Psalm 136
Notes
Transcript
Psalm 136
We as Christians are often stirred to sing songs about God’s Mercy and steadfast love for us.
It is overwhelming when we think that God loved us so much.
Psalm 136 is a song like these, it celebrates God’s chesed, a Hebrew word “for which no single English or other language equivalent can be found.”
In the KJV, chesed is usually translated either mercy or lovingkindness.
Other translations sometimes will translate it unfailing love, or steadfast love.
But really the word is so powerful that no single word in the English language comes close to defining it.
One Biblical language expert said, “Amazingly, the various words in the Old Testament used to describe chesed — lovingkindness, devotion, mercy, strength, grace, purity, loyalty, tenderness and steadfastness — bear a striking resemblance to the fruit of the Spirit.”
It is like chesed is all of the fruit of the Spirit wrapped up into one word.
The verses of Psalm 136 revolve around a well-known refrain, “His mercy endureth forever.”
This was a very common refrain sung by the Israelites.
But this refrain had be stopped during the Babylonian captivity, but Jeremiah prophesied that the people would sing it again one day:
10 Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,
11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.
This Psalm is the fulfillment of that Prophesy.
Those who returned to Jerusalem sang this Psalm, perhaps even at the worship service in Jerusalem when the temple foundation was laid.
In times of trail, we all need to be reminded of God’s love and mercy for and to us.
Remembering the great things He has done will be a help for us as this Psalm was for these that returned to faithful worship.
So let’s see how we can be assured of His great love for us, as we Praise Him for who He is!
As we read these verses I will read the 1st part, and Have you read the second part, which is “For his mercy endureth for ever.”
The way the Psalm is supposed to be sung.
I. He is LORD
I. He is LORD
1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: For his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: For his mercy endureth for ever.
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: For his mercy endureth for ever.
The call is made for the people to give thanks unto the Lord - Jehovah - the covenant name of God with His People, and he reminds them how He is greater than all.
The first Reminder comes to tell them that:
A. God Is Good
A. God Is Good
One of the very basic attributes of God is that He is Good - God is Good, All the Time and All the time God is Good!
And the echo comes back from the people, that His chesed - His mercy — His unfailing love — His unwavering faithfulness to His people is for ever.
Then the Second reminder comes from the worship leader,
B. God is Above All
B. God is Above All
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: For his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: For his mercy endureth for ever.
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: For his mercy endureth for ever.
The Lord - Jehovah — is also God (Elohim) above all Elohim's, this is not giving credence to their existence or power, but that God is greater than anything we can imagine, or anything that the devil can tempt us to draw away to.
He is Lord of lords (adon — master).
He is master and ruler of all!
God alone can do the works that He does, others may try to come up with a weak counterfeit, but only God can perform the mighty works that He does!
We are told over and over to be thankful for all that God has done.
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Just a few of the many that command us to give thanks.
He is the covenant God not only with Israel, but with us through His shed blood!
He is the eternal God who will give eternal life to those who come to Him.
He has done great things, and we need to be thankful!
He is Worthy of our praise because He is Lord,
But also,
II. He is the Creator
II. He is the Creator
5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: For his mercy endureth for ever.
6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: For his mercy endureth for ever.
7 To him that made great lights: For his mercy endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day: For his mercy endureth for ever:
9 The moon and stars to rule by night: For his mercy endureth for ever.
The people of God praise Him for his chesed - his mercy and love for all that He has done for them beginning with Creation.
A. He Created the Heavens and Waters
A. He Created the Heavens and Waters
Verses 5-6 remind the people that all that they see and identify around them is a creation of our mighty, loving and merciful God.
By His wisdom made the heavens (plural), the sky, the universe, the air we breathe.
Why? Because his mercy endureth for ever.
Not only did he create the heavens and waters, but also
B. He Created the Lights Above
B. He Created the Lights Above
Included in the creation of the heavens is the lights that we can see int he heavens.
