Constant Thread
What is the point… what is it really all about?
There is a divine idea threaded throughout nearly every page of scripture that some folks do not readily pick up on as they digest the history and story of humanity captured in our sacred writings. It is a theme that is direct in some places, and indirect in others, but is always present and understood to be of primary importance in all instances and eras. It is a concrete doctrine established even earlier than the first day of Genesis light in the creation and before human eyes made of clay by God’s own hands watched their first sunset. Some may be unaware or uninformed about the particular theological truth of a pre-humanity family of God. Nevertheless, there existed a spiritual, heavenly divine family before the creation of the physical realm. The family of God in heaven also understood and revered this immutable precept I want to share and still do to this day. This should illustrate how deep the importance needs to permeate our own beings.
At this point, many of you are formulating ideas considered primary to your faith. I could speculate that the majority of thoughts would revolve around, “the love of God,” or, “the Gospel,” and maybe even some would conclude that it is just Jesus, the central figure of scripture. As vastly valuable as these ideas are, they are not what I am developing. What I am driving towards supersedes even the most deeply held concepts because it is required to be first among all other objectives.
The doctrine has been termed in many different ways, here are a few:
Believing Loyalty
Faith Allegiance
Covenant Faithfulness
Committed Trusting
Trusting Devotion
This can be conceptualized in a plethora of different ways but it is a required necessity in every life (on or above the earth) that has the intention of living in the present and eternity the way they were created to live.
The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Deuteronomy 7:7-9 BSB
It is subtle here, as it is in most places of scripture because the basis of the truth is rooted in the very character of God… it is entwined into the very essence and identity of Yahweh that was passed onto His heavenly and earthly family that were made, “in His image and in His likeness.” Hopefully, you can see that there is a loving affection streaming towards God’s people from God Himself, but that it is a non-performance, undeserved, and unearned love. This concept is uniquely radical in itself and is worthy of thousands of hours of study, meditation, and revelation. However, that love is not a stand-alone aspect if you look closely, it is fused together with covenant commitment that manifests as unchangeable loyalty and unbreakable allegiance. So, it is not just love, and not just allegiance… it is the inseparable marrying together of the two into a, “one-flesh,” embodiment that is the very essence of The Most High God.
In the above version, you will see I highlighted the term, “loving devotion.” This is the foundational and simply stated expression of this infinitely important and eternally necessary doctrine that preexisted ANY part of creation (heavenly or earthly), and will persist into an unending future where the family of God is united as intended. This compound word is the Hebrew: ḥesed (also spelled chesed, or khesed). You will find it 245 times in the Old Covenant, which is an enormous number of usages. What is even more complicated than the number is the translated ways it is used. Look at these two statements from scholars:
* “Although there is no direct English rendering of khesed, translators have “given it a go” with such words as: mercy, grace, graciousness, favour, loyalty, covenant loyalty, believing loyalty, loving loyalty, strength, devotion, steadfast love, unfailing love, lovingkindness, kindness, compassion, and faithfulness. Truth be told, it’s none of those words specifically and all of those words generally. Khesed is an expression of love, but it goes beyond an “I love pizza” kind of love. Khesed is a deeply personal expression of love. It is a love entangled in relationship loyalty… a great loving devotion.” – Hebrew Word Lessons
* Hesed is one of the most fundamental characteristics of God, consistent with what we know about His covenantal nature. Hesed is, “wrapping up in itself all the positive attributes of God: love, covenant faithfulness, mercy, grace, kindness, loyalty–in short, acts of devotion and loving-kindness that go beyond the requirements of duty,” elaborates Bible scholar Darrell L. Bock.
If you try to do a, “quick study,” on this word (or better stated, character trait), you will be, “quickly,” frustrated because it is everywhere, and diversly translated, and used in a vast variety of contexts from a host of writers including God’s own quoted words. To be blunt, it is HUGE and HUGELY essential.
In my writings here, I just want us, the Beloved family, to get the raw idea rooted deeply into the center of our thoughts. Once we build that primary platform, we then have something tangible that can support the construction of more elaborate and ornate thought structures. We can then excitedly spend the rest of our lives pressing into intimacy with the God who IS hesed. The Trinity IS loving, faithful loyalty; faithful, merciful allegiance; committed, gracious covenant; and many other expressions that are bigger than the lame attempt to use adjectives to describe the core nature of the Godhead.
The bigger point is what it means for you and me, right now, and right here. The straightforward answer will lead you to this massive, Bible-wide, context that I started with: the big point enumerated from the first page to the last is our requirement to be faithfully allegiant to God every moment of every day, in every thought, and expressed in every deed. It seems so divine to take a universe-sized idea and simply thread it throughout the scripture to naturally build the thinking into our identity over time.
Every place you see the combined ideas of faithful trust and loyal allegiance to God expressed, you have a piece of the mosaic in view. And the pieces are everywhere…
* No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matthew 6:24
* Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. Revelation 2:10
* You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 1 Corinthians 10:21-22
* So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Luke 20:25
* Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Matthew 4:10
These are just a few, and just from the New Testament. The scriptures are overflowing with this required way of life. So, you may be wondering, “what is the present application for us as we go into the Great Awakening?” It has become glaringly obvious to me that not everyone will survive the journey because their loyalty waivers and their allegiance changes with the winds of cultural change and the waves of emotional pressures. Virtue signaling is the new cool, and it is alive and active in the church. Jesus called it, “hypocrisy,” and it was a despised enemy to the Kingdom that was WAY more prevalent than we care to acknowledge. Just like today.
I will end with some quiet challenges:
* Where is your loyalty securely committed?
* To whom do you entrust your intimate details of life?
* What are your affections fixed upon?
* How do you discern the choices that direct your destination?
If you are not in a faith allegiant or believing loyal position of life, today I beckon your heart.
I love you greatly!
Steve
