 Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan film, Joe Versus the Volcano. Watch Eric Burden's version here: "Sixteen Tons" by Eric Burden opening song feature in the 1990 film Joe Versus the Volcano
The mining industry has made great advances in the 73 years since "Sixteen Tons" was written. Labor unions and management have worked together to ensure safer environments. (Imagine people working together on a common problem to come up with equitable solutions...) The world's reliance on coal as a fuel source has diminished significantly as well. Even with these changes, coal mining is one of the most dangerous and hardest physical labor jobs one can imagine. But hard work is really nothing new for folks...
Since the Garden of Eden expulsion, hard work has been at the forefront of man's existence. Genesis 3:17-19 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel This necessity of difficult labor hadn't changed very much by the time Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharoah as messengers from God. They were instructed to relay the message to Pharaoh of the impending release of the Children of Israel from bondage. The story continues...
We find Moses and Aaron telling Pharaoh to allow the Israelites the opportunity to go into the desert for a worship service. Pharoah was astounded that they would suggest such a break in the flow of work coming from the Israelites. We have seen recently what interruptions can occur when workers do not work. (Fortunately, we live in a time where we aren't making bricks out of mud and straw, but the disturbance in regularity has been equally distressing.) Pharaoh would have none of it and in fact, Moses' request caused even more work for the Israelites.
"Some people say a man is made out of mud..."
The depictions of the plight of the Israelites that we see in the movies like The Ten Commandments or Prince of Egypt probably do not begin to demonstrate the reality of how hard the work conditions were for these folks. I wonder if sixteen tons of bricks would have been a "light" day for them as they labored in the straw and mud. Moses' request made it even more difficult as they now had to go and gather the previously supplied straw that they needed, without any let down in output.
Moses and Aaron wind up in some really hot water. They had just come out of an incredible worship service with the leadership of Israel, were excited to go about doing what God had told them to do and what happens, they made matters worse. How can this be? They followed God's instructions to the letter and it only made Pharaoh AND the Israelites angry with them.
Have you ever had a moment in your life that is similar? You have prepared for weeks, followed all the rules, given a brilliant presentation of your work and...everything blows up, nothing goes to plan, and things get bad. Your solutions are looked upon as causing more difficulty than the problem with which you began. You start all over while the approaching deadline remains the same. How can this be?
Let's face it. We do not live in a perfect world. In fact, we chose not to live in a perfect world in the Garden of Eden. (see "Don't Know What You Got ('Til Its Gone)" (Cinderella)) Even when we execute God's plan to the minutest detail, there are opportunities for it to blow up in our faces because of the sin that exists in the fallen world in which we live.
The solution? Stay with God! Listen to Holy Spirit as He guides you to the next step (even if that is back to step 1). Be faithful. God is perfect and He does not change! Malachi 3:6 NASB/The Message/KJV Know that His plan will be accomplished regardless of the setbacks that may come your way!!! Isaiah 55:8-11 NASB/The Message/KJV Our role as we wait on God? Be ready for the miraculous that He is about to perform. Exodus 14:13 NASB/The Message/KJV
"You load sixteen tons, and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt..." Even during your heavy labor, God is there providing for you. He gives you strength and comfort for your labor.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB/The Message/KJV Follow His lead and what do you get...His blessings in your life that you cannot even imagine.
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
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