Psalm 136 Nkjv (2024)

FAQs

What is the main idea of Psalm 136? ›

The never-ending mercy of God – His lovingkindness, His grace, His loyal love – will never stop finding a way to bless and help His people. ii. Spurgeon suggested many things that Psalm 136 as a whole teaches: The past, present, or future will not end His mercy.

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. . . To Him Who by understanding made the heavens, for His steadfast love endures forever. . . O give thanks to the God of heaven, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136, then, doesn't use repetition for repetition's sake. It uses it to make a thematic point. Because God's steadfast love endures forever, it reveals itself in all of His actions. Everything that God does, we can trace back to His enduring, steadfast love.

And in this particular chapter in the book of Psalm, all the people say just one sentence, a very important sentence – a declaration that “His love endures forever.” Repeated 26 times, it gives weight to the importance of the sentence.

I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole heart : even before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy Name, because of thy loving-kindness and truth : for thou hast magnified thy Name and thy word above all things.

We give thanks to you oh Lord, for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever. We give thanks to you, the God of gods for your steadfast love endures forever. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

The term Great Hallel (Hallel HaGadol), meaning "great praise", is used to refer to Psalm 136. It is called "great" to differentiate it from the Egyptian Hallel, another prayer of praise comprising psalms 113 to 118.

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.

God, by nature, is “good” and bestows His goodness upon His children continually. The psalmist then adds: “For His mercy endures forever.” Repeated line by line throughout the psalm, we read, “His mercy endures forever.” It is comforting to know that God's mercy towards those who love Him will last forever.

Sin breaks God's heart. All sin. No one is immune from sin—it transcends political parties. One word for sin in the Bible is lawlessless.

What are the great lights in Psalm 136? ›

The specific focus of verse 7 is on God as the creator of "great lights." In the context of the Bible, this is a reference to the creation of the sun and the moon, which are described in the book of Genesis as part of God's work in bringing order and light to the world.

Do you see, then, why it is important to read the Psalms daily? They teach us God's desire to bless. They teach us our need to repent when we sin and lament when we are sinned against. They show us that Jesus is Messiah, Lord, and Redeemer.

Psalm 136 is a hymn of praise that can be broken up into different sections, but the overarching message remains the same: The phrase "His love endures forever," is reiterated 26 times, so that we can be reminded 26 times of this truth. This seemingly endless reiteration mirrors the endlessness of God's love and mercy.

The most famous and pronounced example of repetition in Psalms is in Psalm 136, which repeats the phrase, ”for His steadfast love endures forever” 25 times, used in every other line within the 26 verses.

Since we are told to love the Lord with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength, that is exactly what we should do. But how do we go about doing it? Loving God with your heart means to love Him with your life. Love God with your heart by living a loving, faith-filled, and purpose-driven life.

Through the Psalms, we learn about the importance of prayer and the acknowledgment of pain, as well as the power of praise and fulfillment of prophecy. This book has been designed as a prayer book for God's people as they wait for the arrival of the Messiah and the fulfillment of God's promises.

Psalm 136:1–3 Leads Us to Pray For Others

God, we pray that you would help them in just fresh ways with fresh power from your spirit to proclaim your steadfast love to the people around them. That you would open eyes to believe, God that you would open hearts to receive your love.