In An Attempt to Define God’s Love…

For several years, Pre-Africa, I taught a neighborhood Good News Club for any of the kiddos who lived on our street.

Every Thursday after school, we gathered at my friend’s house (she hosted, I taught), and served snacks, played games, then had a brief program where we sang fun kids songs, taught stories about missionaries from by-gone-days who’d left their mark on the world, memorized Scripture verses, and, of course, I taught a Bible story weaving in the gospel of Jesus Christ (hence, “Good News” club). 

We had quite a group of students from Kindergarten up to about 4th grade. 

I mostly remember how they loved to sing - - enthusiastically and LOUDLY (like screaming loud on particular songs, which I may or may have not encouraged with an, “I can’t hear you…”). 😇

One such song taught them this truth:

“God’s love is like a circle, 

A circle big and round.

For when you see a circle,

No ending can be found.

And so, the love of Jesus

Goes on eternally,

Forever and forever, I know that He loves me.”

God’s love.

That mysterious, untranslatable, undefinable word I began to study and research last week: HESED.

So simple, we can write a children’s song about it, that I pray those little ones never forget; but, so profound theologians can’t find one single word to define it.

The more I dug into some books, commentaries, and a Hebrew/Greek Dictionary, the more I realize the word is very much like a magnet around metal filings.

HESED seems to gather other words to itself without exerting any energy of its own. 

It grabs onto words like “faithfulness,” as in Genesis 24:27, 

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness…”

Here are a few of some of the main ones we often see tagged onto God’s HESED: goodness, truth, mercy, compassion, covenant, justice, favor, and righteousness; and, so the magnet drags these other words along with it to try and bring fulness to its meaning. 

So, trying to come up with my own explanation, I went back to the first time the word is used in the Old Testament to see if it would clarify for me, at least some simplification (as much as is possible for me to wrap my mind around). 

HESED is first used in Genesis 19:19. 

Lot has been told to flee for his life up into the hills away from Sodom and Gomorrah, because the Angel of the Lord plans to destroy it for its wickedness, and its lack of mercy toward the poor. 

Lot asks if the Lord would allow him to simply run to the next city, instead of up into the mountains (he must have been out of shape…I can relate). 

Lot has absolutely no reason to expect God to grant his request, and God has no reason to do so, either. 

He had already given his instruction.

Why should he give in to Lot, and why should Lot even think he had a right to ask. 

I’m not sure I would have dared cross God, or make any other demands, simply out of gratitude for giving me a chance to escape.

It wasn’t as if Lot was a stellar kind of guy (after all, he had just offered up his two virgin daughters to the men of Sodom, if they would leave the visiting angels alone - this is quite a shocking story right at the beginning of our Bibles). 

Yet, the Lord, in His love for His children, His patience, His slow-to-get-angry-character, and in His kindness, grants Lot’s request. 

There it is - the first concept I can actually wrap my head around regarding HESED; and, if asked begin to explain it this way:

HESED: when I deserve nothing from God’s hand, but He blesses me anyway, simply because of His character. 

God is HESED.

❤️ 

And, that love never fails. 

It goes on and on forever and a day.

Because of the Lord’s HESED, we do not perish, for His mercies never end.

Lamentations 3:22

True Love (say it like you heard it in Princess Bride)

 

True Love (all i can hear is the line in Princess Bride)...

It's that time of year, when thoughts of love fill our heads,

Hearts are sprinkled about everywhere,

Songs of romance are in the air,

and, we're reminded of all things pink and red...

All this Valentine's emphasis is almost staggering....

However, what is overwhelming is trying to put words to the greatest love of all time.

 

It's so mind-blowing there is no real word in the English language for it. 

Through the years, artists have tried to portray it.

Song-writers have attempted to put music and lyrics to it.

Authors fail trying to bring expression to it.

And, small-time-blog-writers (aka: me) find themselves totally mind-boggled by it.

Theologians come the closest to a description. 

Their words for this love is "inexpressible," "mysterious," and "sacred;" but, even they fall short of defining it. 

It's simply too esoteric, I think; but, I would love to comprehend it more (word-nerd-me). 

Old Testament writers used one favorite word to describe this amazing love. 

Of course, I've run across this expression for years in the Scriptures. 

It's used prolifically.

