WEBVTT 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.480 Welcome to Christ Community Church. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:11.519 I'm just smiling at people that I'm happy to see. 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:13.599 Glad you're here today. 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:14.480 Bless you. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:15.919 Bless you for being with us. 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:18.000 Bless the Lord for bringing you here. 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.640 And bless the Lord for what he's got in store for us. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.879 I love that phrase, Christopher. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:28.960 That we find our strength in the shadow of his wings. 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:32.799 Wonder what that is talking about. 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:35.200 Wonder what that means. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:38.560 It doesn't say that he strengthens us. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:43.520 It says that we find our strength in the shadow of his wings. 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:46.560 That's an interesting idea. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:57.840 I'm just that's that's worth a long walk or sitting on the back porch with a cup of coffee, pondering that. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:00:59.759 Hello. 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:00.399 Hello. 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:01.439 Happy to see you. 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:02.000 Yeah. 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:03.520 So glad you're here. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:05.519 Let me pray for us. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:07.040 Lord Jesus. 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:12.560 I'm happy to be in your house. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:14.959 I'm happy to be among your people. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:25.120 I'm happy to be somewhere where there is such potential for my life to be changed for good. 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:31.680 I'm happy to be in a place where there's such potential. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:36.879 For there to be change in the lives of those that I really love. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:53.920 I ask you today, not because I'm good or we're good, but just because you're good, I ask you, out of your goodness, to please touch us. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:02:07.840 Touch us with the fingers that created the mountains and dug out the holes where now the oceans dwell. 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:15.280 God, let us hear your voice and recognize and know that it's you speaking. 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:19.840 That voice that spoke the universe into being. 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:27.199 I'd like to hear that voice today in a clear and undeniable and unforgettable way. 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:32.879 That is the desire of my heart, and I believe that it is your desire as well. 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:36.000 So please have your way in our lives. 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:37.680 I ask in Jesus' name. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:38.639 Amen. 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:49.039 We're in the middle of a multiweek series study. 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:53.680 We have one more, and then we'll move on to something else. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:58.560 But we're in the middle of a study right now of Exodus. 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:05.599 For all practical purposes, at this point in the study, we're looking at Exodus 34, verse 6, just to make it short. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:11.199 And that is where God reveals himself to Moses. 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:13.280 Moses is in a cave. 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:19.520 He's crying out to God for mercy on behalf of his people. 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:27.759 And God comes in a storm and he speaks five qualities. 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:40.879 He declares five qualities for the very first time to humanity, to his people, because he wants them to know this is who I am at my core. 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.439 I'm lots of things. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:47.840 But at my core, I'm these five things. 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:57.680 And he says, Yahweh, Yahweh, a God of compassion and a God of graciousness. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:14.080 I'm slow to anger, and I am abundant or full or overflowing with covenant love is the phrase that I like, and that's what we're going to talk about today, and with faithfulness. 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:23.360 And we've looked so far at what it means when God says that I am a God of compassion. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:50.959 And the basic idea is that when I see you, when I look at you, what I feel is I feel for you like a mom, a young mom feels about her newborn baby. 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:58.560 Whatever that means, whatever that looks like, however that works, that's how I feel about you. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:05.279 We looked at the declaration that God made that I am a God of graciousness. 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:26.800 And that that's not so much a feeling word like compassion as it is, it's an intellectual word, it's a mental word, it's a word that communicates that when I see you, I see something of value. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:29.120 Something of delight. 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:30.399 It's really the word delight. 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:34.800 I see you and it makes me delighted. 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:40.000 And I respond accordingly. 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:54.079 Like if I um I've driven my wife crazy, well, for a long time, but in the last, I don't know, 15, 20 years, um, I love to go into antique shops. 