God's Eternal Love - Psalm 136
Psalm 136 canonically follows the "Psalms of Ascent" (120-134). It was likely sung by pilgrims as a grand "Hallelujah" once they arrived at the temple in Jerusalem.
While authorship is unknown, phrases like "God of heaven" and references to being rescued from a "lowest state" strongly suggest it was likely just after the Babylonian exile.
The phrase "for his steadfast love endures forever" is repeated 26 times!
The Hebrew word for this steadfast love is Hesed. It means unexpected, undeserved, active loving-kindness. It is not just an emotion, but generous, merciful action towards God's people that never expires.
We reject the modern notion that the God of the Old Testament was "mean" and then somehow grew up or matured into the loving God of the New Testament. God does not change (James 1:17). He has been consistently full of steadfast love from creation to the year 2026 and beyond.
We praise Him because He is the God above all gods and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15). Other gods (Baal, Zeus, etc.) are merely deaf and blind idols (Revelation 9).
It's easy to get distracted by fascinating theological mysteries (like the Nephilim, Enoch, or end-times charts), but as we mature in faith, the greatest, most profound pursuit is simply knowing the depths of God's grace, mercy, and character.
God made the sun, moon, stars, and the dirt we walk on by his brilliant understanding. As Abraham Kuyper said, there is not one square inch of creation that God cannot declare "Mine."
Verse 25 shifts from looking backward at history to looking forward and around: "He who gives food to all flesh." God didn't just wind up the universe like a watch and walk away.
Quoting G.K. Chesterton, we remember that God possesses the "eternal appetite of infancy." He doesn't make the sun rise out of lifeless routine, but out of a fierce, joyful vitality. Every morning He says to the sun, "Do it again!" We must resist growing so old and cynical that we tire of praising Him for these repetitive miracles.
The psalm marches through the defeat of Pharaoh, the splitting of the Red Sea, and the conquering of giants like Og. Every mighty act of warfare and deliverance was fundamentally driven by God's love for His people.
We don't need to fear the Hitlers or tyrants of the world. As Psalm 37 promises, the wicked spread out like a green tree, but soon God blows upon them and they vanish. The covenant community of faith will always outlast the enemies of God because the gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church.
We are all living miracles. From surviving terrifying medical emergencies to enduring the invisible scars and daggers of life, we are only sitting here today because His steadfast love has preserved us.
The psalm concludes by lifting our eyes upward... death is no obstacle for God! We will be the objects of the Trinity's love for the rest of eternity.
When we reach heaven, we will actually thank God for every trial and hardship we faced, because he used them to bring us safely home. As Spurgeon said, we must learn to "kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages."