Psalm 136 - His love endures forever

Read: Psalm 136 vs 1-26

When I was growing up I remember on a number of occasions hearing people speak who were sharing what was called ‘their testimony’. A testimony was a talk where someone would tell the story of their life, but it was told from the particular angle of how God had been at work, finding them, helping them and keeping them going.

Psalm 136 is a testimony psalm. In these words the story of God’s Old Testament people (Israel) is told verse by verse. Theirs is story that begins with the wonders that God has done in creation, a story retold in striking detail (vs 4-9). 

That story moves on in vs 10-22, where the stories of slavery in Egypt, rescue at the Red Sea, and leading across the wilderness are retold and relived. In some ways this psalm is a like a second go at Psalm 135, with distinctive names such as ‘Sihon king of the Amorites’ and ‘Og king of Bashan’, highlighting the links and similarities between these chapters (Psalm 135:11, 136:19-20).

However this psalm does more that tell a story. This psalm has been written to call for a response. Twenty six times in this psalm one line is repeated: ‘His love endures forever.’

This exact phrase is used in different places in the Bible. 1 and 2 Chronicles tells the story of God’s people getting set up in the Promised Land, with a King to lead them and a Temple in which to worship God. In 2 Chronicles 5:13 when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to the newly opened Temple loud the musicians played and singers sang:

‘He is good; His love endures forever.’ (2 Chronicles 5:13)

When Jehoshaphat lead the people into battle against their enemies, Moab and Ammon, the king appointed people to go out ahead of the army singing:

Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever.’ (2 Chronicles 20:22)

Then 34 times in the book of Psalms, the same line: ‘His love endures forever’

Here are words to remember, words to repeat, a refrain to sing and sing again, as Israel’s testimony becomes our testimony. We worship a faithful, kind, and covenant keeping God:

‘His love endures forever!’

Prayer: Father thank You for Your love, a love which endures and never lets go. Help me to live in the light of that love today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.