The Kingdom of Unshakeable Love - Hebrews 13:5-6 and Psalm 118 (pt.18)

  • Hebrews pulls in references to two of the richest O.T. passages about the unshakeable security of God’s love for us.
  • He will never let us go!
  • The challenge is to truly take in these amazing promises, and also live out our Kingdom membership in this world.

 

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Goal

  • For us to be filled with joy and security, but also challenged to live out our Kingdom membership in this world.

The Kingdom of Unshakeable Love - Hebrews 13:5–6 and Psalm 118 (pt.18)

  1. The Kingdom of love: Heb 12:18–13:6
  2. The Amazing Truth behind Psalm 118
  3. Our response to this faithful love

1. The Kingdom of love: Heb 12:18–13:6

  • Let’s start by reading the last few verses of Ch 12 (which we touched on last time)
  • We now move on to a comparison between approaching God now, and approaching God in the O.T. before Jesus made a new way
    • Closest in Greek to a “bulleted list”

Hebrews 12:18–21

  1. For you have not come
    • to something that can be touched,
    • and to a burning fire
    • and to darkness
    • and to gloom
    • and to a whirlwind19
    • and to the blast of a trumpet
    • and to a voice uttering words such that those who heard begged to hear no more.
  2. (For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”
  3. In fact, the scene was so terrifying that Moses said, “I shudder with fear.”)
  • Explain story…
    • That is what coming into God’s presence without Jesus is like
    • Note that these images are all to do with the senses.
    • Which senses are involved? -touch, smell, sight, sound

Hebrews 12:22–24

  1. But you have come
    • to Mount Zion
    • and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem
    • and to myriads of angels24
    • and to the feast-gathered assembly of the firstborn sons & daughters, who are enrolled in heaven
    • and to God, the judge of all
    • and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made fully perfect,24
    • and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant
    • and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s did.
    • the very first sacrifice recorded
  • How would you contrast these two?
    • visible vs invisible
    • terrifying vs joyful presence of God
    • fear is replaced by feasting-
  • 18–24:
    • v.18–21 is the old Kingdom/Creation
    • v.22–24 is the new Kingdom/Creation
    • Note that they are both in existence right now

Hebrews 12:26–29

  1. Then his voice shook the earth,
    but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven too.”
     
  2. Now this phrase “once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain.
  3. So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom,
    let us give thanks,
    and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe.
  4. For our God is indeed a consuming fire.

Hebrews 13:5–6

  1. …Be satisfied with what you have,
    for he himself has said,
    I will never leave you nor abandon you.
  2. Therefore, we may boldly say,
    The Lord is my helper;
    I will not be afraid.
    What can humans do to me?
  • v.5 os quoted from: (Moses speaking to Joshua)

Deuteronomy 31

  1. Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the LORD your God is the one who is going with you.
    He will not fail you or abandon you!”
  2. Then Moses called out to Joshua in the presence of all Israel,
    ”Be strong and courageous, for you will accompany these people to the land that the LORD promised to give their ancestors, and you will enable them to inherit it.
  3. The LORD is indeed going before you — he will be with you;
    he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged!”
  • But then later, as they enter the land, God himself speaks the same words to Joshua

Joshua 1

  1. No one will be able to resist you all the days of your life.
    As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
    I will not abandon you or forsake you.
  2. Be strong and brave!

The Kingdom of Unshakeable Love - Hebrews 13:5–6 and Psalm 118 (pt.18)

  1. The Kingdom of love: Heb 12:18–13:6
  2. The Amazing Truth behind Psalm 118
  3. Our response to this faithful love

2. The Amazing Truth behind Psalm 118

  • Reading the accounts of people in the Bible it is all too easy to focus on all the bad stuff happening.
    • Humanity is very broken and messy
    • Humankind constantly fails
    • How can God have a relationship with them?
  • There is a theme in the Bible
    • Stories of God loving very broken people
    • There is a word for it, the most beautiful word there can ever be:

A love that will not let you go

  • Humankind constantly fails
  • How can God have a relationship with them?
  • Stories of God loving very broken people
  • There is a word for it, the most beautiful word there can ever be: Chesed

Chesed – Psalm 103:11

  1. For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
          so great is his chesed toward those who fear him;
  • The most beautiful word in any language
  • faithful love, loyal love, love that will never let you go
  • 247 times in Old Testament
  • 127 (more than half) found in the Psalms
  • how to pronounce it...

Jacob

  • On the run from his brother:
    Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you Gen 28:15
    • can you imagine what that felt like?
  • 20 years later:
    I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of chesed and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, Gen 32:10
  • Near the end of his life:
    …let us go to Bethel, so that I may make an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” Gen 35:3
  • Wow!
  • I want you to take in those words for yourself
  • Jacob was a very flawed individual (flaws revealed so that we can identify)
  • If you trust Jesus, then this is your God!
  • If you can take in that last verse, I have done my job today
  • Here is the amazing thing: The requirement was not “be good enough and I will be with you”, but simply trust that I am with you.