Depending on which "expert" you ask, it's written 248-253 times, and 128 of those show up in the Psalms.

Since I'm praying through the Psalms this year, I'm frequently bumping into the word, and it has piqued my curiosity.

In Hebrew, the word is HESED, 

pronounced "kheh-sed."

So, for the rest of this "💖 love month 💖," I'll be exploring its depths (I've picked up a couple books as guides). 

For now, let's just say that one author I'm reading gleaned insights for his book from two, 1500 page notebooks. Not to worry, I am not that prolific, nor do I wish to be. 

With this as an introduction, you should be aware...Hesed is translated with 8 different words in the King James Version, 12 in the NIV, 13 in the ESV, 15 in the New Living Translation, and a whopping 46 different ways in The Message.

God's great, magnificent, sacred, mysterious love for each of us will require a lifetime of learning, and will never be fully KNOWN until we get to live each day experiencing it in real-time and in real-life...

...but, what fun to TRY (especially as we move toward the Lenten season beginning on March 5)!

For now, this I know is true (ponder it with me):

The End.

I just re-read last week's blog post, which actually concluded a look into the life of John the Baptist. 

Living with John in my head for a significantly long time, I've examined what the life of a Jesus-follower might look like as we live between two Advents, one that was and one to come. 

John's life role-modeled "LIVING IN THE WAITING" incredibly well. 

Allow me to summarize the last four months of blogs with THE SHORT LIST.

This "Miracle of Mercy," created in the image of God (as all of us are), and, born to Elizabeth and Zechariah at the end of 400-years-of-darkness (God's silence) showed us:

A faithfulness in living life solely for the glory of God.

A commitment to serve and surrender (even unto death) - mixed together with a large dash of boldness, courage, humility (He must increase, while I decrease), contentment (to be upfront or behind-the-scenes), and with an enduring stubbornness.

A willingness to be "different" - odd for God's sake, uncompromising, feisty, often misunderstood.

A determination to walk daily in his purpose - preparing the way for the Savior who will come again, leveling the path for His arrival, being an instrument of THE WORD (a voice of TRUTH), and allowing the Lord to use us as a window into HIS HEART FOR ALL MANKIND (to allow THE ONE WHO IS THE LIGHT TO SHINE THROUGH TO A LOST WORLD).

A celebration of joy (in spite of the difficulties) - talk about living with HOPE, John leapt for joy over Jesus before he was even born, and continued leaping with peace and hope throughout his life. He was what Augustine called an "Easter People," even before there was a Resurrection (and, HALLELUJAH was his song).

A confidence in whose he was and who he was - John knew his identity as he was taught by his parents at a young age, then went forth, and radiantly lived it out.

I'm absolutely challenged by John's enigmatic and intriguing life; utterly convicted by this mysterious figure who, in reality, was the last of the Old Testament prophets. 

Each of the above list has become for me a prayer of my heart. Each morning I ask the Lord to remind me throughout the day exactly what it means to live faithfully committed, walking out my calling with steadfastness and confidence, but most of all living in celebration ("internally leapy" with Great Joy) over the Lamb of God, who took away my sins.

HOWEVER...

Two other things jump out at me about the life that John the Baptist lived, and, which I believe are critical for those of us who want to pilgrimage well all the way heavenward on this path of life...

One of those is the strong belief that John lived out his name... 

John: God is a gracious giver. 

"The Lord gives grace."

So, every time he walked into a room, people were reminded of the character and the grace of God. 

Is this true of us? When we walk into a room, and people recognize us by name, are they reminded of the Lord? 

I constantly pray the Lord shows me every single way I obscure His name.

The other is a recognition that John the Baptist was not perfect. 

He certainly was great (even Jesus said so), but he was human, which means he was inherently flawed. 

I love that the Lord gives us a peek into the weakness of this Biblical character, especially into his doubts and discouragement. 

I'm reminded not to expect perfection in my own life, reveal my vulnerabilities, and, learn from them...

I'm also reminded not to expect perfection in others, and, to allow room for God to work in the hearts of those living in confusion and doubts, as well (and I pray they will grant me the same grace). 

We live in an era, where we need more willing, passionate, faithful followers who live life with the same intent of this incredible figure, preparing the way for the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

This is where I need to put one last period on the life of John the Baptist.

What a guy!

The End.

New "focus" next week.