How long is forever? You might think that’s a silly question, but there are many people who can’t grasp the concept of eternity. God is eternal and He put eternity in our hearts. In other words, our souls are eternal. This Psalm praises God for His steadfastness, love, and mercy. It praises Him for who He is and what He’s done. Let’s dig in…
Read it aloud. If you have someone with you, do it responsively.
Psalm 136
Jesus holds the world in His Hands, GNPI, from FreeBibleImages.org
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. 5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. 7 who made the great lights— His love endures forever. 8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. 9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
God parted the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites. From from FreeBibleImages.org.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever. 11 and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. 12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever. 14 and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever. 15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever.
The Israelites rebelled against God and Moses at the Red Sea. From from FreeBibleImages.org.
17 to him who struck down great kings, His love endures forever. 18 and killed mighty kings— His love endures forever. 19 Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever. 20 and Og king of Bashan— His love endures forever. 21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever. 22 an inheritance to his servant Israel. His love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever. 24 and freed us from our enemies. His love endures forever. 25 He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.
Psalm 136 NIV
God’s Creation
Magnificent sunset.
Psalm 136 is divided into 2 parts. Verses 1-9 describe God’s creation of nature. My townhouse faces west. Every evening, I experience God’s Glory in magnificent sunsets. Whether it’s a clear day or cloudy, the colors vary each time. I can’t help but praise God…
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
Psalm 19:1-6 NIV
Verses 10-26 of Psalm 136 describe His creation of the nation of Israel. By the way, the Land of Israel began at the Exodus. Pastor Sandy Adams adds insights on the use of this Psalm…
Throughout Israel’s history, 136 was one of the nation’s favorite Psalms. It was sung on special occasions. In 2 Chronicles 7, Solomon sang this Psalm at the Temple’s dedication. In 2 Chronicles 20, the army of Jehoshaphat sang it when they went out to battle against the Midianites. In Ezra 3:11, when the Jewish exiles, home from Babylon, laid the foundation of the Temple, they also sang Psalm 136.
Above, I quoted the NIV version of Psalm 136. Here is the response line in some other translations…
His mercy endures forever.
NKJV
His faithful love endures forever.
NLT
His steadfast love endures forever.
ESV
His lovingkindness is everlasting.
NASB1995
God’s love never fails.
CEV
His tender love for us continues on forever!
TPT
His loving-commitment is everlasting.
TS2009
His love never quits.
MSG
His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever.
AMP
I hope you get the point… God’s tender, love, mercy, lovingkindness, graciousness, compassion, endures/continues forever, never quits, is everlasting.
How Long is Forever?
Everlasting. The Hebrew word for “everlasting” is “olam” it means:
Perpetual joy will be upon the hearts of the ransomed and sighing and sorrow will be gone forever. (Isaiah 35:10)
Bright and undying future — Psalm 18:50 — God showed mercy to David and to David’s seed, which inculdes us.
Eternity — Psalm 90:2 — The true notion of eternity is expressed by olam in those passages referring to the nature of God. God was always before the mountains were made and will always be after those same mountains melt with fervent heat — 2 Peter 3:10
“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
Revelation 1:8 NLT
He repeats it at the end of Revelation…
And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.
Revelation 21:6 NLT
Your soul is eternal. Where you spend eternity is a simple choice that you need to make while you’re still alive and coherent. Where will YOU spend eternity? Heaven or hell?
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.
Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
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