(GAZA, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up. — MCM)

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Someone named Sarah Shipman suggested the other day that people read Verses 8 and 9 of Psalm 136 in the “Old Testament”: ”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. “

So far, so good. The summer solstice was nigh.

The idea of the whole psalm is to give thanks to the beneficent Lord, the God of gods, for a list of things — including the heavens, the earth stretched out above the waters, the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars by night. Here, read through Verse 9:

136  ¹ O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ² O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ⁴ To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ⁵ To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ⁶ To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.  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.

The writer might have recognized the great wonder of fresh water rained down upon us, to drink and to cook with and bathe in and grow crops with the help of — which we earthlings, millenia later, are recognizing more and more. (Maybe did in another psalm.)

Then, abruptly, for the next 15 verses, he departs into other things to be grateful to the Lord for because his mercy endures for ever:

¹⁰ To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹¹ And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹² With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ¹³ To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹⁴ And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹⁵ But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ¹⁶ To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ¹⁷ To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹⁸ And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ²⁰ And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ²¹ And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ²² Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ²³ Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ²⁴ And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Finally, he returns as if 10 through 24 didn’t exist, to:  ²⁵ Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ²⁶ O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

I like the “all” part.

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