Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1
Twenty-six times in twenty-six verses we read that God’s mercy endures forever in this psalm. Every single verse ends with this assurance. In each section, the psalmist focuses our minds on the nature of God, His creative works, His redemptive works, deliverance from enemies, etc. A crucial theme throughout Scripture is the immutability of God in every aspect of His being. A quick note on the term translated “mercy” in this psalm should prove helpful. It is variously translated as mercy, lovingkindness, kindness, goodness, favor, etc. When all is brought to bear, the phrase “covenant loyalty” seems to best capture the fullness of this term. Consider a sampling of such statements as we consider the importance of this truth for our Christian lives.
In Numbers 23:19, we read that “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent (change His mind-ESV). Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Malachi 3:6 begins with these words from God: For I am the Lord, I do not change.” Hebrews 13:8 applies this truth to Jesus the Christ saying, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The key takeaway from these passages is that we can know what we are going to get from God.
He is never going to go back on His promises, and this is what makes this knowledge so important for our faith and faithfulness. Returning to our psalm, consider the various themes expounded therein. In verse 1, it is His goodness that is on display. In verses 2-3, His preeminence and power are front and center. The locus of verses 4-9 is His creative power and genius. Verses 10-16 remind His people of how He delivered them from Egyptian slavery en route to His ousting of the Canaanites to give His people that bountiful land (vv. 17-22). Verses 23-25 paint the picture of God as a friend to those in need.
The principles pertaining to God’s immutable nature in this psalm should buttress our faith (unswerving trust) in Him. Knowing His goodness assures us of His benevolent intentions for us in every aspect of His will (Deuteronomy 6:24; Hebrews 12:10; 1 Peter 5:6-7). His preeminence and power assure us that He is able to deliver on His good intentions for us (Job 42:1-2; Isaiah 43:13; 46:8-11; 55:10-11; Daniel 3:16-17; Matthew 19:25-26; Luke 1:37; 18:27). His consistent provision for His people gives the proof of what has already been seen above. The repeated emphasis on the enduring nature of His covenant loyalty is an emphatic encouragement to His people to place all our faith in Him. The proper response is to return His loyalty with our own.
The bookends of the psalm reveal the consistent mindset befitting a child of God who knows his God in the way the psalmist did. Four times in the opening and closing of this psalm the psalmist exclaims Oh, give thanks…” to the God who is good, the God of gods, the Lord of lords, and the God of heaven. Considering all that is revealed of Him in this psalm, what else could we do but join in that exclamation? Such gratitude is absolutely essential if we would be people of covenant loyalty towards the God whose covenant loyalty never faulters nor fails. So, let us give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!