Shalom,


Every verse of Psalm 136 contains the word "mercy". Verse 1:


 ¹O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.


 We have covered this word many times on the blog and it is a very powerful word! It is the Hebrew word "checed". This word means: kindness; goodness; faithfulness; loving-kindness; steadfast love; devotion. Here is a portion of what Vine's Expository Dictionary says about this word:

In general, one may identify three basic meanings of the word, which always interact: "strength," "steadfastness," and "love." Any understanding of the word that fails to suggest all three inevitably loses some of its richness. "Love" by itself easily becomes sentimentalized or universalized apart from the covenant. Yet "strength" or "steadfastness" suggests only the fulfillment of a legal or other obligation.

The word refers primarily to mutual and reciprocal rights and obligations between the parties of a relationship (especially Yahweh and Israel). But checed is not only a matter of obligation; it is also of generosity. It is not only a matter of loyalty, but also of mercy. The weaker party seeks the protection and blessing of the patron and protector, but he may not lay absolute claim to it. The stronger party remains committed to his promise, but retains his freedom, especially with regard to the manner in which he will implement those promises. Checed implies personal involvement and commitment in a relationship beyond the rule of law.
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

This word is a wonderful picture of the extreme love that the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible has for all people that would cause Him to send His own Son to buy us back from the control of the enemy! As we have mentioned before, "endures" is not really in there, but rather is implied by the meaning. It actually reads: His mercy forever! "Forever" is the Hebrew "`olam", which means: forever; everlasting; continuous existence; perpetual; time out of mind. Don't you know that if something is going to last THAT long, it will certainly "endure"? Amen! THAT is how very much, and how very long, HE loves YOU! GLORY TO GOD! Now THAT is something to thank and praise Him for! Let's do so with this song from Hillsong called "Yours Forever":

Shalom in Him!