View source for Psalm 136 Worthy of Praise

'''Theological Proposition/Focus:''' The God of the universe loves us and is worthy of our praise.

'''Homiletical Proposition/Application:''' The follower of Christ must turn to the God of the universe and praise him for his never-ending faithful love.

=Introduction=
==Image: Why do we pray before a meal, we haven’t even tasted it yet?==

Growing up, my brothers and I loved to give my dad a hard time, and we especially loved to pick on him when we had people over to our house for a meal. It never failed, if we were hosting a missionary family, or deacon’s family, one of us was going to ask a “good question.” I put this in quotes because our good questions were not too hard to answer they were just the sort of questions that you would hear and then couldn’t help but think “really, now you are asking that?” 

	I remember one day as we were sitting around the dinner table, all holding hands (because we did that when we prayed for dinner) and getting ready to pray. Right before my dad started to pray I piped up “I have a question,…, why do we pray before the meal? I mean after all what if it doesn’t taste good.” Catching the que my younger brother jumped in, “yeah, or what if it contains poison and we all drop dead. Shouldn’t we wait until after the meal to see how it was before we thank God for it?” I don’t remember how my dad handled that one, but I will give you my answer now. We know that God is good and what he gives us is good. With God, we don’t need to wait to see what he has given us before we thank him because we know he loves us and gives us the good gifts we need.


==Need: We need to be reminded that the God of love is worthy of our praise even before we know how he will provide.==

A lot is going on in our church and we have a lot to pray for. And we should be in prayer! I hope that each of you is praying and will continue praying for our church. Pray for our capital campaign. Pray for our pastoral transition. Pray for those engaged in spiritual battles. Pray!!!! But, as you pray, praise God. Praise God for how he will answer. Praise God for all he is doing!

==Subject: Our God has done and will do so much that is worthy of our praise.==

==Preview: In Psalm 136 we are going to see four descriptors of God. He is God of gods, Compassionate Creator, Divine Deliverer, and a Redeeming Ruler but as we look at God don’t forget his loyal love.==

In Psalm 136 we are going to see four descriptors of God. He is God of gods, Compassionate Creator, Divine Deliverer, and a Redeeming Ruler but as we look at God don’t forget his loyal love.

==Setting the Stage: Antiphonal (played alternating by two groups) appearing to be based on Psalm 135, full of allusions to Deuteronomy and Isaiah, and probably developed for liturgical use.==


The psalm itself is antiphonal, that is the psalm was likely sung in an alternating pattern by two different groups of people. A sort of call and response style that would serve to include both the speaker and audience. Based on the content, the psalm appears to be based on Psalm 135 and is full of allusions to Deuteronomy and Isaiah. Most likely the psalm was developed for liturgical use, that is the psalm was developed to be used in an act of worship to the God of the universe.
	Before we dig into the passage, I want to comment on one of the central phrases in the passage. Our NIV translates this as “His love endures forever.” The phrase uses the Hebrew phraseלעלמ חסד which we might translate as eternal loyal love. The Hesed that we see here is used to refer to God’s covenant love, mercy, enduring love, loyal love. The idea is that this is the unchanging immutable love that God shows to each of us. This special love that God has is something that is eternal. Even if everything changes, God’s love remains.
	Let’s read through Psalm 136 but let’s do something a little different. I am going to read a line of the psalm and I want you all to say the line “His love endures forever.”

==Text: Psalm 136==

=Body=

==God of gods: Praise the Highest, his mercy endures forever. (v.1-3)==

As we look at Psalm 136, the first item I want you to note is that we serve a God of gods. Specifically, notice that The God of gods deserves our thanks because His mercy endures forever. (v.1-3).  These verses are reminiscent of Deuteronomy 10:17 which states “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.” The names of God in the passage are significant.

====Deuteronomy 10:17 ====
===יהוה  - Our God alone is the self-existent one, the one without beginning and without end.===

In verse 1 we are commanded to give thanks to יהוה the proper name of God used 6823 times in the OT. The name carries the idea of God alone being self-existent. The one without beginning and end. The name is that of the great I AM. The name יהוה was sacred to the Israelites and never to be used flippantly. When reading the OT a Hebrew Rabbi would not have even pronounced יהוה but rather would have used the word אדני to avoid any semblance of taking the name of the Lord in vain. God is special, unique, holy and verse 1 reminds us of this in its use of the sacred name. But it doesn’t end there. The verse goes on to say that we give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. However, the source of his goodness is that his love endures forever. 

