PSALM 136 The Message Verse By Verse

Last Updated on September 22, 2021 by Pastor Ikechukwu Chinedum

In furtherance of the study of Psalms, today we will be examining psalm 136 the message verse by verse. This is quite a very popular psalm which is often used among believers. Psalm 136 the message verse by verse is a psalm of thanksgiving. From the beginning to the end we see the psalmist admonishing the readers or listeners to give thanks to the lord. He thanks God for his mercy, his love and his power to deliver. He also recounts all that the Lord had done in the past especially for his own people- the children of Israel. Obviously, the psalmist had read extensively about how God rescued his people during their time of bondage and had written this psalm to reference him for what he did and many more that he had even done after then.

Psalm 136 is very important to us as believers because Thanksgiving is a vital part of our relationship with God. As we study the psalms, we would understand the depth of gratitude that the psalmist had as well as we will begin to see how God has also been faithful to us. For his mercy endureth for ever, this is one phrase that we will see recurring as we read through the psalm.

PSALM 136 MEANING VERSE BY VERSE.

Verse 1: O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Definitely a good thing to begin to thank God for- his goodness. Mind you, his goodness is not just an attribute, it is his personality. God does not just do good things, goodness is who he is. To be good means to be kind, loving, dependable. Surely God has been all of these and even more to us, that is why we need to praise him. His mercy over us speaks of his compassion and his ability to overlook our faults.

Verse 2&3: O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the lord of Lord: for his mercy endureth for ever.

One thing we should never downplay when praising God is his position and authority. He is King and Lord over all. Everything we see and do not see is subject to him from now till eternity. He is not in a competition with anyone because no one can match up to him. When we speak of his authority, we show that we reference and honor him.

Verse 4: To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Absolutely! God alone can do great wonders. One of the beauties of this psalm is that it helps us take cognizance of and give thanks for things that we would ordinarily not. Scattered around us are great wonders of God’s creation both those that we can see and those that we can’t. Have we ever tried figuring out how God was able to do all of these? Obviously! we cannot possibly understand it. Which is why we need to thank God for them.

Verse 5&6: To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Here are some of the great wonders of God’s creation. To think that God split the waters in two, stretched out the earth upon one and made the other to be gathered above the firmament is jaw breaking. That the planet we live in has a great mass of water as it’s the foundation and yet we haven’t drowned is captivating too. His wisdom alone could have done it.

Verse 7: To him, that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The lights are another wonder that we need to be grateful for. It would have been tough living on the earth if God had not made them. We would have been covered with the thick darkness, we wouldn’t have been able to distinguish between times and seasons and worse still we will find it hard to live comfortably. We should be grateful for them.

Verse 8&9: The sun to rule by day; for his mercy endured forever. The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 Can you imagine a day without the sun or a night without the moon and stars? It surely wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for us. God foresaw it and created those lights out of his love and compassion for us. We need to praise him for that.

Verse 10&11: To him, that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever. And brought Israel out from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever.

From this verse, the psalmist begins to recount what God did for his children- the Israelites. How he brought them out of bondage to freedom. He even took the lives of the firstborn sons of the Egyptians just so that they would let his people go. A deliverance that heralded so many events after, even to the coming of our messiah. Maybe if that hadn’t happened we would not have the liberty to be identified with Christ today. We must, therefore, praise him for it.

Verse 12: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth forever.

The strong arm of God represents his power. God did not spare the Egyptians as we see in the account of Moses. God dealt fiercely and ruthlessly with them until they let his people go. He stretched out his arm in wrath against them, an experience that will never be erased.

Verse 13&14: To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his march endureth. And made Israel pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever.

After the children of Israel had left Egypt, they got to a point where they were confronted by a great sea. They cried to God and he heard them and made a way for them to pass through the midst of it safely.

Verse 15: But overthrew Pharoah and his host in the red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 Isn’t it interesting, that the very river that the Israelites passed through safely was the same one that killed their enemies? Yes! God was intentional about saving his people even if it meant taking the lives of their enemies. This he did because of his love and because he wanted the Egyptians to know that he alone is God.

Verse 16: To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

After he took them through the red sea, he brought them to the wilderness to teach them his ways and precepts. All through their stay there, he was there with them, leading them every step of the way to the place of promise. He was to them a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. And although they never got to change their clothing, that which they had on them never wore out.

Verse 17&18: To him who smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever. And see famous kings: for his mercy endureth forever.

When they left the wilderness and got into Canaan, they were confronted by the kingdoms surrounding them. Kings rose against them and became their enemies. But God would not spare them also. He lured them into battle and took away their lives. His compassion made this so and we need to thank him for it.

Verse 19&20: Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth forever And Og the king of Bashan: for hismercyyendureth foforever.

These were some of the kings who came against God’s own people. They didn’t have a clue whom they were coming against. For if they did, they wouldn’t have dared to. They paid with their lives for it and not only them but their people too.

Verse 21&22: And gave their land for a heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever even heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth

Well, God did not just destroy the kings who came against his people. He also gave their land as a heritage to his people and their children. He stripped them of their honor and gave his people double honor. He is definitely a jealous God who is ready to go the extra mile for his own. His compassion remains forever.

Verse 23: Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth forever

Just as we know, God is no respect for persons. He does not take his eyes away from us just because we are needy or do not have as much wealth. He loves us just as we are and his compassion for us never runs dry.

Verse 24: And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth forever.

God has and will always redeem us from our enemies. But even more than that, the death of his son has given us a total deliverance from our greatest enemy- the devil. And not only did the blood redeem us, but we were also made to sit in the heavens far above all power and principalities. Isn’t that worth glorifying God for? 

Verse 25: Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever

God is not only our deliverer but also our provider. He feeds both the heathen and the righteous all alike. Even the animals on the earth and under the water do not go hungry. He has all things in his hands and he ensures that we are filled daily, completely lacking nothing!

Verse 26: O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth forever

As the psalmist concludes, he calls out all and sundry once again to offer up praise to God. And just so that we are sure of whom we are praising, he calls him the God of heaven. He who is kind and dependable, for his compassion towards us and his continuous willingness to forgive our faults fail not.

WHEN DO WE NEED TO USE THIS PSALM?

This psalm helps us to really point out things that we need to appreciate God for. It is therefore very useful to us in the following situations.

• When we need to take out time to appreciate God for his goodness towards us.
• When we want to reflect on all that God has done in the past for you and all of God’s children generally.
• When we want to celebrate the beauty of God’s creation as well as his continuous mercy upon us.
• When we want to remind him of the great things he has done in the past in order to get him to do more for us.

PSALM 136 PRAYERS.

• Lord, I thank you for your mercy and benefits in my life, may your name be praised in Jesus name.
• Lord, I thank you for all the wonders of creation that you made in order that we may have a good life. Take all the glory in Jesus’ name.
• Father thank you for the great salvation that you gave to our fathers in time past. This gives me confidence that you will do the same for me even now in Jesus’ name.
• Lord, I ask that just like you displayed your mighty power to the oppressors of your people, I ask that you demonstrate your power over every of my life in Jesus’ name.
• Heavenly Father just as your word has said, I pray that you remember me in my time of need and look upon me in your mercy in Jesus’ name.
• I also ask the Lord, that you provide for me always. That you feed me and all those around me that we will always lack nothing in Jesus’ name.