“The Great Hallel” - (An Analysis of Psalms 135 & 136)

The “Psalms of Remembrance” is the best example of a genre of the Psalter that has translated well into the Christian age. Many of the popular songs that we love can be classified under this genre. Trempor Longman defines them as “those in which God’s past acts of redemption are the focus of attention.” However, we cannot mistake them as simple historical accounts. Longman adds, “Nowhere in the Bible is history reported only to impart historical information, but this is especially true in the Psalms.” The Psalmists use the recounting of God’s historical feats to invoke the audience to praise and thanksgiving.

These Psalms contain, primarily, two elements:

1. Call to Praise/Thanksgiving

2. Historical Account of God’s Redemption

The Exodus is the most prevalent topic of the psalms of remembrance. In Israel’s Exodus, God displayed his sovereignty and ownership of all creation through nature, creatures, and life. He also displayed his love and faithfulness to His covenant people; thus, it is no surprise that the exodus is so important to the psalmists. (see Ps. 78, 105, 106, 135, and 136). In the Christian age, we have traded the Exodus for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. God displayed the ultimate fulfillment of redemption history when, as Isaac Watts wrote, “Christ, the mighty maker, died for man, the creature’s sin.” God displayed his infinite power over death and Hell by resurrecting Jesus.

The majority of God’s works are so grand that we cannot help but stand in amazement at the greatness of our God. This is why psalms of remembrance are such a natural genre to write.

Psalms 135 and 136 are known in some Jewish circles as “The Great Hallel” [James E. Smith] or literally translated “The Great Psalms of Praise”. These mark the beginning of the last section of the Psalter. The book began with a call to obedience, made journeys down valleys of anguish and up mountains of prosperity, but the book ends with joyous praise.

These psalms likely were intended to be used sequentially in public worship. Imagine the psalmist in Ps. 135 calling those working in the temple to praise God as he is moved by the remembrance of God’s greatness. He recounts God as the ruler of nature, the deliverer of the great Exodus, the conqueror of the kings of Canaan, and contrasts Him to the futility of all of man’s idols. He crescendos into calling the entire congregation to praise, leading into the antiphonal, or “call and response”, Psalm 136. In this psalm, he follows the same order while the congregation follows each call by exclaiming “For His mercy endures forever”. What joy must have filled the temple when they praised and thanked God with these words!

1. Call to Praise and Thanksgiving

Both psalms begin with the first element of the genre. They call on the audience to either praise or offer thanksgiving to God. The beginning of the 135th Psalm seems to be directed towards the Levites, those working in the temple, or the “servants of the Lord… who stand in the house (or the courts) of the Lord.” Psalm 136 has a much broader scope, simply calling on whoever can hear the invitation. The 135th psalm begins with a call to praise while its successor begins with a call to “Give thanks”. Derek Kidner points out that “Give thanks is not the whole meaning of the word… it basically means “confess” or “acknowledge”, and therefore calls us to thoughtful, grateful worship, spelling out what we know or have found of God’s glory and deeds.” That is a good description of the desired to the second element, the arguments, found in the bodies of both psalms.

2. Arguments for Praise and Descriptions of God

The first argument is for God’s sovereignty over creation and nature. This is not a cosmological argument for the existence of God. God is assumed throughout the Bible, especially in the Psalter, as the creator of the Universe. Rather, it is an argument for the wisdom and power of God, demonstrating why He was worthy of praise and thanksgiving. It calls His people to examine their perfectly tailored, controlled environment and to stand in awe of God’s love and care “for His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 135:6-7 – “Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” Psalm 136 says that “by wisdom” God made the heavens, the earth, and the great lights--the sun, moon, and the stars. His creation indicates one major difference between God and humanity. God alone creates; Humans reform. The Law of Conservation of Mass teaches us that matter cannot be created or destroyed. Humanity is bound by this law, but God is the one who both created matter and put this law in place.

The second argument is God’s deliverance of His covenant people out of Egyptian slavery, leading them through the wilderness and into the promised land. Three demonstrations of God’s power are mentioned here: The plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the victories in battle over Og and Sihon.

Plagues (Ex. 7-12): Both of these psalms (v.8-9 of 135 and v.10-11 of 136) mention the slaying of the first born of Egypt. This was the finale of God’s displays of power over nature and the inter-workings of His creation. After turning the Egyptian water source to blood, sending hordes of frogs, flies, lice, wild animals, and locusts, destroying livestock, sending thunder storms of hail and fire, and covering the whole land with darkness, God, due to Pharaoh’s stubbornness, sends an angel to sweep through the land, taking back the life of every first born son of each Egyptian household. However, through all of the plagues, the Israelites remained unharmed by following God’s commands, and they were rewarded with freedom from their abusers.

