We read Psalm 136 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. Let's look at verses 1-3:
1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endures for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endures for ever. KJV
In verse 1 "Lord" is "Yehovah", which means: the eternal, self-existing One. This is the Covenant Name for Almighty God! In verse 2 we have "God of gods" which is "elohiym", meaning: the One True God. In verse 3 we have "Lord of lords" which is "`adown", meaning: Sovereign, Master, my Lord. Every aspect of the One, True God is covered here and this Psalm is recounting His many, mighty works done for His people Israel! In every verse we see the phrase:
for His mercy endures forever.
"Mercy" here is the Hebrew word "chesed", which means: loving-kindness; steadfast love; grace; mercy; faithfulness; goodness; devotion. The word "endures" is not in the original text, but was added by the translators because they thought it made things clearer. This Psalm is reminding us of all of the wonderful works of God that He has done to deliver His people. It is meant to encourage us to continue to praise Him, thank Him and EXPECT Him to confirm His Word in our lives. The emphasis here is NOT that HIS mercy "endures" forever (time out of mind), but that WE are to praise and thank HIM for this wonderful mercy, and we are to continue to do so FOREVER! Read this Psalm again with this in mind and then check yourself to see how well you are obeying these instructions! Doing so will keep us in a faith-filled frame of mind that will NOT be easily changed! Continue in His Word everyday, mixing it with praise, thanksgiving and worship, and YOU will begin to see the fulfillment of His promises in YOUR life in a new and more profound way! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Always Will":
Shalom in Him!
