Loyal Love
(HESED) 1-3-21
Pronunciation.
Hesed. What does it mean?
Hesed is one of the most important Hebrew words in the Bible.
Hesed, time tested and so very important for every Christian to understand!
Hesed. Say it with me.
• Why is this word important to know?
• The Old Testament reveals much concerning the character of God, and for us to have a better grasp on God’s character, we need to understand the background and foundation on which what we see played out in the New Testament is built upon.
• This word is important to understand because it is what everything else we need to know about God is constructed.
• We need to understand what this word means so we can have a realistic picture of how God deals with us as we are rebellious and stubborn.
• When one has lived a life far from God, how does God feel about that person, when one is living a life in rebellion towards God, is there any hope for that person?
• If we struggle with grasping the full meaning of this word, we will never fully understand the reason Jesus was sent, as well as the reason why we need Him.
• We will also struggle with the concept of God’s forgiveness because we will allow our feelings of unworthiness to trump the way that God feels.
• In a nutshell the word HESED is not a only a feeling, it is an action, HESED moves one to come to the rescue of the one in need.
• Hesed is not a romantic love, it is a FAITHFUL love that is reliable.
• Hesed is the type of love that keeps a person praying for a lost loved one for years and years. It is a spouse who lovingly takes care of their spouse whose health has deteriorated to the point their loved one does not even know their husband or wife any longer.
• Hesed represents a love that is completely undeserved kindness and generosity, this word lays the foundation for the type of love described in the New Testament, the Agape love that God has for mankind.
Scripture: Isaiah 54; 7 – 10
• The context of the passage we will examine in Isaiah 54 deals with Isaiah speaking to the nation, a nation that had backslid to the point that God had allowed them to be in captivity and would do so in the future also.
• Isaiah was speaking to a nation that was rebellious and ungrateful.
• How would God deal with the nation who was stubborn and rebellious, a nation He made a covenant with?
• As we seek to understand the love God showed the nation, this will give us a picture as to how God will deal with us when we have been stubborn and rebellious.
• One of the issues we need to grasp concerning the word HESED is that this type of love encompasses the idea of compassion.
This type of love is a compassionate love.
• Compassion is one of the foundations on which this word is built.
• The nation had backslid badly, to backslide means to revert to a WORSE condition, to lapse morally or to back away from one’s faith.
• When a Christian backslides, they turn away from the Lord, they neglect their faith, they misplace their desire to worship the Lord.
• The nation of Israel, at that time, was a poor example of following God, they did not show the world how great it was to be led and to be taken care of by God.
• The word HESED is used about 250 times in the Old Testament. This word is hard to understand in the English language, this is why it is translated in different ways throughout the Old Testament as translators grasp at ways to unveil the meaning of this beautiful word.
• Depending on the passage the word is translated mercy, kindness, lovingkindness.
• The NLT translates Hesed as FAITHFUL LOVE, the ESV translates it as STEADFAST LOVE.
• These both gives us a strong sense of what the word means, it denotes a LOYAL LOVE.
• This love is not wavering, circumstances or events do not change the nature of this kind of love.
“The person who is Hasid (from hesed) is loyal to his God and appeals to the Lord to show Him similar faithfulness in return” Psalms 4:4;32:6
Personal example of Hesed Love;
My Mother’s love for me, along with Her willingness to show her love for me as well as others, makes me think of this precious love, this loyal love, this hesed love.
It was when I was in college, my sister newly married and away from home, and my father had separated from my mom. Leaving her at home alone without her family. She succumbed to cancer and went home to be with her Lord.
Prior to her death, there is so much I could say, she and I communicated daily.
I know as well as I am standing here today that she prayed for me daily, (if not hourly).
Her desire, her need, one of her most important things in her life was to see her son reunited with our Lord, Jesus Christ.
I know now much more than I knew then just how much my mother loved me. Much more than what we refer to as a mother’s love, but a compassionate hesed love!
