Revealed Week 11 // LOVE // Steadfast Love
Day One
The ram God provided for Abraham to sacrifice on Mt. Moriah foretold love’s greatest moment. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Generations passed between this shadow of love to come and its fruition—Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Meanwhile, since God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), he demonstrated through the ages its—his—expansive nature.
In love’s expansiveness, it’s depth and wideness, we find that it is perpetual and unending. It has many more qualities, which we will look at next week, but today we are going to hang out here. Despite our rejection of him and his ways, regardless of our rebellion from his word, even though we betrayed him and his faithfulness towards us, God has never stopped loving us. Love does not end. It keeps going; it keeps coming. Jeremiah wrote, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you (Jeremiah 31:3).
One of the Hebrew words for love is hesed. It is most often translated with an adjective attached to it rather than solely love, i.e. “steadfast love.” William Mounce writes this about the hesed,
hesed is one of the richest, most theologically insightful terms in the Old Testament. It denotes “kindness, love, loyalty, mercy,” most poignantly employed in the context of relationship between God and humans…hesed describes the special relationship God has with his covenantal people, and such can be difficult to word to translate because it is so specific: “steadfast love” (ESV, RSV); “loyal love” or “covenantal faithfulness” (NET); unfailing love” (NLT); “loving-kindness” (KJV).
While we (humanity) were waiting for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection on earth, God continued to reveal his hesed, “steadfast love” to us. He doesn’t give up; his love does not end. While we are waiting on Jesus’ return when all things are new, he continues to reveal his hesed “mercy, unfailing love” to us. It never runs out! It endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).
We will talk about this in the weeks ahead, but I want to go ahead and plant a seed for it here. As we continue to look at God’s nature, we will notice more and more that his qualities interlock. This steadfast love was present at creation and every time someone becomes a new creation in Christ. Love is present in holiness as it provided the spotless lamb, Jesus, to take away our sins. Although we separate his nature, qualities, to learn more or to define seasons of our lives, they are all present and at work at all times. He is whole, complete, perfect — holy.
This week, as you read the following daily scriptures, ask the Lord to show you (or remind you) of how his steadfast love has been at work over the ages. And, how it has been continually at work in your life and in your family’s life.
Day Two
1 John 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
Day Three
Ephesian 3:14-19
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Day Four
Exodus 34:6-9
The Lord passed before [Moses] and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and 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.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
Day Five
Psalm 32:10
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
Psalm 89:14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Psalm 94:18
When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
Psalm 118:29
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Day Six
Isaiah 54: 7, 8, &10
For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer…For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Day Seven
Selah
Brave Sparrow 