Weekly Sermons

God Reveals His Nurture

Today we are going to look at one of my favorite words in the Bible – the great Hebrew word Hesed, which the ESV often translates as “steadfast love!”

Read Exodus 34:1-9

The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and _____________, slow to ____________, and abounding in steadfast ______________ and truth, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the sins of the fathers on the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.             -Exodus 34:6-7

God will reveal more of Himself to those who are growing in their relationship with Him.

The word abounding is the word Rab (H7227a), which occurs 414x in the Old Testament. It is often translated much, many, great, or abounding.  

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love (Hesed) surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.                -Psalm 32:10

How does God want us to think about Him when we think about His name?

As the God who ABOUNDS in steadfast love (Hesed)!

The word Hesed (H2617) occurs 249 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. The ESV usually translates it as “steadfast love.” The CSV usually translates it as “faithful love.” The KJV and others usually translate it mercy, lovingkindness, or goodness. One Jewish scholar translated it as grace.

Surely goodness and mercy (Hesed) shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.                    -Psalm 23:6

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness/ truth.                        -Lam. 3:23

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness/ truth forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.         -Proverbs 3:3

Who perfectly embodied God’s Hesed (steadfast love, grace) and Emet (faithfulness, truth)?

Jesus

And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as the of the only Son of the Father, full of (abounding in) grace and truth.                                    -John 1:14

What special times will God’s steadfast love matter to you?

When you have sinned

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.        -Psalm 51:1

When you love those who have sinned against you with a Godlike love.

And I will betroth you to Me forever. I will betroth you to Me in in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.                      -Hosea 2:19-20

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.                   -Hosea 6:6

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (HESED), and to walk humbly with yout God.                                        -Micah 6:8

When you are reaching out to those who don’t yet know God.

And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was yet in my country? This is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; FOR I KNEW that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” -Jonah 4:2

He (Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always live to make intercession for them.       -Hebrews 7:25