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Weds 16 June - Psalm 136

Psalm 136

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures for ever.

to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures for ever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures for ever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures for ever.
who made the great lights –
His love endures for ever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures for ever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures for ever.

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures for ever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures for ever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures for ever.

13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures for ever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures for ever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures for ever.

16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures for ever.

17 to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures for ever.
18 and killed mighty kings –
His love endures for ever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures for ever.
20 and Og king of Bashan –
His love endures for ever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures for ever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures for ever.

23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures for ever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures for ever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures for ever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures for ever.

- - -

Meditation on Psalm 136

Where else in Scripture do you find a chorus repeated twenty six times?
Before you set out on a search, you won’t find what you are looking for!
In 1623 John Milton wrote his well-known hymn ‘Let us with a gladsome mind’ when he was sixteen years of age. Some say that the full hymn has twenty four verses but most hymnbooks will stop at six or seven.

In 1719 Isaac Watts published his work called ‘The Psalms of David imitated in the language of the New Testament’. Within that publication is his hymn ‘Give to our God immortal praise.’

The repetition of the chorus is to remind us of the mercy and the love of God in and through every situation.

It is another of the ‘Salvation – History Psalms’. Psalm 135 also comes under that title. 

 

Why the repetition?
Michael Wilcock says: ‘From the beginning of creation to the climax of redemption, from the first making of the heavens to the final inheritance of the saints, all is to be seen against the background of the love of God.’

 

David uses this phrase, ‘His love endures for ever’ as recorded in other places.

e.g. 1 Chronicles 16:34   ‘give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His love endures forever.’

2 Chronicles 5:13   “He is good; His love endures forever.” ’
Jeremiah 33:10-11 (following the destruction in the Babylonian conquest) “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; His love endures forever.”
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord.

Ezra 3:11 (when the foundation stone of the Temple had been laid) ‘with praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD, “He is good; his love toward Israel endures for ever.”

We, too, can often repeat the chorus His love endures forever.’ This is especially true of our salvation when the Psalmist says ‘he freed us from our enemies.’

As we trace through this Psalm, there are no names mentioned but we can identify situations across the history of God’s people.

Verses 1-3   We give thanks for who He is

    • He is good

 

  • He is the supreme God – the one and only true God

 

  • He is the Lord of lords

 

Verses 4-9 We give thanks for the wonders of His creation

  • the heavens and the earth
  • the sun and the moon

 

Verses 10-12 We give thanks for His rescue of His people out of Egypt.

This is summarised in the last of the ten plagues when the firstborn died in Egypt, except where there was blood on the doorposts and the lintels – “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”

  • about 650, 000 people were rescued
  • God’s mighty hand and outstretched arm

 

Verses 13-15 We give thanks for the way God made through the Red Sea

  • Israel came through
  • the Egyptians didn’t

 

Verses 16 We give thanks for the way God led His people through the wilderness – in spite of rebellion and disobedience.

 

Verses 17-22 We give thanks for the way in which God cleared the path into the Promised Land. He gave them a new home and an inheritance.

 

Verses 23-25 We give thanks for all He has done for us

  • His mercy
  • His redemption
  • His provisions

 

Verse 26 We give thanks to the God of heaven. 

 

As we look back over our lives, how many times could we sing the chorus, ‘His love endures for ever? Or, as one translation pouts it, ‘His love has no end.’

 

‘How good is the God we adore; our faithful, unchangeable friend.’

(Roger Purdom)

 

Daily Readings

Thursday 17 June - Psalm 137

Friday 18 June - Psalm 138

Saturday 19 June - Psalm 139

Sunday 20 June - Psalm 140

Monday 21 June - Psalm 141

Tuesday 22 June - Psalm 142

 

New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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