THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: Living By Faith In God

CXXXVI. Relying On God’s Loyal Love

(Psalm 136:1-26)

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

The lack of security affects many people right now:

(1) Our national debt yields insecurity: “Congress is missing in action. Our debt is more than 100% of Gross Domestic Product. Interest payments are rising and . . . absorb nearly one-fifth of federal spending.” (Veronique De Rugy, “Trump is not the biggest threat to the Fed’s independence,” Republican-American, September 3, 2025, p. A6).

(2) Employment insecurity affects many college grads: “For generations, Americans were raised to believe a college degree would all but guarantee a stable career and a life of financial comfort . . . (but) ‘(b)attered by artificial intelligence, employers worried about tariffs, and hamstrung by a lack of job and internship experience, many college graduates are fighting to secure jobs even as rents remain high and sizeable college debt payments loom,’ Hearst Connecticut Media reported Aug. 24’” (“Why grads are unemployed,” Ibid., September 1, 2025, p. A6).

(3) Income insecurity affects our state: The “United Way” says “about 40% of” the state’s “families . . . faced financial instability in 2023 . . . (a rise of) 17% since 2019 . . . (with) financial difficulties . . . growing most quickly in . . . suburban and rural communities” (Alex Putterman, “‘There’s a crisis here,’” Ibid., September 6, 2025, p. 1A).

Columnist Chris Powell explains this to be an unnecessary crisis, for “tens of thousands of people in Connecticut” work “for pay well above minimum wage while still living in or on the edge of poverty. Part of it” is “their own fault” of “living beyond their means, and part of it the government’s . . . (seen in) the declining skill level of much of the workforce, the fatherless urban underclass – the increasing numbers of young people who attend schools without standards and graduate uneducated.” Remarkably, “Connecticut has tens of thousands of job openings – for skilled workers . . . that pay far above minimum wage, for which enough qualified applicants can’t be found” (Chris Powell, “By raising minimum wage, Connecticut admits failure,” Ibid., September 9, 2025, p. A6).

(4) Our local politics produces insecurity: A letter by Joe Bannon, vice chair of the Waterbury Republican Town Committee (Ibid., September 5, 2025, p. A6) noted, “Mary Grace Cavallo and Amanda Nardozzi . . . are not the endorsed Republican candidates,” but were “recruited, financed, and managed by the . . . Democratic machine . . .”

(5) Our national politics produces insecurity: Prior to last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Michael Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan, in his column (“The party of losers is not funny,” Ibid., September 8, 2025, p. A6), wrote, “Maybe we do need a Civil War 2.0 – with guns . . . Tim Walz . . . Kamala Haris’ VP pick . . . on Labor Day . . . in front of a . . . crowd . . . made a . . . joke based on the viral social media rumor that Trump had died because he had not been seen in public for four days . . . Everyone knew . . . (Walz) was playing to the . . . barely suppressed hopes of his audience . . . that President Trump was really dead . . .”

Liberal “Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy” in a video posted online one day “before Kirk’s assassination” said: “‘We’re in a war right now to save this country, and so you have to be willing to do whatever is necessary to save the country’” (Anthony Branciforte, “Charlie Kirk, reckless rhetoric, and America’s future,” Ibid., September 12, 2025, p. A). Republican-American commentator Branciforte added that such words by officials mean “more assassinations are likely to occur,” so he asked, “Where does our politics go, how can our republic be sustained?” (Ibid.)

Need: So we ask, “How should we handle the issues that create insecurity in today’s world?”

I. Psalm 136:1-26 highlights Almighty God’s eternal loyal love for His people Israel:

A. Each verse of the psalm in the KJV ends with the phrase, “for his mercy endureth forever.”

B. That phrase keeps the reader focused on Almighty God’s eternal loyal love for His people Israel:

1. The Hebrew word rendered “mercy” is hesed, meaning “loyal love” (Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1093-1094; H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, vol. I, p. 305-307).

2. The word “his” in the phrase refers to Almighty God Himself:

a. The psalmist used the name “Yahweh,” the “I AM” covenant-keeping God Who delivered Israel from Egypt (op. cit., Kittel, p. 1093, 82; Exodus 3:11-14), the name “Elohim,” the Creator God of Genesis 1:1-31 Who created the universe (op. cit., Kittel, p. 1093, 1-2) and the name “Adonai,” God as one’s “Lord, Master” (op. cit., Kittel, p. 1093; B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 10-11).

b. Thus, the Psalmist referred to Israel’s God in the psalm as her Almighty God – the covenant-keeping, Creator God of the universe Who also comprised Israel’s Lord and Master!