What Chesed is:

  • faithful love
  • e.g. Jacob made them promise not to bury him in Egypt but to take his bones back to the Promised Land—“promise this chesed to me” Gen 47:29
  • love that never gives up, but hangs on to the end
  • loyal love that will never betray us
  • love we can count on, that will never let us down
  • even when we have nothing to give in return!
  • No direct word for it in English.
    • The old King James translators made up a word for it: lovingkindness
      • That captures the love, the kindness, but not the long term faithfulness
    • Newer translations use “steadfast love”, “loyal love”, “unfailing love”, “faithful love”
    • My translation is a bit longer: “love that will never let you go”

Psalm 118

  1. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his faithful love endures forever.
  2. Let Israel say,
    “His faithful love endures forever.”
  3. Let the house of Aaron say,
    “His faithful love endures forever.”
  4. Let those who fear the Lord say,
    “His faithful love endures forever.”
 
  1. I called to the Lord in distress;
    the Lord answered me
    and put me in a spacious place.
  2. The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid.
    What can a mere mortal do to me?
  3. The Lord is my helper;
    therefore, I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
 
  1. It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humanity.
  2. It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in nobles.
 
  1. All the nations surrounded me;
    in the name of the Lord I destroyed them.
  2. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me;
    in the name of the Lord I destroyed them.
  3. They surrounded me like bees;
    they were extinguished like a fire among thorns;
    in the name of the Lord I destroyed them.
  4. They pushed me hard to make me fall,
    but the Lord helped me.
  5. The Lord is my strength and my song;
    he has become my salvation.
    …
 
  1. I will give thanks to you
    because you have answered me
    and have become my salvation.
  2. The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone.
  3. This came from the Lord;
    it is wondrous in our sight.
  4. This is the day the Lord has made;
    let’s rejoice and be glad in it.
    …
 
  1. You are my God, and I will give you thanks.
    You are my God; I will exalt you.
  2. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his faithful love endures forever.

CSB

What Chesed is and is not:

  • Opposite: “What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
          What shall I do with you, O Judah?
    Your chesed is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that goes early away.” Hos 6:4
  • Difference between chesed and agape (love)
  • agape is undeserved giving, like giving a banquet to a homeless person
  • chesed is a relationship
  • chesed is taking them home for the rest of their life
  • chesed is committing to care for them to the bitter end—a love that will “never let them go”
  • God’s agape love is for the whole world,
    • Every though we rebelled against him, he sent Jesus to make a way for us to be reconciled
    • It’s a free and undeserved love
    • It does not assume any relationship
  • but his chesed love is promised to those who respond to him
    • Those who trust his offer are brought into a relationship
    • It is still free and undeserved, but it is much, much more.

The Kingdom of Unshakeable Love - Hebrews 13:5–6 and Psalm 118 (pt.18)

  1. The Kingdom of love: Heb 12:18–13:6
  2. The Amazing Truth behind Psalm 118
  3. Our response to this faithful love

3. Our response to this faithful love

  • Our experience of Chesed
  • We reflect the nature of God when we love others like this
  • If the nature of God is in you, then some of this loyal and faithful love will flow out

God loves to be praised for chesed

  • The Psalms were Vocal and Public
  • God saved me from a car accident. Praise him!
  • Ps 136 “Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his chesed endures forever”
  • It is the best news we can have
  • We need to emphasize that chesed is at the core of God’s very being, and something he takes great delight in being made known
    • Particularly if we tell our own stories of his faithful love to us.
  • The love of a friend or family member is wonderful, but it’s limited by their resources
    • But to be loved like that by the eternal, infinite God is the best possible news

Isaiah 54:10

  1. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
          but my chesed shall not depart from you,
    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
          says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
  • How can we respond to this?
    • There is another dimension to chesed:

It is the best news we can possibly have:

  • Ps 51:1 David sinned with murder and adultery
  • Have mercy on me, O God, according to your chesed
    According to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
  • It is based on a covenant with God
  • He offers it to us: Isa 55:3:
  • “Incline your ear, and come to me;
          hear, that your soul may live;
    and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
          my unfailing chesed for David.”
  • God’s chesed is going deeper than our sin, our very worst sin
    • This is because it’s based on covenant promises with us
    • A covenant is a relationship that you can enter
  • God is offering you right now enter this covenant
    • It’s a two way thing:
      • You “listen to Jesus”, and you “come to him”
      • Taken together this means you take Jesus as your lord,
    • and he gives you chesed for ever
    • It’s a two way thing—but not very balanced!

Attachment and God

  • Christianity is the only religion in which the internal infinite God wants to attach himself to us
  • Buddhism is very different—about letting go of attachments
    • They say that attachment is at the root of all our problems
  • Islam teaches a God who is wholly “other”
  • Many New-Age “spiritual” teachings involve “letting go” and emptying ourselves of all attachments
  • God’s attachment is part of his very being—the Trinity
  • Story of friend who became a Christian. “If you’re loved by the infinite God, what else matters?
    • My prayer is that you understand this so well that you feel it!

Four Responses Called for as members of this Unshakeable Kingdom of Love:

  1. Love others
  2. Be free from love of Money
  3. Be unashamed of Jesus
  4. Be full of Praise

Hebrews 13

  1. Let brotherly love continue.
  2. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
  3. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
  4. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Hebrews 13

  1. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13

  1. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
  2. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
  3. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

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