Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
God’s steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136 leaves us with no doubt, at least in words. But what about God’s actions? Along with creating and sustaining all things, along with leading His people in the wilderness, God brought the plagues on Egypt. The Psalm specifically mentions the death of the firstborn in Egypt. Some would say this is genocide, not love!
What kind of God are we looking at here? He is exactly the kind of God who moves his people to Egypt in the first place as a means of rescuing both Israel and Egypt from famine and death. He is exactly the kind of God who has promised his people a fruitful land and an everlasting hope, then tells those who would enslave and oppress the people of Israel that they can join with Israel and receive the promse also. he is exactly the kind of God who makes it known, when destruction is coming on the firstborn of Egypt, anyone can use a lamb as a substitute for the human firstborns. This is exactly the kind of God who provides a way out of trouble, makes it known, and watches people arrogantly ignore his way. His mercy is not in question. It is our arrogance that makes God look like an unloving God.
In the end, a passage like Psalm 136 leaves us with no reasonable response other than acknowledging God’s mercy and turning to Him, taking Him at His word, and seeing His love in action.
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