00:05:54.639 --> 00:06:02.160 And I love everything old, um, but uh there's a couple of things that I really love. 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:20.560 And when I walk into an antique shop and I look up on a shelf and I see a really good piece of stager or a really good piece of magellica, they're uh porcelain or china from Europe, and I really and I'm filled with delight. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:24.399 And I don't just go, oh, that's pretty. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:26.879 I move toward them. 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:33.040 It that delight is not just something I by experience, it draws me. 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:36.319 And my wife's right by me going, don't buy that, don't buy that, don't buy that. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:43.040 And so she's trying to thwart what my delight is drawing me to do. 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:46.879 That's the word graciousness. 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:51.360 God sees us and he is filled with delight. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:07:00.399 And that delight, that value, makes him respond or move toward us accordingly. 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:07.279 Last week, or the last two weeks, we looked at God's declaration that I am slow of anger. 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:09.759 That's a big idea. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:11.680 It took us two Sundays to cover it. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:27.360 But the underlying idea, when God says that I am slow to anger, what that means is that God, when he witnesses us doing things that are destructive to myself or to you. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:29.600 It makes God angry. 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:31.839 You mean God gets angry? 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:36.000 I thought God was Santa Claus, just without the red suit and the reindeer. 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:40.959 And he never got angry, he was just a happy, jolly, no, no, no, he's a real person with real emotions. 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:42.079 He gets angry. 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:47.360 When he sees us do things that harm us or harm others, it makes him mad. 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:49.360 Just like it would you or me. 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:53.360 But God waits. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:08:11.279 He's not rash, he's not impulsive, he's not capricious, he's not, you know, he doesn't, he's not, it's not uncontrolled anger, but when he sees us doing things that harm ourselves or harm others, it grieves him at his core, but he waits. 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:13.360 He's giving us time. 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:16.319 He not only waits, he's giving us warnings. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.839 Please stop, please stop, please stop. 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:23.519 And he waits and he warns and he waits and he warns. 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:33.679 But the Bible declares that there comes a moment when God says, okay, I'm gonna let you have your way. 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:45.519 I'm gonna let you experience that, the consequences of what you are determined to experience. 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:47.600 We looked at that. 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:49.120 We talked about that. 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:52.159 Doesn't mean God doesn't forgive, it doesn't mean that God stops. 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:55.600 Look, his anger doesn't stop his love, right? 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:57.600 But he does get angry. 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:00.399 But he's slow to anger. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:12.399 And so today we're gonna look at the fourth quality that God declares about himself, and that is that God is a God of covenant love. 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:20.240 Now, mom, when you read that today, and Chris, when you sang about that today, I don't think y'all use the word covenant love. 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:20.720 Okay? 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:22.320 We'll talk about that. 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:24.159 That's what we're gonna talk about today. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:30.240 But um, it says that Yahweh is a God of covenant love. 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:45.279 And so just to give you a little, part of what we do up here is not, our goal is not just to teach you what a specific verse or passage or story means. 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:56.000 Part of our goal, part of our responsibility is to help you see how to not only study that verse or passage, but how to study all of the Bible. 00:09:56.159 --> 00:10:30.320 And one of the principles that is true of all of the Bible is the challenge that Bible translators have faced for at least three, if not four thousand years, of how do you translate words in one language from one time period, from one culture into modern English for us. 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:36.639 Now, this would, you know, it would be other languages if we were in other countries, but uh, how do you do that? 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:41.679 And that is not a challenge for the faint of heart. 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:53.279 It is very hard to translate words from one language, especially an ancient language, into a different language, especially a modern language. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:55.200 And modern languages continue to change. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:55.759 Yes. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:06.000 So after another 10, 15, 20 years, words change meaning, and then therefore the connotation in the English language or whatever changes again. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:06.480 Yes. 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:15.519 One of the things that's true about the Bible, and it's true about all languages, is that there are many. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:19.840 This is not random, this is not isolated, this is not special. 