Ps. 103:13, NIRV
Today we focus on God’s “extra-ordinary" lovingkindness--
promised to us repeatedly in scripture. This is also the third
of a three part series on God’s TLC for us: tender mercy,
lovingkindness, and care.[1] We turn our attention to a very
special word: the middle word in this trio.
Many families have special love words that they use in the intimacy of
the home. Sometimes one needs to know the intimate story behind this
love word in order to grasp its full meaning. Something similar happens
with the very special love word often used to describe God’s love in the
Hebrew scriptures. This word appears repeatedly as the Bible
tries to relate the wideness, deepness, tenderness, and great-
ness of God’s love for us.
This special Hebrew love word is “chesed”; our favorite
translation of it is lovingkindness. However, we are aware that
God’s special love word “chesed” is quite literally beyond
translation into any one single English word.
We pose a question? How much does this tender love word “chesed” suffer
in translation? And is digging to find the depth of its meaning something of a
great treasure hunt for misplaced wealth, depth, and intimacy with God? We
believe it is!
To consider this theme, we begin with a personal prayer based upon this
special word “chesed”-- translated here as “lovingkindness” (Psalm 144):
Note that God's very name is “My LOVINGKINDNESS”--or “my Chesed”--
in this psalm (Ps. 144:1-2, ASV, WEB [capitalization/shape ours].)
What are some other names for our God of intimacy--used by
other translators as they try to capture the meaning of these
deeply loving words "my chesed"? In other translations God's
very name here is “my unfailing love,” “my Steadfast Love” or
God “my goodness,” “my loyal one,” “my friend,” “my mercy,”
“my protector and defender,” “my fortress,” “my gracious
love.”[2] (Note: each begins with “my”; each is meant to be
deeply personal and even intimate.) To capture the full
essence of the intimate love word “chesed” one can only come
close, apparently, if one puts “lovingkindness” (sometimes
“loving-kindness”) and all these other wonderful words
together. To do that would be quite a mouthful!
So when we find only one or two words to replace this special love
word “chesed” (as happens of necessity with any one English
translation of a verse) some of the deep richness and flavor of
God’s love word “chesed” is inevitably lost. This is not the fault of
translators! It is simply a result of the fact that this Hebrew love
word “chesed” (lovingkindness) is so rich and deep, beautiful and
tender that no one English word is able to completely replace it!
This is something that we must simply accept as a loss
that we work to overcome--at least for those of us who cannot
speak Hebrew. Thus, we dig for buried treasure. (Note: this is a
phenomenon that we have pointed out in the past regarding other
Hebrew words [or images of love] and the depths of their meaning[3]).
We turn next to Psalm 89 which speaks of singing of God’s “lovingkindness.”
We ask: How can we sing adequately of such “lovingkindness” (“chesed”) if we
have difficulty capturing the full depth of meaning in God’s special love word
to (and for) us? Psalm 89 sings as follows: “I will sing of the goodness and
lovingkindness of the Lord forever; With my mouth I will make known
Your faithfulness from generation to generation. For I have said,
‘Goodness and lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens
[unchangeable And majestic] You will establish Your faithfulness”; Ps. 89:1-2
and v. 28, AMP. The Psalmist sings of this lovingkindness and asks us to
join in.
We should note that “chesed” (lovingkindness and faithful tender love)
is especially discussed in light of a covenantal relationship (note Ps. 89:3-4).
Thus, the great divine romance of Heaven for us (as discussed
previously[4]) also enters into our discussion today.
Note the language of divine romance in the next scriptures. God says to
the people: "I will betroth you to Me forever. Yes, I will betroth you
to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness [“chesed”], and
in compassion”; Hos. 2:19, WEB.
Or, quoting portions of the same passage in the NIRV and continuing into
verse 20: “She [my people] will belong to me forever. I will do
to her what is right and fair. I will love her tenderly. I will be
faithful to her.”
