February 20thPsalm 136
God's commitment endures forever
In Old Testament times, the importance of covenant loyalty was demonstrated in a ceremony known as “cutting the covenant.” Typically, animals were sacrificed by cutting them in half and separating the parts along the ground. Then the parties entering into the covenant walked between the dead animals vowing that if either of them breaks the covenant—if they do not demonstrate hesed—their fate would be the same as the animals. (This was a commitment with costly overtones).
A covenant cutting is also recorded in the Old Testament but with a very important twist. In Genesis 15, the Lord makes a covenant with Abraham promising to give him descendants beyond number, and he vowed to give them the land where he had called Abraham. He then commanded Abraham to sacrifice a bull, a goat, a ram, a dove, and a pigeon. Abraham cut the animals in half and arranged them on the ground before he fell into a deep sleep. In a vision, he then saw a fire representing the presence of God pass between the dead animals.
Unlike typical covenant-cutting ceremonies, Abraham did not walk between the animals. YHWH walked alone to demonstrate his divine character. As he would declare centuries later to Abraham’s descendants on Mount Sinai. “I am YHWH…abounding in hesed” (Exodus 34:7). By walking between the animals alone, the Lord was saying that even if Abraham and his family failed to uphold their part of the covenant, he would never fail to fulfill his. God’s hesed, his covenant loyalty, will not be shaken by our disloyalty because it is rooted in his character and not dependent on ours.
Psalm 136 repeats the same phrase twenty-six times, a not very subtle clue that the writer thinks it’s important. The problem is the Hebrew word translated “love” here is hesed, and most biblical scholars agree that it’s incredibly difficult to translate.
NIV – ‘God’s love endures forever.’
NRSV – ‘For God’s steadfast love endures forever.’
KJV – ‘For God’s mercy endures forever.’
NLT – ‘For God’s faithful love endures forever.’
MESSAGE – ‘God’s love never quits.’
I like British scholar John Goldingay’s translation best: ‘God’s commitment is forever.’
Hesed occurs nearly 250 times in the Old Testament, and it’s the most common description of God found in the Psalms. Some scholars have argued that it’s the single most important word in the Hebrew Bible.
The psalmist is astonished at the greatness of this God above all gods. Note well the details of how this God is committed to His creation.
Vs. 1-9 God creates the cosmos.
Vs. 10-15 God liberates God’s people from slavery in Egypt.
Vs. 16-20 God led Israel through the wilderness.
Vs. 21-22 God gave Israel a home.
Vs. 23-24 God remembers the lowly and the oppressed.
Vs. 25 God gives daily bread to ‘all flesh.’
Vs. 26 God the Creator is alone worthy of praise.
In his account of the nineteenth century missionary effort in China, J. Hudson Taylor commented on how people pray, “Lord, increase our faith.” But, he observes, Jesus said it is not great faith you need but faith in a great God. Faith as small as a mustard seed is sufficient if correctly located. Of Abraham it is said that he did not merely believe, ‘He believed in YHWH.’
20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. [Romans 4]
In high church traditions which celebrate the Easter Vigil, Psalm 136 is always read by the congregation. Its’ call and response format invite Christians to confess ‘we believe God’s commitment is forever.’ Then, Easter morning we joyously proclaim:
Christ is risen!
HE IS RISEN INDEED!
God’s steadfast love continued and continues to be manifested in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Like Psalm 136, Jesus announced God’s claim upon the whole world, and he invites people to enter God’s reign.
In 1623, John Milton, age fifteen, was a student at St Paul’s Cathedral School. There he wrote the hymn which paraphrases Psalm 136 - ‘Let us with a gladsome mind.’ (his hymn has 24 verses, modern hymns feature 5-7 of them).