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:34.320 Throughout all languages, including the Hebrew language that the Old Testament was written in, all languages have words that are not translatable. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:42.080 Rita would know this better than many of us because she's fluent in another language. 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:56.960 Um there is no one-for-one transfer from this word in one language to this word in another language. 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:01.679 They're not translatable, they're not compatible. 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:18.000 Therefore, it takes several words in a new language, in a different language, to convey the meaning in the language, the original language that you're trying to express that uh that idea. 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:32.639 Um Shirley and I lived in Belgium, which is over in uh Europe, right above France, right below England, and right beside Holland, or Nederland, and uh we lived there for four years and we learned Dutch. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:38.559 And uh it was it was one of the best four years we've we ever had in our lives. 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:39.440 We loved living there. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:44.639 Dutch was a challenge to learn, but we learned it because I had to teach in it, I had to preach in it every day. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:13:05.360 And um so we had to learn all this, and and it became very clear to us that there are words in the Dutch language that there's not a word in English, and so you've got to combine words, use many words to convey a simple idea in the Dutch language by example. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:06.879 Do you have a couple of examples? 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:07.519 Oh yeah. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:08.159 I do. 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:08.720 Okay. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:16.799 Um so my favorite, our favorite word, I think, is family from in the Dutch language language is a word gazellich. 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:17.279 Yeah. 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:18.240 And what it means. 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:19.600 It's a good word. 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:24.879 And what it means is like if you were to translate it word for word into English, the word would be cozy. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:28.240 Um, but it's it's it's a big word. 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:47.279 Like if you're sitting in someone's house and you had a great night, and you've had you're maybe on your back porch and everyone is happy, it's been good conversation, and it's really time to go, but the hostess says um you want one more little bit of coffee, and you actually don't want any more coffee. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:52.960 But what you do want is to keep that feeling of a great way to say it. 00:13:53.200 --> 00:14:03.600 Coziness is weird in English, but so you say, Yes, I'll stay, or yes, I'll have the coffee, or because you you like that feeling of togetherness. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:14.159 You you it's everybody's tired, everybody wants to go home, but you nobody goes home because they don't want to lose that. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:32.639 That whatever it is that was created in that, you can't manipulate it, you can't force it, but when it clicks, you've been doing a in a party, when it just clicks and you feel happy and safe and at home and everybody's chatting, and and and you don't want you don't want to lose it. 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:35.360 Or can happen in a one-on-one conversation, too. 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:36.320 Just really good. 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:38.240 Just a really good conversation. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:42.799 I was in a writing group this week that was very cozy. 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:44.000 Yeah. 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:45.600 It was better than that. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:48.720 We were we we shared stuff, it was really good. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:50.960 I think no one wanted to leave. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:52.320 It was chizeli. 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:53.360 Yeah, it was chizeli. 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:53.840 Yeah, it was. 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:54.320 That's lovely. 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:55.840 Got another one? 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:57.360 This one's harder. 00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.200 Um there's a word. 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:01.039 I love this word. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.200 It's offbella, that's the word. 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:14.240 But it so if I had a date to have a coffee with someone, and then that person at the very last minute texted and said, Oh, I'm so sorry I can't make it. 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:18.480 I might say to Larry, this is it's kind of negative, right? 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:21.279 I might say to Larry, well, she just canceled. 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:26.000 She she said she wasn't feeling well, but really she just won didn't want to get out of bed. 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:27.440 Or she got a better offer. 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:28.240 Or better offer. 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:29.279 Yeah, she got a better offer. 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:30.960 She sort of shafted you. 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:32.399 We would say, Well, I just got shafted. 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:32.720 Yeah. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:42.240 But but that you're saying it's a it's a if you do the word-for-word translation, afbella means to cancel, but it doesn't matter. 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:47.679 It's a you would only say it uh in a like uh dang. 