---In
Psalm 136 the phrase "For His mercy endures
forever," appears, alternated, 26 times. To
some it may seem to be a tiresome and unnecessary refrain.
Nevertheless, someone has said: "This phrase is
Moses' astonishment, the sum of the revelation and hope
for man." And someone else: "There are many
good things in the Word of God, but the name of mercy
is the sweetest of all the scriptures and it makes David
repeat it twenty six times in this Psalm."
---When
is God's mercy appreciated? When is the God of mercy
valued? In this Psalm, not only God's mercy towards
Israel is praised, for the many times in which he liberated
Israel from their enemies, but God's mercies are expressed
way before, in the creation of the world. Everything
that exists, expresses God's mercy.
---But,
without a doubt, the place where it shines with greater
splendor is in his treatment towards his people. Especially
towards Israel, a rebellious and defiant people, which
is a perfect figure of our own heart. That is why in
this Psalm, at every step, after remembering each of
God's landmarks of salvation, the most beautiful phrase,
that a believer can say of God, is included: "For
his mercy endures forever."
---C.
H. Spurgeon says: "Mercy opened the route, mercy
encouraged the people of Israel, mercy made them descend,
and mercy made them rise to the other side. Mercy reaches
the bottom of the sea. Mercy arrives to this: there
is no end in itself, there is no obstacle in its way,
there is no danger for the believers when the Lord is
around and says "Go on" . Let this be our
sign, like it was for Israel, because mercy surrounds
us throughout. Through the fire or through the sea of
his mercy, He is to take care of us.
---The
difference that exists between the holy God and his
sinful people, between the kindness of God and the evilness
of man, between the gifts of God and the narrowness
of man, is so great that man should forever be dismissed
from all communication and contact with God; cast away,
forever, in the deepest darkness, which his sin has
made him deserving.
---Yet,
what makes it possible for God to be near, to seek man,
to provide for him salvation, to bring him near, to
forgive his sins time and time again, to teach him,
discipline, perfect, honor, and to finally raise him
to dwell in the light of his presence for eternity?
All this is possible because of God's mercies. "He
has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished
us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are
high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those
who fear Him" (Psalm 130: 10-11).
---If
we knew ourselves better, we would better understand
God's mercies, expressed every day that goes by, even
if we are not aware of it. Our ingenuous unconsciousness,
and our consequent ingratitude, is perhaps, a still
greater demonstration of the mercies of God towards
us.
(Translation:
Betsy Calvo, USA).
