Psalm 136

This psalm is a very important one in Jewish culture.  It is referred to as the “Great Hallel” or Great Praise, and is recited during the Passover celebration.  It looks back at the nation’s history and praises God for all He has done for them.  Admittedly, it is easy for me to read quickly through it, knowing that every line says the same thing.  But, I believe it is meant to be done slowly.  As a song, it is often expressed with two choirs, one singing the first line of each verse and the second echoing His lovingkindness is everlasting.  

The first thing that sticks out to me today is that all of Israel’s enemies that He defeated on their behalf probably wouldn’t be singing anything like this about Him! It’s an odd perspective, I know, but having been defeated by Almighty God, what would they say or think?  It might seem silly, because they are all dead (hence the defeating), but what was their response?  Did they recognize the power of God when they experienced their defeat?  We may never know…

The word “lovingkindness” in the original Hebrew is hesed, meaning loyal, steadfast, faithful love, the kind used in a marriage relationship. It is an everlasting love. It is a love that is trustworthy, dependable, and always there.  You can count on hesed, and this is the point of Psalm 136.  We can count on God’s love and for Him to always be for us.  The psalm highlights proof through history. Israel’s history creates our theology and that theology leads to praise.  What about your own history?

The last time I encountered this psalm, I thought to myself, “how could I write a similar psalm with my own history of God’s provision, protection, and love?”  I believe this is our takeaway from this psalm.  So today, instead of writing a long existential prose on what I see in this piece of scripture, I want to invite you to do what I am going to do.  Read back through the psalm, slowly, and start to ponder where in your life God has shown His lovingkindness to you.  Write your own personal version of Psalm 136 and then praise Him for all He has done in your life!  It is easy, especially when we are in the “thick of it,” to forget that God’s lovingkindness is everlasting, that He is for us, and loves us, and will always see us through the darkest of times.