Psalm 136:2 – O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
According to Bible scholars, this Psalm was written after King David brought the ark of the covenant, with its mercy seat, back into Jerusalem, many decades after it had been taken by the Philistines.
I think verse two must’ve been inspired by the marked contrast between the gods of the Philistines and Israel’s God. That contrast is vividly described in I Samuel 4:1 – 7:2.
The ark of the covenant wasn’t just a piece of furniture. God tells Moses in Exodus 25:22 “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat…”
The mercy seat sat on top of the ark. This was where the Israelites met with God. There was no tabernacle, no temple, no synagogue, no church building and no eternal salvation of the soul. The only place of communion with their God was the mercy seat on top of the ark of the covenant.
It was important. It was sacred. It was a holy place.
At one point in Israel’s history we read that the Philistines took the ark in battle. It’s almost humorous to read how God mocked their gods and idols; but it’s heart-breaking to read how many suffered and died due to their taking of the ark.
It was very powerful – more powerful than any other god or idol because it was the representation of the presence of God Almighty. No one and no thing could stand before it. It was dreadful to see the power of God move against those who opposed His instructions.
There is no god like our God. There is no god greater than our God. This was David’s point in verse two, as he reminisced about the way the ark of the covenant brought down the gods of the Philistines. And he was thrilled and thanking God for its return to its rightful place in Jerusalem.
The ark of the covenant and the mercy seat pointed toward the New Testament Christian who is now the dwelling place of the Spirit of the Lord. There we can commune with Him on the seat of our hearts, because of His enduring mercy.
From the Old Testament to the New, our God is the God above all gods. And He deserves our thanks, because His mercy endures for ever.
Obtaining Mercy 