The Heart of the Covenant
And Naomi said to her two daughter-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me.” Ruth 1:8 NASB
Deal kindly – What is the heart of the gospel? What lies right at the core of the good news? Most Christians are likely to answer, “Forgiveness,” or “Salvation.” We have been taught to think of the good news on an individual and personal level. It’s about us – you and me – and what God has done for us individually. My sins are forgiven. I received salvation. What’s important is what God did for me!
But you won’t find that emphasis in Scripture.
The heart of God’s interaction with men is hesed. This is not a word describing personal, individual salvation or forgiveness. This is a word that describes acts of benevolence without obligation. In our vernacular, we would call these random acts of kindness. Psalm 62 makes it clear that hesed belongs first and foremost to God Himself. The Exodus is the paradigm case of hesed. Hesed is the major lesson taught in the book of Ruth.
Hesed has no exact English translation equivalent, and for good reason. Hesed entails four related concepts. First, hesed is unmerited benevolence toward another. That means there is no prior obligation for demonstrating this act of kindness. Hesed begins with pure compassion. It is not about what I owe someone else. It is about what is right to do even when I have no duty or obligation toward another. Hesed operates on the assumption that justice is built into the structure of the universe and therefore some things are just the right things to do.
Secondly, once I experience hesed, it creates reciprocity. When someone shows hesed toward me, I am then obligated to show it to him. The story of Rahab is built on this reciprocity. In case you thought all of this is just Old Testament, I remind you that 1st John emphasizes the reciprocity entailed in God’s love. We love Him because He first loved us – reciprocity.
Third, hesed requires extension. If I experience hesed, I am expected to pass it on to someone else. I am expected to extend this experience toward another, not just toward the person who started the chain. This is God’s “pay it forward” plan. It’s not enough to simply respond to the one who showed me benevolence. I need to turn that experience into action and do the same for another.
Finally, it is obvious that hesed cannot be individual. Everything about hesed is relational. Hesed does not exist without community. It’s not about me. It’s about the dynamic between the one who shows kindness, the one who receives kindness and the one who has yet to be included in the circle of kindness. This is the heart of the good news! God started the chain. You and I have received His hesed. But until we pass it back and pass it on, nothing has happened. Forgiveness, mercy, grace, salvation and justice all depend on hesed. If the dynamic of hesed isn’t present in your life, if you aren’t reciprocating and extending, then you missed the boat. You live in a “What’s in it for me?” world that isn’t recognizable in Scripture.
Oh yes, one more thing. Hesed is something you do, not something you say. The literal translation of Naomi’s statement is “May God do hesed with you.”
What are you going to do about this?
Topical Index: hesed, deal kindly, lovingkindness, Ruth 1:8, community, forgiveness
Thank you Skip!
I have know and taught these principles for many years – but they were always presented in individual (discrete) elements, never in a fully integrated manner. You have managed to bring the essence of hesed together in its most basic and, may I say, profound way? From these few paragraphs a magnificent Bible study unfolds.
Again, towdah rebbe.
“May God do hesed with you.”
Oh, what a loaded statement! Loaded with meaning, that is. God does not do hesed to you, but with. That means that we are to be actively involved in the hsed that God does. Very well explained, Skip. Thanks. 🙂
Hmmm – for some reason my underline tags didn’t work (and some letters went missing). 🙁
THE HEART OF THE COVENANT IS THE BEAUTY OF GOD/JESUS/HOLY SPIRIT… ♥
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD IT WOULD BE IF ALL PRACTICES HESED… ♥
BUT AGAIN THANK GOD THERE IS A REMANENT THAT LOVES HESED / PAYING IT FORWARD – LET US GIVE PRAISE FOR THOSE WHO DO & PRACTICE HESED… ♥
COLLECTIVE HESED IS FUTURE & INDIVIDUAL & GROWING HESED IS PRESENT… ♥
J
The LORD’s Prayer and the Beattitudes make more and more sense to me every day as I ponder and meditate on this.
It is the blood that atones for our sins toward YHVH and reconciles us back to Him, but it is our obedience to Torah that creates Shalom and reconciles us to each other drawing Him into the midst of us. It makes the blessing of YHVH rest upon us and causes the universe to watch in wonder.
Be reconciled to your brother first then bring your gift to the alter. If I do not
forgive my brother our heavenly Father will not forgive me. Do good to those who hate you etc………………….etc……………………etc…..
As we endeavor to pursue Torah obedience (which can only be done in community) we will experience more and more hesed.
Hugs and kisses, tears and laughter, rejoicing and mourning, praise and rebuke, Justice and mercy etc…………. have power when real people are gathered together in one place in one accord in Messiah the Torah incarnate.
The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much but where two or three are gathered together in His name there He is in the midst of us.
Don’t take this wrong please. Cyber hesed is good. As much as I love this cyber community it is clear to me that being part of a physical local fellowship is irreplaceable and of major importance to Avinu.
