Psalm 136:23-25

            As Psalm 136 draws to a close, the pray-er is reminded that Yhwh is not a god locked up and stuck in the recesses of history. The pray-er gives thanks to Yhwh because Yhwh is still active in his life that day. The pray-er is actualizing God’s never-ending love as His love continues to move forward through time and history. The pray-er from ancient times is swept up by Yhwh’s grace, and you are too!

            What’s even more amazing is that the God of all gods, the LORD of all lords, the Almighty Creator of the universe and all the earth actually remembers us! God is never too busy to hear your prayers. God is never too busy to attend to your needs. The pray-er remembers that even when God’s people were “down and out” He came in action and rescued them from their foes. ^[1] God created you, therefore you are extremely special to God.

            God has rescued you from the foe of foes—Satan, the powers of sin, death, damnation, and the grave itself. Since He’s already accomplished this for you, do you really think that He would forget about you? Jesus died on the cross with your name upon His lips. Think about this: if you were the only person on earth Jesus still would have gone to the cross for you.

            136:23-24 is the continuation of Israel’s story—Israel’s history. And notice that the Most High God is still active and working in the life of His people. The continuation of Israel’s story is now viewed through God’s Window of Jesus, the New Israel. You are a participant in this plan of God. He’s grafted you into His New Israel through faith in Christ alone.

            Yhwh is still the Giver to all people today, not only Christians. The Christian actualizes His blessings through faith and responds to God accordingly. God still loves all His creation, even those who continue to reject His Savior.

            The Apostles’ Creed[2] is an ancient creed of the Christian Church. It is still confessed in Christian churches today. The First Article (or statement of faith) of the Creed focuses on God as Father as the Creator who remains active in His world today. Like the pray-er of Psalm 136, God’s modern people actualize His ongoing blessings and steadfast love on a daily basis. The Christian recognizes these and gives God thanks each and every day. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther writes this explanation concerning the First Article in his Small Catechism:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

What does this mean?

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.

He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.[3]

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^[1] James Luther Mays, Psalms, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1994), 420–421.

[2] The word ‘creed’ comes from the Latin credo. The ‘o’ = ‘I’. “Cred” = believe. Squish them together and credo means “I believe.”

[3] Luther, Martin. Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation – 2017 Edition (p. 133). Concordia Publishing House. Kindle Edition.

Psalm 136:17-22

            This window of God shows His people that He will not let anything or anyone stand in His way of keeping His promises. God is the promise maker and the promise keeper. He promised this land—the Promised Land—all the way back to Abram/Abraham and his descendants. After hundreds of years from when God made that promise, it was now time to keep iy. Even when God’s people demonstrated their unbelief and unfaithfulness to God, He still remained faithful.

            Yhwh God is the great victor in this part of Psalm 136. God’s people were so close to entering Canaan, and yet so far. They could reach out and touch the land, but they weren’t ther quite yet. There were some enemies in the way, Sihon and Og. They refused to let God’s people pass through “their” land in order to reach the promised land.

            The Christian life is that of journeying to THE Promised Land. Sometimes it seems so close that you can reach out and touch it. Other times it might seem so far out of reach that you might wonder if it’s ever going to be attainable. Like God’s ancient people traveling to Canaan, we modern-day people of God have enemies that stand in the way seeking to keep us out. The devil and his kingdom of darkness try everything they can to block our way and keep us from entering God’s Promised Land.

            Numbers 21:21-35 gives the account of what happened to the kings who sought to keep God’s people from entering Canaan. Peter Naylor gives his comment on this section in Deuteronomy in his commentary:

Israel was hemmed in between Moab and the Amorites (21:13). The way to Canaan was barred. The message sent to Sihon, king of the Amorites, was similar to the message to Edom (22; 20:17), and the response was the same: to muster an army and repel them. This time Israel did not turn away but defeated the aggressor and occupied its cities. Again, an ancient saying is quoted to mark this victory. … Their words anticipated the coming defeat of Moab, whose god was Chemosh (29;1 Ki. 11:33). Og, king of Bashan, was the next enemy defeated (32-35; a fuller account is in Dt. 3:1-11). After both victories, Israel occupied the land taken (25, 31, 35).[1]

            Remember in the beginning of Psalm 136 God opens His window of Creation for all to see and gaze upon. God created everything, therefore everything belongs to Yhwh and no one else—including us. Sihon and Og were simply supposed to be stewards of the land, not owners. Yhwh owned the land, and He wasn’t going to let anyone stop Him from delivering His people to the land He promised them.

