Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good; his love is eternal. Psalm 136:1, GNT

 

Psalm 136 is a very interesting psalm consisting of twenty-six verses and every one of them ends with the same refrain: “his love is eternal”. This psalm was used during religious meetings and has been well-known since ancient times. In 2 Chronicles 7, when the first temple was taken into use, this refrain was already used by the priests and Levites to praise the Lord. Usually, the Levite choruses sang the first part of a verse and the people responded with the refrain. Just listen to the beauty of this refrain – his love is eternal. The NIV translation is even more poetic to me – his love endures for ever.

 

The psalm is made up of three parts with an introductory verse in which the Lord is said to be good. This “goodness” of God is like a well from which flows forth all that the poet of the psalm wants to tell us.

 

In the first part, God is praised for his greatness, as seen in the words, “Give thanks to the greatest of all gods”(Psalm 136:2) and also his creative power, “By his wisdom he made the heavens”. (Psalm 136:5) Everything that he created is emphasised by the refrain that his love is eternal.

 

The second part tells us about his great love for his people, as demonstrated by the exodus from Egypt. The people used this refrain to express their understanding that he did it because his love for them is eternal.

 

In Psalm 136:25, we read about the third part of the psalm, where God is pictured as not only the God of Israel, but the God of the whole creation – “He gives food to every living creature”. God cares for everything on earth because his love for his creation is eternal.

 

If all of the above is true, you and I can also be one hundred percent sure that his love for us endures for ever.

 

Prayer: Father, along with everything that you created, we want to thank you for your love that will never end. Amen