Blogging the Psalms

Blogging the Psalms -- Psalm 136

Psalm 136

"God is good!"

"All the time."

Or as this Psalmist would say: For He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

What a great song this would be if a modern singer-songwriter wanted to creates a melody for it! I wonder how this psalm was sung in the temples in Israel in ancient days. I imagine the cantor singing each new phrase, and the congregation responding: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever." It must've been fun to participate in.

The refrain praising God's mercy would resound through the temple or through the fields. It feels fun, triumphant.

Sometimes, it is difficult to find something to be thankful about. Often memory fails. The Bible often advocates that parents tell their children of the good deeds God has done. In this way, children also believe that God is a faithful, dependable, and near God and will learn to trust Him. But thankfulness is a talent that must be honed.

God established holidays because He wanted His people to remember the good He had done for them. . . lest they forget. In fact, in the Bible, unbelief in God is often equated with forgetting. Atheism, doubt, and unbelief are linked to people who forget the good that God has done for them. Thus, the feast of Passover and other feasts are meant to call to remembrance. They commemorate God's faithfulness. Other Jewish holidays -Purim and Chanukkah- were not God-ordained in the Jewish Torah, but they were added later to also show God's faithfulness.

Christians also use holidays to celebrate God's kindness to them. And throughout the world, most cultures celebrate some kind of harvest festival. Often the reason for holidays gets lost in all the festivities. This psalm relates miraculous events in the history of Israel but it is primarily about God's enduring mercy.

The psalm is a hymn to how God's mercy manifests itself. For instance, the mercy of having the sun and the moon. God in His mercy placed the moon in the right place to reflect the sun's light at night. How terrifying it would be for humans if night was entirely without any light!

But God's mercy is not only shown in the way He divides up the heavens, or by the wonders He does. It is shown in the way He differentiates between His people and those who are Not-His-People. It is shown in the way in which He cares for the oppressed and for all of humanity.

1O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

3O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

4To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

5To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

6To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

7To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

8The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

9The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

10To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:

11And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:

12With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

13To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:

14And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:

15But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

16To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

17To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

18And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

19Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:

20And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:

21And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:

22Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

23Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

24And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

25Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

26O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.