This window of God shows us that He is the Conqueror and Victor on behalf of His people. He was there to fight for them, and He’s still here to fight for you. The ultimate enemy against God and His people is Satan. Satan rules this present evil age, but he certainly doesn’t own it. God sent His Son to do battle against the enemy on a little plot of land called Calvary. There on the cross is where the barrier stood between life in the wilderness of sin and entrance into the Promised Land. There on the cross is where Jesus defeated more than Sihon and Og. He defeated the powers of sin, death, eternal damnation, and the devil himself. Three-days later this Conquering Victor rose from the grave that will shut each of us in some day. God’s window of Jesus’ death and resurrection demonstrates that this life of sufferings and hardships is not the end. There’s more to this journey that what the windows of the world and culture show us.

            When the Sihons and Ogs of this world seek to deflate you; when it seems like God and His promises are so near and yet so far, don’t shut the window. Gaze through God’s window of Christ’s death and resurrection. This is the window that leads to God’s Promised Land for you!

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[1] Naylor, Peter John. Numbers. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Edited by D. A Carson, R. T France, J. A. Motyer, and Gordon J. Wenham. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.3. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994. 188.

Psalm 136:10-16

            Today the window of God moves us from His Creation to His great wonders of redeeming His people from oppression and slavery in Egypt. This is the first Passover when Yhwh passed through Egypt to bring death to the firstborn. God gave the people a sign for protection against death, however. Take the blood of a lamb and paint your outer doorframe with the blood. When I see the blood, I will “pass over” that home and death will not enter it. This is the first Passover.

            For 430 years (Exodus 12:40) God’s people had been enslaved. They had cried out to the LORD to deliver them. Though their prayers may have seemed to go unanswered during that time, or they wondered why the LORD was taking His time, nevertheless, the LORD heard the prayers of His people. He still hears your prayers today. He’s faithful, after all, even when we are unfaithful to Him.

            Through this window of God, the LORD shows us His redemptive work. The 10 Plagues God uses to crush Pharaoh’s heart aren’t simply neat tricks that God performs. Each of these plagues is connected to one of Egypt’s gods. In sending these plagues God showed the Egyptians that He, and He alone, is truly God of gods and LORD of lords.

            The problems for God’s people didn’t end once Pharaoh told the Hebrew people and Moses to leave and get out of town. Pharaoh later changed his mind. He chased them down with his armies, chariots and horses. God’s people found themselves in a pickle once again. Pharaoh’s army was coming from one direction, and on the other side stood the Red Sea. They were trapped. Would there be any hope? It certainly didn’t look like it.

            Nevertheless, Yhwh is the God of His Word. He promised deliverance to the Promised Land, and He wouldn’t let evil stop Him. With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm Yhwh God parted the Red Sea so that His people could pass through safely to the other side on dry ground. Pharaoh’s army tried to pass through as well, but they were met with a different fate as Yhwh brought the parted waters down upon them. All Pharaoh’s army, chariots, and horses were drowned and brought to nothing. Put your trust only in God and not human kingdoms, rulers, and principalities.

            The Passover and parting of the Red Sea are one of God’s Great Wonders—His miracles that He Himself initiated on behalf of His people. These great wonders point forward to, and are fulfilled in, Christ Jesus.

            Jesus is the Lamb of God who not only takes away the sin of the world. He is also the way through Whom God passes over eternal death, hell, and damnation. Those who have the blood of the Lamb painted on the doors of their hearts through Baptism demonstrate their trust in God. The Passover meal was fulfilled in Christ Jesus the night before He was betrayed. The Lamb of God was sacrificed and slaughtered on the cross because of our sins. Yet, this is what the Son did willingly and lovingly for the world. This window of God shows how much He loves you. God desires the eternal death and damnation of no one, which is why He gave us the way out. That way—that Window—is only Jesus.

            The parting of the Red Sea foreshadows the blessings God bestows through the waters of Holy Baptism. The people were doomed on the one side, but God parted the waters and provided the way to safely travel to the other side.