Next note Isaiah’s words: “‘For your husband is your Maker. ... For the
Lord has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit. . . .
[W]ith great compassion I [the Lord] will gather you. ... [Now] with
everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you. . . . For
the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My
lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of
peace will not be shaken,' Says the Lord who has compassion on
you”; Isa. 54:5-10, NASB.
So we see that God’s tender divine romance for us is indeed connected
to this special word “chesed” or lovingkindness.
We have stressed above that our favorite translation of the love
word “chesed” is lovingkindness (or loving-kindness) and that it can
be viewed as part of a lovely trio of phrases that speak of God’s TLC:
tender mercy, lovingkindness, and care. [5]
We have put this trio of words or phrases together because
they, indeed, appear together in various scripture
passages[6], speaking eloquently of God’s Tender Loving Care.
This is something God offers to us with hopes that we will
accept it. However, since love must be based upon free acts
of love and acceptance, we are also free to turn such Love and
TLC aside--or simply to ignore it, which, in effect, can
basically be the same thing (i.e., a covenant can only exist if
both sides lean into the love and commitment it expresses).
We turn next to some noted individual’s thoughts about
lovingkindness (“chesed”). Charles H. Spurgeon says that under-
standing God’s chesed helps us to lift the veil; such understanding
helps us to pass “into the brighter presence” of God’s “excellent . . .
lovingkindness.”[7]
Martin Luther saw the importance of meditating upon God’s
lovingkindness. He especially suggests this when we are struggling
with thorns in our lives.
Luther sees that our natural inclination is to focus on such
thorns rather than upon God’s “tender mercy” and lovingkindness.
Luther says:
[F]ix the eyes only on the 'loving-kindness' and 'tender
mercies' of God [Ps. 51:1]. For these words do not
grow by nature in our own hearts, but are brought
down to us from heaven . . . by the Holy Spirit. . . .
[T]horns are the things that naturally grow in our
hearts. . . . [W]ithout the Holy Spirit our hearts . . .
[can] sink into despair . . . contrary to the will of
God.[8]
Luther notes that although this may sound easy, often it is
not easy at all. He calls this a “work of great skillfulness.”[9] For by nature the eyes are drawn to the thorns instead
(much as when one has a sore in the mouth, and the tongue
is naturally fixated upon that). Thus, we must make a true
effort to “fix the eyes” and it is a process we learn--a “work
of great skillfulness.”
Similarly, one of our pastors said recently: Faith is a muscle.
We must exercise it!
Charles Searson, S.J. comments that to focus upon chesed and
lovingkindness is to focus upon that which is at the very “heart of
our God.”[10] Thus, when me meditate upon passages about God’s
lovingkindness (such as follow) we can hope to go deeper into the
great heart of God.
To meditate on more promises of God’s “lovingkindness” in the
Psalms, see other examples:
Psalm 17:7; 25:6; 36:7; 40:11; 42:8; 51:1; 63:3; 69:16; 86:5; 89:28;
92:2; 103:2-17; 107:43; 119:88, 149; 136:1-26; 138:2; 143:8.[11]
Also note that God’s lovingkindness is a central part of who
Christ is for us in the New Testament. In Luke we read: “Because
of and through the heart of tender mercy and loving-kindness of
our God, a Light from on high [Jesus] will dawn upon us . . .”;
Lk. 1:78, AMPC. And in Titus we read that in Jesus "the goodness
and loving kindness of God our Savior has appeared . . . "; 3:4,
NRSVCE. Jesus is indeed the One who brings God’s eternally
existing TLC and God’s great divine romance to earth--intimately
to us. He is the visible image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15).
(In a previous post we noted how Jesus lives this out.[12])
We turn now to some of our favorite passages about God’s
lovingkindness.
(These can also be prayers we might repeat in any time of difficulty):
I have called upon You, O God, for You will hear me; incline
Your ear to me and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous
loving-kindness, O You Who save by Your right hand those
who trust and take refuge in You from those who rise up
against them. Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of Your wings; Ps. 17:6-8, AMPC.
