I think that part of my place in the body of Christ is to share my delight in the words of God’s word. I clearly love words. I love learning the meanings of the words used in the original languages of the Bible. It truly blesses me to know that the Hebrew mind (which comes through in both the Old and New Testaments) hears and sees rhyming thoughts in the same way as our western mind delights in a songwriter’s rhyming of words.
Plus,
I am a testimony to the truth that, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing
through the word of Christ”,[1]
and so I want to know the word of Christ as if I was sitting at Jesus’ feet
like Mary and hanging on his every word.[2]
This
morning, I have been captivated by Nehemiah’s expression about God that he “keeps
covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments”.[3]
I have been learning from Nehemiah as my Mentor since he is one of the men that
fulfilled God’s promise to his people, “‘And I will give you shepherds after
my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.’”[4]
My ongoing journey is not simply in the words I have already looked at, but in
their impact on me in building my faith as I meditate on their meanings.
Here are the definitions of the key words, “keep” and “love”.
First, on God’s side:
Keeps (God)
(somer): to keep (maintain) v. — to keep in a certain state, position, or
activity.
Love (God’s)
(hesed): loyal love n. — an unfailing kind of love, kindness, or goodness;
often used of God’s love that is related to faithfulness to his covenant.
On the people’s side:
Love (those who
love him) (ohabay): to love (care) v. — to have a great affection or care for
or loyalty towards.
Keep (humans)
(somre): to observe (conform) v. — to conform one’s action or practice to.
The focus for me is on the way the words “keep” and “love” rhyme in thought even though what they mean from God’s side is somewhat different from their meaning on our side.
On
God’s side, he keeps covenant with his people from his supremacy as the one who
initiates and maintains the covenant. It reminded me of Jesus as “the founder
and perfecter of our faith”.[5]
He keeps the covenant as the King and Lord in the relationship.
On
the other hand, God’s people keep the covenant by observing and putting into
practice what is required of us. This is just as true under the New Covenant as
it was under the Old Covenant, it’s just that the details of the covenants are
different. In our case it is summarized as “the obedience of faith”.[6]
We keep obeying God’s word in faith and keep nurturing the faith that walks
with God as obedient children.
There
will be so much more in this, but that is the main thing. Because God keeps
covenant with his people in hesed-love,[7]
his people respond to his Fatherly love with our childlike love and seek to
walk with him wherever he is going, and join him in whatever work he is doing.
Now, doesn’t that makes sense of Paul saying, “Therefore be imitators
of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave
himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”?[8]
We are keeping the same covenant as the Triune God, but how different are the
two sides! And we are loving God and others with the same love with which we
are loved, but how different is what was required of God’s love from what is
required of ours!
And what a wonder that God has done all the keeping and loving from his
side that makes it possible for us to love him and keep our side of the
covenant by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord!
© 2023
Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8
Email: in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English
Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition:
2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News
Publishers.)
Definitions are from the Bible Sense
Lexicon in Logos Bible Systems.
[1]
Romans 10:17
[2]
Luke 10:39 (in context of Luke
10:38-42)
[3]
Nehemiah 1:5
[4]
Jeremiah 3:15
[5]
Hebrews 12:2
[6]
Romans 1:5; 16:26
[7]
“Hesed” (חֶ֔סֶד) is the Hebrew word in the OT for God’s steadfast,
loyal, faithful love that corresponds with the Greek agapè-love (αγάπη) that
fills the NT.
[8]
Ephesians 5:1-2
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