Give Thanks to Our Redeemer

Psalm 136:10-16 ESV

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; 11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; 12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever; 13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; 14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever; 15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever; 16 to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;

They say that the way that battles are fought today is different than the way that they used to be fought many, many years ago. These days battles are oftentimes fought in tanks or in the air, sometimes using missiles or drones. Some forces even use guerrilla tactics at times.

But many years ago, battles were usually fought using the line formation. This means that when two opposing forces came together to fight, each force would stand opposite each other in several lines.

Typically, the first line would consist of the infantry with bayonets, then the second line may consist of cavalry soldiers on horseback, then the next line may consist of men with rifles or a bow and arrow, then the line after that may consist of heavy artillery like a cannon or years before that, a catapult with a massive stone.

Now, I’ve always liked to watch period pieces, which means that I’ve always liked to watch the kind of movies where the events taking place happened long ago, often during times of war.

So, that means that there are times when the movie that I am watching involves the fighting tactics that were used by military forces from times long ago. And usually when I watch these kinds of movies, the opposing forces are using the line formation when they fight.

And usually in these movies there will come a time when the opposing forces are lined up against one another, and the opposing force is rushing at the force that the main character is on.

And as the opposing force gets closer and closer, the general from the force that the main character is on will say something like, “Hold your fire men!” but the opposing force just keeps getting closer and closer; and as you’re watching the movie, the suspense builds and you scoot closer and closer to the edge of your seat and you ask, “When is he going to tell them to fire?!”

Then finally, the command goes out, the force fires and not only do they hit their target, but it turns out that the general had his force fire at just the right time as they inflict heavy casualties when they do so.

As we continue through our series of sermons from Psalm 136 this month, this morning we come upon a section where we will be talking about God fighting for us, for we who are His elect people, and how God fights for us in just the right way, and at just the right time.

Furthermore, as we saw last week, this psalm begins with words, “Give thanks to the Lord”. Then throughout this psalm, the psalmist gives various reasons as to why we should thank the Lord.

In our message last week, we spoke of how it is imperative that we thank God for being Who He is. Now this week we will speak of how it was God’s eternal purpose to choose for Himself a people whom He would identify as His very own by manifesting Himself through them. And of how God fights for the people whom He has chosen for Himself. And lastly, we will speak of the fact that we should thank God for willing to protect us and to fight for us as His elect people.

In our reading for today we see a specific instance when God had made plain His favor to a specific people through fighting for them, delivering them, and preserving them.

This people, the people of Israel, descended from the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and God had chosen this people to be His own people from before the foundation of the world.

To this people, God was pleased to make Himself known. In fact, it would appear as though from the time of Abraham until the time of Christ, it was God’s will to make Himself known to the people of Israel almost exclusively.

Of course, all people know of the God of the universe, but it would appear as though during that time, God willed to make Himself known in a saving way almost exclusively to Israel.

We read of a few instances in the Old Testament where Gentiles had been saved; but by and large, God chose to reveal Himself in a saving way almost entirely to His people, Israel.

What an infinitely great blessing that is in and of itself to be among the people whom God has chosen to reveal Himself in a saving way! But in our reading, we read of how God also chose to make Himself manifest through consistently fighting for and delivering His people.

The historical contents in this portion of the psalm I’m sure are things that we are all very familiar with. And in and through this psalm and the historical narrative that surrounds it, we see God’s favor, God’s love, and most of all, God’s glory.

Last week, as we began to exposit this psalm, we spoke of how it is the duty and obligation of all people, especially those whom God has saved, to thank Him for being Who He is and for His sovereign rule over all creation.

Now this week we see how the psalmist thanks God for the dispensation of His great power as he recalls specific instances of God’s manifestation of His sovereignty.

We see this in our reading as we first look at how God fights for His people in verses 10-12, where it says:

Psalm 136:10-12 ESV

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; 11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; 12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Continuing to describe He Who should be thanked, the psalmist speaks of Him as the One Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt.

Now, we are all probably aware that this striking down of the firstborn of Egypt here in verse 10 is in reference to the tenth and final plague that God administered to the people of Egypt as He delivered His people, Israel from their servitude in Egypt, which we read of in verse 11.

Verse 11 tells us that God brought Israel out from among her persecutors in Egypt. Israel was weak, in fact, Israel was powerless, utterly unable to free herself from the bondage that she had found herself in.