            Baptism is God’s Window for salvation. Without Jesus we are doomed. But with Jesus, God delivers us safely to the other side. God works His great wonders through His Holy Waters. There in Baptism is where He claims you as one of His dear children. Through God’s window of Baptism the Lord works His power and might. He takes the initiative to drag us from the kingdom of darkness and damnation and places you securely in His Kingdom of Light and Salvation.

            What a great window!

            We need clean windows! Whenever I wash the car I have to take time to clean the windows. The outside windows are pretty easy to clean. It’s the inside of the windows that give me difficulty. Inevitably, every time I clean the inside I either miss some spots or I smear the window area. It drives me nuts because now I have to go back over it all again. Until then, I have to drive with weird glare from oncoming headlights, or some sort of light refraction from the sun. “Clean it right the first time Mike!”

God cleans the windows of our hearts as He enters into your life. He cleans our windows thoroughly and completely with the blood of His Son shed on Calvary. There are no smears or spots left behind. He leaves no sin behind on our windows to refract or block our sight. That’s the ONLY window cleaner that can clean the caked on, baked on sin in a person’s life. Windex can’t do it. Living a good enough life can’t do it. Keeping one’s nose clean can’t do it. The indelible dirt on the windows of the human heart can only be completely cleansed with Christ’s blood and washed away in Baptism.

            Now that God has cleansed your heart and opened your window, He enters into your life bringing His perspective of His Creation and plan of salvation so that you can see things clearly. He brings His Window—Jesus—into your life.

            The psalmist makes an interesting move beginning in verse 4. The name Yhwh (or LORD in English translations) is now replaced by titles for the remainder of Psalm 136. All these titles are actions and action words because Yhwh is not static. He’s always active, and He’s always active in His Creation and in human history. ^[1] All these titles are rooted in and flow forth from the One Who is the Doer of great wonders. The great wonders, then, become the subject matter for the rest of the Psalm. In other words, God’s great wonders are windows of God through which the Christian sees more aspects of Himself, and to which God calls all humanity to see Him as He really is.

            “Wonders” in Hebrew is nip̱lāʾôṯ with the rood word p̱lʾ. You don’t need to know this. I simply want to point out that nip̱lāʾôṯ (wonders) are miraculous miracles of God.[2] Yhwh is the one Who initiates and performs Creation. Yhwh does the creating, and only Yhwh can and did create everything out of nothing. There’s no “big bang,” no “evolution or theory of evolution” (by the way, evolution is still a theory because it’s never been proven. Isn’t weird how ‘theory’ has dropped out of “theory of evolution?” I wonder why?).

            The adjective is “great.” These aren’t your typical, every day run of the mill wonders. These are “God is GREAT” wonders![3]

            Yhwh creates from His understanding and skill.[4] This is just one of His attributes. His great wonders include the universe. Where’s the end of the universe? And what lays beyond the end of the universe? God is even outside of all of this because He created it! He brought into existence galaxies, stars, plants, moons, and everything that’s in the heavens that we see when we look up into the night sky. God created the sun to bring light and warmth to sustain life on this planet called earth. He created the mountains, valleys, plains, the tropics, the rain forests, the regular forests, and everything!

            The sun and the moon were not created simply for their beauty for us to enjoy. God also created time itself from the very first nanosecond continuing through today and tomorrow. The sun and the moon are God’s markers for time.

            But most important, and the most greatest wonder work He did was that He created you! God don’t make junk. Everything and everyone has a purpose and function, otherwise He wouldn’t have wasted His efforts.

            It is through this window of Creation that God wants you to see yourself. It is through this window of God’s magnificent work that He wants you to understand how valuable and precious you are to Him. You are so precious to God that He sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross in your place. You owe nothing to God. Jesus rose again three-days later. In doing so, He has ushered in God’s New Creation. God New Creation has begun! It’s already underway, and it will be fully realized on the final day of Christ’s return. This is one of God’s Windows through which He wants you to see the world, and it can be viewed only through the window of the cross of Jesus.

            The Creation movement of Psalm 136 is the entry way into God’s plan of salvation—the second movement. ^[5] And you, dear friend, are a part of this! What a great wonder you are!

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^[1] James Luther Mays, Psalms, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1994), 419.

[2]  פלא Koehler, Ludwig, Walter Baumgartner, and M. E. J. Richardson, eds. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Accordance electronic edition, version 3.6. 5 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2000. 927.

