Knowing you are loved is the key to living in complete freedom. It makes sense, right? When you know that you are loved, you can face rejection and it doesn’t have to crush you. You can take risks, even fail and you know you’ll be ok.
That love that we need so desperately is found in God alone. Understanding covenants has allowed me to see a deeper meaning and context in many of the stories in the Bible. It helps me understand the character of God and the intensity of His love.
So what is a covenant in the Bible?
A covenant is a serious, sacred promise between two parties, often seen in the Bible between God and people. It’s more than a contract—it’s a binding commitment rooted in trust and loyalty. Biblical covenants are special because they represent a lasting relationship between God and His chosen people.
The Hebrew word hesed is a covenant word
Often translated as lovingkindness in the old testament. God’s hesed—His steadfast love—is clear in His covenants, where He remains faithful even when people fall short.
Strong’s Concordance defines it this way: “loving-kindness; steadfast love; grace; mercy; faithfulness; goodness; devotion.”
Hesed doesn’t just mean that God is loving and kind, although that is true about Him. Whenever we read the word hesed, we are actually hearing about the covenant love that God has for us.
Scriptural references of Hesed
- God’s Covenant with Israel (Exodus 34:6-7)
After Israel worshiped the golden calf, God revealed Himself to Moses, saying, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love (hesed) and faithfulness.” Despite their sin, God’s hesed led Him to forgive and continue His covenant with them. - Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi (Ruth 1:16)
Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, is often seen as an example of hesed. She pledges, “Where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay.” Ruth’s loving commitment mirrors God’s hesed by being unwavering and selfless. - David and Jonathan’s Friendship (1 Samuel 20:14-17)
Jonathan asks David to “show me unfailing kindness (hesed) like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live.” David and Jonathan’s bond was marked by faithful love and loyalty. Later, David honored this hesed by caring for Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. - God’s Promise of Restoration (Jeremiah 31:3)
God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness (hesed).” Even when Israel was in exile, God’s hesed assured them of His constant, redemptive love.
I was reminded of one author I read recently, Ann Voskamp. She put it this way:
“Hesed is an entirely singular kind of love that says: You are chosen because God simply and forever chooses to perfectly hesed-attach Himself to you. You are not merely endured, you are not hardly tolerated, you are not barely accepted — but you — your very being, your actual presence, your whole soul, all of the miracle that is you is wanted – picked, chosen, delighted in, special — simply because your lungs expand to take in His love and exhale with love, the kiss of existence.”
Waymaker by Ann Voskamp
What a beautiful picture of the covenant love that God has for us. It’s deeper and wider than we can ever imagine. I know I have questioned how God feels about me at times.
- I know He loves me, but does He like me?
- Is He proud of me?
- Is he pleased with me?
- Or is He just putting up with me because He’s God and He has to?
But when I understand His loving-kindness…hesed…I can rest. I can stop wondering if He will ever leave me or get tired of me and all my shenanigans. (the answer is no, He won’t! lol!)
I hear often from people who will tell me they know God loves them, but it’s still not enough. They still want acceptance from others, or they need more financial security, or less anxiety…or fill in the blank. They have put conditions on God’s love. And essentially what they are saying is if God really loved me, I wouldn’t still be struggling with this thing. They have a subconscious belief that God’s love isn’t enough.
Pause for a moment and meditate on the hesed-love of God
Here are some examples from the Bible that talk about God’s love for us:
- 1 John 4:16: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”
Here, God’s love is described as something believers can depend on. It shows us that love is foundational to our relationship with Him. - John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
This verse demonstrates that His love isn’t just a feeling but a powerful act of giving Himself for us. - Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God’s love reaches us even in our brokenness, showing His commitment and grace. - Psalm 136:1:“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His love endures forever.”
God’s love is everlasting. It is constant and faithful throughout generations. - Ephesians 2:4-5: “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
God’s love is expressed here as both merciful and transformative, bringing life and salvation.
These passages highlight a unique aspect of God’s love—unconditional, sacrificial, eternal, and redeeming. God’s love is not only central to who He is but also to how He relates to us.
Think a little deeper about what God’s love is like
The more we understand covenants, the more we will understand the love that God has for us. The more we understand His love, the more we will be able to trust Him. The more we trust Him, the more we will know Him. And to know Him is to love Him.
This Hesed covenant doesn’t mean that things will always go the way we want them to. It means we will always get what we need, according to God’s riches and His best plan for our lives.
“This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.”
(Lamentations 3:21-23)
Take some time this week to consider:
- Do I really believe that God loves me?
- Are there any roadblocks preventing me from trusting His love for me?
- How might I live differently if I truly trusted in God’s hesed love for me?
I pray we continually recall His lovingkindness and trust His love each and every day. He is worthy of it all. Amen!
Leave a Reply