3. The word “forever” renders the Hebrew noun ‘olam, “continuous existence” that is linked to the letter lamed (l), “to,” making l’olam mean “to continuous existence,” or “forever” (op. cit., Kittel, p. 1093f; op. cit., B. D. B., p. 761-763, 510-518). Thus, Almighty God’s loyal love for His people Israel is eternal.

II. Verses 1-3 call Israel to give thanks to Jahweh, to Elohim, and to Adonai for His loyal love, and verses 4-22 report how this Almighty God has displayed His loyal love to His people Israel in their past history:

A. Almighty God alone performs great wonders for His beloved people Israel, Psalm 136:4.

B. Specifically, Almighty God created the universe as a dwelling of His beloved people Israel, Psalm 136:5-9.

C. Specifically, Almighty God delivered His people Israel from Egypt and delivered great kings in the Promised Land over to His beloved people Israel in their conquest of the land, Psalm 136:10-22.

III. Verses 23-24 summarize these past works of God’s expressed loyal love for Israel, and verse 25 reports how Almighty God continues to give food to each creature He has made because of His loyal love.

IV. Verse 26 closes the psalm with a repeat call for Israel to give thanks to God for His everlasting loyal love.

Lesson: Since Almighty God’s eternal loyal love for His people has been demonstrated in His creation, in His sustainment of the universe and in His mighty works on behalf of His beloved people, believers can rest assured that Almighty God’s loyal love will forever continue to meet their needs.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God's gift of eternal life, John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. (2) May we draw encouragement from Almighty God’s track record that His everlasting loyal love to His people will forever continue to address our needs as His people.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message and/or provide additional guidance . . .)

Scripture gives advice on gaining God’s blessings on the specific issues of insecurity in our introduction:

(1) 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 in its historical context shows how we can handle the fiscal irresponsibility of the federal government regarding our national debt. 1 Thessalonians was written in A. D. 50-51 (Zon. Pict. Ency. Bib., vol. Five, p. 723) when “(t)he old reverence for the family, for the state, and for (even) the (pagan) . . . gods was gone” in the Roman Empire, and “(p)rosperity had brought corruption with it . . . The passion for a life of luxurious ease existed in all classes . . . The middle class, which once had been the backbone of the nation, had almost disappeared. In Roman society, there were only the rich and the very poor,” in various ways similar to the circumstances that we may be entering as a nation today (Compton’s Ency., vol. 17, p. 247).

In such an historical setting, Paul wrote that if his readers worked independently for a living, they would not be in material need and maintain a good testimony. We should then seek to work independently to earn a livelihood.

(2) As for the employment insecurity of college graduates and the income insecurity affecting many people in Connecticut where there are also tens of thousands of job openings that pay far above minimum wage for skilled workers, Amy Glazer, senior vice president of Adecco, an employment agency in Pulaski, N. Y., claimed, “(A)utomation” has not reduced “the number of employees needed” in many companies, “but it” has “changed what the work looked like,” so employers are “making sure the employees they” hire “are ready to be continuously upskilled through” an “evolving landscape as automation, robotics (and) AI continue to shape the future of work.” (“Companies are hiring for ‘quality over quantity.’ What that means,” September 5, 2025; Yahoo finance video) To attract the attention of employers in today’s job market as a prospective “quality” job seeker, one should be teachable and adaptable to a changing market as is taught in Scripture passages like Proverbs 1:5; 15:14 and 32!

(3) On handling the deceit of local politicians, 2 Timothy 3:13-17 with 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 reveals that Scripture and the indwelling Holy Spirit equip us to avoid being deceived as we discern other people. We thus need to rely on the Holy Spirit and pay heed to Scripture’s teaching on human behavior to know how to vote in elections!

(4) Romans 13:1-4 with Psalm 34:11-16 NIV direct us on handling the insecurity that affects our national politics. (a) First, Romans 13:1-4 directs us to respect all officials in office since God has let them come to power to fulfill His will. (b) Second, Psalm 34:11-16 NIV directs that we should avoid speaking evil and instead do good, to seek peace and pursue it. (i) Applying this passage to Tim Walz’s words of favoring the death of President Trump, we should not support or make remarks that favor anyone’s death! (ii) This passage also leads us to avoid heeding what Chris Murphy said and to avoid backing what Michael Reagan wrote when both men from opposing political sides upheld going to war against the other side. We must seek peace and pursue it, not promote an actual civil war!

May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God’s gift of eternal life. May we draw encouragement from God’s track record that His loyal love will lead Him to address our needs throughout our earthly sojourn until He takes us home to heaven with Him in the rapture.