Psalm 136
The Lovingkindness of Jehovah Endureth Forever
By Dr. David L. Cooper
Biblical Research Monthly
November, 1958
Only until recently have I appreciated Psalm 136. The reason, humanly speaking, is that in every verse occurs the clause: "For his lovingkindness endureth forever." Because of a seemingly monotonous repetition of this phrase, I constantly passed by the facts, the great fundamental truths and principles mentioned in each verse. Since the Lord has opened my eyes to see the marvelous truths of this Psalm, I consider it one of the profoundest in the book.
The Psalm falls into six natural divisions:
I. Exhortation to Praise the Trinity (vs. 1-3).
II. God's Work in Creation and Reconstruction (4-9).
III. The Exodus of Israel from Egypt (vs. 10-15).
IV. Israel's Entering into Canaan (vs. 16-22).
V. God's Remembering Israel in a National Crisis (vs. 23,24).
VI. Jehovah Feeding all Flesh (vs. 25,26).
As we study the Psalm, we shall see that everything which is mentioned is an act of God's sovereign grace. He is the lone Sovereign of the universe (I Chron. 29:10-12). He is the one who works all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephes. 1:11). Moreover, He works everything together for the good of those who love Him, even those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).
I. Exhortation to Praise the Trinity
Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
2 Oh give thanks unto the God of gods;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
3 Oh give thanks unto the Lord of lords;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever. (Psalm 136:1-3).
Since in these verses there are three exhortations to give thanks to Jehovah (vs. 1), to the God of gods (vs. 2), and to the Lord of lords (vs. 3), it is quite obvious that the Holy Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—is referred to. This block of Scripture reminds one of Jacob's blessing the sons of Joseph: "And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath fed me all my life long unto this day, 16 the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth" (Gen. 48:15,16). It also reminds one of the priestly blessing invoked upon the nation of Israel by the sons of Aaron: "And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel: Ye shall say unto them,
24 Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee:
25 Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 Jehovah lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 So shall they put my name upon the children of Israel;
and I will bless them" (Num 6:22-27).
In this connection, one naturally thinks of the song sung by the seraphim to the Trinity. On this point Isaiah says: "And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 6:3). Without a doubt the three divine personalities constituting the Holy Trinity are here referred to.
In the New Testament the Trinity is referred to on two occasions as the God-head: "Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the God-head is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man" (Acts 17:29), and "Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: 9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:8,9).
Since in Psalm 136:1-3 each of the persons of the Holy Trinity is mentioned, the lovingkindness of each is referred to. The Old Testament term "lovingkindness" is equivalent to the New Testament word "grace," unmerited favor. As we have already seen, mention is made of God's lovingkindness and of its enduring for ever in connection with every historical fact mentioned in the Psalm. The Psalmist wishes the worshiper to recognize that everything and every experience that comes into the life of Israel, or into the lives of Christians, is a matter of God's free, sovereign grace.
II. God's Work in Creation and Reconstruction
"To him who alone doeth great wonders;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
5 To him that by understanding made the heavens;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
6 To him that spread forth the earth above the waters;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
7 To him that made great lights;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
9 The moon and stars to rule by night;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever" (Psa. 136:4-9)
In this section the worshiper is urged to render thanksgiving to Him
"Who alone doeth great wonders . . . (vs. 4);
To him that by understanding made the heavens . . . (vs. 5);
To him that spread forth the earth above the waters . . . (vs. 6);
To him that made great lights" . . . (vs. 7).
God, the Holy Trinity, is the only one who does great wonders. He is the creator of the universe. The works and wonders that are performed by created beings are not thought of in this verse as wonders. What they do is by derived power conferred upon them by the Almighty, but He alone created the universe: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1).
He is the great Astronomer and knows every detail concerning the heavenly bodies, for it is by understanding that He made the heavens. It is quite probable that verse 4 and 5 are referring to the original creation, but the earth, according to Genesis 1:2, was made "waste and void"—some catastrophe struck the earth. God repaired the damage wrought, as described in Genesis 1:2-31. Verse 6 probably refers to the work of the third day mentioned in Genesis, chapter I, for on that day the waters receded and the dry land appeared. Verses 7, 8 and 9 doubtless refer to the work of the fourth day of Genesis, chapter I. When God created the universe and reconstructed it after the catastrophe, He was showing lovingkindness and grace.
Some people think that the Bible teaches that the sun, moon, and stars were created on the fourth day (Genesis, chapter I). They were created "in the beginning." When the catastrophe struck the earth it was enveloped in darkness. On the fourth day, however, light from the heavenly bodies penetrated this darkness and reached the earth. Doubtless, it is to this fact that both the Genesis account and our Psalm refer.
