Wednesday in the Word

what the Bible means and how we know

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What is sanctification?

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What is sanctification? - Bible Study | WednesdayintheWord.com

As a new believer, I was confused about sanctification. My rather simple understanding was sanctification means your “sin-meter” is going down.

Sin-meter fallacy

I thought sanctification was this slow process by which believers become holy. I assumed as I grew in sanctification I would sin less, because sanctification moved me closer to holiness, and holiness is the absence of sin.

When I became a believer, my “sin-meter” was filled to the top. But the more I grew in maturity, the more the level on my sin-meter would decrease, until God finally makes it hit bottom in the kingdom of heaven.  How can you tell if you’re being sanctified? Take stock of your sin-meter. The trend will be bumpy, but the general direction should be downward. 

Of course, the big problem is: how do you read your sin-meter?

Some of my behaviors have changed for the better. But in other ways I am worse, because now I recognize that some behaviors as sinful that I thought were just fine before. How do I evaluate that? Am I better or worse today? There’s a sense in which I’m just as much a sinner today as when I first believed. But there’s another sense in which I’m better. 

And there’s a sense in which the scale doesn’t. Does it really matter that I’ve dropped from 1 million units of sin to a half million units? I’m still a sinner. How should I understand sanctification when I continually struggle with sin, selfishness, and thoughtlessness?

The more I’ve studied the bible, the more my understanding has changed.  RC Sproul’s classic book The Holiness of God has been very instrumental in developing my thinking. I highly recommend it.

Holiness defined

The word holy is associated not only with God Himself, but with what belongs to God. Holiness distinguishes between the sacred and the profane. The holy or the sacred is set apart for God’s use. The common or the profane is not. 

God is holy. He is perfect in character, nature, wisdom and understanding.  When I see Him, I immediately recognize that He is awe-inspiring, gloriously different than everything in this world.

The temple building is holy, even though it is brick and stone like any other building. It belongs to God. His purposes are fulfilled there. It is not common or ordinary because it is set apart for God.

Similarly, you might have a common ordinary incense burner that you use daily and another incense burner that is reserved for use in the temple. It is holy. It is set apart to be used only for God in His temple.  You don’t use it for ordinary daily tasks. 

Believers are holy like that incense burner, because we now belong to God. We are not perfect or sinless. Rather, we are set apart for God’s use. The sanctified person has NOT ceased to struggle from sin, rather the sanctified one belongs to God.

Sanctification

As believers, we are different than the world. We no longer value and strive for the riches of this world.  Rather we count on the hope of the gospel, and seek God’s kingdom. Our lives ought to look different from those who reject the gospel. 

We all face the big questions of life eventually: Who am I? What do I want? What should I pursue in life?  What is worthwhile and valuable? Believers answer those questions differently than nonbelievers. We answer them by thinking about the our Lord and His promises. Then we act accordingly. We are no longer committed to pursuing a life of sin.

The pursuit of sanctification is the pursuit of maturity in faith, of learning what is true and of living in the light of that truth. We still struggle with sin, but we grow in wisdom, understanding and maturity. 

At any given moment, we may fail and fall into sin, but our response to failure will include repentance. Eventually, we will turn to God and seek forgiveness. 

Sanctification is the pursuit of truth of God and living in light of that truth.

Further Study

08 1Corinthians 3:1-4 Who are the carnal Christians?

02 1Peter 1:1-13 Understanding Our Living Hope

03 1Peter 1:14-25 Hope makes a difference

16 Matthew 5:1-3 Poor in Spirit

17 Matthew 5:4 Those who mourn

19 Matthew 5:6 Hunger & thirst for righteousness

41 Matthew 7:12-29 The Golden Rule & 2 Roads

05 1Thessalonians 4:1-8 Handling sexuality

06 1John 2:29-3:12 Practicing Righteousness

11 1John 5:13-21 Confidence in the Gospel

12 Jeremiah 31:31-34 What good is faith?

Where to next?

New Testament Studies

Old Testament Studies

Topical Studies

Bible Study 101

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Easter: Why the resurrection is important

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Easter: Why the resurrection is important - Bible Study | WednesdayintheWord.com

Imagine hearing this announcement when you show up for a church Easter celebration that includes a potluck. 

“Thank you for bringing such wonderful food to the celebration today. Since the real significance of the food is the thought behind it, instead of eating the food today, we will parade by the tables in single file and admire it appreciatively. Feel free to snap a few photos and share them to your social media account. We want everyone to remember how good the food looked and how abundantly everyone provided.  But no touching and no eating. The idea of the food is what is important.“

Are you laughing? Of course, the significance of food is eating it, not looking at it. Of course, intentions matter. Meaning and significance are important. But sometimes it makes a big difference whether something is real or not. It also matters whether an idea is true or not.

On Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The Bible tells us that Jesus was crucified and died on a cross. His body was buried in a tomb where it remained for 3 days. But on the third day, the stone door of the tomb was rolled away and the tomb was empty because God raised Jesus from the dead (Mark 15-16; Matthew 27:32-28:10; Luke 23:26-24:12).

Paul argues in 1Corinthians 15 that the historical fact is Jesus rose from the dead, and it makes a difference that he did. 

