I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the LORD, the first fruits of his harvest…" (Jer.2.2‑3 RSV).

In picture language, Jeremiah is able to speak for one moment of the faithful and obedient bride of Exodus 19.8. When the covenant was made at the foot of the mountain, Israel was the virgin bride of her God. Before they even left the sanctuary of Sinai, they had broken their bond with the Lord in the worst possible form. They worshipped an idol.

The history of Israel is a record of disobedience and weakness. There are wonderful times of repentance and victory when God was able to work through his people. These were all too brief and too rare. From the day they left Egypt, Israel was frequently rebellious. Hosea speaks painfully of this in chapter 11. vs. 1‑2 (RSV). "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the more they went from me…" Hosea's prophecy is based on his own experience; the relationship between God and his people is reflected in the broken marriage of Hosea and Gomer. The prophet changes the picture in chapter 11. Israel is shown as the little child who is being brought up by a tender father. But the pointed lesson of the prophet's words has not changed. That lesson comes to us afresh in the New Testament in Jesus' parable of the "Prodigal Son". It is the theme of the whole Word of God; it is the record of a Father's unfailing love. There is a Hebrew word used in the Old Testament which is difficult to translate into one English word. It occurs about 250 times and is usually translated in the Authorised Version by the word 'mercy' and occasionally by 'kindness'. But these words do not fully convey the idea which describes God's attitude to his people. It is a quality of character which is not often expressed in human behaviour. Yet it is part of the very nature of God and He longs to see it developed in the lives of his people.

The Revised Standard Version is very helpful because it almost always translates the Hebrew word 'chesed' as 'steadfast love'. This is much nearer to the real meaning of the Hebrew and is useful because we can readily identify the Hebrew idea when we come across it in the Old Testament. The word originally meant 'keenness' or 'eagerness'. Although it has related words in Arabic, these were never developed in the same way as 'chesed' was in the Hebrew.

The word is linked to the idea of covenant and may be described as 'covenant love'. It is a word which can relate to human friendship and is so used in 1 Samuel 20.14 concerning David and Jonathan. Their friendship became a classic in history. It was no ordinary friendship. They might have been bitter rivals for the throne. Whether or not they pondered the situation of Jonathan dying and leaving a family at the mercy of the new king we do not know. They made a covenant with each other which would ensure the safety of their descendants. It was normal for the triumphant new royal family to destroy all possible rivals from the dynasty which had been ousted. Saul's family were liquidated except for Jonathan's son Mephibosheth.

The words of the covenant are recorded in 1 Sam.20.14‑15 "If I am still alive, show me the loyal love (chesed) of the LORD, that I may not die; and do not cut off your loyalty from my house for ever." (RSV). Relationships between members of the nation of Israel involved the covenant which they made with their God. To break the covenant between each other was to break the covenant with God.

David was faithful to the covenant with Jonathan. He searched for a descendant of Jonathan (2 Sam.9.3). In 2 Sam.21.7 (RSV) we are told that "the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them…" In 2 Sam. 10. 1‑2 there is another interesting use of 'chesed' which is mutually expressed between David and the neighbouring Ammonite king. David was willing to extend that covenant friendship to the royal son. When Hanun failed to reciprocate the good will he broke the covenant and the enmity was then very bitter. As with the Gibeonites, it was not unknown for a covenant to exist between the people of Israel and their Gentile neighbours. No ill would come of it providing Israel remained faithful to the Lord.

The writings of David also provide us with further insights into the use of 'covenant love' and this is particularly so in Psalm 25. Using the Revised Standard Version it will be noted that 'steadfast love' appears in verses 6, 7 and 10. The whole of the psalm is dealing with the covenant, graphically describing the friendship of God with his people.

There is a further revelation of God's relationship to his people in Psalm 89 (RSV), which opens with the words "I will sing of thy steadfast love, O LORD, for ever..." Israel believed what God had said and felt secure that a descendant of David would always sit on David's throne whatever they did. They imitated the worship and destructive behaviour of the surrounding nations. God therefore allowed Israel to feel the discipline of their enemies' oppression, because of his faithful love. They went into exile. God could survive without Israel. They could not survive without him. God had made a covenant with Israel and for his part it would be kept. Israel was brought back to the land of the Promise.

At their return from Exile the Law and its interpretations took God's place. Israel believed that to keep the law was all that was needed to express their loyal love for God. They went to fanatical lengths to keep that law. But their attitude killed the Lord of glory. The 'facts' of the covenant became more important than the relationship itself. The 'marriage lines' became more important than the subsequent marriage. Except for such great men of God as Jeremiah, Israel did not cherish that relationship—they did not know God.

Perhaps the most important part of the definition of 'chesed' is the faithfulness of God's love. That is unbreakable. Human love can be very emotional and express itself in physical terms. It can appear to be strong and beautiful. Yet it is well described in Hosea 6.4 as being like the morning cloud and the early dew. It rapidly evaporates. Two verses further on we have the passage which Jesus quoted, recorded in Matt.9.13. God did not want formal ritual but the everlasting love of his people; for himself and for each other. "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6.6 RSV) God's love for Israel was unbreakable. Israel might be unfaithful to the covenant but God could not. In spite of all they did, God remained faithful to them and some of them remained faithful to him.

This 'covenant love' exists within the framework of the relationship between God and his people now, the followers of the Lord Jesus. It is part of the more comprehensive word 'grace'. Although 'grace' has a more extensive meaning than 'chesed' it contains the same idea of everlasting faithful love.

It is possible for the Church of God to suffer from the same illusion as Israel of old. They placed the ritual of sacrifice and the minute keeping of the Law before their great and loving God himself. So with many who claim to follow Jesus. The understanding of God's Word, the revelation of his purposes, has become more important than the close bond between themselves and their God. Such an attitude wrecks the real relationship with God and is unfruitful however pious and knowledgeable Christians appear to be.

The surety of our covenant is with God. No matter what experience a Christian passes through, he can be absolutely sure that God will be faithful. He will never leave us nor forsake us. His love is really strong and beautiful. And He will express that love most fully in the moments of greatest pain and trial. Our relationship with God must rise above everything in our lives and it must remain firm and strong. We can put it at risk. From God's side of the partnership He will always be the solid rock on which we can utterly depend.

AOH