Loyal Love

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Loyal Love
The attributes of God
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• I shall make mention of the lovingkindness of
  the Lord
• Isaiah 637a

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Lovingkindness

• Hesed

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Lovingkindness

• Enduring loving loyalty to a covenantal
  relationship
• Loyal love Devoted love
• Unchanging Love in a covenant/deal/relationship

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Lovingkindness

• The glue that bonds a
  relationship together

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Hesed

• Covenants in the Bible
• Abrahamic
• Mosaic
• Palestinian
• Davidic
• New
• Financial
• Friendship
• Marriage

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Deuteronomy 79

• Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is
  God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant
  and His lovingkindness to a thousandth
  generation

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Case Study in Hesed

• Whos Who in Samuel?
• Saul king of Israel
• Jonathan Sauls oldest son apparent heir to
  throne
• Mephibosheth Jonathans son crippled from age
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• David anointed king friend of Jonathan

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1 Sam. 2014-15

• And if I am still alive, will you not show me the
  lovingkindness of the LORD, that I may not die?
  And you shall not cut off your lovingkindness
  from my house forever, not even when the LORD
  cuts off every one of the enemies of David from
  the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a
  covenant with the house of David

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2 Samuel 91-13

• Then David said, Is there yet anyone left of the
  house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for
  Jonathan's sake? Mephiboshethhere is your
  servant! And David said to him, Do not fear, for
  I will surely show kindness to you for the sake
  of your father Jonathanyou shall eat at my table
  regularly.

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2 Samuel 1924-30

• Mephibosheth, at great personal risk, remains
  loyal to David during Absaloms rebellion.
• Mephibosheth loyally accepts Davids (seemingly)
  unfair distribution of Mephibosheths land.

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2 Samuel 211-9

• Now there was a famine in the days of David for 3
  yearsAnd the LORD said, It is for Saul and his
  bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to
  death

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Joshua 9

• Joshua kill all in the land
• Gibeonites act craftily
• Gibeonites act like foreigners asked for a
  peace covenant
• Joshua did not seek the Lord
• Joshua swears YHWHs name (hesed) makes a
  covenant w/them
• Gibeonites become servants to the Jews even until
  Sauls reign 400 years later

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2 Samuel 211-9

• Now there was a famine in the days of David for 3
  yearsAnd the LORD said, It is for Saul and his
  bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to
  death But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son
  of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath
  of the LORD which was between them, between David
  and Jonathan.

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Good Bad Hesed
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Hosea 64-5

• What shall I do with you, O Ephraim O Judah?
  For your loyalty is like a morning cloud, and
  like the dew which goes away early. Therefore I
  have hewn them in pieces by the prophets I have
  slain them by the words of My mouth And the
  judgments on you are like the light that goes
  forth.
• Bad Hesed

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Lamentations

• Background
• Jeremiah writes of the 3rd (final) attack of
  Jerusalem by Babylonia in 586 B.C.
• He witnesses utter despair starvation, death,
  cannibalism
• His witness the destruction and overthrow of his
  nation

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Lamentations 320-24

• This I recall to my mind, therefore I have
  hope. The LORD's loving-kindnesses indeed never
  cease, for His compassions never fail. They are
  new every morning Great is Thy faithfulness.
  The LORD is my portion, says my soul, Therefore
  I have hope in Him.
• Good Hesed

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Main Teaching Point of the Book of Lamentations

• For the Lord will not reject forever, for if He
  causes grief, then He will have compassion
  according to His abundant lovingkindness. For He
  does not afflict willingly, or grieve the sons of
  men. (331-33)
• The Heart of Lamentations Chiasm
• Gods Hesed Source of Strength

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Does it really matter?

• It is a trustworthy statement For if we died
  with Him, we shall also live with Him If we
  endure, we shall also reign with Him If we deny
  Him, He also will deny us If we are faithless,
  He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself.
• 2 Timothy 211-13

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Hesed Implications

• Theologically
• Personally
• Family
• Friends
• Work
• Church

Hope in the LORD For with the LORD there is
lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant
redemption. (Psalm 1307)
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Psalm 236

• Surely goodness lovingkindness will follow me
  all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
  house of the LORD forever.

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