Give thanks unto Jehovah, for he is good; For his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever.
David has just brought the ark of the covenant up to Mount Zion. To mark the day, he hands Asaph and his fellow singers a psalm. Its closing line became the standing song of Israel. Why this line? Why at this moment? And how could a nation with such a record sing it at all? (The writers below say "mercy" where the ESV says "steadfast love.")
The refrain has a birthday. Israel had lost the ark to its enemies. David now set it in the place God chose for the king.
Psalm 136 celebrates a blessed principle tied to Zion, the place of sovereign grace in power. We have our place of praise and thanksgiving because of this: His mercy endures for ever. Ichabod had been written on Israel. The ark was where the blood was to be placed on the day of atonement, so that Israel might have a place with God. And that ark was taken — as far as Israel went, lost. But God's mercy endures for ever, and David, as soon as he sets the ark on Zion, establishes this song there.
David deliberately did not put the ark back where the old order of worship stood. That choice is bound up with the song.
David brings back the ark from Kirjath-Jearim. But he does not put it back in the tabernacle, where the outward form of worship went on. He puts it on Mount Zion, which God had chosen to be the seat of the kingship. Here it was grace, and grace exercised in power. So then, for the first time, David sets up the singing of the hymn: "For His mercy endures for ever."
This is not a sentimental line. Israel's record was one of complete failure, and the song stands against that background.
Next comes this form of words: "His mercy endures for ever." It declares that despite all the faults, all the sins and all the unfaithfulness of Israel, Jehovah's mercy has stood firm. This will be shown in full when the Lamb — the true ark of the covenant and the real David — stands on Mount Zion, even before He takes the character of Solomon.
Verses 34-36 come from Psalm 106 — but only the opening and the ending. One writer explains what is missing and why.
The third section of our chapter (vv. 34-36) is a citation from Psalm 106:1, 47-48. Its first verse suits the character of Chronicles and the moment when David gave his "first" psalm. Our passage deals only with the setting up of the ark in Zion, and leaves out all the rest of the psalm. That is because the psalm tells the history of the people under responsibility, and their complete failure in every situation they passed through — in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in Canaan.
Once given, the refrain reappeared at every major turning point — in glory, and in weakness.
That chorus had been sung in the bright day of David's success: when he brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite to Jerusalem (1 Chron. 16:41). It sounded again in the days of Solomon, when the cloud and glory of His manifest presence filled the house of the Lord at Jerusalem (2 Chron. 5:13). Then the glory and brightness and successes of those days passed away, and the failure and ruin of Israel was complete. Even so, the returned remnant could raise the very same old note of praise… They had been faithless, but He was faithful.
The song also has a future.
This song will be sung during the millennium. But it could already be sung at the dawn of the reign of David and of the reign of Solomon (2 Chron. 5:13). That was the moment when God, in a foreshadowing picture, fulfilled His purposes of grace for the kingship.
The refrain does not stay in Israel's history. Anyone who traces God's dealings with them can take it up.
From first to last, and during all the time between, it is and will be nothing but mercy. Mercy in creation — and we can go further back still, even to God's purposes of grace in Christ before the foundation of the world. Mercy in our redemption, in our guidance through the wilderness, in our deliverance from our enemies, and in God putting us in possession of all that He has secured for us in Christ, whether now or when we are for ever with the Lord. So we may take up Israel's song and cry without ceasing, "O give thanks to the Lord; for He is good, for His mercy endures for ever."
- Ruin. Israel had lost the ark to the enemy. The song begins where human failure ends.
- Grace. David sets the ark on Zion, not back in the old tabernacle. Only then does he start the hymn, for this is grace working through power.
- Endurance. "For ever" means mercy that outlasts every fault, sin and unfaithfulness of the people.
- Reach. David sang these words. Solomon sang them in the filled temple, the weak returned remnant sang them, and the coming kingdom will sing them again.
- Ours. From God's purposes before creation to our being for ever with the Lord, it is all mercy. So the song is ours to sing too.
And say, Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us, and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks unto thy holy name, To triumph in thy praise.
David's song for the day the ark came to Jerusalem ends with a prayer for rescue. No nation was oppressing Israel that day — so whose prayer is this, and why does a day of triumph close with a plea for help?
The last three verses of the chapter are not new words. David takes them from a psalm about Israel's failure — and leaves the failure out.
The third section of our chapter (vv. 34-36) is a quotation from Psalm 106:1, 47-48. Its first verse says, "Give thanks to Jehovah, for He is good; for His loving-kindness endures for ever." That suits the character of Chronicles, and the moment when David gave his "first" psalm... Our passage deals only with the setting up of the ark in Zion. It leaves out all the rest of the psalm. That is because the psalm holds the history of the people under responsibility. It records their complete failure in every situation they passed through — in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in Canaan.
The day ended with a prayer about a trouble no one there was in. It belongs to a people still to come.
So they closed that day with the first and the two last verses of Psalm 106. Those verses predict a state of things, and a need, that they were strangers to at that time. But we understand it, and the godly remnant of the future will fully enter into it... At that time no nation oppressed them.
In the psalm, this plea comes at the end of a long admission of guilt. The order matters: the people who ask to be gathered have first owned their sin.
They looked back over this history of constant failure. Even there they could trace the love that had acted towards them all through. He could not openly display it as He would; but the one cause of this was unrepented evil. Now, in their confession of their sin, He could return; and if He could, He would. They cry to Him for this: that He would save and gather them from the nations, so that they might give thanks to His holy Name, and triumph in His praise!
The answer to this prayer is still ahead. It waits on the day the throne of Jesus stands in the very city where the ark was placed.
Finally we have the two closing verses of Psalm 106. The first prays that God would gather Israel from among the nations. That gathering will be the result of the throne of Jesus being set up in Zion. The second closes the psalm by blessing for ever Jehovah the God of Israel — as we find at the end of each book of Psalms. This song of praise contains, then, every subject that the presence of Christ in Zion will give occasion to celebrate...
The verse makes four requests. The first one holds up the other three.
I would only draw attention to the last verse. In it we find the four great characteristics of the people of God fully set out... The Church of God is a saved company. Salvation is the basis of everything. We cannot answer to any of the other characteristics in this rich verse. First we must know ourselves as saved by the grace of God, through the death and resurrection of Christ.
The last request — thanks to His holy name — is not a separate item tacked on. It grows out of the three before it.
Finally, we have the spirit of a worshipping people: "That we may give thanks to your holy name." This follows from everything we have been looking at. Salvation, association, separation, and worship are all connected together. The Church breathes the atmosphere of God's salvation. The Spirit leads her into holy and happy fellowship. So, separated to the Lord Jesus, outside the camp, she presents the fruit of her lips to God, giving thanks to His name.
The prayer asks for more than rescue. It asks God to turn a confessing people into a praising one.
The psalmist has confessed the sins of the people. Now he appeals to Jehovah to save His people, gather them from the nations, and make them a praising people. Expecting the answer to his prayer, he calls all the people to praise the Lord God, who is blessed from everlasting to everlasting.
- Saved first. Salvation is the basis of everything. The other requests wait on this one: knowing yourself saved by grace, through the death and resurrection of Christ.
- Gathered next. God gathers His people from the nations when Jesus takes His throne in Zion — the day the whole song looks forward to.
- Separated then. Deliverance from the nations sets a people apart to the Lord Jesus, outside the camp.
- Praising last. The rescue has a stated purpose: to make them a praising people, giving thanks to His holy name.
- Confessed throughout. The words come from a psalm of national failure. People who have owned their sin raise this cry, and God returns to them.
Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, from eternity and to eternity! And all the people said, Amen! and praised Jehovah.
David's great song, sung when the ark was carried into Jerusalem, does not end with the king's voice but with the whole nation's. Its last line blesses God for all time, and the people seal it with one word — so where did these words come from, and what does that "Amen" do?
David handed the singers a psalm built out of psalms already written, and he chose the closing lines with care. One writer traces where each part came from and shows that the ending looked past that day.
The king chose three Psalms — 105, 96 and 106 — all from the fourth book of the Psalms, and none of them credited to David. They gave fitting words for everyone on that occasion... So they closed that day with the first and two last verses of Psalm 106. These verses predict a situation and a need that Israel knew nothing of at that time. We understand them, and the godly remnant of Israel in days to come will enter into them fully... At that time no nation oppressed them.
The blessing has no end because the One it blesses never changes. One writer ties the people's Amen to God's unchanging nature.
"Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting" — He does not change, and all the people are called on to say Amen to this solemn truth. What wonderful grace first, and what patience of mercy afterwards! Such is the hope of Israel!
These words are not a one-off. Four sections of the book of Psalms end with a doxology — a short burst of praise — and each one draws the same short response.
The book of Psalms is divided into five books. Each of the first four ends with a doxology, and with it we meet the significant word "Amen." "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen" (Ps. 41:13)... "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, 'Amen!' Praise the LORD!" (Ps. 106:48).
The word the people spoke was already familiar in Israel. Its earlier uses were solemn ones, where a person went on record before God.
A strong statement of agreement and consent. We first read of its use when a woman was suspected of being unfaithful to her husband and had to drink the bitter water. The priest spoke a curse on her if she had been guilty, and the woman had to answer Amen, Amen (Num. 5:22). So when the priest on Mount Ebal read out the various curses, he added it to each one: "And all the people shall answer and say, 'Amen'" (Deut. 27:14-26).
Here the same word turns from agreeing with a curse to agreeing with praise.
Writers read the last two verses as reaching far beyond David's reign.
Verses 35 and 36 look ahead to the final accomplishment of all the blessings listed in our chapter. They will be fully realised only when God delivers Israel from among the nations. That time is still future, and then this praise will ring out: "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!" David's people rejoice in this praise ahead of time.
One writer hears an echo of this verse in the New Testament, where Christ Himself leads the praise.
Are we not reminded by this verse of what is written in Psalm 22:22 and Hebrews 2:12: "In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise"? Christ is not only the centre of His gathered people, but the leader of their praise to God the Father.
The same thing happens when Christians gather now. One voice speaks, and the rest answer.
One believer expresses it for all the rest, and the gathered church says Amen. There is a worship meeting coming in which the whole church will take part, and will hear an Amen that echoes through creation... I believe that if the heart is right, an Amen will come out — a "so be it." You are putting your seal on what the Spirit of God draws out, and God looks for that.
- Given — David chose the closing lines from Psalm 106, words that spoke of a rescue Israel did not yet need on that day.
- Grounded — "From everlasting to everlasting" holds because God never changes. That is what the people say Amen to.
- Sealed — "Amen" is firm agreement. Israel had used it to accept curses; here they use it to seal praise.
- Shared — One voice gave out the psalm, and the whole nation answered. Christ leads His people's praise in the same way.
- Still ahead — They sang the song ahead of time. Its full sound waits for the day when God gathers Israel from among the nations.