Psalm 136

Reading for September 14, 2012          Psalm 136

Many churches include a reading of the Psalms in their worship services. In this liturgical setting, a lyrical response can be sung by the congregation at various intervals in the reading of a psalm. This format is similar to the structure of Psalm 136 in which the lyrical response, “His faithful love endures forever,” is included at the end of each verse.

This response in Psalm 136 is another example of Bible translators struggling to find the best English words to convey the meaning of the original Hebrew language. Translators have used words such as, faithful love, mercy, love, steadfast love, and lovingkindness to express the Hebrew expression, “covenant-love.” For the Old Testament Jews, their covenant with God was the very heart of their relationship with God, just as justification by faith is the heart of the Christian’s relationship with God. How do you express the covenant-love of God? In Psalm 136, the psalmist took twenty-six verses to plumb the depths of such love. The first three verses call Israel to worship God. The next six verses extol God as their Creator. The next sixteen verses praise God’s redemptive love that brought the Jews through the Exodus, from a life of slavery in Egypt, and established them in the Promised Land. The psalmist then closed with a reaffirmation of his call to worship.

This structure of Psalm 136 is similar to the Apostles’ Creed, which begins with praise for our Creator God, then affirms God’s redemptive love in sending Jesus Christ to be our Savior, and closes with praise for the ways God has provided for His people to live together.

The Gospel writers described Jesus as the redemptive love of God, leading people on a new exodus to escape slavery to sin and death. As you read of God’s faithfulness in redeeming Israel, keep in your mind thoughts of God’s faithfulness in redeeming you from sin and death. You may well stand up and sing, “His faithful love endures forever” before you are finished reading.

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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Reading for September 15, 2012          Psalm 137