====6823 times in the OT, The I AM – the name was sacred and a Rabbi would use אדני ====
===אלהי אלהים - Our God alone stands above all that would otherwise make themselves gods.===

In verse 2 we give thanks to the אלהי אלהים the God of gods. Here the word is a generic word for god. This is the term that can be translated as either lowercase or uppercase God. The idea here is that our God is the real God. Our God alone stands above all that would declare themselves to be God. Nevertheless, it is the mercy, the love of God that drives us to give thanks and praise God. 

===אדני  - Our God alone is the personal God who accepts his people. ===

Verse three introduces us to another name for God. We give thanks to אדני the word אדני reminds us that our God is a personal God who accepts his people. This is a term we might translate as lord or master. This is the term that would have been used in a regular speech about God. We serve a highly exalted God who alone is worthy of worship, but we serve a personal God who is merciful and whose steadfast love endures forever. 

===Image: Aslan is not a tame lion.===

In C.S. Lewis the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe the Lion Aslan is described as not being a tame lion. After learning that Aslan is a lion Lucy asks Mr. Beaver, “’ Then he isn’t safe?’ Mr. Beaver replies ‘Safe?’ ‘don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King I tell you.’” Throughout the series, there are several references to Aslan not being a Tame Lion. The reader cannot help but think of God. He is the God of the universe, but he is good, and he loves us. This week take time to praise God for his mercy!

===MTR: This week we need to praise God for his mercy!===

==Compassionate Creator: Praise the Creator, his steadfast love endures forever. (v. 4-9)==

In verses 4-9 we see that God is a compassionate creator. Specifically, we see that the compassionate creator deserves our thanks because his steadfast love endures forever. People have devoted their entire life to understanding just a small part of creation. The sum of all of our knowledge of the universe fills libraries but we have only scratched the surface. God made the universe in understanding. Not random chance, not a whim, but in understanding.

===Man seeks to understand just a hair of the universe that God created.===

Throughout history, there have been a few dependable things, things that we can count on. Namely, the sun, the moon, and the stars. For millennia people have navigated by the stars, depended on the tides, and trusted that the sun will rise in the morning. However, we serve a God who is more dependable than the sun, the moon, or the stars. Long after the sun stops shining and the moon ceases its traverse, the loyal love of the God of the universe will continue. 

===Man learned to depend on the seasons and cycles but the one who made them is more dependable.===
===Image: The changing world in which we live.===

Over the last month and into the next few months there are a lot of things that have changed and are changing. Consider this, if you were born 1000 years ago the world you grew up in was essentially the same as the world your parents would have known and their parents and so on. For the most part, not much changed. Two hundred years ago, the world you would have grown up in would have been similar to the world that your parents grew up in, but maybe a little different than your grandparents. Today, the world that a ten-year-old grows up in is very different than the world a 1-year-old is growing up in. Our world is full of change! But God goes not!

The theological term immutable is used to describe the fact that God does not change. Who he was yesterday is who he is today and who he will be tomorrow. Each of us changes. We grow, develop, there will be things you know tomorrow that you did not know today. Next year you will have feelings that you do not have today. Your likes love desires all change. However, God does not.


===MTR: This week we need to praise God for his immutability!===

This week we need to praise God for his immutability. Praise God because he is unchanging and in particular his loyal love is the same yesterday today and forever.


==Divine Deliverer: Praise the God of the Exodus, his loyal love endures forever. (v. 10-22)==

In verses 10-22 we see that God is a Divine Deliverer. Specifically, we see that The Devine Deliverer deserves our praise because his loyal love endures forever. In verses 10-15 we are reminded of how God delivered his people from Egypt. God sent the plagues on Egypt to demonstrate his power and remind his people that he was for them. He faithfully delivered his people from Egypt. God parted the red sea and safely brought his people through the red sea. After God safely brought his people through the water, he allowed the sea to sweep away the army of Pharoah. The same God who was loyal to his people in delivering them from Egypt is loyal to you.


