God's Steadfast Love in the Victories Over Powerful Kings (Part 6 of the Psalm 136 Series)

to him who struck down great kings,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

and killed mighty kings,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

and Og, king of Bashan,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

and gave their land as a heritage,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

a heritage to Israel his servant,

    for his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136:17-22

English Standard Version

After the generation banned from seeing the promised land were all gone, the Lord little by little gave them the lands promised to them (Deuteronomy. 2:16). It was a no easy feat because the nation was not really a military superpower. There were nations more superior than they are in terms of number, fighting skills, and warfare technology. The big difference was that YHWH their God was with them! He was personally involved in the killing of the great and mighty kings of their enemies (Psalm 136:17-18). Verses 19-20 mentions the names of defeated kings from two of their most celebrated victories, King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan.

The Defeat of Sihon
Conquering Sihon's domain was not a part of Moses' original game plan. The Israelites only wanted to pass through Sihon's territory. The messengers sent by Moses to the king brought a diplomatic and carefully-worded message: “Let us pass through your land; we will not turn aside into the fields or into the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well, but we will go along the King’s Highway until we pass your borders” (Numbers 21:22, NET2). But instead of responding peacefully, Sihon not only refused the request but he gathered his forces together to attack the Israelites. That was Sihon's great blunder! With YHWH on their side, the Israelites defeated Sihon and his forces. They took possession of the cities of the Amorites including Heshbon, Sihon's very own city.

The Defeat of Og
Even with the recent victory of Israel over King Sihon, King Og was not intimidated. He was confident of his military might. When Moses and his people set out on the route to Bashan, Og sent his whole army to meet them at Edrei (Numbers 21:33). YHWH encouraged Moses with a promise of victory using the recent defeat of Sihon as a rallying point (Numbers 21:34). Israel won the battle as promised, and they took possession of Og's land.

More Than a History Lesson
Though there is much reference to Israel's history in this portion of the psalm, we must remember that teaching history was not the primary intent of the psalmist. His intent was to illustrate God's steadfast love to his people. May this portion of the Holy Scriptures convince us that the God we are serving is great and mighty, and that he uses his power for the benefit of the objects of his love. Good things are in store for those who would adore him above all. We have a reason to persevere in the faith because the one who promised good things to his servants will fulfill it. "So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward. For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised" (Hebrews 10:35-36, NET2).

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Mercy in the Wilderness (Part 5 of the Psalm 136 Series)

Photo by Sergey Pesterev (Wikimedia Commons)


to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.

Psalm 136:16 (NIV)

Recognizing the wilderness experience as a distinct juncture in Israel's history, the updated NIV isolated verse 16 as a separate stanza. Even if none of the popular bible versions did such, I would still do a separate post on verse 16 for the reason that many of us are unfamiliar with Israel's history.

Israel's exit from Egypt was an spectacular event. With such a grand display of YHWH's power, one would think that the faith of the Israelites would be immensely fortified and the nation would be on a roll to glory. But to our disappointment, what follows that great event were accounts of Israel's unbelief. Because of YHWH's displeasure, they wandered aimlessly around the desert way too long than they should. In fact, none of the mature men who experienced the Exodus, except Joshua and Caleb, survived long enough to see the land promised to the patriarchs.

Their prolonged stay in the wilderness meant a difficult life for the area does not provide sufficient resources to sustain long-term community existence. The wilderness juncture was marked by grumbling, rebellion and unbelief. They grumbled about food and water. They unreasonably opposed God's man Moses. They refused to engage in battle as they trembled in fear when they should have been emboldened by God's promise to fight for them. Perhaps the episode in the wilderness narratives that most clearly shows their idolatrous hearts is when they used the gold they've taken from Egypt to make a molten calf. They held a feast in honor of the golden calf and attributed their liberation from Egypt to it!

Being holy as he is, YHWH always expressed his displeasure whenever the people did grievous sins. But even in all these, God did not terminate his steadfast love. He still accompanied them in the wilderness. He supplied their needs. He gave them manna. He gave them quail meat. He gave them water to drink. He led them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Their clothes and their sandals have not worn out for 40 years!

In the wilderness juncture, we learn that YHWH is merciful. He was merciful to a people living a difficult life through the desert. Though it was their own fault why they wandered in the desert for too long, their suffering was alleviated by God who is by nature merciful. His mercy is often mentioned in the Scriptures along with his other excellent moral attributes. No less than Moses, the appointed leader of the people, proclaimed: "YHWH, YHWH, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). The aspect of mercy has always been in God's work of redemption. So in the New Testament, we read that his regenerating work in Christ flowed out of his nature as being "rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4). Salvation is never because of any obligation on the part of God to reward undeserving sinners. It was always God freely acting in mercy, grace, and love to rescue the undeserving.