But in the fullness of time, God worked through Moses to bring His people Israel out of Egypt, the land of slavery. This deliverance was performed, the psalmist tells us in the 12th verse, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm.

Saying that this was done with a strong hand and an outstretched arm refers to the fact that when God acted to deliver His people from their oppressors, He done so in a way that was recognizable and undoubtedly performed by Him.

Just like if I wanted to show how strong I am, I might roll up my sleeve, flex my bicep, and say, “Look at how big that muscle is!” But even then, you might say, “Well he’s not that strong!” But if I then came up to the pew that you’re sitting in and lifted it up over my head with you sitting in it, you might say, “Wow! I guess I was wrong! He is pretty strong!”.

Well, in the same way, Moses would come before Pharaoh and tell him that God commanded him to let His people Israel go, to which Pharaoh would essentially say, “I’m not afraid of the God of Israel! Let Him get mad at me for not letting His people go! What can He do to me?!”

But then as God showed forth His power, His sovereignty, through the plagues that He sent to Egypt, Pharaoh and all Egypt saw just how powerful the God of Israel was as His strength was put on display.

Thus, it was made manifest that God was fighting for and was on the side of His people.

We then see in verses 13 and 14 how God delivered His people, where it says:

Psalm 136:13-14 ESV

13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; 14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;

We’re all familiar with this, of how Israel stood before the Red Sea while the Egyptians were hot on their trail. As they stood there, the people understandably felt as though this was the end for them, but then God continued to make His strength and His favor of Israel manifest when He caused the Red Sea to be divided in two.

Now, that in itself is a miraculous feat, but what is equally miraculous is that God had caused the people of Israel to pass through the Red Sea on dry ground, especially considering the fact that the place in which Israel crossed over was a journey of about 20 miles on a stretch of land that was typically 230 feet under water.

Thus, in a situation where there was no possible escape, God delivered His people for no other reason than because He had chosen to make them His people.

Then lastly, in verses 15 and 16 of our reading, we see how God preserves His people, where it says:

Psalm 136:15-16 ESV

15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever; 16 to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Yes, God delivered His people through the Red Sea, delivered her from those who pursued her, but as for Pharaoh, king of Egypt and all those who continued to pursue Israel, God caused them to be overthrown in the very sea that He had brought His people through.

Now, if there was ever an indication that God favored His people Israel and was odds with those who are against Israel, this was it. He brings Israel safely through the Red Sea, and when Pharaoh and all Egypt attempts to give the people chase, God commands the waters to return as they were before He divided them. Causing every last one of them to perish in the same Red Sea that God had just delivered all Israel through who now stood on the other side, safe and sound.

Not only that, but we see also in verse 16 the continued provision of God for His people as He personally led them through the wilderness as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In this way, God led His people to those places that were most advantageous to them, even providing them with manna to eat. And for forty years, causing their clothes to not wear out nor their sandals to wear off of their feet.

Undoubtedly, God sustained Israel, He fought for Israel, He consistently delivered Israel, He preserved Israel, and ultimately He made Israel to prosper.

For all these things the psalmist thanks God. For all these things, God commands His people Israel to thank Him. God is Who God is, which is infinitely amazing in and of itself, but God even chooses to fight for, defend, deliver, preserve, and ultimately prosper a people like Israel, a people like us, who are in no way an impressive people.

God chose the people of Israel to be His own people, and in the fullness of time, God willed to manifest the fact that He had chosen people like you and I, a people for Himself from among the Gentiles.

And as I said, in all reality, we are in no way an impressive people. In the grand scheme of things, when we are compared with the goodness and holiness of God, we most certainly are not an impressive people.

In comparison with God, we are less than nothing, yet God chose to make us His very own, not because of anything that He found pleasing within us, not because as some others erroneously say, God looked down the corridors of time and saw that we would choose Him and so He chose us back, not because of anything originating in us.

Those who are saved have been elected by God and the election of God is an absolutely unconditional election. Originating in His good pleasure to save those He has chosen to save for the manifestation of His own glory.

And not only does He save those whom He chooses to save, but He maintains those He has chosen to save, just as He maintained and preserved Israel in the wilderness.

And once again, this is not because we have made enough good choices that have then induced God to maintain our salvation, that have convinced Him to fight for us, to deliver us, no, it all originates in His own good pleasure.

Beloved brethren, children of God, you infinitely privileged ones, chosen and saved by God, we have an infinite reason to offer thanksgiving to the God Who has willed to be our God!

Let us offer that thanksgiving!

Amen?