𝐆𝐎𝐃'𝐒 𝑯𝑬𝑺𝑬𝑫
Pastor Leslie Chua
“The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.””
This is perhaps the most beautiful and succinct description of an essential aspect of God’s character. And guess what? This is God’s revelation of Himself.
God abounds in steadfast love.
The original Hebrew word for steadfast love is hesed. Hesed is rich in meaning. It is difficult to translate hesed because it means a combination of several things.
Hesed means love, loyalty, mercy, goodness, and kindness. It also means covenantal faithfulness and steadfast love.
Hence in Exodus 34:6-7, different Bible versions translated the word, hesed, differently. In the ESV, it is translated as steadfast love. It is translated as “lovingkindness and truth” in NASB, “steadfast love and faithfulness” in NRSV, “goodness and truth” in NKJV, and “love and faithfulness” in NIV.
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Hesed means love, loyalty, mercy, goodness, and kindness. It also means covenantal faithfulness and steadfast love.
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Essentially, hesed describes God’s loyalty to His covenant people and His faithfulness to His promises that are motivated by His love.
Hesed in Action
One of the best demonstrations of hesed in action is found in the story of Ruth.
Ruth was a Moabite who married an Israelite man. Tragically, Ruth’s husband died and she was left with her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi was also a widow. Widows were pitiful in ancient times. They had no protection and no means of livelihood. Consequently, they were often preyed upon.
After some time, Naomi decided to return to her hometown, Bethlehem. She had nothing to offer Ruth. So, she persuaded Ruth to go back to her own people and start a new life.
But Ruth refused to leave her destitute mother-in-law. She clung on to her promising to take care of her and to be always with her. She said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you” (Ruth 1:16-17).
Ruth demonstrated hesed to Naomi. She was kind, loyal and steadfast in her love for her mother-in-law. There was nothing of value that she could get out of Naomi. Yet, she was faithful to her.
While Ruth’s hesed is inspiring, God’s hesed toward His covenant people is without comparison. It is incredibly loyal and enduring.
God’s Hesed for Jacob
Jacob was a serial liar and cheat in his younger days. Using deceit, he stole his brother Esau’s birthright. Despite his flawed character and terrible behaviour, God did not reject him.
Instead, God continued to show favour to Jacob because of His promise to his grandfather, Abraham. Previously, God had covenanted to bless Abraham with many descendants and the Promised Land. And through them, the nations of the world would be blessed. So, God kept His promise by showing hesed to Jacob despite his unworthiness.
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This is the nature of God’s hesed. God shows hesed to his covenant people not because they merit it but because it demonstrates His steadfast love and faithfulness to them. He will always keep His promises.
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20 years later after God had delivered Jacob from his troubles, he prayed to God, “I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant…” (Genesis 32:10).
Jacob acknowledged God’s hesed toward him. He knew that he was undeserving. Yet, God blessed him abundantly.
This is the nature of God’s hesed. God shows hesed to his covenant people not because they merit it but because it demonstrates His steadfast love and faithfulness to them. He will always keep His promises.
God’s Hesed for Israel
God’s hesed did not stop with Jacob. It continued with his descendants, the Israelites.
For 400 years, they were the slaves of Pharoah in Egypt. They cried for help. The Bible says – “And God heard their groaning and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:24).
So, God intervened by sending the Ten Plagues, which utterly destroyed Egypt. Pharoah was forced to release the Israelites. The LORD God used Moses to lead the people out of Egypt into the Promised Land.
In this historical account, we see the hesed of God in His covenantal faithfulness and steadfast love toward Abraham’s descendants. God kept His covenantal promises. He never failed. He was kind and good toward Israel. What a wonderful God He is!
When the Israelites encountered challenges on their way to the Promised Land, they lost faith and doubted God’s ability to protect and provide for them. God had enough when they refused to enter the Promised Land for fear of the giants.
God was very angry with them for not believing in Him. He threatened to “strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them” (Numbers 13:12).
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Moses appealed to God to forgive the Israelites based on His hesed. Moses understood God’s character. He knew the ways of God. He knew that God was loyal in His love and He would honour His covenantal promises.
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But Moses pleaded with God, “Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love…” (Numbers 14:19).
Moses appealed to God to forgive the Israelites based on His hesed. Moses understood God’s character. He knew the ways of God. He knew that God was loyal in His love and He would honour His covenantal promises.
God relented saying, “I have pardoned, according to your word” (Numbers 14:20).
The nation of Israel was mostly unfaithful throughout much of its history. Despite that, God’s hesed never failed. God remained faithful and loyal in His love for Israel. While He rebuked and punished them, He never abandoned them.
That is the reason why in Psalm 136, the psalmist sang of God’s enduring love – “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1). His steadfast love refers to God’s hesed. The refrain, “for his steadfast love endures forever” is repeated 27 times in this psalm.
Hesed Incarnated
Despite Israel’s failure to keep her covenantal commitment, God remained faithful in His promise to Abraham that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” Genesis 12:3).
This promise was fulfilled most spectacularly. In the fullness of time, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. Hesed arrived in the flesh to dwell among His covenant people. This is the message of Christmas – hesed incarnated, God became flesh.
Three decades after Jesus’ birth, He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Three days later, He conquered death and rose from the grave. Jesus is alive and those who believe in Him will also have life, and have it abundantly.
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This promise was fulfilled most spectacularly. In the fullness of time, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. Hesed arrived in the flesh to dwell among His covenant people. This is the message of Christmas – hesed incarnated, God became flesh.
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We will also get to experience the hesed of God all the days of our lives. Jesus is faithful and His love is enduring. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will always be with us.
Be blessed with God’s mercy, kindness, and goodness! Be blessed with the His hesed!