For us (Ron and myself) pursuing Torah obedience is to pursue Physical community fellowship even if we have to facilitate it ourselves. Everywhere we go we find broken people who want YHVH’s presence in their lives and have been barred from it in the form of the churches ban on Torah.
The Jews ban His name, the church upholds the ban on the Name and goes on to ban His hesed. What’s with that!?
I’m with you Jan. I can’t wait for the day that we will ALL live in the kingdom on this earth in hesed!
Pam, cyber hesed sucks to no end but sometimes that is all we have along with few close friends we hardly ever get to see… ♥
it is nice that you have a Ron around but when you are single & God has not provided a husband yet – it is just not the same as you speak of… ♥
jan
I’ve been there as well dear lady. I’ve lived without my Ron and I certainly wouldn’t care to do that again. We literally actively seek out people to study with where ever we go. (I should explain that we live in a bus.) It doesn’t have to be a lot of people. One earnest lover of the Word is enough to start the wheels in motion. We came to Colorado in Aug. and immediately began looking for a local study partner while keeping Shabbat by ourselves. We found an entire congregation for the first time in 20+ years on this road, that pursue righteousness the way we want to. Prior to that our fellowships have consisted of a few folks in dire need of Godly friends. Home fellowships grow from those circumstances. They are small and close. Deep friendships develop from them. And amazing discoveries of the treasure of Torah come out of it.
Be persistent in seeking and prayer and Avinu will bring you into community with others who are like minded. May YHVH bless you speedily with a man like my Ron to share your sweet heart with.
Shalom
~What are you going to do about this?~ I will praise Him! I will praise the Name of my G-d forever, for He has delivered me. Salvation/deliverance belongs to Him. It is because of His grace, His love, His mercy, His holiness, His “chesed”- I am alive -not only today- but forevermore. I (now) have eternal life but I also have the life of the Eternal ONE. I am, you are, we are- “partakers of the divine nature.”
Chesed is a blood-covenant word. David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness (chesed) for Jonathan’s sake?”
I am beyond excited to share this today. If you and I lay hold of this it will be a “game-changing” moment for all of us. Yes, we are in this- “together.” Life together- amen.
Who did David seek? and who did David find? – a young, trembling, clueless, fearful, crippled man -living in the land of Lodebar (‘no pasture’) by the name of Mephibosheth who “happened”- (excuse me?) to be the son of one Jonathan who ‘happened’ to be a blood-covenant friend of David the (now) King.
And then, because of the blood covenant friendship of David and Jonathon, this young man (who was lame in both his feet) without G-d and without hope in this world, sat AT GOD’S TABLE and ate the richest of foods everyday. “But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81.16)
And what of Ruth? Because of her near Kinsman Redeemer, she who also had no hope, no future, no sustenance, no inheritance and no name- because her covenant-relationship with Boaz and his benevolence toward his beloved she now had moved from depair and despondency to deliverance and delight. She now, because of her Boaz, her near Kinsman-Redeemer, her Go-el, she (too) had (both) a future and a hope.
And what did ‘gospel’ (good news! did David share with us? “Because Your loving kindness(es) is better than life, my lips shall praise you.” (Psalm 63.3)
~What are you going to do about this?~ “I will sing of the mercies/loving-kindnesses (chesed) of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known Your (blood-covenant) faithfulness to all generations.”
“There is a Friend who is closer than a brother.” What is His Name? We are entering into (by faith) a glorious season of celebration. “Come proclaim Messiah’s birth..” Come and worship. Come and worship.. -worship Christ the newborn King!
Skip,
Most excellent! May His mighty hesed be returned back to Him, and then passed on to our world in the presence and power of the Ruach HaKodesh!
Today a growing number of Christians are finding themselves separated to a new and exciting path.
We are being enabled to study Scripture together with Torah observant Jews!
We are Ruth, and Naomi is Israel, and we choose to journey with and support Naomi as she goes back home to the land of Israel, to an uncertain future, to build a new life, and to be planted in the land.
We want to serve and love Israel, because we feel that we are family through our betrothal to a son of Israel, Yeshua Ha Meshiach.
The book of Ruth tells us we will be in a servant’s role, gleaning Israeli harvests fields for grain, we learn from Naomi, that we are being blessed and protected by a kinsman redeemer of her family!
We honour His chosen people, so we offer as a blessing the “new bread” produced out of the gleanings of Israel’s fields.
Deu 8:3 “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you [fn]understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.
May the aroma of this new bread draw Gentile believers, into His Holy light, and to be nurtured by the fruits of “Israel’s” labor.
I agree, Antoinette, we are Ruth and Yeshua HaMashiach is our now living, ever abiding, ever providing, ever residing, ever faithful husband, our blessed Boaz- our Kinsman-Redeemer. The ONE who became sin, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of G-d in Him. “You know that the Messiah was revealed to take away sins, and there is not any sin in Him.” (1 John 3.5) -Behold the Passover Lamb! Baruch Hashem ADONAI!