Committed to 150: Psalm 136 - A song worth repeating

I am leaning heavily on Michael Wilcock's words about this Psalm because he says things so well. If you haven't yet purchased this book, it is a great investment and resource. My dad gave these to me in college, and they are some of my dearest friends as far as books go.

This is a wonderful Psalm to sing, and there are actually many options that are great:

• Let us with a gladsome mind (John Milton)
• Give to our God immortal praise (Isaac Watts)
• Thank the LORD for Good is He (adapt. 1749 from Lyra Davidica, 1708)
• The the LORD for Good is He (Robert Williams)

The latter two are in The Book of Psalms for Worship. I really like those two, because the tunes are fairly common ones. I am always in favor of that since my children know those tunes already! After studying this Psalm, I am going to make sure to sing it every week. 

This Psalm is a companion to Psalm 135 and covers much of the same subject matter. These are historical/remembrance Psalms. Psalm 136, however, is distinctive in that it has a repeated phrase that everything in Yahweh's work of creation, redemption, conquest, and care arises from his committed, unchanging love. Alec Motyer says that "this is the greatest truth about him. No 'wonder' exceeds the wonder of his love." This Psalm celebrates the Creator of the world, who ALSO happens to be the Redeemer of His people! This Psalm is more than historical - it is a statement of faith. We are confessing (giving thanks) God's greatness. This is one of the earliest creeds recorded down for us. What wonderful words for us to internalize!

A side note: You might be thinking - I like the beginning and end of the Psalm. Some of the middle makes sense, but what in the world is going on with Sihon and Og? Why is this important for us to read and sing? These godless kings couldn't touch the power of YAHWEH. They were part of His plan to show His people how much His steadfast love really endures. God was keeping His covenant by helping His people in their conquest of Canaan.  

 The shape of this Psalm is beautiful and is bookended with thanksgiving. The rest of the Psalm flows through the history of God's covenant with His people. It begins with creation and moves through slavery/the Exodus/wilderness, Canaan conquests, and the inheritance that God provided for His people AS HE PROMISED.

• Thanksgiving/ call to worship vv. 1-3 
• Introduction: God as Creator  vv. 4-9
• conquest, deliverance, inheritance vv. 10-22
• God bringing HIs people out of Egypt (10-15)
• Israel's journey from Egypt to Canaan (16)
• God's destruction of the Canaanite kings (17-22)
• Summary: God's providential care for His chosen people vv. 23-25
• Thanksgiving/Call to worship v. 26

You  may be thinking:

Why sing this when it is just Israel's history? 

What meaning or relevance does Psalm 136 have for me today? 

God made His covenant with His people, and God has kept His covenant. God kept His covenant even when the people continued to complain and sin. Steadfast love is very much covenantal language. Motyer translates those words as committed love. What a beautiful picture of grace for all of us. 

Here is the heart of the Gospel:

23"It is He who remembered us in our low estate, 

for His steadfast love endures forever.

24 and rescued us from our foes,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

25 he who gives food to all flesh,

for his steadfast love endures forever."

The Israelites declaring this may have been exiles coming home, or they may have been Israelites identifying with their people's history... Mary used similar words in the magnificat (Luke 1). We, as God's people today can feel our hearts resonating with these words. He has remembered us in our low estate ... We were enslaved to sin, much like God's people then were enslaved to Egypt. We, like God's people then, could not save ourselves. The committed love of YAHWEH has saved us through Jesus and His work on the cross. It is HE who has rescued us from our ultimate foe - sin and death. HE has given food, eternal food to us. Just as Psalm 23 pictures Christ welcoming us to the springs of living water, we now see a picture of Jesus as the Bread of Life. We will never go hungry. He has given all that we need - because for ever HIS committed love will endure. 

This is why we should sing this Psalm ... not just parts of it, but ALL of it. This could risk getting boring with the repeated phrase, which is why it is of utmost importance that we grasp what the repeated phrase really means. Wilcock sums this up beautifully:

"His love has no end binds into one the entire presence even between the phrases of a sentence. From beginning of creation to the climax of redemption, from the first making of the heavens to the final inheritance of the saints, all is to be seen against the background of the love of God. That love is both indestructible, because it is covenant love, and boundless, because it endures for ever. As you look around at all that he has made, and follow through all that he has done, at every point the psalm is saying 'Covenant love did this.'... 

One might reckon it a simple truth, couched in simple words. But with the words first learned by rote, and the truth of them then experienced again and again both in blessings and in troubles, God's servant finds them in time of real need a blazing affirmation that cannot be too often repeated."