His Love Endures Forever
Psalm 136: 1-26
His love endures forever DIG: This psalm is called “the Great Hallel” and is recited at the Pesach Seder. What is the purpose of the “call and response” to prayer? What types of “wonders” are listed? In what different spheres of life has ADONAI been actively involved? How so? How are the acts of verses 10 and 17-20 signs of God’s everlasting love? How can the refrain be translated? Is the refrain monotonous or does it center your thoughts?
REFLECT: Which one of the wonders listed here especially moves you to thanksgiving? Why do you think ADONAI so earnestly calls us to give thanks in his and other psalms? Is there anything you want to thank YHVH for? Why? Do you ever tell yourself that God’s love for you is conditional, dependent on your performance? How can you hold on to the reality that God’s love is unconditional and once you are saved, you are His child and He loves you?
Yes, indeed, His love endures forever.
The general theme of this Psalm is a call to praise ADONAI on account of what He, in nature and history, has revealed Himself to be. This is the Great Hallel psalm, which was associated with the Pesach Seder. While we do not know who wrote this Psalm, we do know that it was sung in Solomon’s Temple (Second Chronicles 7:3 and 6), and by the armies of Jehoshaphat when they sung themselves into victory in the wilderness of Tekoa (Second Chronicles 20:20-21). The chief characteristic of the Psalm, so immediately apparent, is the recurrence, twenty-six times, of the refrain for His love endures forever. These lovely words are included in every verse. Being an expression of relationship, the word love (Hebrew: chesed) could be translated faithfulness, kindness, goodness, mercy, love or compassion, but primarily loyalty to a covenant (see the commentary Ruth, to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed). The repetition of this phrase was for liturgical reasons. It was to be sung responsively, either by the Levitical singers or by the congregation.187
A. Call to Worship: These verses give us a threefold call to worship. Here, we are encouraged to: Give thanks to ADONAI, for He is good (1), His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods (2), His love endures forever. And give thanks to the LORD of lords (3), His love endures forever (Psalm 136:1-3). In this exhortation we learn that we are to worship ADONAI, the personal God of Isra’el (Exodus 3:14). He is also the God of gods, there are no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3). He is also the LORD of lords, there is no other dominion or authority above Him.
But why are we to worship this God? The answer is not merely because He exists. We are to worship Him because He has revealed Himself to us worthy of our worship. He is good; that is, He is perfect and brings all things to His perfection. But this is not the bottom line. Even more than His goodness is His love, which endures forever. He is the God who commits Himself unconditionally to His people and never abandons that commitment (Deuteronomy 31:6-8). We change, the world changes, but ADONAI endures forever and His love never wavers toward us. No wonder we are to worship this God. But how are we to understand His love? The answer is given by surveying God’s power in creation. In the created world where we live, God commits Himself to us.
B. Praise to the Creator: It is of utmost importance for the Bible that the God of Redemption is also the God of Creation. It is from His throne that He brings all things into being. As He creates us, He addresses His court, which consists of the holy angels gathered before Him. This explains why He says in the plural: Let us make man in our image (Genesis 1:27). Since He is the Creator, when He redeems us, He is not redeeming us from creation; He is redeeming us as His fallen creation.
The psalmist calls us to give thanks to God, who alone does great wonders. These great wonders or miracles are usually related to His mighty acts of redemption. Here, however, they are applied to His acts of creation. He is the God that by His understanding made the heavens. As Proverbs tells us: ADONAI by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding He established the heavens (Proverbs 3:19). What this means is that He has a divine plan in creation, which comes through His wisdom. He also spread out the earth upon the waters, made the great lights, the sun to govern the day, the moon and stars to govern the night (Genesis 1:14-18). In the creation, YHVH shows us His power, His order, and His sovereign plan for the world. It is also upheld by Him, and a sign of His covenant love. As we meditate on each facet of His great wonders, we are to remember that all of this comes from Him by reciting: His love endures forever (Psalm 136:4-9).188
C. Praise to the Redeemer: Having dwelt on the wonder of creation, and having there found so many reasons for thanksgiving and praise, the psalmist now turns to another great wonder, the deliverance of Isra’el from Egypt from bondage. This section of the Psalm parallels Psalm 135:8-9 where the psalmist exhorts us to praise him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt. This was the last and the greatest of the plagues (see the commentary on Exodus By – At Midnight the LORD Struck Down all the Firstborn in Egypt). He brought Isra’el out from among them, they would never again return to Egyptian bondage. Here is another instance of the loving kindness that endures forever, and another reason for praise. YHVH was their Redeemer from slavery. It was evident that only a divine power could have accomplished it. How right that the remembrance of the exodus should be an integral part of the Great Hallel, the psalm of praise.
Having brought His people out from Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, Ha’Shem then divided the Sea of Reeds for them. The waters obeyed their Creator and stood up in walls on either side of the pathway which God designed. He brought Isra’el through the midst of it to freedom, but swept the tyrant Pharaoh and his army, pursuing with their horses and chariots into the Sea of Reeds. The Redeemer had fulfilled His promise that His love endures forever (Psalm 136:10-15).
D. Through the Wilderness: Deliverance from Egypt was not ADONAI’s entire purpose for His people. His intention was to lead His people through the wilderness, but the inhospitable wilderness lay between Egypt and Canaan. This part of the psalm is analogous to Psalm 135:10-12. Having led them out, now the LORD led them on, until their way was barred by great nations (Ps 135:10) whose kings are described as great, mighty, and famous. These were men of valor, men of renown, mighty in battle. As in Psalm 135, two of them are particularly identified, Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. Those kings blocked Isra’el’s way to Canaan, and, despite their fame and might, Ha’Shem struck them down.
In the plan and purpose of ADONAI, the land of Sihon and Og was not legitimately theirs. God had reserved it for Isra’el His firstborn, and those who lived there were merely squatters. The Land had been given to them as an inheritance, an inheritance which would forever after be disputed by the Gentile nations. His love endures forever (Psalm 136:16-22). Isra’el was not only His firstborn, but also His servant. Those who had been the slaves of Pharaoh were now servants of YHVH. The LORD had demanded of Pharaoh: Let My people go, that they may serve Me (Exodus 9:1 and 13, 10:3). Pharaoh had oppressed them, but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would give them a land of their own: His love endures forever.
C. Praise to the Redeemer: It was not the greatness of the children of Isra’el that prompted the LORD to free them from their enemies. They were but a feeble people, a nation of slaves. But He remembered their low estate. It could be said of them, “ADONAI did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples. But it was because you were the fewest of all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7). In His sovereign grace, He had remembered them, and had redeemed them from enemies far greater than they. It was the reason for giving thanksgiving and praise: His love endures forever (Psalm 136:23-24).
B. Praise to the Creator: He gives food to every creature. But great as His love for Isra’el might be, ADONAI’s gracious redemption is not confined to the apple of His eye. This even goes beyond the boundaries of humanity. Another Psalm declares: The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:15-16). It is not only mankind, but animals and birds, also, reptiles and fish, and even the flying and creeping insects of the land, air, and sea, are still dependent upon Him who cares for us all. Yes, indeed, we can all enthusiastically join in the refrain: His love endures forever (Psalm 136:25).
A. Call to worship: The Great Hallel ends as it began, with a renewed appeal to grateful people to render due thanksgiving to the God of heaven. How wonderful is this, that the praise of those on the earth should ascend to YHVH in heaven. Heaven and earth in one accord, uniting in praise, cry out: His love endures forever (Psalm 136:26).189
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