[3]  גָּדוֹל Koehler, Ludwig, Walter Baumgartner, and M. E. J. Richardson, eds. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Accordance electronic edition, version 3.6. 5 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2000. 177.

[4] tᵉbhûnāh “In contrast to binah, tebhunah is also used as a divine attribute. Thus, several passages emphasize that God created heaven and earth by wisdom and knowledge (Jer. 10:12; 51:15; Ps. 136:5; Prov. 3:19; cf. also the text in Job 26:12, which contains mythological elements). His understanding is unsearchable (ʾen chaqer, Isa. 40:28) and beyond measure (ʾen mispar, Ps. 147:5).” Ringgren. Botterweck, G. Johannes, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Josef Fabry, eds. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Revised; Accordance electronic edition, version 1.4. 15 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006. 106.

^[5] Hans-Joachim Kraus, A Continental Commentary: Psalms 60–150 (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1993), 498.

Psalm 136:1-3

            Before we can look through God’s windows, we need to see God for Who He really is. We need to see how God sees us through His window. Without that window we can never see clearly God’s purpose for Creation and His continued activity within His Creation. We need to clean that window and throw it open. Psalm 136:1-3 does this for us.

Psalm 136 was written in a context of polytheism, which means a culture with many other so-called gods that governed the people. This is not unlike our culture today, or any culture through history. Yhwh is the One and only true God. He was back then, and He still is today, the only God through the end of eternity.

Cultural gods and goddesses include various types of spirituality, spiritism, or anything that’s at the center of a person’s life. Even atheism has its own god. Atheism: ‘a’ means no; ‘theos’ means god. Thus, atheism means “no god.” Nevertheless, atheism has humanism and “self” at the center of a person’s life, which is a god. No one is god-less or without a god.

Verses 1-3 is not acknowledging that there are other gods and goddesses in addition to Yhwh. The 1 Commandment forbids this type of belief: You shall have no other gods except for Me. However, God speaks within the polytheistic culture using human understanding to bring them to His truth. “[Th]e psalmist completes his first triplet [of the psalm] with Yahweh’s dominance over all the gods and lords of heathendom, the senseless idols of [Psalm] 135:15–18. … and knows, as in 135:5, who is in charge of the pantheon.”^[1]

            God throws open His window for all to see Him as He is. He has nothing to hide. Give thanks is another way of saying “confess” or “acknowledge” Yhwh. Yhwh is the direct object of our praise and confession of faith. It’s an imperative, which means this confession is really not an option. The Christian does this willingly because he is empowered by the very Spirit of Yhwh to do so.

The psalm uses superlatives[2] in a culture where humanity falsely believes that there are other gods and goddesses to worship and that govern humanity and its history. “You believe in your gods? Ok, then. Yhwh is the God of all gods, including your so-called gods. You believe in your gods as your lords? Ok, then. Yhwh is the Lord of lords, including your so-called lords.”

However, the psalmist doesn’t leave the unbeliever without an invitation to change her ways. “Come and at least check out Yhwh. His character is goodness and not anger, mercy and not revenge. Yhwh really does care about you and loves you very much.” And we Christians need this reminder in our lives too.

The window through which God wants us and the rest of the world to get to know Him is through the cross of His Son Jesus. Christianity is the only religion in the world where humans do not have to appease their god. All other religions, which are human religions at the core, have some sort of basis where a person must do something to gain favor or hope for a better afterlife. Christianity, the only true religion, demands nothing from humanity. God does it all completely for His creatures in the cross of Jesus. What a window of grace and mercy!

God invites us once again to look through the open window that God Himself has thrown open. He opens the windows of our hearts by His Spirit so that we can see Him for Who He truly is, confess Him as LORD because His character is truly goodness.

God invites you to do more than look into His window. He invites you into His home, into His family, to dwell with Him. In so doing we begin to look out at God’s Creation and all of God’s people from His perspective—through His window of the cross and the empty Easter tomb. It’s a wonderful, majestic, beautiful view from God’s perspective. So, come on in and gaze through God’s window!

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^[1] Michael D. Goulder, The Psalms of the Return: Book V, Psalms 107–150, vol. 258, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998), 221.

[2] Waltke, Bruce K. and Michael P. O’Connor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.8. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1990. 122-123.; Gesenius, Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited by E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley. 2d, Accordance electronic edition, version 3.2. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910. 431.