1988, before email, no text messaging, yes we actually wrote letters with pen and paper. Bought stamps, licked envelopes and placed them in the mail box.
I don’t know, but my guess is that student mail boxes today are electronic more so than a physical keyed box.
Anyway, along with the prayers that was lifted up for me, hardly a single day went by that I didn’t receive a letter from my mom. Filled with encouragement, occasional news from the community, but mostly what one would expect from a devout Christian mother that could not live with the thoughts of her son not meeting her in the eternal home God has for us all.
And not living the life that Jesus suffered, died, and resurrected so that we can live, walk, and love like He did and does.
I am confident my mother is with the Lord, I am confident that I will see her again, and I am so thankful for her perseverance. Because of her example, her letters, her prayers and most importantly the sacrifice that was made by the Son of God, I am forgiven and I LIVE!
“When you remember God’s “hesed” … when you remember God’s unwavering, never-changing, unconditional love for you … when you cling to God’s promises, it reminds you that God is always clinging to you. Just as we look for something to cling to when the ocean threatens to sweep us out to sea, we cling tightly to the great truths of God and His love for us when the waves of life threaten to sweep us out into the sea of despair. Our trust and our faith in the truths of God, our faith and trust in the “hesed” … or steadfast love of God … is the ballast for our little boat of life. They are what keep us from capsizing in the whirlpool of our emotions and feelings.”
Gordon Pike
• Hesed is an unfailing love.
• The nation had turned their backs on God, yet God’s FAITHFUL love, fueled by His compassion kept Him from destroying them as they deserved.
• Verses 7-8 reveals God’s compassionate nature as the foundation for Israel’s restoration.
• The hope of the nation rests on the compassion of the Lord and His everlasting love.
• These things prevail over His anger toward their disobedience which in turn, opens new opportunities for the people.
• When you are in the midst of turning from God, He will not reject you when you come back to Him.
• The New Testament builds on this issue of compassion with the story of the Prodigal Son.
• The father wanted the son back, even though the son was disobedient and wasteful with what the father gave him, he still wanted the son.
• Jesus was full of compassion as He dealt with people.
• Without compassion, it is hard to love others even though they do not deserve your love.
• Hesed is a love that is not earned, it is not deserved, it is given from the foundation of compassion.
• And at the end of verse 8, God reminds us He is our redeemer.
• Isaiah 54:9 (CSB) “For this is like the days of Noah to me: when I swore that the water of Noah would never flood the earth again, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you.”
• To give one a second chance, one has to have the capacity to forgive.
• Jesus dealt with the issue of forgiveness when He was asked by Peter how many times a person needed to forgive their brother, Jesus responded in Matthew 18:22 by saying not seven times as the rabbis taught, but rather seventy time seven!
• WE need to realize that when God created us, He KNEW we were going to fall short, yet He still created us. God knew He was going to have to exercise a great deal of forgiveness toward us.
• When God’s love is tested, when it is rejected, God is willing to forgive. In the New Testament, we talk about GRACE being UNMERITED FAVOR, HESED is unmerited love.
• God loves because of who He is, God forgives because that is a part of His nature.
• Isaiah references the days of Noah. God was so upset with mankind He was to the point of starting over, yet He saw hope in Noah.
• Then God promised to never flood the earth again.
• Then God says that He will not be angry or rebuke the nation again.
• Romans 8:1 tells us there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
• There will be a day, when Jesus returns that anger and rebuke are over.
• God is gracious and compassionate with his judgments or acts of discipline (no matter how extreme the sin) He protects humanity.
Hesed also encompasses the idea of faithfulness.
• This is where we need to place our focus.
• The rest of the message punctuates this point. This word boils down to being FAITHFUL.
• Isaiah 54:10 (CSB) Though the mountains move and the hills shake, my love will not be removed from you and my covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says your compassionate Lord.
• This verse reminds us that HESED is a FAITHFUL, LOYAL Love.
• Even when things seem to be falling apart around you, when something as solid as the mountains and hills shake, God’s love will not be removed.