===The same God who was loyal to his people in delivering them from Egypt is loyal to you.===

Even after delivering his people from Egypt God did not stop. He led his people through the wilderness. God fought on behalf of his people destroying nations and enemies of his people. 
===The same God who gave Israel victory in the promised land is loyal to you.===

Sihon and Og were two kings that Israel defeated in Numbers 21:21-35. God kept his promises and gave Israel an inheritance in the land of promise. The same God who gave Israel victory in the promised land is loyal to you.


====Sihon and Og were two kings that Israel defeated in Numbers 21:21-35====
===MTR: This week we need to praise God for what he has done for us in the past!===

This week, take time to reflect on how God has shown you his steadfast love in the past. How God has provided for our church in the past. As you do so praise God for what he has done for you and what he has done for our church. Make a point of taking some specific time to consider how the God of the past is the God of the present and his loyal love endures forever.

==Redeeming Ruler: Praise the Redeemer of heaven, his faithful love endures forever. (v. 23-26)==

Finally, in verses 23-26, we see the Redeeming Ruler. Specifically. The Redeeming Ruler deserves our praise because His faithful love endures forever. God is in the business of redemption. The psalmist recalls how God redeemed his people. They were slaves in Egypt but under God, they were freed and granted an inheritance. They were delivered from their enemies. They were provided for.

===God redeems us from his lowly estate.===
===God rescues us from those who oppose us.===
===God is our provider===

God redeems us. Every one of us is sinners deserving of Hell, eternal separation from the God of the universe. Each of us comes from the lowest of estates, totally depraved and incapable of earning God’s favor. No matter what we do it would never be good enough. No matter what we try it could never repay the debt we owe. We are truly of low estate. However, God, in His wisdom sent Jesus to live and walk among men. To live a perfect sinless life and then to die on the cross to take the punishment for our sin. Three days later Jesus rose from the grave freeing us from the power of sin. 1 Cor. 15:55-57 states
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The ultimate enemy of each one of us is sin, death, Satan. God frees us from the enemy and brings us into His kingdom once we accept the payment Jesus made for our sins and place our faith completely in him. As if that was not enough. God then goes on to provide for each one of us. The indwelling Holy Spirit allows us not just to be freed from the bondage of sin but to have victory and live a life for the God of the universe. God alone provides for us.


====1 Cor. 15:55-57====




===MTR: This week we need to praise God for Salvation.===

The psalmist concludes with the statement “Give thanks to the God of heaven.” The God of the universe who rules heaven deserves our thanks because he is our Savior. This week we need to praise God for salvation.

=Conclusion:=
===How will you make sure that you thank God for his: Mercy, Immutability, Faithfulness, Salvation?===

God’s love is a truly amazing gift. God’s love drives the God of all gods to show us mercy. We are nothing but God still shows us mercy. The God of the universe wants a personal relationship with you. Will you join me this week in thanking God?
	Who knows what this week will bring? The weather can change in fact, the sun might not rise. But one thing that I can guarantee you is that the God who created the universe will not change and his love for you will remain forever. Will you join me in thanking God this week for his immutable love?
	The God of the Bible is a loving God who provides for His people. This volume contains 66 books filled with stories of God and his provision. This text speaks of a loving, all-powerful God who chooses to provide for his people. This same God is your God. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, then you are God’s, and he will provide for you. The same God of the Bible is the God you can depend on. This week will you thank God for his faithfulness.
	Finally, the God of the universe is in the business of redemption. He has redeemed all those who place their faith in Jesus Christ as their sole means of salvation. The ruler of heaven is willing to be the ruler of your heart and to give you eternal salvation all you need to do is accept his offer. Will you choose to place your complete unwavering faith in the God of heaven and His Salvation? If you have done so, will you join me in thanking God this week for the salvation He has so graciously provided?
	This week will you join me in thanking God for his unchanging loyal love that he so richly bestows on each of us? As I said at the beginning. A lot is going on in our church right now and we need to be a praying church. But just like we thank God for a meal before we have even tried the meal. Will you join me in thanking God for how he is going to answer our prayers even before we know what it will look like?