Psalm 136 – Give Thanks To The Lord
WORSHIP ARTICLE | Marshall McDaniel | Athens, Alabama
Ingratitude is a symptom of idolatry. Those who reject the Lord do not give thanks: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:21, NASB; see 2 Timothy 3:2). It is sad when people fail to acknowledge the divine source of their blessings! Yet, the people of God know better (or at least, they should). They have experienced the goodness of God and hopefully respond with grace. The short admonition at the end of Colossians 3:15 says it all: “be thankful.” So, what instills within us a sense of authentic gratitude and motivates us to express our thanks to God? An ancient Hebrew song supplies the answer.
Psalm 136 – A Psalm of Thanksgiving
Psalm 136 has no title, the author is anonymous, and the date of composition is unknown. But, the sentiment of the psalm – particularly the opening line, “give thanks to the LORD, / For He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting” (Psalm 136:1), along with its like phrases – is common in Scripture. David, for instance, appointed Asaph to sing the same words when the ark came to its abode in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:34, 41; see also 2 Chronicles 5:13; 7:3, 6). Jehoshaphat likewise commanded the worship leaders of his day to invoke God’s protection with a similar expression (2 Chronicles 20:21). Jeremiah predicted the use of these words at the time of the restored temple service (Jeremiah 33:11). Various psalms employ identical thanksgivings (see Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1, 29). What sets Psalm 136 apart from these other psalms is its emphatic repetition of “give thanks” and “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” The first of these phrases relates to the charge of true worshipers (gratitude), and the second, the reason (God). Psalm 136 honors God and invites communal worship of Him. What, then, can Christians learn about thanksgiving from Psalm 136?
Give Thanks for Who God Is
We learn, first, that God deserves our thanks because of who he is (Psalm 136:1-3, 26). In its opening lines, Psalm 136 refers to God as “LORD” (Yahweh), “God” (Elohim), and “Lord” (Adon). The first of these descriptions is the personal name of God. It suggests that he is eternal and faithful. The others – Elohim and Adon – are generic but appreciate the divinity and preeminence of God. The psalmist does not limit his portrayal of God to names only. He also emphasizes three divine characteristics: goodness, sovereignty, and lovingkindness. The psalm opens, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.” The word good (Heb. ṭôb) is simple but significant, especially when it describes God. Yahweh is not evil or disagreeable. He is pleasant and caring. Psalm 119:68 says of God, “You are good and do good.” The modest, contemporary hymn echoes this concept: “God is so good. / God is so good to me.” The goodness of God is real and personal. The psalmist next highlights divine sovereignty. God, according to Psalm 136, is “the God of gods,” “the Lord of lords,” and “the God of heaven” (v 2, 3, 26). The little word of in English translation conveys the supremacy of God over any other so called gods/lords, over the whole spiritual realm. God is above and beyond anything and everything. He is God. Yet – amazingly! – God chooses to connect himself to humanity. The repeated phrase “His lovingkindness is everlasting” (22x in Psalm 136) captures the essence of who God is. The term lovingkindness (Heb. hesed) is personal (“his”) and eternal (“everlasting”). It suggests that God is faithful to his covenant and his people. The apostle John echoes the sentiment of Psalm 136 with his short, profound statement: “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). When we consider who Yahweh is (the good, sovereign, and loving God), how can we not fall on our knees before him and give thanks?!
Give Thanks for What God Does
We, next, learn that God deserves our thanks because of what He does (Psalm 136:4-25). Psalm 136:4-25 stresses three significant events in biblical history: the creation of the cosmos (v 4-9), the exodus from Egypt (v 10-15), and the conquest of Canaan (v 16-22). These events demonstrate that God is the creator, deliverer, and sustainer of humanity – particularly of his people.
Creation
Creation exhibits the miraculous power of God. Psalm 136:4-9 poetically rehearses the events of Genesis 1: God fashioned the skies (Psalm 136:5), formed the land (v 6), and filled the former with the great lights – the sun, moon, and stars (v 7-9). The God who created the heavens and the earth is indeed a glorious God, as David affirms in Psalm 19:1: “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; / And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” Creation confesses its source and sustainer. We can infer certain qualities of God from what he has made. Paul avows that “since the creation of the world [God’s] invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they [people] are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). The physical creation assumes the eternity, omnipotence, and spirituality of God. The appropriate response is thanksgiving (v 21). We ought to give thanks to God because He created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them – including us!
Exodus
The exodus shaped the history and theology of Israel. God and Israel often bound their identities to this event. God, for instance, started his Ten Commandments with “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). The exodus from Egypt connected Yahweh to Israel and Israel to Yahweh. Little wonder, then, that the psalmist underscored this incident in Psalm 136! Psalm 136:10-15 begins with the first Passover and ends with the Red Sea victory. (For other psalms that emphasize the exodus, see Psalm 77, 78, 80, 81, 105, 106, and 135). For the psalmist, the exodus manifested the lovingkindness of God and called for thanksgiving from His people. It proved God to be an awesome savior. God rescued Israel from physical oppression; He rescues us from spiritual oppression. We ought to give thanks to God, because He delivers His people from adversaries, slavery, and death. He spiritually does the same for us today.
Conquest
Psalm 136 lastly summarizes the conquest of Canaan. It abridges the pre-conquest narrative of Exodus 15b through Numbers 20 in a single phrase: “To Him who led His people through the wilderness” (Psalm 136:16). The psalmist next describes the Israelite victories over the kingdoms east of the Jordan and the invasion and conquest of Canaan (v 17-22). The section centers on the providence of God. God led (v 17). God smote/slew (v 18, 19). God gave (v 21). God preserved His people in the wilderness. He protected them from their adversaries in Trans-Jordan and furnished them their inheritance in Canaan. While Psalm 136 liturgically repeats the phrase “for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” the journey to and the conquest of the land clearly display the mercy and faithfulness of God. God kept His promises to Abraham – even though the descendants of Abraham frequently proved to be faithless! The psalmist urged his fellow worshipers to thank God for His constant and continual care. Even now, we ought to give thanks to God, because He sustains us now and will provide the ultimate victory and inheritance.
Summary
Psalm 136:23-25 summarizes and personalizes the work of God in the creation, the exodus, and the conquest. The psalmist affirms that God “remembered us in our low estate” by creating a people for His own possession – Israel, that He “has rescued us from our adversaries” by delivering His people from Egypt (and others), and that He “gives food to all flesh,” thereby proving His care for humanity. In like manner, God recreates us in Christ, delivers us from the power of sin, and provides an eternal inheritance to His faithful ones. If the psalmist called national Israel to give thanks because of what God had done for them, how much more should we do the same today!
Conclusion
Yahweh is God. He is the creator, deliverer, and sustainer of His people. He is good and gracious. Are we ever negligent to express our gratitude to God? If so, we need to spend more time in Psalm 136 (and other similar psalms). It reminds us of who God is and what He has done and is doing for us. When we recall these truths, we join the chorus of ancient and contemporary worshipers who shout and sing, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, / For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Will you give thanks to God today?
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July 2022 | GROW magazine