Red Sea (Ex. 14): After Pharaoh had begrudgingly let God’s people go, he once again had a change of heart and sent his legion of soldiers after his former slaves. The children of Israel soon found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and a well-fortified army. With no hope in sight, they cried out to Moses in despair. He prayed to God and the Lord told him to stretch out his hand over the sea. A strong east wind blew the sea in two, and the Israelites marched through the middle of the Red Sea on dry ground with walls of water on either side. (v. 13-15 of 136) The Egyptian army pursued, but God troubled the army and commanded Moses to stretch out his hand on the other side. Once Moses did so, the walls of water closed in on the army of Pharaoh, and they drowned in the Red Sea. By supernatural means, God had once again delivered His covenant people to safety and freedom.

Sihon and Og (Num. 21:21-35; Deut. 2:26-3:11): As the Israelites neared completion of their journey through the wilderness, two great kings stood in their way: King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan. The book of Numbers records that Israel had sent messengers, aiming for peace and safe passage, but they were denied. News had now reached these lands of the might of the God of Israel, but these two kings were determined to stand in opposition, and they paid for it severely. Psalms 135:10-12 - He defeated many nations and slew mighty kings—Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—And gave their land as a heritage, A heritage to Israel His people. In the beginning of Ps. 136, God is called the “God of gods” and “Lord of lords” and no one would stand in His way as He sought to fulfill the promises made to His people.

Both complete their arguments of remembrance by acknowledging their confidence in God. Psalm 135:13-14 - Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations. For the LORD will judge His people, And He will have compassion on His servants. Psalms 136.23-25 - Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever; And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever; Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever. Psalms 136:23-25

Psalm 135 exhibits a personal perspective. This is a personal praise lifted to God and His everlasting name, acknowledging His righteous justice, and His compassion on those who serve Him. The latter psalm has a more congregational perspective. God’s “compassion on His servants” is reiterated here, the psalmist acknowledging that He is the one “who remembered us in our lowly state… And rescued us from our enemies.” He honors God as the One who remembered them while they were enslaved and unable to fight for themselves as well as when they were weak willed and sinned against Him in the wilderness. This sentiment of God’s sovereignty and covenant loyalty is stated by Moses in Deu. 32:36:39 - “For the LORD will judge His people and have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, and there is no one remaining, bond or free. He will say: Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge? Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you and be your refuge. ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.”

The writer of 135 contrasts his arguments with the futility of idolatry. Psalms 135:15-18 - The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them. This psalm has led us to the irony of creatures worshipping idols of their own making. How can one reasonably worship something of their own creation? Is not the creator superior to the created? These idols may be formed by materials that God created but only He can give life. Metal and wood may have the attributes of humanity, such as mouths, eyes, and ears, but only God can make mouths that speak, eyes that see, and ears that listen. These are abilities that humans—not idols—possess; furthermore, why would we worship something inferior to ourselves? Is not our own existence superior to the idols of our shaping? God consistently compares idolaters to the objects of their trust and worship. When Moses was receiving the law, the people became anxious and created a golden calf so they could have an object of worship. God said to Moses in Ex. 32:9 – “And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!” God calls them “stiff-necked” because like a cow they are obstinate and difficult to move in the right direction. These same sentiments are repeated by Isaiah, Stephen the martyr, and Jesus himself in Mt. 13. God is the only true Creator, the One with no beginning or end, and the rightful One to worship.

The beginning calls in Psalms 135 seems to be directed towards those working in the temple. As the Psalmist recounts the wonderful works of God, he reaches the peak of his crescendo in verse 19 where he calls all who will to bless the Lord. Psalms 135:19-21 - Bless the LORD, O house of Israel! Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron! Bless the LORD, O house of Levi! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem! This poetic phrase develops into an emotional call and response between the worship leader and the assembly. In the 136th Psalm, the writer again restates all the works of God with the congregation proclaiming, “For His mercy endures forever.” The acts of deliverance and continual salvation of God’s people leads the Psalmist to end in 136:26 with the simple yet profound statement, “Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For his mercy endures forever.” God’s people may continually fall and stumble, but His mercy endures forever, and by following Him in humble obedience, we will also be driven to repeat this proclamation.

The Exodus was the central event for the Israelites and remembering it pushed them to write beautiful words, such as the Scriptures we discussed. As Christians, we have an even greater event to remember: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. All redemptive history was leading up to that incredible moment, and we have the record available to the entire world. Contemplating all that Jesus accomplished for our sakes should lead us emotional and reverential praise and thanksgiving. These events have driven many great songwriters to write some of the greatest words and music that we have ever had the privilege to sing.

He Stayed on the Cross – M. Lynwood Smith

One day they nailed Jesus Christ to a tree,

And I know that it was for you and me;

It was the Father’s way to save all sinners from loss

It was because of the Father’s great love,

That He would send His own Son from above

Yet Jesus willingly suffered and died,

For He could have come down from the cross.

Nails in His hands did not save Him that day,

Cords of the cross did not bind Him to stay;

Yet He would willingly stay for the sins oh, so gross;

Armies of angels were hovering near,

Waiting for only a whisper to hear,

Yet Jesus purchased salvation for me

And He willingly stayed on the cross

Jesus, Savior! For me was once crucified;

“Oh, forgive them!” Unto the Father He cried;

Angles waited, ready to come set Him free;

But He stayed there,

Stayed on the cross there for me