Psalm 136 Part 4

The prefix statement (v16) “To Him who led His people through the wilderness,” is a reminder of the many mighty and loving acts of God. Yahweh provided guidance, food, water, structure, leadership, healing, victory, and many other things to Israel through the desolate wilderness. Are we not provided with the same in our wilderness journey? His faithful love not only gives us our salvation and our victory over the enemy, but it also gives us food on our table, a roof over our head, and clothes on our bodies, and a promised eternal inheritance. Give thanks today for that faithful love that provides these necessities.

Israel’s conduct in the wilderness tested God most severely, but it bore the strain; it showed His gracious and compassionate lovingkindness. God’s love should make us loving and compassionate to others. The Lord who ‘smote’ Pharaoh at the beginning of the wilderness march(v17), then smote the “great Kings” of Canaan, Sihon, and Og, at the close of it.

From v23 the song makes a sharp yet skillful transition from God’s great wonders of the past to His faithful help in the present. It is good for us to look to the past for evidence that ‘His love endures forever,’ but even better for us to see the evidence in our own day. 
Sin is our enemy (v24), and we are redeemed from it by the atoning blood of Jesus; Satan is our enemy and we are redeemed from him by the Redeemer’s power; the world is our enemy, and we are redeemed from it by the Holy Spirit.

The final call to praise(v24), which rounds off the psalm by echoing its beginning, does not name God by the Name which implied Israel’s special relationship, but by that name which other people could and did address Him, “the God of heaven,” from whom all good comes down on all the earth. The singer has given us many reasons to respond to God with this statement, and we are persuaded the never-ending mercy of God – His lovingkindness, His grace, His loyal love – will never stop finding a way to bless and help His people. Reminds me of Romans 8:38-39!