PSALM
136
INTRODUCTION: Psalm 136 is one
of many psalms extoling the goodness of God, and it employs the repeated
refrain “His mercy endureth forever.” In other translations, this is rendered
“His love,” “His lovingkindness,” or “His grace.” The Amplified Version uses
multiple words for mercy:
Psalm
136:1 (AMP) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness
(graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever.
The author and occasion of
this psalm are unknown. The footnote to Psalm 136 in the Complete Jewish Bible explains some interesting facts about this
psalm:
The
sages note that the psalmist begins this Great Hallel by dedicating its
twenty-six verses to the special covenant name of God, YHVH, which also has the
numerical value of twenty-six. The refrain that “his grace continues forever”
is repeated twenty-six times within this psalm. According to rabbinic sources,
this corresponds to the twenty-six generations of humanity who lived from the
Creation to the giving of the Torah.
The psalmist praises God for
three aspects of His relationship to mankind. God is our Creator, Deliverer,
and Sustainer.
PSALM
136:1- 9
PRAISE
THE CREATOR
Psalm
136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD3068;
for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Susan: The psalmist uses 4 different
names for God. We will mark each one with a superscript of the Strong’s number and quote the
definition.
Susie: This
psalm is known as “The Great Hallel,” which could be rendered “The Great
Praise” and was recited on joyous occasions. It may have been an antiphonal
reading or song with the leader chanting or singing the first of each verse and
the congregation responding with “His mercy endureth forever.” It was chanted
after the Lesser Hallel, psalms 113-118, on the last day of the Passover.
Susan: The
Great Hallel begins with an exhortation to give intense, thankful praise to the
self-Existent One, the One who has always been.
The
New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
3068 Yehôvâh:
from 1961: (the) self-Existent or Eternal: Jehovah, Jewish national name of
God—Jehovah, the Lord.
Susie: We are to give thanks because
God is good. God is consistently, completely, perfectly good. Jesus explained
to the rich, young ruler that God is the only One who is truly good.
Matthew
19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but
one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Susie: God’s
goodness, mercy, grace, and lovingkindness never fail. Unlike an earthly father
who may abandon his children physically or emotionally, our Father God remains
faithful to His children. Those of us who have been adopted into God’s forever
family need not fear that His grace and goodness will run out.
Psalm
136:2 O give thanks unto the God430 of gods: for his mercy endureth
for ever.
430
ĕlôhîym: plural of 433: god in the ordinary sense, but spec. used (in the plur.
Thus, espec. with the art.) of the supreme God . . .
Susie: The
word for God here is plural. In Hebrew making a work plural is one way of
saying the superlative. Therefore, He is not just a god, but The Supreme God.
Susan: This plural
word, Elohim, is expressing the triune nature of God Himself who is Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit—one cohesive person with three distinct roles.
Susie: That’s
a lot packed into one word! Wow! He is God above all other “gods” who are
helpless idols.
Psalm
136:3 O give thanks to the Lord113 of lords: for his mercy endureth
for ever.
The
New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
113
âdôwn; from an un-used root (mean. To rule): sovereign, i.e. Controller (human
or divine):—lord, master, owner.
Susie: God is
our Sovereign, our King, and even more than that our Master, our Owner. That
may grate on some people to think of being “owned;” but if we belong to Jesus,
He possesses us.
Susan: We are
God’s prized possession, His precious
jewel, for which Jesus willingly offered Himself to die on the cross to redeem
us.
Malachi
3:17a (AMPC) And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I
publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special
possession, My peculiar treasure).
Susie: I just
realized that He is the Lord, the Master, of other lords. He is sovereign over
all the leaders of the world whether or not they acknowledge Him as Savior.
Ultimately, no one gains a place of authority unless God has allowed it.
Romans
13:1 Everyone is to obey the governing authorities. For there is no authority
that is not from God, and the existing authorities have been placed where they
are by God.
Susan: Jesus
is the Royal of all royals.
Revelation
17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for
he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called,
and chosen, and faithful.
Psalm
136:4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Susan: The
awesomeness of creation displays God’s great wonders.
Susie: The
psalmist begins with the general description of what God has done; but in the
next few verses, he names specific wondrous creations of the Lord.
Psalm
136:5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Susie: Through
creation, God shows Himself to be not only all-powerful, but all-wise. His
wisdom is displayed in the skies, the exact atmosphere needed to sustain
life—plant, animal, and human on the earth.
Psalm
136:6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy
endureth for ever.
Susan: God,
in His sovereignty, even has authority over the seas and their waves.
Genesis
1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one
place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Job
38:11 (VOICE) And I said to the sea, “Here you may come, but no farther. And
here is the shore where your grand waves will crash.”
Susie: God
and Job had quite the discussion about Who is in control of all of creation.
Susan: I love
the Nicole C. Mullen song “My Redeemer Lives.” It brings the truth of this
Psalm alive. You can listen to it here:
Susie: This
song which is a paraphrase of the passage in Job, not only makes apparent the
sovereignty of God but also embodies the idea that “His mercy endureth
forever.”
Psalm
136:7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Susie: Once
again, the psalmist begins with the general and moves on to the specific. In
general, God created great lights. Plants don’t grow without light, and people
cannot see without light.
Psalm
136:8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth forever:
Susan: Without
the light and warmth of the sun; people, plants, and animals would die. All
living things are dependent upon the sun and the Son whether they realize it or
not.
Susie: It
warms the water to make it inhabitable for all types of sea life. We’ve noted
this in the study of other psalms, but Jesus was described as both light and
life in the Gospel of John.
John
1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John
8:12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he
that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John
14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me.
Susie: Therefore, the sun that rules the day can
remind us of the Son who rules everything!
Psalm
136:9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Susan: In the
midst of darkness, God provides the lesser lights of the moon and the stars.
Without at least a glimmer of light, our eyes would not function. The moon also
controls the tides which affects all kinds of life.
Genesis
1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the
lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Susie: Creation,
nature, demonstrates the unfailing mercy of our Master because He has provided
everything we need to live on this planet called earth. His mercy, His love,
His grace, truly do endure forever!
Susan: Jesus
is the greatest light for in the new heavens and new earth, He will be the only
light necessary.
Revelation
21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it:
for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Susie: In
ways, we as Christians, are “lesser lights.”
Matthew
5:14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Philippians
2:15 (NIV) so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without
fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like
stars in the sky.
Susan: As the moon reflects the sun, we are to
reflect the Son.
QUESTIONS
1. What
are the various meanings of the word translated “mercy” in the King James
Version of Psalm 136?
2. Psalm
136 is called the Great Hallel and is recited after the Lesser Hallel, Psalms
113-118, on the last day of Passover. Read Psalms 113-118 and note similarities
between these psalms and Psalm 136.
3. God is
described as “self-existent.” What does that mean to you?
4. When
you think of “belonging to God,” do you see it as belonging in the sense of being
part of His family or that God owns you and is your master? Or is it both?
5. In
what ways does creation reveal God to mankind?
6. How
are we as Christians similar to the moon and stars?
7. As the
lesser lights, we are to reflect Jesus to the people around us. Evaluate your
performance as a lesser light. Journal about what would help you shine more
effectively.
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