And then we might pray: “Hear and answer me, O Lord, for
Your lovingkindness is sweet and comforting; according to Your
plenteous tender mercy and steadfast love turn to me”;
Psalm 69:16, AMPC.
Or in Hosea, in a passage that stresses God’s tenderness, we
read: “. . . I [the Lord] make a covenant for the good of my people.
I will love her tenderly [in lovingkindness]. I will be faithful to her.
And she will recognize me as the Lord”; 2:18-20, NIRV (emphasis
ours [insertion from NKJV]).
Then, another prophet tells us what we may already have guessed:
One of God’s dearest hopes is that we will pass it on to God’s other
“beloved” children! The prophet Micah asks, “What does the Lord
require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness [“chesed”],
and to walk humbly with your God”; 6:8, NRSV.
“For thy loving-kindness is better than life: my lips
shall praise thee”; Ps. 63:3, DBY.
* * *
We close with personal reflections (meditations) upon God’s
loving-kindness and our profound need to live in--to dwell in--it:
"Prayer to the One of 'Everlasting Lovingkindness'"
ASV; Jn. 10:11, 14:26; 1 Pet. 2:25; Phil. 2:7; Duet. 33:27--and spiritual classics[14]; e.g. St. Catherine of Siena speaks of God as the “mad lover,”
who has fallen in love with the created [us!] and of “mad” love that
gives all to win us. [15] Some terms also come from previous posts.)
* * *
Walking on the waves--a prayer:
(With reflection upon Mt. 14:28-32 and St. Catherine of Genoa's
name for God: "O tender Love.”[13])
* * *
An opening to prayer/meditation:
There is a great simplicity--
a great surprising peace--
when at last I settle in . . . and know
I am only safe near Your heartbeat--
Your tender Shepherd’s heartbeat,
💗 "EVERLASTING LOVINGKINDNESS,"
and "Everlasting
ARMS." [16]
“For . . . eternity is not Nothingness but rather the realm enclosed by the everlasting arms." - Helmut Thielicke [17]
(With reflection upon Deut. 33:27, NIV; Ps. 23; and Isa. 54:8,
ASV, KJV, AMP.)
* * *
A meditation upon promises--heaped up and spilling over:
(With reflection upon terms for God: see Deut. 33:27; Isa. 54:8, ASV,
KJV; Mt. 13:16; Lk. 6:38, EXB, NJB; and also one of Julian of Norwich’s
many love names for Jesus: “Everlasting Friend.”)
"And the Lord passed by before him [Moses], and
proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and
gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and
truth ..."; Ex. 34:6. (Note that in the Hebrew scriptures
God's love is also know as "longsuffering" love--it's a
love that never, ever wants to give up.)
“Tiny Fingers”
The breezes blow across my face,
Then stir the blades of grass.
Like tiny fingers loving me
Their gentle touches pass.
Breeze, you lift the leaves to prayer—
The sunbeams on them toss.
The speckled bugs dance in your trace,
The seeded-wings are lost.
What tiny fingers have You, Lord,
For such a mighty arm,
But I turn best to Tender Ways—
Submit to gentle charm.
(With reflection upon Ps. 104, 89:13, 25:6; 1 Kings 19:12-13,
KJV, ASV.)
"The Lord us good to all. And His loving-kindness
is over all His works"; Ps. 145:9, NLV.
Meditating upon (quoting) John 1:14, AMPC [18]:
* * *
Meditation upon (& quoting from) Psalm 36: 5-10, WEB [19]:
(In reference to the last sentence, note that all is based upon
God's almost unbelievable Grace; we find our "Home" (Lk. 15:18-24)
in this. See earlier posts in this regard. [20])
Our God "is good, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure
forever"; 2 Cron. 7:3, AMP.
***
(See additional blog posts after the “Notes” in “Older/Newer Posts.”)