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:48.720 She just shafted me. 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:50.080 She got a better offer as good. 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:51.679 She didn't want to get out of bed to come see me. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:52.960 Yeah. 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:53.440 Yeah. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:56.480 I've um Zehaf me afabelt. 00:15:56.720 --> 00:15:56.879 Yeah. 00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:59.360 She she b she blew me off. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:15:59.679 Yeah. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:00.159 Yeah. 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:07.120 There's l lots of words like that in every language. 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:10.960 There's lots of words like that in the Bible. 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:13.919 And that's what makes Bible translation challenging. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:19.360 That's why if I went around this room and picked any verse in the Bible just about, well, that's not true. 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:29.440 If I picked hundreds, maybe thousands of verses, and I got each of you to read them out of your Bible translation, they would be different. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:45.440 They would say basically the same thing, but they would be different words, and that's because the translators are struggling to find a way to communicate the idea that was written 3,000 years ago, 4,000 years ago. 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:49.519 So it's a very challenging, by example, the word heble. 00:16:50.559 --> 00:17:01.360 Um in the translation that most of us would remember in Ecclesiastes, King Solomon says, something, something, all is something. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:02.720 Meaningless. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:03.279 Okay. 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:04.880 Well, the original word vanity. 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:05.359 Vanity. 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:08.400 We would say vanity, vanity, all is vanity. 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:12.480 Well, the word hevil in the Hebrew language just means smoke. 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:14.559 Or mist. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:19.519 They would mist, morning mist, or the smoke from a fire. 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:24.160 What Solomon says is mist, mist, all is mist. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:27.599 Well, that's not what he means, right? 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:34.240 He he means um uh uh uh meaningless or vanity. 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:42.559 But really what he's saying is, if you want to study this in the book of Ecclesiastes, he's saying that everything in life is temporary. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:45.359 Everything is fleeting. 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:47.920 But it's not just fleeting and temporary. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:59.440 There's a little added nuance, and that is everything is paradoxical, everything has some form of contradiction to it. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:01.359 My point is simple. 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:06.400 Translating Bible words is very, very hard. 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:18.079 Sometimes people will argue that there are discrepancies within the the the Bible, and that is a hard conversation to have, but s and and but that sometimes that's just sheer language. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:18.720 Yes. 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:23.279 The language itself is impossible to completely translate. 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:24.960 Some words, yeah. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:56.319 Yes, and therefore, one of uh a huge value that we share as students of God's word is how important it is that we remain humble as we try to study read the Bible, study the Bible, teach the Bible, develop a system of beliefs and uh doctrines and principles to live by. 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:15.200 We need to be very careful about being too black and white, hard-lined, hard-nosed, uh, unbending, condemning of other Christians or other Christian groups that would interpret it differently. 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:26.000 It is not an easy thing to interpret and really grasp what the Bible writers were trying to say. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:28.559 I'm not suggesting that it's not worth the effort. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:31.039 We just need to be humble about it. 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:32.640 Uh we just need to be humble about it. 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:33.759 That's the point. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:35.200 Um, okay. 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:45.920 So today we're looking at Yahweh's declaration to Moses and through Moses to us that he is a God of covenant love. 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:49.599 Hebrew word for that is the word Hesed. 00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:52.319 H-E-S-E-D. 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:53.200 Hesed. 00:19:53.839 --> 00:20:00.640 And that word Hesed is used, it's a big word in the Bible, as far as number of times that the Bible writers use it. 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:05.519 It's used about 250 times in the Bible. 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:14.160 And about half of those times, 50% of all the times that Hesed is used in the Bible, it's used in the Psalms. 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:17.359 Wonder why. 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:36.880 Wonder why that idea of God's covenant love would be the weight is, you know, it's it's heavily weighted in the Psalms versus other books, prophetic books, uh, historic books, any any idea, any thought? 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:37.920 We haven't talked about this. 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:47.440 I just it hit me this morning that that it's the psalmist that really grasped this word of covenant love. 