Much more could be written about the wilderness but I don't want to make this post unnecessarily long. I would like to end this post with a passage where Jesus alluded to a scene in the wilderness to describe his saving work. He said, "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15, NET2). By alluding to Numbers 21:4-9, the implication is that the whole sinful world is afflicted with some kind of a spiritual venom. Do not ever think that the ancient Israelites were especially aberrant and that we are better than them. No! We are all depraved and worthy of death. You may not feel it, but a deadly venom flows in your blood stream and it will only end in death if you will refuse the cure. And the cure, the anti-venom, is  Jesus Christ. Whoever puts his trust in Jesus will be spared from death. There is saving mercy for sinners in the cross of Christ. There is mercy in the wilderness.

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"We Write for the Future" ~ Ambeth Ocampo

God's Steadfast Love in the Exodus (Part 4 of the Psalm 136 Series)

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever

PSALM 136:10-15

English Standard Version

Verses 10-15 recounts the Exodus event by which YHWH brought Israel out of Egypt through mighty acts particularly the death of all the firstborn in the land, Goshen exempted (Exodus 12:1-36) and the parting of the sea (Exodus 14:5-31). This is because of God's loyal, steadfast love. Perhaps it is necessary to provide some background for those unfamiliar with Israel's history.

Abraham was the first and foremost of Israel's patriachs. He was called to leave his ancestral roots with a promise from YHWH that he will be the father of a great nation with an accompanying land and blessing (Genesis 12:1-3). But before the promise takes fulfillment, God foretold that his descendants must first be enslaved in a foreign land (Genesis 15:12-14).

That foreign land turned out to be Egypt. Abraham's descendants migrated there when Joseph, one of his great-grand-sons, rose to power second only to the Pharoah himself. They settled peacefully in a particular place called Goshen and multiplied quickly. Yet Joseph was aware that they would not enjoy peace and freedom forever in Egypt. He knew they would be enslaved one day and subsequently leave Egypt to settle in the promised land, for these were prophesied beforehand. So he gave an instruction to his brothers that they should carry his bones out of Egypt when God comes to rescue them (Genesis 50:24-25)

The prophesied enslavement did came! It happened when a new ruler emerged in Egypt who was ignorant of Joseph's contributions in the past (Exodus 1:6-14). The oppression against Abraham's descendants were so great, they groaned out of anguish and the merciful and faithful God heard them (Exodus 2:23-25). In response, God raised Moses.

This is the very essence of YHWH's faithful love (hesed), that the promise made to Abraham several generations beforehand was unforgotten even when YHWH himself was already forgotten by Abraham's descendants. Ezekiel 20:6-8 reveals that it was not only the Egyptians who were guilty of idol worship, but the Israelites as well. They too deserved God's wrath. They too deserved to be drowned in the sea but by God's mercy they were made to “pass through the midst of it, for his steafast love endures forever” (verse 14). Such is the depth of his love.

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free

Rolling as a mighty ocean

In its fullness over me

This deep, deep love is not only for the biological descendants of Abraham. From the very start, God had in mind a worldwide blessing. Abraham was told, ”in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). The birth of the Messiah fulfills the promise (Luke 1:54-55), and all who would believe in the saving work of Jesus are counted among Abraham's children (Galatians 3:7-9). Praise the Lord!

May pananagutang moral ang taong naniniwala sa mapanirang huwad na balita

Dito pala galing ang ngalan ng bandang Sixpence Non the Richer

God's Love Demonstrated in the Creation (Part 3 of the Psalm 136 Series)

Photo credit: WikiMedia Commons

4 to him who alone does great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever

Psalm 136:4-9 ESV

What we have seen so far in this series is that the steadfast love (hesed) of the Lord immovable, faithful, loyal, and forever enduring. In the first stanza (verses 1-3), the worship participants were urged to give thanks because of the Lord’s goodness. He is good by nature and so he does good things to his people. All the good things he wants to do, he is able to do because he is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is above all other powers in the physical and spiritual worlds.

The rest of the Psalm shows how God demonstrated this steadfast love. Love cannot remain undemonstrated. With a wonderful God like YHWH, love is displayed by his wondrous deeds (verse 4). The lifeless, non-existent gods of Israel's neighbors can never do such wonders. Only Israel's God is able to do these.

8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.

9 All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.

10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.

