Psalm 136 His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
136 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
The term "steadfast love" can also be found in Psalm 36, 100, 89, 118, 33, 90, 89, 63, 136, 107, and that is just with a REALLY brief google search. Can you tell the extent of my Bible research skills? My secret is out now! Psalms is a book that you literally want to find a babbling brook to read by (especially in 70 degree California weather). Between a glorious week with Boy practicing living in Austin, Peach Blossom, History Day, Trimester Benchmarks, Report cards, CST test prep, extended day intervention, PE testing, breaking the news to work that I'm jumping ship, I do not have the time to chew the cud. I choose the freedom of reading...listening...to Psalms with a 30,000 foot view of a babbling brook. This freedom brought me to a theme that I never noticed amidst all the waxing poetic. The couplets of Psalm 136 about "Steadfast love" stood out over and over as if I was suppose to pay extra close attention and ponder what it means.
Nerd Alert!
I was about to write that I don't mean to get too heady, but that would be a lie. Let me share some interesting tidbits I found about the translation of the Bible and the history of the term "hesed". If you are wondering who Coverdale is, he was the first to translate the Bible into English print. To keep from getting too serious, you have to read "hesed" with a good French, Yiddish, lip curling, hocking up a....pronunciation.
Loving-Kindness. This is a biblical word, invented by Miles Coverdale,
and carried over into the English versions generally. It is one of the
words he used in the Psalms (23 times, plus Hosea 2:19) to translate the
Hebrew
chesed when it refers to God's love for his people
Israel. Otherwise he used 'mercy,' 'goodness,' and 'great kindness' in
the Psalms for God's attitude to man; and, outside the Psalms, such
words as 'mercy,' 'goodness,' 'favour' for God's attitude to man, and
'kindness' for man's attitude to man. It is important to notice that
Coverdale takes pains to avoid using the word 'kindness' of God's
attitude to man, though he is not followed in this respect by the
Authorized Version and the
Revised Version. There is one case in the Psalms (141:5) where the word
chesed
is used of man's attitude to man, and even here Coverdale avoids
'kindness' (so AV and RV), but has 'friendly.'
The nearest New Testament
equivalent to the Hebrew chesed is charis (grace), as Luther realized when he used the German Gnade for both words.
The word is used only in cases where there is some
recognized tie between the parties concerned. It is not used
indiscriminately of kindness in general, haphazard, kindly deeds; this
is why
Coverdale was careful to avoid using the word 'kindness' in
respect of God's dealings with his people Israel. The theological
importance of the word chesed is that it stands more than any
other word for the attitude which both parties to a covenant ought to
maintain towards each other. Sir George Adam Smith suggested the
rendering 'leal-love.' The merit of this translation is that it combines
the twin ideas of love and loyalty, both of which are essential. On the
other hand, it does not sufficiently convey the idea of the
steadfastness and persistence of God's sure love for his
covenant-people. His other suggestion, 'troth,' is better in this
respect, but the etymological core of the word is 'eagerness, keenness,'
and, whilst there is considerable development from this, the word never
belies its origins.
(Bibliography: N.H. Snaith, Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament, London (1944).)
I LOVE that the best New Testament equivalent was the word for "grace." I enjoy doing the right thing and always have. I was just designed that way, so grace has always been a hard concept for the good girl that never gone bad, preacher's kid to learn. Hesed is an idea that takes on many variations, yet it is still the same idea. God is loyal, kind, loving, constant, faithful, merciful. I feel like it clarifies all the fruits of the spirit in God himself. You look at the AGAPE concept in Christ, but that Old Testament picture of God the father makes Him seem less "Zeus-ish" to me. For a really interesting read on the parallel between Hesed and Agape read:
Is "Hesed" the same as "Agape"?
A Man AFTER God's own Heart
False Narrative #1: David wrote the Psalms
Fals Narrative #2: David was create special and understood, communed with, treated differently by God
I have always thought that Jesus came from David's line because David was so special and had a level of intimacy with God that was bestowed upon him. That seems unfair to me. I want access to God intimately not because I'm predestined. Also, that does not match up with the idea in the Bible that anyone, no matter your past, can be used by God. I had a moment of clarity a year or so ago when my pastor referenced
Psalm 37:4
"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
This is not a prosperity gospel verse, but a promise that he will GIVE you desires that are of HIM-a renewing of the mind idea. I had a similar epiphany with the nomer of David. A man after God's own heart, A man AFTER God's own heart. A man AFTER God's OWN HEART. Hesid is God's heart for us, but part of hesid is a covenental bond that should be reciprocated towards God. This begs me to ask some hard questions of myself...
In what ways am I disloyal to God?
When I say I will do something and don't follow through, allowing materialism, ambition, and pride to enter my mind.
How do I actively pursue God as I would my lover?
I am so excited to be a wife again. Can you believe that I sit around excited and giddy to get to fold my husband's laundry and clean my house again in about a month and a half?! I must be crazy. When it comes to pursuing time with God, my response is usually a snarl because I'm so exhausted or think that something will exhaust me.
Are my responses full of kindness?
Teaching 5th grade in the spring is really hard. I just want quiet and obedience and forget that showing kindness in my tone of voice or acting patient towards them will do more good. I can't imagine how you moms feel.
When was the last time I showed mercy?
Mercy is especially hard when showing it will be of no benefit and maybe an inconvenience deep hurt to me. What I really mean to say, is that I can't remember the last time I showed mercy. As I check for typos, I remembered a life altering moment of showing mercy. It is the hardest thing I've ever had to do.
Am I steadfast in my love of God?
No. I am good at playing the legalism game. SO GOOD AT IT...but my heart is cranky because there is no payoff. There is no external, tangible reward NOW. What? I get a delayed reward. I hope God can't see how I really feel about doing the right think sacrificially. Uh oh...He can see that...
David was not special because God picked him to have intimacy, he went after, ran the race with endurance, was steadfast in his pursuit of God. I don't really think that Christ came from David's line as much as he did from Ruth's. Maybe it's the feminist in me, but in my hunt for hesed. The term is found as a strong theme within the book of Ruth. Her decision to sacrificially stay committed to Naomi is deeply rooted in hesed. I think you'd have to be pretty dense to miss the parallel of Boaz/Ruth and Christ/Church-Bride too. I find encouragement in the fact that Ruth found amazing results from her hesed behavior. So much more will my delayed reward be as I continue to be after God's own heart of hesed.