Is There Such a Love?
Is there really such a love…
That is able to reach far beyond the surface of feeling
Accepted,
Loved, and
Affirmed?
Is there really such a love…
That is more than a contract, because it could never be broken?
That is more than a covenant, because it is completely backed and signed whether you desired to enter into it – or not?
That is completely valid and unchangeable with the Giver’s written promise and offered to you?
That comes with a guarantee that it is backed whether or not you desire to enter into the covenant?
Yes, there is!
The challenge is that it is a love…
Too difficult to translate from Hebrew into English,
Because there is no precise equivalent.
It’s closest descriptors are
Mercy
Loyalty
Goodness
Kindness
Grace
Compassion
Loving-kindness
Favor
Steadfastness and Devotion
But the full meaning still can’t be described or grasped without an explanation…
It is more like strength, steadfastness, grace, dependable kindness and love in English combined.
There is such a love. It is a loving and loyal covenant obligation of divine favor and it’s extended to you!
It’s a covenant offered from a Loving God to his creation, you! He not only loves you, but likes you!
He is fully aware and extends it fully knowing, loving, and accepting you as an individual, even if the decision is never made to enter the undeserved covenant.
It is sealed with his faithfullness.
It is wrapped in the Hebrew word
Hesed – Chesed – Heced
חֶסֶד
It is most often translated loving-kindness in the Old Testament Scriptures.
More importantly, it is a love…
That is able to reach beyond the surface of feeling accepted, loved, and affirmed.
When received and internalized, it’s able to reach into the depths, into the recesses, of one’s profound longing to be valued, cherished, and celebrated. It’s everlasting and can fulfill the desire to be loved and in return love long after the flowers fade and the box of chocolates is gone.
There is such a love, חֶסֶד
May it become a living reality in the depths of your soul by coming into a greater comprehension of it’s meaning!
Here are a few Scriptures that have hesed in the Hebrew and are translated into English:
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! Psalms 63:1-3
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s Psalm 103:1-4
Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious* is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:5-7
For further study, hesed can be found in these verses:
OT Hesed 246x in 239 verses in the NAS: Gen 19:19; 20:13; 21:23; 24:12,14,27,49; 32:10; 39:21; 40:14; 47:29; Exod 15:13; 20:6; 34:6,7; Lev 20:17; Num 14:18,19; Deut 5:10; 7:9,12; Josh 2:12,14; Judges 1:24; 8:35; Ruth 1:8; 2:20; 3:10; 1 Sam 15:6; 20:8,14,15; 2 Sam 2:5,6; 3:8; 7:15; 9:1,3,7; 10:2; 15:20; 16:17; 22:51; 1 Kings 2:7; 3:6; 8:23; 20:31; 1 Chron 16:34,41; 17:13; 19:2; 2 Chron 1:8; 5:13; 6:14,42; 7:3,6; 20:21; 24:22; 32:32; 35:26; Ezra 3:11; 7:28; 9:9; Neh 1:5; 9:17,32; 13:14,22; Esther 2:9,17; Job 6:14; 10:12; 37:13; Psalms 5:7; 6:4; 13:5; 17:7; 18:50; 21:7; 23:6; 25:6,7,10; 26:3; 31:7,16,21; 32:10; 33:5,18,22; 36:5,7,10; 40:10,11; 42:8; 44:26; 48:9; 51:1; 52:1,8; 57:3,10; 59:10,16,17; 61:7; 62:12; 63:3; 66:20; 69:13,16; 77:8; 85:7,10; 86:5,13,15; 88:11; 89:1,2,14,24,28,33,49; 90:14; 92:2; 94:18; 98:3; 100:5; 101:1; 103:4,8,11,17; 106:1,7,45; 107:1,8,15,21,31,43; 108:4; 109:12,16,21,26; 115:1; 117:2; 118:1,2,3,4,29; 119:41,64,76,88,124,149,159; 130:7; 136:1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26; 138:2,8; 141:5; 143:8,12; 144:2; 145:8; 147:11; Prov 3:3; 11:17; 14:22,34; 16:6; 19:22; 20:6,28; 21:21; 31:26; Isaiah 16:5; 40:6; 54:8,10; 55:3; 57:1; 63:7; Jer 2:2; 9:24; 16:5; 31:3; 32:18; 33:11; Lam 3:22,32; Dan 1:9; 9:4; Hos 2:19; 4:1; 6:4,6; 10:12; 12:6; Joel 2:13; Jonah 2:8; 4:2; Micah 6:8; 7:18,20; Zec 7:9.
In the New Testament, it’s translated Eleos in the word used by the Septuagint and often understood as mercy or pity from the Greek. It is also linked with the Greek word agape or Latin caritas.
Matthew 9:9-13; 12:1-9 ; 23:23-24, Luke 1:50, 58, 72; and 10:37
Happy Valentines!