(Psalm 86:8-10 ESV)

The first demonstration of God’s love is by the wondrous act of creation. Keep in mind that God is self-sufficient. He is not in need of anything. His revealed name YHWH (I Am) implies that he is the eternal one. There was never a time when he was not existing. Long before he created the universe, he was already there existing and happy. He did not create the world because he is in need of something in it. "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." Creation does not sustain God’s life; it’s the other way around. God gave life to creation and its continued existence is due to his sustaining power (Colossians 1:17).

This world showcases God’s love for man. He prepared it to be man's abode. Unlike God who is sufficient in himself, you and I are dependent on the surrounding creation for survival:

• Just think about the last thing you ate.
• Think about the raw materials your shelter is made of.
• What would happen to you if you would not inhale oxygen for the next 15 minutes (if you can)?

The energy and materials of the created order is sustaining your life, for the creation is God's act of love. Not only are we dependent of God’s creation for existence; we are in fact a part of the creation. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1). He owns us; we are at his disposal. The very fact that we are still alive even when our sins deserve death means he is rich in mercy.

Created by Understanding

Through the creation, he has not left us without a witness of his brilliance. Verse 5 says he created the heavens by understanding. This is a word that is closely related to wisdom and insight. In the present context, it probably refers to his skill as a master craftsman (see Exodus 31:3-5). The sky with the sight of the sun by day and the moon by night (verses 7-9) is one of the ways by which he exhibits his genius. Add to that the stars, the constellations, and the clouds. Ancient people look up the sky with their bare eyes (without the aid of a telescope) and concluded that this God is a glorious God (Psalm 19:1-6). I think people of modern technology are even more accountable to God because more of his intricate designs are now accessible to us and they reveal even more how wise God is. This is not limited to what we see in the sky. It includes all the wonders of the created order, like the microbiological and aquatic wonders for example. They all reflect God’s brilliance as a craftsman.

Be Conscious of Your Ungratefulness

Since Psalm 136 is a call to give thanks to God for his steadfast love, we should continually thank God for his works through our lips. Let us be conscious also of the other ways by which we manifest our ungratefulness.

1. Every time we entertain ideologies that displace God as the origin of life and universe, we prove our ingratitude.

The most prominent ideology in our time that denies God as Creator and Sustainer is the naturalistic worldview or philosophical materialism. It is the belief that the material universe is all that there is. The existence of spiritual things is denied. There are no angels, no demons, no God. It denies the existence of a designer, therefore denying the wise God who crafted the universe with great understanding.

The world is becoming more and more secularized and the view of the origin of the universe that is largely presented in the textbooks and in the classroom is this philosophical materialism. As secularism and materialism gets stronger and stronger, God is removed from the thoughts of our children. Sooner or later, they will live as if there is no God to whom they are accountable. But we need to be faithful to God by proclaiming the doctrine of creation to the present and future generations. It is a vital component of our faith (Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6 & 9; Rev. 4:11, Heb. 11:3)

2. Another proof of our ungratefulness is when live as if we are autonomous beings not in need of God who sustains the created world.

People may still affirm God's existence, but they live as if God does not matter in the daily affairs of life (Deuteronomy 8:17-18; Luke 12:16-21)

3. The ultimate demonstration of man's ingratitude is when they reject Jesus and his gospel.

The Scriptures undeniably testify about the role of Jesus Christ in the Creation week. "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:3 NIV).  His role did not end in the creation of the world, for "in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). But when he came on earth, he was rejected, despised and murdered (John 1:9-11). Humanity's hostility towards Jesus continues because people loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19).

But blind as we are, God's grace is sharp enough to pierce through darkness so we could see the beauty of the gospel, believe in Jesus the Savior, and repent of our sins (2 Corinthians 4:4-6)

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind but now I see. 

Basketbol, Boksing, at Karapatang-Pantao

Sinasabi natin, "Basketbol lang 'yan" o "Boksing lang 'yan", ngunit sumisidhi ang emosyon natin kung ang ating manok ay biktima ng crucial calls & non-calls, o kung ang score cards ay 114-114 Draw kung alam ng lahat na ito dapat ay 118-110 Unanimous. Kung puwede lang baliktarin ang resulta ay 'yun sana ang ating nais. At hindi tayo kuntento doon: kung garapalan talaga kung kumilos ang mga awtoridad (referees & judges) ay nais natin silang masuspende o tuluyang matanggal.

Bakit ganun? Dahil sa puso natin, alam nating ito'y hindi "basketbol lang" o "boksing lang". Ito'y isyu na ng katuwiran at katarungan. Kung ito ang ating damdamin sa basketbol at boksing kung saan ang nakataya ay trophy lang, medalya lang, o belt lang, eh 'di ba dapat mas sumidhi ang ating damdamin kung ang pinag-uusapan na ay buhay at kalayaan ng tao?

