Hesed

An afternoon venture into the Word brought me to Psalm 136.  It is a Psalm which has a strong liturgical element within it.  Each of its 26 verses extols some way that God has expressed His love to His people and each of those brief expressions is followed by "for His steadfast love endures forever."  It is the kind of Psalm which enables us to hear the leader of worship saying, "O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good" and the people joining voices to say in response, "for His steadfast love endures forever."  It such a powerful Psalm of praise and thanksgiving.   

As the Psalmist repeats the refrain, "for His steadfast love endure forever" he is bringing forth the Hebrew word, "hesed."  "Hesed" is to the Old Testament as "agape" is to the New Testament except that the Old Testament word carries with it an even broader meaning than its New Testament counterpart.  "Hesed" is a word to which I was first introduced in seminary and then much later found surfacing in a Disciple Bible Study I led for many years.  When reading this Psalm it is better to read slowly aloud than it is to read it silently so that we are enabled to hear the richness of the language.  

"Hesed" is a word that speaks of the love of God to all people.  It speaks of God's commitment to His promises.  It is also a word which is often translated "lovingkindness." It speaks of an action of God that goes beyond expectation.  "Hesed" is a word of action.  It is not a word that points to a compassionate heart, but to a God who does not stand still, but is always moving toward those in need.  Psalm 136 is a Psalm worthy of more than just a casual reading.  It is a holy word which tells us an important truth about the nature of God.  "His (God's) steadfast love endures forever."