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11/6 Reading Portions: 2 Kings 19; Hebrews 1; Hosea 12; Psalms 135-136
Psalm 136:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.
MERCY
The Hebrew word, חסד (CHE-sed), translated here as steadfast love, is used 247 times in 241 verses of the Old Testament. In many and varied English translations of the Bible, this Hebrew word has been translated mercy, mercies, merciful, kindness, goodness, kindly, favor, favour, great kindness, loving kindness, lovingkindess, and merciful kindness, to name a few. The first time the word is used in the Bible is when Lot, fleeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, asked the LORD for permission to flee to the city of Zoar instead of the hills where God instructed:
“Behold, Your servant has found favor in Your sight, and You have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.” Genesis 19:19, translated mercy in KJV, emphasis added
This Hebrew word is also translated disgrace (wicked thing in KJV) when God commanded that an intimate relationship between a brother and a sister must not to be done:
“If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, and he shall bear his iniquity.” Leviticus 20:17, emphasis added
The greatest display of God’s mercy and steadfast love was at the same time the greatest display of mankind’s disgrace and wickedness, which came to pass when Jesus Christ was crucified upon Calvary’s tree. Therefore, you wouldn’t be wrong in translating our verse of meditation:
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His gospel endures forever.”
Read Psalm 136 aloud today and replace the word steadfast love (or mercy, KJV) with the word gospel. I promise you; it will bless your soul!
God’s steadfast love is merciful,
Found in Christ, our Lord;
Christ’s gospel, it is beautiful,
And saturates God’s Word.