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:50.640 Well, he's uh in a lot of the psalms, he's in despair. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:21:05.599 He's afraid, he's hiding, he's so um, if I were in despair and hiding in a cave, I would want to be assured, reassured, that I hadn't been forgotten, that there's a covenant love that's pursuing me even when an enemy is pursuing me. 00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:07.519 Um so maybe some of that's good. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:09.279 That's a good yes, I like that. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:11.039 It's also a lot of praise. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:12.480 Yes, great deal of praise. 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:15.839 A realization that I'm the beneficiary of this covenant love. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:16.400 Thank you. 00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:17.759 Yeah, that's that's good. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:18.240 Thank you. 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:20.000 I wasn't thinking about that. 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:29.039 Um of the time in the Bible, when the Bible uses the word Hesed or covenant love, it's talking about how God relates to us. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:37.599 25% of the time, it's used in how people are relating to other people. 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:53.039 Hesed is one of those words, there is no word in the English language, but I'm going to add to that, there is no word in any other language that we know of that has the word Hesed. 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:56.160 Or the word that would mean Hesed. 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:59.759 Hesed is a very unique, a very special. 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:02.880 Word in the Bible. 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:14.799 And let me just give you, if you if you look up in your Bible, no matter what your translation would be of Exodus 34, verse 6, let me give you some of the words that you might see for covenant love. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:23.599 You might see the phrase covenant love, sacrificial love, loyal love, unfailing love. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:39.440 Now, if you get the older back your translation goes back to like King Jimmy, or some of those really old translations, you might see mercy, loving kindness, or enduring commitment. 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:47.200 So all of the, they use all those words to convey the same idea. 00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:51.599 That should speak to us, wow, they're struggling. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:23:05.200 They're struggling to find English words to convey a deep, rich, multifaceted idea in Hebrew, which is the word Hesed. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:08.960 Psalm 123 says this. 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:10.480 I love this verse. 00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:16.000 We look to Yahweh for his hesed. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:25.680 As a servant looks to his master, as a slave girl looks to her mistress. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:28.640 Have Hesed on us, Lord. 00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:29.599 Have Hesed. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:35.440 For we have had our fill of contempt. 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:39.519 Can you hear the writer there? 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:58.000 I live in a world that is full of harsh, mean, angry, critical, condemning, contemptuous people. 00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:02.240 My family, it's I get so tired of these people. 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:13.119 My community, my government, my world, where I work, my neighbors, everybody's so angry, everybody's so mean. 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:16.079 God, I'm tired. 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:18.240 I'm tired of all this. 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:21.920 I look to you for Hesed. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:35.359 I long to experience that which, really what he's saying, I long to receive from you that which only you can give me. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:39.279 Psalm 145 says, did you have something you want to say? 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:39.759 Okay. 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:49.440 Psalm 145 says that Yahweh is merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, and filled with Hesed. 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:59.039 He's filled, it literally just, it starts in his toes and just starts, goes all the way up and bubbles out his eyeballs and his ears. 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:01.839 He's filled with Hesed. 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:18.960 And all my studies or all of our studies of this idea of Hesed, the picture that the really smart people that I studied to try to understand this, they kept going back to is this picture. 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:36.960 If you want to know what Hesed looks like, imagine an old man or an old woman married to somebody, they've been married for 50, 60, 70 years, and their mate is very, very sick. 00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:43.519 So sick that they're not going to get better and they cannot take care of themselves. 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:52.880 And this old man or this old woman begins on a day-to-day basis to give them that. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:26:10.640 He gives his wife a bath, feeds her, every morning brushes her hair, puts on her clothes, sits her in the lit, takes her out of bed and sits her in the living room, talks to her, reads to her, loves on her. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:12.880 Lady can't respond. 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:16.880 There's no reciprocity. 00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:23.759 He does not expect anything. 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:34.160 But where that could be true of what I just described, of just a really great nurse that you're paying good money to take care of this person, right? 