“Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
His love endures forever.” Ps. 136:1
It is likely no coincidence that this Monday Psalm immediately follows the scripture and sermon we heard and reflected on yesterday as we gathered together for corporate worship. If you recall, Jeremy preached on the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector from Luke 18, which reminded us of the incredible and indiscriminate, amazing and absurd, compassionate and, yes, even controversial LOVE of God. In the story of the “two men who went up to the temple to pray,” we were given two distinct pictures of ‘righteousness’ (or, ‘right-relating-to-God-and-others’). On the one hand, the Pharisee came boasting in his work, his efforts, his merits, his status, and his righteousness. On the other hand, the Tax Collector came utterly dependent on the mercy of the Lord, believing in his heart, not just that the Lord is merciful, but that the Lord’s mercy was for him too.
Todays psalm, Psalm 136, reminds us again that it is God’s work, not ours, that is the beginning, the means, the middle, and the end of our faith—that it is the Lord’s grace poured out for us, which we are offered again and again and again and again (and again). This psalm reminds us that we never graduate from our neediness of the Lord and His favor. We will not wake up some day, no longer needing the sustaining work of God in our life. Rather, His mercy is new every morning and His love endures forever.
Twenty-six times, in as many verses, this psalm exults in God’s work and encourages us to do to the same. Beginning with the very act of creation, Psalm 136 tells the familiar and not-so-familiar stories of the Old Testament, and in every instance insists that it was God’s doing, God’s work, and God’s initiative which carried the Israelites through. Psalm 136 is relentless. It won’t let us fool ourselves into thinking we can live without God’s redeeming, restoring, saving, and sustaining activity—both in the cosmic sweep of history and in my life too.
The psalm’s refrain, “His love endures forever,” hinges on the Hebrew word חֵסֵד [checed, pronounced: kheh'-sed], which in the ESV is rendered “steadfast love.” But, checed could also be translated many other ways. In fact, this little two syllable word carries so much meaning that in various translations it ends up in English as any one of the following: love, steadfast love, mercy, lovingkindness, faithful love, loyal love, kindness, goodness, and grace. And, as one concordance adds: “especially towards the lowly, needy, and miserable.” Does this not capture your experience of the Lord at work in your life? Does it only describe your coming to believe or coming into faith? Or, does it describe your daily dependence on the God who saves?
Today, may each of us delight in and depend upon the God who’s “love endures forever.” And may we receive all that He has done, is presently doing, and will continue to do on our behalf in Jesus Christ. Amen.
- Chaz H.