- Mercy Forever
Psalm 136:1-26
For his mercy endureth forever.
This sentence is repeated in every verse of Psalm 136 and dozens of times in the Psalms and throughout the OT, so it must be an important Creed, or Statement of Faith; indeed, it is an important promise to live by. The Hebrew word for “mercy” is “chesed.” This Hebrew word is essential to the character of God: it means commitment, faithful love, a firm and steadfast love that is faithful to the covenant promises. It refers to a God who keeps His word and His word is Love; and you can be certain of that love, and you can stake your life and eternity on it.
The promise is that the “chesed” of God endures forever. After everything else has ended, died, worn out, and stopped the Love of God will go on and on. It never dies; it never stops; it never quits; it binds God to keep His promises; it makes sure that we know that.
When the NT says, “God is Love,” it means, “His mercy endures forever.” If God is not merciful we are doomed; if God does not show mercy He will show His wrath; if God’s mercy does not last forever it may stop unexpectedly and not be there when we need it; if His mercy does not endure forever we will not live forever. This promise is important because it is extremely important for my life.