…………………………
Notes:
GNT, NRSVCE, ISV. (Also see "I will sing of your steadfast love,
O Lord ..."; Ps. 89:1, NRSVCE--note in this translation "Chesed" is
often translated as "steadfast love.")
5. See Note 1 above.
6. At points the first two phrases--tender mercy and lovingkindness--
are paired in scripture. Meanwhile, the third—“care”—is often deeply
implied in the same texts. For example: “Let Your tender mercy and
loving-kindness come to me that I may live . . .”; Ps. 119:77, AMPC.
Also see Ps. 25:6; 40:11; 51:1; 69:16; 103:2-4, ASV, WEB, KJV;
Lam. 3:32; Ps. 119:156, AMPC. For further thoughts on God’s
“care” see our previous post “‘TLC’: God’s Tender Loving CARE,”
listed in Note 1. (Also see Note 11 below.)
7. C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1885),
Vol. II, p. 177 (commentary on Ps. 36:7).
8. Martin Luther, “Exposition of the Fifty-first Psalm,” in Select Works of
Martin Luther: An Offering to the Church of God in “The Last Days,”
trans. Rev. Henry Cole (London: T. Bensley, 1826), Vol. 1, p. 82.
9. “Skilfulness” in the original translation of the above.
10. Charles Searson, SJ in Zambia, “The Hebrew word for Mercy is
‘Hesed’ which translates as ‘the loving kindness of the heart of our
God’,” Vatican Radio;
11. Especially note ASV, KJV, NKJV, WEB, MEV, AMP, AMPC,
and NASB translations. (Also see "loving kindness" in
Titus 3:4, NRSVCE and Lk. 1:78, The Holy Bible: Confraternity
Version. For the other two words in the trio see "care" and "tender
mercy" in 1 Pet. 5:7 and Lk. 1:78 respectively; NRSVCE. These are
versions in Catholic tradition.)
13. St. Catherine of Genoa, Vita (capitalization and italics added).
14. Terms in Line 2: St. Catherine of Genoa’s description of incarnate
love as pure love (Vita); St. Catherine of Siena’s description of it as
mad love (see Note 15). Line 3: Francis Thompson’s “The Hound of
Heaven.” Line 4: John Ruusbroec’s Divine Embrace in Spiritual
Espousals and note Lk. 15:20. Lines 4-7: Ps. 17:7, ASV; 1 Pet. 2:25;
Jn. 10:1-18, 14:26, CEB, NJB; Duet. 33:27, NIV. Lines 8-9:
Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love, ed. Grace Warrack
(London: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1901, 1949), pp. 150, 11. Line 9-11:
Christina Rossetti’s “Love Came Down at Christmas.
15. Catherine of Siena: The Dialogue, trans. Suzanne Noffke, O.P.
(New York: Paulist Press, 1980), pp. 325, 364 (Chap. 153, 167).
Also see Phil. 2:7-8.
16. Meditations, prayer/poetry/proverbs by Lorraine B. Eshleman.
17. Helmut Thielicke, Nihilism, trans. John W. Doberstein (New York:
Harper & Row, 1961), p. 178. (Also see Deut. 33:27, RSV.)
18. John 1:14, AMPC placed in shape poetry form (however note that
borrowing this form does not necessarily mean I am presenting this as
poetry--most often I'd much rather consider such a meditation.)
19. WEB translation. However "O Lord," and "lovingkindness" (with no
dash) are KJV, while "unto" the heavens and "all the good things" are
JUB and ERV (substitutions for "in" the heavens, "Jehovah," and a
second "abundance.") The first two translations are in the
public domain. Capitalization added. (Also see comment
about considering such a meditation in Note 18.)
20. See "Good Friday and Easter--In God's Embrace";
Also for greater general understanding, see "Joint Declaration of the
Doctrine of Justification" in Note 35 of "Martin Luther's Neglected
Walking on the waves--a prayer:
