Have you ever been listening to a song on the radio and thought, “There are only five words in this song, and they’re just singing them over and over again”? Sometimes that may be true, but in reality, most songs have lyrics that are repeated frequently throughout a song, often set apart as the “chorus.” Look at Psalm 136. Do you see any words repeated over and over?
There are 26 verses in Psalm 136, and every one of the 26 verses ends with the same five words. The psalmist recounts much of Israel’s early history—from elements of God’s creation to the exodus from the land of Egypt to the entrance into the Promised Land. After each detail of these events is recorded, the psalmist notes the reason, “For His mercy endures forever.”
When the Jews would sing this song (without skipping any of the “verses”), they would be reminded 26 times that “His mercy endures forever.” As Christians, we need to be reminded no less than 26 times that “His mercy endures forever.” “Oh, give thanks to the Lord!”