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

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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.