He Made the great lights above, the sun to rule by day and the moon and stars to rule by night.
What seems to be so far beyond our reach, was made by our powerful and loving God.
During the day we mostly only see the sun (rule by day), and at night we see the moon and the stars appear (rule by night).
God reveals His existence to all of humanity, before there was a written word, before there were prophets, before we had the presence of God incarnate with us, before their was the church to proclaim His truth…the all of creation sang of His handiwork.
God’s loving kindness and mercy has been beaming bright from the moment of creation.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
All men will be held accountable for the revelation that has been given to them.
The goodness of God has been on display since creation, they have no excuse.
We praise God for his mercy endureth forever because He is LORD
and He is the Creator
III. He is the Redeemer
III. He is the Redeemer
10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: For his mercy endureth for ever:
11 And brought out Israel from among them: For his mercy endureth for ever:
12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: For his mercy endureth for ever.
13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: For his mercy endureth for ever:
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: For his mercy endureth for ever:
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: For his mercy endureth for ever.
To the Israelites the redeemer spoke to them of the Exodus, so they praise Him for their deliverance there.
To us our minds of our redemption in our minds goes to our redemption and freedom from sin.
But they praise Him because...
A. He Saved Them from Bondage
A. He Saved Them from Bondage
He smote Egypt in their firstborn
He brought out Israel from among them.
With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm.
In chesed, His mercy and love he was willing to conquer all those who did not believe on Him, to free His children from bondage.
And then...
B. He Saved them from Death
B. He Saved them from Death
He divided the Red sea into parts
he made Israel to pass through the midst of it
He overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea.
God struck the firstborn over every house, but passed over those when His angel saw the blood.
He caused Pharaoh to release them from bondage, yet he still pursued them in anger.
But when he opened up the way for Israel to walk across dry land, Pharaoh tried to follow, only to be crushed by the waves in the midst of the sea.
The Exodus is a wonderful picture of our salvation from the bondages of this world.
Egypt is a symbol of the wold, and the slavery in Egypt pictures our slavery to sin.
The slaying of the firstborn of every house of Egypt showed the drastic measures that God would take to save His people, and again He slayed his own only begotten son for our salvation.
The lamb was slain for their protection and salvation from this judgement…and the Lamb of God was slain for our protection and salvation from the judgement to come.
The LORD, the covenant God was willing to take drastic measures to redeem us.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: For the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich in his death; Because he had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Praise the Lord that His mercy and love endures for ever!
We are free because of that great love!
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
We praise Him for His mercy endureth for ever…because
He is LORD, because
He is the Creator, because
He is the Redeemer, and because
IV. He is Our Leader
IV. He is Our Leader
16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: For his mercy endureth for ever.
17 To him which smote great kings: For his mercy endureth for ever:
18 And slew famous kings: For his mercy endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites: For his mercy endureth for ever:
20 And Og the king of Bashan: For his mercy endureth for ever:
21 And gave their land for an heritage: For his mercy endureth for ever:
22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: For his mercy endureth for ever.
The LORD is our great leader that leads His people .
He leads them:
A. Through Their Dry Wanderings
A. Through Their Dry Wanderings
To him which led his people through the wilderness...
After bringing His people out of Egypt he led them through the desert until they reached the promised land.
Their journey was a long one because of their stubborn disobedience.
But God was always faithful, even when they were not.
Even when they lacked faith and rebelled against Him, the Lord was faithful to them!
Sound familiar?
He leads them through their Dry Wanderings,
He Leads them ....
B. Through Victorious Battles
B. Through Victorious Battles
“to him which smote great kings…and slew famous kings…Sihon king of the Amorites… and Og the king of Bashan”
These victorious battles that God led them through is a wonderful picture of the victory we can have against Satan and His forces, if we are yielded to God.
Many foes stood between Israel and the possession of God’s promises.