Ang Kristiyano at ang Estado: Dalawang Extreme Views Ayon kay Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Give Thanks to the Good and Supreme Lord (Part 2 of the Psalm 136 Series)

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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.

(Psalm 136:1-3 NIV)

Be grateful

The phrase “give thanks” is repeated three times in this stanza. This is the key for determining what this stanza is all about. It is an exhortation to be grateful. Thanksgiving is a form of praise and worship (Psalm 100:4). It is an acknowledgement that you have received favor from YHWH. One indicator of humanity's universal sinfulness is its failure to give thanks (Romans 1:21). The propensity of men to be ungrateful is highlighted in the account of the healing of ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19. All of them were healed but only one returned to give glory to God.

Ungratefulness is not only shown by the failure of our lips to utter words of thanksgiving but also in how we act. One may say “thank you” a thousand times but surely remains ungrateful if he returns evil for good (Proverbs 17:13). Men do this all the time. They enjoy all the good things from the Creator: food, sunshine, oxygen, and life itself but they often live in a way that offends the favor-giver.

Since the propensity to be ungrateful is deeply ingrained in human nature, even believers must be urged and called upon to give thanks. It should be the natural response of someone who receive the saving graces of God and other divine favors. But our weakness constantly demands that we should be reminded often and called upon often to be grateful, via our lips and our living. A past pastor of Moody Church remarked, “Praise is the spontaneous outcome of a grateful heart that has experienced the saving grace of God and recognizes His providential dealings and Fatherly care day by day. It is strange indeed that we should need to be urged to praise. But we are so prone to be forgetful of the source of our mercies..." (Harry Ironside, Continual Burnt Offering)

For YHWH is Good

Why should we be grateful? Because the God we worship is good (see verse 1). He doesn't just do good things; he is by nature good. Men can do good things but shall remain contaminated by sin in this present age. Only God is purely good. This distinction could be seen in Luke 11:11-13. In the context of urging the listeners to persevere in prayer, Jesus' point was this: even men, whose hearts are contaminated by sin and are evil in nature will not give things that will harm their children but only what is beneficial, how much more God who is pure goodness in his nature. Since the Father is good, he will give good things to his children (James 1:17). And when he works, he works not for harm but for the welfare of the faithful (Genesis 50:20).

This goodness is even magnified when we think about how it is combined with the Hebrew word “hesed”. Because of modern scholarship, the word is mostly translated now as a combination of “love and loyalty” (faithful love, loyal love, steadfast love). We have tackled that in part one of this series. Yet the old translations are not entirely wrong. They captured some important aspects and nuances of the word. Think about “lovingkindness”-- Coverdale's coined word which is a combination of “love” and “kindness”. Surely God is good and loving and kind! Covenant loyalty was definitely in the relationship of Naomi and Ruth (Ruth 1:8-9), but the concept of kindness is also present (Ruth 2:11-12 and 3:10, ESV). Covenant loyalty was definitely present between David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:1-17-- attention on 8, 14, 15), but love was there first and it was the basis of covenant. When Jonathan died and David became king, he showed kindness to Mephibosheth (Jonathan's son) (See 2 Samuel 9:1-13). Love + Kindness = Lovingkindness! Coverdale's coined word is still relevant.

Though we see goodness, love, and kindness in the lives of Naomi, Ruth, Jonathan and David, we also know that they were all mortal sinners like us. Following Jesus' logic I conclude, if the virtues of goodness, love, and kindness could proceed from mortal sinners, then to an infinitely greater degree we have this assurance that God will be good, loving, and kind to his people.

God of gods; Lord of lords

Okay, God is good. But what comfort shall you derive from a good God who is powerless? Surely there is no comfort in a god who says "I love you my son, and I desire good things for you. Unfortunately, I do not have the power to help you." or "There are greater powers and forces outside of me that prevents me from doing good things to you"?

In verses 2 & 3 we read that Israel's God is “God of gods” and “Lord of lords”. God is supreme over all other powers and forces in heaven, on the earth, in the seas and everywhere else. The grammatical construction here is superlative similar to the holy of holies in Exodus 26:33-34 and servant of servants in Genesis 9:25. No so-called god and no so-called lord among their polytheistic neighbors is above Israel's YHWH. The God to whom the thanksgiving is addressed is the Supreme God and the Supreme Lord. He is greater than them all, in fact other gods don't even exist (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). They are powerless and worthless (Psalm 135:15-18). In contrast the Lord of lords is sovereign (Psalm 135:5-6). This good God is able to fight for your good because he is above all entities that may threaten to harm you.

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