Sunday 07:11:10

There is a Hebrew word that is especially difficult to translate into English. The word is chesed. It is used in the Old Testament to describe the attitude that two parties to a covenant should have toward each other. It is not used to describe general kindness towards people. It is the loyal, persevering love that a man should have toward his wife and a wife toward her husband. It is also used to describe God’s love toward His people. It describes not just the love of God for His people, but the loyal, steadfast, persevering love of God. Chesed is translated in the NIV most commonly as “love,” “kindness,” and “unfailing love.” Chesed – “loving loyalty” Exodus 33:18-20 V 18 – show me your glory V 19 – all my goodness and proclaim my name V 20 – you cannot see my face Exodus 34:5-7 V 5 – proclaimed his name, the Lord. V 6 – abounding in “chesed” V 7 – maintaining “chesed” God's loving-kindness is that sure love which will not let Israel go. All Israel's persistent waywardness could never destroy it. Though Israel be faithless, yet God remains faithful still. This steady, persistent refusal of God to wash his hands of wayward Israel is the essential meaning of the word. V 7 – yet He does not leave guilty unpunished – God is Holy, cannot overlook sin. God’s passion for righteousness is so strong that he could not be more insistent in his demand for it. But God's persistent love for his people is more insistent still. The story of God's people throughout the centuries is that her waywardness has been so persistent that, if even a remnant is to be preserved, God has had to show mercy more than anything else. On one hand, God loyally loves His people, but on the other, His people would never be faithful. There would be a solution. The solution would come from God. God would bring to resolution the problem of our sin contrasted to His holiness and His loving loyalty toward us. This is the great glory of God. Love and holiness. Country Music, steel guitars and Brenda. I love Brenda. Brenda loves Country Music, so I love Country Music. Do you love God? God loves people. So you love people.