God's Loyal
Love!
"Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to Your lovingkindness; according to the
multitude of Your tender mercies, blot
out my
transgressions."
Psalm 51: 1
Two words summarize the love of God in the Old and
New Testaments. The New Testament word is agape,
the unconditional, unmerited love of God. And the Old
Testament word is hesed, translated “lovingkindness”
or “mercy,” but more literally thought of as “loyal love.”
Agape and hesed are like two sides of the same
love-coin. If love is loyal, it cannot be cancelled
which means it's unconditional. God’s love won't
be earned or negated; it is merciful and loyal.
The greatest story of God’s unconditional
and loyal love in the Old Testament is the
story of Hosea, in which hesed occurs 6
times.
Hosea’s unconditional love for his wayward wife,
Gomer, was a picture for Israel of God’s
forever
love for His chosen people: “I will betroth you to
Me forever...in lovingkindness [hesed]
and
mercy” (Hosea 2:19).
God loves you today unconditionally and loyally.
Even if you are unfaithful. When you have
fallen
or been unfaithful, take heart: God is faithful to
love and forgive.
"God’s faithfulness means that God
will always do what He has
said
and fulfill what He has promised."
Wayne Grudem