“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.”
MAIN POINT: When we see the patient, just, enduringly merciful love of God in Christ Jesus the just judge and king, we will be thankful.
Before I do any research into these words and what others say about the meaning here, I personally react to these words repeated over and over 26 times with these thoughts.
His = Jesus, God, my Shepherd, righteous King
Faithful = dependable, reliable, consistent
Love = caring, giving, humble, generous, patient, forgiving, protecting, providing, guiding, disciplining relationship
Endures = lasts, survives, overcomes, is unstoppable, long-suffering, tested
Forever = eternal, infinite, no beginning and no end, endless, always, timelessly
I’ll first compare several English translations and then look at the Dutch and French translations to see if I can gain more definite insights into this refrain.
One of the notable translations, the Amplified Bible, confirms what also the NKJV and KJV suggest as a direction or clarification to love being grace or mercy (goedertierenheid NL -NBG51):
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever.”
Psalms 136:1 Amplified Bible (AMP)
One of my first thoughts is to remind us that God never changes, He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The idea that there is an age of grace or a different pattern of working has more to do with the process and perception of God’s character in our maturing or degradation through sinfulness than with the character of God, because God never changes.
“You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing.
But you are always the same; you will live forever.””
“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.
He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
If you love God, then you love the God whose love endures forever, a love that acts like the description in Psalm 136. You probably misunderstood love. Because you have been lied to all your life concerning the nature of love, you may read Psalm 136 and think this is describing something other than love. But you obviously need to redefine your terms, because when God wants to illustrate, demonstrate, display and define His love, this is how He does it. So we can be sure this gives us the best idea of what love is. Who is God here? Our idea of love or God’s? Who is trustworthy in knowing how best to show love? God of course. And this is how He does it. So let's look at God’s love.
God’s love is understood through His self-existent goodness.
God’s love is seen in His ultimate leadership; He is Lord of lords.
God’s love is displayed in His mighty miracles. He has exclusive power.
God’s love is demonstrated in His creative abilities and works.
God’s love is obvious through His justice. Verse 10 shows justice: the Egyptians had forced the Hebrews to kill their children for generations. So when God did this He was showing loving justice. The Hebrews received from the Egyptians no mercy, but although Pharaoh's heart was hardened, the rest of the Egyptians could have listened to Moses and heeded the warnings and been saved from the plagues. In fact at least some Egyptians did escape the death angel and departed with the Hebrews. Here are three things to consider on that point:
Joseph's family and the two tribes of Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh, were definitely half Egyptian.
Exodus 12:37 speaks of a “mixed multitude.” Many scholars think this is not solely about men, women and children but of Hebrew and not Hebrew.
“The Israelites moved on from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 on foot, besides their dependents. Hebrews and non-Hebrews alike set out, not to mention the large flocks and herds of livestock. They baked unraised cakes with the bread dough they had brought out of Egypt; it hadn’t raised—they’d been rushed out of Egypt and hadn’t time to fix food for the journey.”
Exodus 12:37-39 The Message (MSG)
Some Jewish scholars point to a progressive change in the reaction of the Egyptians during the plagues. Such as this description by Allan S. Maller.
“Starting with the fourth plague, when the lice descend on Egypt and the Egyptian court magicians were powerless to imitate or stop it, they told Pharaoh, “this is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).
Later, during the plague of hail, we are told that Egyptian herdsmen were ordered by those who now believed Moses was a prophet of God, to bring their cattle inside, and those Egyptian cattle were spared (Exodus 9:20).
This foreshadows the opportunity the Egyptians will have to escape the consequences of the tenth plague.”
Maller points as well to the way that the Egyptians responded by giving their wealth willingly to the Israelites.
God still has a plan for Egypt.
“The LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the LORD and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make a vow to the LORD and will keep it.”
God’s love keeps His promise and defeats all opposition to His promise (Psalm 136:16, 24).
Like Pharaoh had been, Sihon and Og were opposed to God’s plans. And God did not allow these cruel and merciless killers to thwart His plan to bless and protect and lead and feed His people. They could have joined and followed God, but they chose to oppose the Almighty. But God in His love protected even His disobedient people to preserve the line that would give birth to the Saviour of the world, Jesus. What great love our God has. These kings saw the mighty works of God and refused to humble themselves. God revealed Himself to them, yet they were defiant. We have the assurance that God will not allow anything to stop His love for His children.
“38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
Conclusion: Give thanks to God. His love is unstoppable. Aren’t you grateful for justice and grace that never gives up and is always trustworthy? Such is the grace of God shown through His loving acts of mercy for all eternity, and all God’s people said thank you Lord Jesus!
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| Handwritten Psalm 136 |
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