• He loves you because of who He is, that is what He does.
• God’s love and His covenant of peace cannot be shaken, it is on solid ground.
• How many relationships do you have where you can say that the love will not be shaken?
• Especially if you do something to hurt the one who loves you. Even a spouse that loves you deeply can have their love for you shaken if you were to be unfaithful to them.
• God has a track record of folks being unfaithful to Him, yet He still loves them.
• Romans 8:35-39 reminds us that NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ, NOTHING.
• This does not mean that you can do whatever you want and not face the music one day, but it means that in the midst of your rebellion, God loves you and WANTS you back with Him.
• The door to God is open to you until you leave this life.
• You are never too far from God, His love surrounds you, you cannot run too far to be out of the reach of God’s love.
CONCLUSION
• God’s love is something we have a difficult time comprehending, it is like nothing we will ever see on this earth outside of Jesus.
• Since it is hard to fathom a love that is rooted in compassion and forgiveness and is loyal and faithful, many reject it.
• Many are so intimidated by the thought of someone loving them unconditionally that they will not come to Jesus.
• I want to encourage you, to come to Jesus, do not reject His love.
• Many people know John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.
• Do you know what verse 17 says?
• John 3:17 (CSB) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
• Do not be afraid, God is not there waiting to condemn you for your present or past, He wants to offer you love and forgiveness so that you can enjoy a glorious future in Him!
When the devil has you down, do like David. When your soul thirst and longs for God, when your soul is cast down and it seems like your problems are going to swallow you up and nobody cares, do what David did. Remember. Remember the times when you felt closest to God. Remember all the times when God answered your prayers to remind you that He is answering your prayers now. Remember God’s “hesed” … His steadfast, unwavering, never-changing, unconditional love … for you. Remember the times when you thought that you would never be able to worship and praise Him again … but you did. Remember the times that His rod and His staff comforted you as you passed through other valleys. Remember how it felt like your troubles and your despair would never end … but they did.
And then do what David did and trust God to carry you through your present storms of life to the other side where you will once again get to go to the holy House of God and stand before His altar, and sing praises to the Rock of your salvation.
If God feels far away, the question is, “Who moved?” If Jesus feels far away, the question is, “Who moved?” If the Holy Spirit feels far away, the question is still the same … and the answer is still the same. God didn’t move. He is here, now, present. Jesus didn’t move. He is here, now, present. And the Holy Spirit didn’t move. He is here, now, present. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit … here … now … present …
“Binding up the broken hearted …
Lifting up the fallen …
Offering beauty instead of ashes …
Offering the oil of joy instead of mourning …
Offering a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness …
Offering you life instead of death …
And because we know that God, that Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are here … now … present … we also know what the future holds …
The lion will lay down with the lamb …
The wicked will cease their troubling ….
The weary will find rest …
We will survive the journey …
There will be no more sorrow …
No more tears …
No more hatred …
No more evil …
No more hunger …
No more terror …
No more fear …
No more war …
No more hopelessness …
No more sickness …
No more disease …
No more pandemic …
No more doubt …
No more … no more … no more.”
Gordon Pike
No more because our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
Yes! Jesus is coming again to make things right. Everything will be okay. Until then, we can stand on the Rock of our Salvation.
Let us pray:
Hear our cry, O Lord:
Listen to our prayers. From the depth of our hearts we call to You. We call to You as our hearts grow faint. Lead us to the rock that is higher than us … for You are our refuge … a strong, indestructible tower against our foes.
We long to dwell in Your tent forever and to take shelter under Your wings. As the deer pants for streams of water, so our souls pant for you, O God … our souls thirst for You … for You are the Living God.
We put our hope in You and in Your “hesed” … Your steadfast, unwavering, never-changing, unconditional love … and we praise You, our Rock, our Savior in the midst of our storms, in the midst of our despair.
In the name of Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection give us hope of eternal life and who sent us Your Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us we pray.
And all of who trust in God’s hesed say with me, amen!