Psalms 136

Psalms 136:1

Psalm 136: The Great Hallel!What makes this Psalm unique is that the second member of each of the twenty-six verses is the same antiphonal response, “for His mercy endures forever.” “If one everlasting is not enough,” wrote Thomas Goodwin, “there are twenty-six everlastings in this one psalm.” It is known as the Great Hallel, the singing of which was a regular part of the observance of both Pesach and Rosh Hashanahthe Jewish Passover and New Year celebrations. It was also used in their daily worship. The repetition of the theme is not tiresome; it says to us that the steadfast love of the Lord needs to be constantly before us and that the subject can never be exhausted. His kindness, loyalty and fidelity never fail. Call to Worship (136:1-3)The introduction summons us to give thanks to the LORD because of who He is, and because of His intrinsic goodness. He is Jehovahthe covenant-keeping Lord. He is the God of godssupreme over all the mighty rulers in the universe. He is the Lord of lordsthe sovereign over all who hold places of leadership, whether angelic or human. But He is not only great; He is good as wellgood as Creator, Redeemer, Guide, Champion and Provider for His people. Creator (136:4-9)His goodness and mercy are seen first of all in the great wonders of creation. By His wisdom He made the marvelous expanse of the heavens. He brought forth the continents as if they were enormous floating islands. He placed gigantic light fixtures in the skythe sun providing daylight, and the moon and stars as subdued lights for man’s bedroom hours. Redeemer (136:10-15)The Great Creator is also the Mighty Redeemer. In order to rescue His people from Egyptian tyranny, He cut down the flower of Egypt’s manhood, then took His people by His strong hand and led them out to freedom. To do this, He had to divide the Red Sea into two parts with a dry strip of land in between. Israel got through safely, but the soldiers of Pharaoh were engulfed when the waters returned to their place. It was a never-to-be-forgotten display of the steadfast love of Jehovah for His people. Guide (136:16)For forty years, God led the Israelites through the waste, howling wilderness. There were no paved highways, no road signs, no maps, but the Lord was all they neededthe Incomparable Guide. Champion (136:17-22)He even fought their battles for them. When King Sihon and King Og blocked their way, He soundly defeated them, and gave their land as part of Israel’s domain. Helper, Savior, Provider (136:23-25)As a sort of summary, the psalmist extols Jehovah for being the wonderful Helper, Savior and Provider that He is. He remembered Israel when the people were few in number, defenseless and oppressed. He rescued them out of the clutches of their enemies. He unfailingly provides food for all living things. The God of Heaven (136:26)We take Him too much for granted. Constant awareness of His personal greatness and His ceaseless mercy would cause us to give thanks to Him more and more.