Psalm 136
God is faithful in His mercy. It never fails, and it never ceases. And it's just that faithful mercy that's the key to life and salvation for any of us fallen human beings. This psalm celebrates that wonderful fact. By singing it responsively, the people would be reminded of just how many aspects of their own lives and how much of the life of their nation as well depended upon the faithfulness and mercy of their covenant God.
The psalm begins by exhorting the people to give thanks to their wonderful God of mercy. He's so good to each and every one of His people! In fact, even though He's the God of gods and the Lord of lords, even though He's the sovereign God of the entire universe, yet even such a God rejoices to be merciful to His people! In fact it's just because of His awesome nature that the exercise of His mercy is so wonderful.
He was faithful in mercy even though Israel was often involved in unfaithfulness and iniquity. Even then Israel's Covenant God could and did exercise mercy toward them through His forgiveness and even through His correction.
The next stanza, also, continues this theme of the awesomeness of Israel's God of mercy. It celebrates a Lord Who "does great wonders" - Who in wisdom made the heavens, the earth, the stars, the sun, and the moon. But yet it's still wonderfully evident, that, in and through all of these great and wondrous works, mercy continues to be exercised. It's even a fact that all of His wonderful creation supports, in an abundant way, the lives of His people!
The psalm continues with a stanza about the overwhelming display of God's power in delivering Israel from Egypt. He delivered them from Pharoh, brought them through the wilderness, protected them from the powerful kings of Canaan, and finally blessed them with a land "flowing with milk and honey." Each specific act of Jehovah in that mighty sequence of events was performed, in fact, just because "His mercy endures forever." It endured through every step His people took!
Summing up this beautiful recital of God's ever-present mercy, leader and people sing that their God "remembered us in our lowly state . . . rescued us from our enemies" – again because "His mercy endures forever!" All this mercy of God wasn't extended because Israel was better than other nations – it was extended to them in their "lowly estate" – in their sinful waywardness, stubbornness, and forgetfulness! That's true for ourselves as well!
Looking back upon all the mercy God has exercised, the leader finally sings, "Oh give thanks to the God of heaven!" The people appropriately respond with the ever-more-meaningful chorus, "For His mercy endures forever!"
How is it in your life? Does not the Lord of all govern even the minutest aspect of it? And can you not see in that lordship His ever-present mercy? "Oh give thanks to the God of heaven, for His mercy endures forever!" And it's true for every local church as well. You can count on it as you pray for your church. It will not cease.
We are so lucky that Our God is merciful....gosh yes. He kept faith with the children of Israel during their wanderings..even when they sacrificed to the golden calf....He still led them onwards to the land He promised to give them.
I am so glad He remembered our utter weakness.....v 23.
Praise Him!
Thank-you dear Pastor.
Jenny.
Oh how many "golden calfs" there are in our own lives! Oh thank Him that He doesn't simply drop us.
Oh yes Al...I thik that must be a subject for discussion somewhere...
"How many golden calves in your life"......makes one think...what are my golden calves? Can I count them? Can I be honest with myself about them?
Oh gosh now you have got me thinking Pastor... ::)
God Bless.
Jenny