Psalm 136

            It’s the middle of summer according to the calendar, which means temperatures are warm if not downright hot. However, summer evenings typically cool down and invite us to throw open the sashes to let in the breeze.

            Have you considered your windows lately? Are they crystal clear and clean, easy to see through? Do your windows have some dirt and dust on them from the weather? Are there cobwebs in and on your windows because they haven’t been cleaned is a long time? Or, are your windows such that no one can see in or out of them? Maybe you have curtains drawn all the time so that no one can see in, but then you can’t see out either?

            The readings for this week invite us to peer through God’s windows—His window to the world, His windows that tells the world more about Himself if people simply take the time to gaze through them.

            Psalm 136 a psalm that invites the people to look through God’s windows. He wants you to gaze at Creation in the way He Himself sees His Creation.

            Psalms 135 & 136 are complimentary psalms—they go together. Both psalms belong to psalms that recount the history of God’s people. Psalm 135 uses the recital to contrast the Lord and his people with the nations and their idols. Psalm 136 uses the recital to expound the steadfast love of the Lord. Unlike the other historical psalms of the Psalter, Psalm 136 begins with Creation. Through the prayer of Psalm 136, the pray-er sees how “the way [of] the past impinges on the present and shapes the future.” ^[1]

            The structure of Psalm 136 helps us (especially modern-day western Christians) to see the movement of the prayer and God’s activity within His Creation. It moves like a symphony beginning with the introduction of Who God is (vv 1-3). There is no god equal to or greater than Yhwh because there really is no other god. He is the Creator of all things. Nothing exists that He did not want. Every created thing has a purpose and function including you. You are not a mistake.

Creation is the stage upon which history plays out. The Biblical account of Creation is 6 days at 24-hours/day creation with the 7th day created as the day of resting with Yhwh. This is the first movement of the psalm (vv 4-9).

God not only creates all things, Yhwh remains very active in His Creation.[2] The second movement moves from Creation to the redemption history and victory of God’s enslaved people in Egypt. They are now on their way to Canaan, the land that was promised to them and their forefathers. They would be met with challenges and enemies along the way. Nevertheless, Yhwh the Creator and God was with them (vv 10-22).

The third movement is one that continues forward in the history of God’s people. This includes your history right now as history is ever unfolding out of the hands of time (vv 23-25).

Most importantly God’s people see that all these wonders and Yhwh’s greatness is given voice by His steadfast love (chesed). It is through this window of God that we pilgrims of the present retrace our pilgrimages with those of God’s people in the past, moving forward into the future every step of the way singing His steadfast love endures forever.[3]

            The Church Lectionary for this week omits vv 10-25 of Psalm 136 concluding with v. 26. The selected verses concentrate on the Creation movement—the stage of the psalm. This makes sense because the Old Testament and Gospel readings focus on Yhwh as Creator forming His new family in the new world after Noah, his family, and the animals disembark from the Ark. The Gospel reading is Jesus’ walking on the water. He is Yhwh in the flesh, thus Lord and God over all His Creation that He’s made.

            A comment on the refrain in Psalm 136 for His steadfast love endures forever. The ‘for’ in the refrain of all twenty-six verses presents the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of the first half of each verse. The second half of the verse, then, gives the basis and content for our praise. ^[4] For example v. 16, to him who led his people through the wilderness. Why did Yhwh do this and how did Yhwh accomplish this? Answer: for his steadfast love endures forever.

            Steadfast love is chesed in Hebrew. The ch is not pronounced like the ch in ‘chew’. It’s a guttural sound made in the back of your throat as when you’re working up something to spit. Sorry if that grossed you out, but I can’t describe it any other way.

            Chesed is action and an action word. It is the word that brings forth all of Yhwh’s wondrous works and deeds—including you!

            So, lets open up some windows of God!

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^[1] James Luther Mays, Psalms, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1994), 418.

[2] Motyer, J.A. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Edited by D. A Carson, R. T France, J. A. Motyer, and Gordon J. Wenham. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.3. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994. 576.

[3] Motyer, J.A. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Edited by D. A Carson, R. T France, J. A. Motyer, and Gordon J. Wenham. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.3. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994. 576.; Patrick Henry Reardon, Christ in the Psalms (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2000), 271–272.

^[4] James Luther Mays, Psalms, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1994), 418.