I wish that would be Greek scholars spent a little time studying the Old Testament Hebrew word “hesed.” The word does not translate well into English and often is translated something like “lovingkindness” or “steadfast love.” The word has a range of meaning so it does not fit well to one English word. When we look at the concepts this word is used to describe in the Scriptures, we see a beautiful picture of a love that is loyal, covenantal, steadfast, and unending.

I cannot tell you how many variations I have heard of sermon and sermon points about the special kind of agape love in the New Testament. Variations often emphasize the uniqueness and the sacrificial aspects of agape love and distinguish it from the other Greek words. Yet, as D.A. Carson warned in his book Exegetical Fallacies, this is a kind of word fallacy. Certainly, the New Testament contains the concept of sacrificial love like we see Christ give, and yes John and 1 John use the word agape, but the concept is bigger than one word. Nevertheless, it sounds great to speak of a special and unique “agape” that is unlike any other kind of love.

I wish that these would be Greek scholars spent a little time studying the Old Testament Hebrew word “hesed.” The word does not translate well into English and often is translated something like “lovingkindness” or “steadfast love.” The word has a range of meaning so it does not fit well to one English word. When we look at the concepts this word is used to describe in the Scriptures, we see a beautiful picture of a love that is loyal, covenantal, steadfast, and unending.

If I had one sermon to preach, I would preach on the concept of hesed both in the character of God and as illustrated in the book of Ruth. The word hesed is found all over the Psalms. It is for example the constant repeated refrain in Psalm 136 “for his steadfast love endures forever.” The Lord’s love lasts forever and is bound up in His covenant with his people. It is a loyal love that does not end or break.

Hesed is one of the key attributes of God.

Ex. 34:6-7 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast loveand 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.”

God has this character of love and loyalty. It isn’t something that we deserve.But God unites Himself to His people. He gifts us grace and mercy and all of these things that we do not deserve. We are sinful and yet He freely lavishes it out on us…and then we are sinful again. God doesn’t turn away. He sticks to His promise. He keeps His oath. He continues to love and redeem His children. When His children break the Sinai Covenant, He promises the New Covenant. Although there are consequences from their sin, God remains faithful, loyal, and does not break his hesed.

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