JUNE 6, 2024
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 136:1-4)
The writer of this psalm remains a mystery, but we do know that it was sung in Solomon’s temple and by the armies of Jehoshaphat when they sang themselves into victory in the wilderness of Tekoa. We should infer it was a famous hymn among the Lord’s ancient people. Most hymns with a solid, simple chorus become favorites with congregations (which is still true today), and this is sure to have been one of the most beloved. It contains nothing but praise. It is tuned to rapture and can only be thoroughly enjoyed by a genuinely grateful heart.
The Psalmist begins this song with a heartfelt plea, “O give thanks unto the LORD.” This is not a distant command but a personal call to each of us, His people, to freely offer our thanks. The writer urges us to recognize and praise God for His goodness and the greatness of His power in blessing His chosen. Just as we express gratitude to our earthly parents, let us also lift our voices in praise to our heavenly Father, the Giver of all good. He alone is good in the highest sense, the source, sustainer, perfecter, and rewarder of good. For this, He deserves our constant gratitude.
If there are powers in heaven or on earth worthy of the name of gods, He is the God of them all; their authority is derived from Him, and their very existence is dependent upon His will. The Lord is our God, to be worshipped and adored, worthy of our reverence to the highest degree. If the heathen cultivate the worship of their gods with zeal, how much more intently should we seek the glory of the God of gods – the only true and real God. His providence extends to all, encompassing the entire universe, and we are but a part of His grand design.
Foolish people have gathered from this verse that the Israelites believed in the existence of many gods, at the same time believing that their God was chief among them, but this thought is absurd since gods who have a God over them cannot possibly be gods themselves.
God is worthy of our warmest thanks, for His mercy endureth forever. Imagine the Godhead without everlasting mercy. It would be as much a source of terror as it is now a fountain of thanksgiving. You can’t properly give thanks to God without recognizing His abundant mercy. Let the Highest be praised in the highest way because His nature and His acts deserve the gratitude of all His creatures.
There are many lords, but our God is the Lord of them. He makes and administers the law, rules and governs everything, and possesses all power. He is more lordly than all emperors and kings to exist on earth condensed into one. We may well be thankful for this, for we know the superior Sovereign will rectify the abuses of the underlings who now lord it over humanity. He will reckon with them for every oppression and injustice. He governs with strict impartiality, for which everyone should give thanks.
He mingles mercy with this justice and reigns for the benefit of His people, pitying the sorrowful, protecting the helpless, providing for the needy, and pardoning the guilty. He does this from generation to generation, never wearying of His grace because He delights in mercy. Let us always thank our Lord and let this one reason suffice us for three thanksgivings (like we see in our verses today) or three thousand.
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