00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:36.480 But it's not a nurse. 00:26:37.519 --> 00:27:06.720 There's an added part to the word hesed, and that is that this husband, this wife, who's taking care of their spouse, it's not just that they do it and they do it well, this care, this sacrificial investment, it's not just that they do it and they do it faithfully and well, but they find delight in doing it. 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:11.519 They, hey, mom, that's too much for you. 00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:14.480 You're gonna wear yourself out. 00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:17.200 We'll hire somebody. 00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:19.680 And mom whirls around and says, No. 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:21.359 Mm-mm. 00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:24.000 I want to do this. 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:31.839 I want no denial that it's hard, but no, I've taken sort of like, what's that movie I love so much about that old dude that took care of his wife? 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:32.640 Notebook. 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:33.359 And the notebook. 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:35.759 And that dude was at that old folks' home and his wife. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:37.680 He's right, he didn't know who he was. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:44.160 But his kids come and says, Dad, come on, you come home with us and we'll we'll hire somebody. 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:46.000 No, I will not do that. 00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:47.680 That's Hesed. 00:27:49.359 --> 00:28:06.720 I give care, I give attention, I show sacrificial investment and ministry, but it's not, it is dutiful, but it's duty that is fulfilled with delight. 00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:11.920 God says, that's how I love you. 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:20.160 We were both blessed to be able to watch our mothers care for our fathers like that in their passing. 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:20.880 Yes. 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:21.680 Day in. 00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:23.119 You know it when you see it. 00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:38.559 And they could have both chosen an easier road that is not unreasonable, not beating, not bad, and I don't want to make anybody think otherwise. 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:48.000 But we just happen to both have moms who could have chosen a different road of care, and they said, no. 00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:53.359 We want to do it, and I and we do it. 00:28:53.599 --> 00:29:01.279 Um anybody, any you were thinking of Yeah, we were talking about this in the car yesterday, and and two uh people that you may have heard of. 00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:10.319 Well, probably not, but back in the 70s, there was a woman who was a writer and a painter named Joni Erickson Tata. 00:29:10.480 --> 00:29:11.680 It's a long time ago. 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:19.599 And anyway, she as a teenager, I think, dove into a lake and it was too shallow, and she broke her neck. 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:22.559 Some of you will remember that if you're our age. 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:24.319 And um anyway, so that's that. 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:26.079 And she was paralyzed from the neck down. 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:32.720 And you know, a few years later, some guy, whose last name is Tada, I've forgotten his first name. 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:34.160 Um, anyway. 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:40.160 Edit that out. 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:43.920 Um fell in love with her. 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:56.480 And who he fell in love with was this wonderfully talented, brilliant writer, painter, who was now paralyzed from the way Stan, and he understood fully what he was, who he was marrying. 00:29:56.640 --> 00:30:00.880 And the reason I thought about her is the other day on social media, there you go, scroll, scroll. 00:30:01.039 --> 00:30:04.079 And she had she paints now, it's still with her mouth. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:08.720 And so she has painted this these beautiful pictures of the mountains, they were up in the mountains. 00:30:08.880 --> 00:30:14.240 And then I thought, well, I knew we were doing this, and I thought, yeah, that's ex that's exactly it. 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:17.920 Or a guy we uh went to high school with named Scott Coleman. 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:19.359 Exact same thing. 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:24.559 He was a junior in high school, I think, and had a skiing accident, broke his neck. 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:31.599 And that, and then that was years before anybody had social media or anything, so we all graduated and and and that's it. 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:32.400 I never saw him again. 00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:37.599 And then he came to some reunion and he was married and with this beautiful wife. 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:37.920 Yeah. 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:39.039 Same story. 00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:43.359 She knew what she was getting into when, yeah. 00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:44.880 And chose to do it. 00:30:45.119 --> 00:31:02.400 So there's the practical, sacrificial, hard, faithful, daily, forever investment, but it's joined with this idea of delight. 00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:17.599 It's not, it's not just skilled nursing, which is great, but it's also not just a loving family member who goes, I love you, but I'm not gonna stay up here every day and take care of you. 00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:19.680 I'm not gonna do that. 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:22.720 It's the combination of both of those. 00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:24.480 That's what Hesed is. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:36.000 It's the idea that the word Hesed is used to describe when Abraham told his nephew Lot, you pick the best land first. 