But God leads His people to conquer every powerful king who opposed them.
God led them through the desert, and through the battles, and He led them
C. Into the Promised Land
C. Into the Promised Land
[He] …gave them their land for an heritage, even and heritage unto Israel his servant.
The land belonged to the Lord, not the nations who inhabited it.
Out of his faithful love and mercy to Israel, God gave the land to them.
Israel’s journey in the wolderness and into the promised land is a picture of our spiritual journey as believers.
As we go through this life gaining victories as long as we are yielded to the Holy Spirit, we are on our way to the Promised land of our own.
God through His Holy Spirit leads us through this desert.
If we listen and obey, we will have victory, but when we refuse to hear and obey, we will see loss.
But we are never alone!
The Lord is with us!
Faithful to us until he brings us into the promised land.
We praise the Lord Because He is LORD,
WE praise the Lord because His the Creator
We praise the Lord because He is the Redeemer
We praise the Lord because He is our Leader.... we Praise Him Because
V. He is our Liberator
V. He is our Liberator
23 Who remembered us in our low estate: For his mercy endureth for ever:
24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: For his mercy endureth for ever.
We need to remember that this Psalm was written after the Babylonian Captivity.
The Psalmist moved from what the Lord has done to the remnant’s ancestors to what Hie has done for them directly.
He has liberated them from their enemies.
He remembered them in their low estate.
The captivity was a judgment for their rejection of God, and their idolatry.
But even in the midst of judgment, God never forgot them…He remembered them in their low estate…and He didn’t just remember them....He redeemed them.
When the right time was come, he redeemed them from their enemies.
The Lord saves us to liberate us from sin.
He immediately rescues us from sin’s penalty—eternal death— and he begins his work of setting us free from sins’ power over us—through His sanctification process.
He loves us enough to discipline us when we persist in sin.
He loves us so much that even allows us to hurt ourselves by living in disobedience.
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Yet He never forsakes us.
When the discipline was over, he returned them to their promised land.
Just as a parent may stop the grounding of a child earlier than the child expected because a change of heart that is seen, God when the time came…delivered them from their punishment.
We praise Him because He is Our LORD
Because He is the Creator
Because His the Redeemer
Because He is our Leader
Because He is our Liberator, then sixth, Because...
VI. He is our Provider
VI. He is our Provider
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: For his mercy endureth for ever.
The Lord’s people celebrated His faithfulness in providing for their daily needs.
He faithfully makes sure the earth provides enough food for all flesh.
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; And thou givest them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
9 He giveth to the beast his food, And to the young ravens which cry.
The Lord’s love and mercy endureth forever in providing for not just His people but even the animals of His creation.
If God cares so much for all of His creation, how much more he cares for His children!
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
He is Lord, Let’s praise Him
He is the creator, Let’s praise Him
He is the Redeemer, Let’s praise Him
He is our Leader, Let’s praise Him
He is our Liberator, Let’s praise Him
He is our Provider, Let’s praise Him
Then lastly,
VII. He is God of Heaven
VII. He is God of Heaven
26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: For his mercy endureth for ever.
the Psalmist closes by declaring that the Lord is the God of Heaven.
King Cyrus himself referred to God by this name in his proclamation releasing the Jews from captivity.
Now the God of Heaven has brought His people back to their home.
And His People rejoice in their God.
The name God of Heaven reveals the Lord’s sovereignty over the earth.
He can move even the hearts of pagan kings to accomplish His will.
We are living in some uncertain times!
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
But we still serve the God of Heaven!
Conclusion
God’s Will will always be accomplished.
His purpose for us individually will be accomplished.
We can rest in the promise that He will complete the work He has begun in us.
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
He will bring good from even the evil that others intended.
He will work everything that happens in our lives for our good.
We can count on His Chesed…His mercy…His unfailing love… and we can persevere by yielding to His Holy Spirit.
For His mercy endureth for ever!