III. The Exodus of Israel from Egypt
"To him that smote Egypt in their first-born;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
11 And brought out Israel from among them;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
13 To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever" (Psa. 136:10-15).
Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh and smote the country with ten plagues, the last of which was the slaying of the first-born of the Egyptians. It is to this special judgment of God that reference is made in verse 10. In God's slaying the first-born of the Egyptians, He was extending His lovingkindness toward all concerned, especially to Israel, through whom the Lord plans to bless the world.
In the language of the book of Exodus, the writer informs the reader that God brought Israel forth from Egypt "with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. . . ." In His doing so, He was extending lovingkindness to His people. They did not merit any such treatment.
It was He Who divided the Red Sea and made Israel to pass through the midst of it on dry ground. In the Lord's thus parting the sea and furnishing a path through it for Israel, He was extending grace to them. For in every act which He performed in their behalf, He was simply extending unmerited favor to them. (For an account of the opening up of the Red Sea and Israel's passing through, see especially Exodus 15:1-18).
When Israel reached the opposite shore, the waters returned to their normal condition. Pharaoh's army, attempting to follow Israel through the sea, was completely wiped out. Thus, Israel enjoyed a mighty deliverance on that day. The Psalmist called attention to the fact that that event was an expression of God's lovingkindness to them. Truly the Lord's mercies are renewed morning by morning to His people.
IV. Israel's Entering Into Canaan
"To him that led his people through the wilderness;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
17 To him that smote great kings;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
18 And slew famous kings;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of Amorites;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
20 And Og king of Bashan;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
21 And gave their land for a heritage;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
22 Even a heritage unto Israel his servant;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever (Psalm 136:16-22).
Moses and Aaron led the Hebrews to Mount Sinai, where God delivered to His people His law, and where the tabernacle was set up. All along the way of their trek from the Red Sea through the wilderness to the Jordan, God showered His blessings of grace and mercy upon them, providing miraculously for their every need.
In verses 17-20, our Psalmist refers to God's smiting great kings in the land and of Israel's taking possession of the country. He mentions two of them, Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bashan. Thus, they conquered the territory east of the Jordan; then they crossed over to the west side and in two series of campaigns they largely dispossessed the Canaanites and entered into their inheritance. Each victory which they won and each foot of land, which they gained, were reminders of God's lovingkindness toward Israel. According to verses 21 and 22, Israel entered into their inheritance and settled down to a peaceful life, which however, was at times interrupted by their enemies. Every advance step was an expression of God's lovingkindness which endures for ever toward His people.
God gave the Holy Land to Abraham and to his seed for ever. On account of disobedience and disloyalty to God, He was forced to spue them out of their own land and to scatter them among the nations, as they are at the present day. But the land is still theirs by Divine grant. "For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of" (Rom. 11:29). It will be by the grace of God that they are restored to their land and to God's favor.
V. God's Remembering Israel in a National Crisis
"Who remembered us in our low estate;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
24 And hath delivered us from our adversaries;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever" (Psalm 136:23, 24).
According to these verses, at sometime in the past, Israel was reduced to a very low state, but on account of the grace and mercy of God He delivered them from their adversaries. As to what national calamity the Psalmist refers in this verse, it is impossible to say. During the period of the judges Israel's history ran in cycles, each of which consisted of apostatizing from God, being delivered over to a foreign foe, crying out in genuine repentance to God for mercy and deliverance, and of God's raising up a judge who delivered them. It is altogether possible that our Psalmist had some of those national calamities in view, or in verse 23 it is possible that he referred to some national disaster that occurred during the days of the monarchy. Their being delivered from such a calamity shows an expression of God's lovingkindness to them.
VI. Jehovah Feeding all Flesh
"Who giveth food to all flesh;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
26 Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever" (Psa. 136:25,26).
In these closing verses of the Psalm, the writer lifts his eyes, as it were, and looks out upon the non-Jewish world, exclaiming that God provideth food and sustenance for all flesh.
At Lystra the Apostle Paul declared that same truth, saying, "Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is: 16 who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness. 18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes from doing sacrifice unto them (Acts 14: 15-18).
Our Psalmist concludes this magnificent hymn which magnifies the grace of God with these words:
"Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever" (vs. 26).
As has been stated, Psalm 136 was written specifically to show the people of Israel that every act which God performed in his behalf was an expression of His grace and kindness. Nothing which they enjoyed was a matter of merit or desert.
We Christians would do well if we would survey our entire lives, so far as memory can go, and see the providential hand of God working in our behalf and directing our ways.
"A man's heart deviseth his way;
But Jehovah directeth his steps" (Prov. 16:9).
Personally, I have had a few trials which at the time loomed up like rugged, high mountains before me, but in every instance the Lord solved the problem and removed the difficulty. His solving the problem was a matter of His sovereign grace. My wife and family and I deserved and merited nothing. We can say with the Psalmist, "His lovingkindness endureth for ever."
Friend, if you want to get the most our of this Psalm, go over your life and, being honest with yourself and with God, see how the lovingkindness of God has stepped in on every occasion of difficulty and has brought you deliverance. The Lord bless you is my prayer.
