Today’s reading is Psalm 136.
the Lord’s Incredible Chesed
When the Lord revealed His name and character to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7, the central character trait was His steadfast love. Not only does the Lord abound in steadfast love, He keeps it for thousands, demonstrated by forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. That idea of keeping it for thousands contrasts with the following statement about visiting iniquities of the fathers on the children and even on their children. The grammatical structures are parallel. That is, if the “third” and “fourth” of the iniquity visiting refers to generations, then so too the “thousands” with whom the Lord keeps steadfast love. Imagine that. The Lord’s steadfast love lasts to the thousandth generation. If we average out that a new generation is born every 20 years, God told Moses His steadfast love will last for 20,000 years. It doesn’t take much at all to realize God wasn’t speaking literally. He was using a number so large it is unfathomable to us. He was saying He keeps steadfast love forever.
We must not be surprised then to discover a common refrain of praise: “His steadfast love endures forever.” This statement is recorded 26 times in our psalm and 16 times throughout the rest of the Law, Prophets, and Writings. The word translated “steadfast love” by the ESV is the Hebrew word “chesed.” The “ch” should be pronounced like the “ch” in Bach, not in “church.” It refers to ongoing favor and kindness due to covenant loyalty.
Have you ever participated in a responsive singing or reading of this psalm? Sadly, even the most devout among us can find it tedious by the time we’ve said “for His steadfast love endures forever” the twenty-sixth time. But perhaps we should understand something. The psalmist didn’t write this psalm for our entertainment. He wrote it to drive home one point and one point alone. The Lord’s steadfast love endures forever. In fact, it wouldn’t really be steadfast love if it didn’t, would it? He wants us to say it so often we can’t possibly forget. He wants us to say it so often it becomes an earworm that plays on our mind even when we aren’t thinking about the psalm. He wants us to say it so often we even begin to recognize it as the absolute truth.
And don’t miss this incredible point. Recall the Songs of Ascents ended in Psalm 134 with the call to bless the Lord, praising Him. Psalms 135 and 136 answer the call. Again and again, those who worship using Psalm 136 bless the Lord, praising Him. This psalm tells us to profess thanks to the LORD, the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the only one who does great wonders, who by understanding made the heaven, spread the earth above the waters and on the list goes of the deeds of the Lord. But again and again, the statement is made not that the worshipers should profess thanks to the Lord because He did great wonders of creation, redemption, and sovereignty, but because His steadfast love endures forever.
When we look up to the heavens, we are reminded His steadfast love endures forever. When we walk on the solid ground of earth, we are reminded His steadfast love endures forever. When the sun rises and sets, we are reminded His steadfast love endures forever. When we pick out the constellations, we are reminded His steadfast love endures forever. When we recall His great acts of deliverance and rule in the world, especially in the history of ancient Israel, we are reminded His steadfast love endures forever. And, as the psalm ends, when we eat or even feed our pets, we are reminded His steadfast love endures forever.
Because of a handful of stories demonstrating God’s wrath against sin, folks have the notion His wrath endures forever. They have the notion God is up in heaven looking to zap people. Not so. Every day we wake up and see the sun, we have another piece of evidence our God isn’t looking to zap people. If He were, you and I wouldn’t have survived the night. No. Our God is looking to forgive, save, deliver. His steadfast love endures forever. The question is will we surrender to it?
Will you? If we can help you, let us know in the comments below.
Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 136.
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PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family
How does Psalm 136 prompt or improve your praise of God?
Read the Bible 