00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:38.640 I'll take the leftovers. 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:43.920 I deserve not only the best pick, it's all mine. 00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:50.240 But I'm going to give you first pick because I want you to experience abundance. 00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:55.680 It's used to describe, uh, it's a beautiful picture. 00:31:55.839 --> 00:32:00.799 Jacob, Abraham's grandson, is laying on his deathbed in Egypt. 00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:09.440 And he's about to die, and he calls his son Joseph into the room and says, Hey, I'm about to die. 00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:12.319 I do not want to be buried in Egypt. 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:18.079 I want to be buried next to my granddaddy and my dad back in the promised land. 00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:31.200 When I die, I want you to, he says, I want you to show me Hesed by taking my body back to the promised land so I can be buried with my family. 00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:35.759 And the Bible says, Joseph showed his dad Hesed. 00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:39.680 Um, who else? 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:46.960 Oh, uh the Bible says that David showed Jonathan Hesed protection. 00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:51.119 Jonathan says, when you become king, please don't kill my family. 00:32:51.279 --> 00:32:53.200 And David says, I will not. 00:32:53.359 --> 00:32:56.160 I will not harm your family when I become king. 00:32:56.319 --> 00:33:12.720 And the Bible says that David showed Jonathan Hesed, and the Bible says that Jonathan showed David Hesed when Jonathan said, I will not, I'm gonna support you, I'm gonna sacrificially lay down my rights to be the king to help you become the king. 00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:14.960 Jonathan showed David Hesed. 00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:20.720 Um, David showed Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul, Hesed. 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:23.599 Um, who else? 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:25.839 Uh who else did I write down? 00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:27.599 Oh, yeah, great one. 00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:41.599 Story of Hosea and Gomer, this prophet of God, God tells him to marry a pretty way out there lady, and uh he marries her, gives her this great life, gives her a home and a family and everything. 00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:43.440 One day goes home and she's gone. 00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:46.400 She's out partying, and I mean really partying. 00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:51.920 And uh it breaks uh Hosea's heart. 00:33:52.400 --> 00:34:04.559 And the Bible says that at God's bidding, Hosea went and found his wife, paid off all of her debts, and brought her home and gave her a new life. 00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:06.799 He gave her restoration. 00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:12.079 He gave her, he restored that which she had thrown away. 00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:13.840 Probably the most beautiful example. 00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:18.480 And in the Bible says that Hosea showed Gomer Hesed. 00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:21.119 It has nothing to do with what anyone deserves. 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:23.599 Yes, none of these people deserve this. 00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:27.920 And it wasn't just dutiful. 00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:31.599 That was a part of it, but it was there was a delight. 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:36.559 These people, Joseph loved Jacob. 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:45.360 Hosea loved Gomer, David loved Jonathan, Jonathan loved David, and the list goes on and on and on. 00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:50.800 The most beautiful example to me, and I want you to look up Ruth, is Ruth and Naomi. 00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:56.960 The Bible says that, in fact, it's it's um Boaz. 00:34:57.519 --> 00:35:08.159 Boaz says, everyone in Israel has watched you, Ruth, show Hesed to your mother-in-law. 00:35:09.119 --> 00:35:10.880 Naomi had nothing. 00:35:11.119 --> 00:35:15.519 No family, no wealth, no influence, no name, no nothing. 00:35:16.239 --> 00:35:22.960 And Ruth's uh and Naomi, because she loved Ruth, said, baby, you you're young. 00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:24.559 You got a life ahead of you. 00:35:24.719 --> 00:35:26.159 Go back to your people. 00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:30.480 Get married again, have a family, make something of yourself. 00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:32.480 Give yourself a great future. 00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:35.360 You've been kind to me, but enough's enough. 00:35:35.519 --> 00:35:35.920 Go home. 00:35:36.079 --> 00:35:37.920 And Ruth says, I will not. 00:35:38.400 --> 00:35:39.760 I will not go home. 00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:41.119 Read what she says. 00:35:41.360 --> 00:35:45.119 She says, Ruth replied, Do not ask me to leave you and turn back. 00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:47.360 Wherever you go, I will go. 00:35:47.440 --> 00:35:49.519 And wherever you live, I will live. 00:35:49.760 --> 00:35:57.280 Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God, and wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. 00:35:57.519 --> 00:36:01.760 May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us. 00:36:02.079 --> 00:36:02.719 You hear that? 00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:05.440 I mean, who says that? 00:36:06.639 --> 00:36:08.320 What's in it for me? 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:09.119 How are you? 00:36:09.360 --> 00:36:11.039 What am I gonna get out of this deal? 00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:12.800 What's what's the reciprocal? 00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:13.679 There is none. 00:36:13.760 --> 00:36:14.400 I have nothing. 00:36:14.559 --> 00:36:16.800 Ruth, I have nothing to offer you. 00:36:17.519 --> 00:36:19.440 She said, that's fine. 00:36:19.760 --> 00:36:24.000 I will spend my life committed to your good. 00:36:25.440 --> 00:36:39.199