Psalm 136 can be touted as the “The Psalm of Thanks” or the “Thanksgiving Psalm.” It is a Psalm that is rich in content, apropos the character of God and since each verse in the Psalm is suffixed with “For his mercy endures forever”, it is a Psalm that is easy to read and memorize as well.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, giving thanks for the ultimate reason of sending us his only begotten Son, we will be looking at each verse in Psalm 136 and glean out the character of God from these verses, which would be reason enough to be grateful and give thanks to our LORD God.

Today we look at Verses 7 to 9.
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

These verses speak of two great lights that were made to rule, but according to the creation account recorded in Genesis 1:3, it is written, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” This not only establishes that fact that the sun, moon and stars are not the source of true light, but it was this LIGHT that was in the beginning (even before the creation of the sun, moon and stars (great lights)) that is the true source of LIGHT that dispels real darkness. This is further accentuated in the scripture, where it is written that Jesus, the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God who dispels spiritual darkness (sin) of the world, is the light in the city of God (heaven) which does not have the need for the sun or the moon (Revelation 21:23). Jesus is the LIGHT. He was not created. He simply was and is and forever will be – from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2). In the beginning was the LIGHT and that LIGHT was with God and the LIGHT was God (John 1:1) for Jesus said, “I am the LIGHT of the World (John 8:12), and whoever follows him shall not walk in darkness – spiritual darkness, separated from God, but have the light of life.” 

Points to ponder:
It is Christmas season and as one ponders about the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger, sometimes getting lost in the festivities, let us not forget that on Christmas night, Jesus had his birth in the form of a man, but not his beginning, but more importantly let us not overlook the true meaning of Christmas and that is “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16). Jesus is the greatest of all lights, the maker and ruler of all other lights. Are you still in darkness? Is your life a slave to sin? Ask Jesus to be born in your heart so that he can dispel all darkness and by that you can have the light of life. Now, that is a great reason to be thankful for.

Psalm 136:7-9 (KJV)
7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Revelation 21:23 (KJV)
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Isaiah 9:2 (KJV)
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Matthew 4:16 (KJV)
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.