Paul wrote this letter to a group of people in Corinth who considered themselves sophisticated and enlightened. They thought it was foolish to believe that people would have life after death in a physical body.  Paul argues, if they are right ant the resurrection is just a beautiful idea, then the gospel is useless.

1Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  -1Corinthians 15:1-5

  • The crucial part of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins and was resurrected just as Scripture predicted.
  • Paul insists this idea that Christ DIED for our sins is central to the gospel.
  • And, that fact that he died FOR OUR SINS is central to the gospel. 
  • Sin is not this unfortunate circumstance that makes life unpleasant. Sin is wrong. It is evil. 
  • We have broken God’s law and we stand guilty before Him.
  • Our Creator will judge us unless someone pleads for mercy on our behalf. That someone is Jesus Christ.

3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.  -1Corinthians 15:3-8

  • Many people saw Jesus alive in a physical body after many people save him dead and buried.
  • Paul wrote this letter about 20 years after the resurrection. Many people who saw the risen Jesus were still alive and could verify his words.
  • Paul preached the gospel to them because it is true, not because it’s a nice idea.

9For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.  -1Corinthians 15:9-11

  • If you don’t believe Paul because he wasn’t one of the original 12, then believe the other 11. They all preach the same gospel.
  • It’s not just a nice idea to know that someone in history was raised from the dead once. It’s important for us to know that Jesus was raised from the dead. 

12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.  -1Corinthians 15:12-15

  • If people cannot be raised from the dead, then Jesus wasn’t raised either and the gospel is futile.
  • But resurrection happened. Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ.  Many people including the apostles knew him. They saw him, worked with him and followed him. Jesus the man lived, died, was buried. Then God raised him from the dead. 

16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. -1Corinthians 15:16-20

  • If Jesus Christ was not raised, then his death didn’t atone for anyone. We are all still guilty and will be condemned on judgment day.
  • God proved the death of Jesus atoned for our sins by raising him from the dead.
  • The resurrection is central to the gospel because the forgiveness of our sins, the very salvation we are looking for, is tied to the resurrection.
  • The reason we put our hope in the gospel is because it is true. 
  • The gospel is is not a “whatever works for you” story. If you believe the gospel and it turns out to be a lie, you’re a fool.
  • But we know the gospel is true, in part because Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead.
  • On Easter we celebrate an event that really happened and it makes a difference that it did.

Please listen to the podcast for more detail and explanation.

Further Study:

Who do you say that I am? Mark 8:27-38

Couldn’t you stay awake? Mark 14:27-42

Why have you forsaken me? Mark 15:22-41

What does it mean to carry your cross? Luke 14:25-35

Matthew 10:34-39 Not peace, a sword

Colossians 1:13-23 You cannot seek God and avoid Christ

Colossians 3:8-17 Real Gospel Change

What do expiation and propitiation mean?

The Cross of Christ by RC Sproul

PreceptAustin – The Resurrection of Christ

Where to next?

New Testament Studies

Old Testament Studies

Topical Studies

Bible Study 101

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Should Christians fast today?

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Should Christians fast today? - Bible Study 101 | WednesdayintheWord.com

My study of fasting in Scripture taught me two things: 1) If you want to fast as a religious ritual, do it from a heart that is expressing a genuine faith and sincere desire to know and love God; and 2) Don’t use fasting as a test to either reject your fellow believers and/or impress other people.

Fasting commanded in the Old Testament

The Jews were commanded to fast once per year on the Day of Atonement.   The Day of Atonement is the only fast commanded anywhere in the Law.

26And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,  27“Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD.  28And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.  29For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. 30And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people.  31You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.  32It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”  – Leviticus 23:26-32

While the word “fasting” is not used in Leviticus 23, the phrase in Leviticus 23:27 “afflict yourself” (Strongs H6031a) or “humble yourself” is traditionally interpreted as fasting. 

Some scholars think this term “afflict yourself” is entirely subjective and does not refer to any outward action.  Rather, they argue, on this solemn day you shall humble your soul with an inner humility before God.  If they are right, then there are no commands in the Old Testament for a religious fast.

But I think the traditional understanding that to “afflict yourself” means denying yourself food makes more sense in the context. First, in this passage two practices land you in trouble: working and not afflicting yourself.  Working is clearly an outward observable action that another might notice.  The context suggests this other act is also an outward practice that others could also observe if you fail to perform it.

Second, when Isaiah rebukes the people for the hypocritical way they seek God, he uses “fast” and this phrase “deny yourself” in parallel (Isaiah 58:5). God speaks of a fast and then speaks of it as a day for a people to deny or humble themselves (our word).

Finally, the Jews historically understood this term to mean fasting.  We see an example of this in the New Testament.  Paul is about to sail for Rome very late in the season.   Luke describes that lateness as after “the Fast,” meaning the Day of Atonement (Act 27:9).  The day of Atonement was so associated with fasting that they could just refer to it as the Fast.

The Day of Atonement involved ceremonial dress, washings, sacrifices and fasting.  Performing these rituals was an expression of submission to God’s priorities and served as physical reminders for the people of Israel.   The rituals and fasting expressed humility to God, while the hunger pains were a physical reminder of our need for His mercy. 

Fasting observed in the Old Testament

While we have only one command for a religious fast, many stories in the Old Testament include fasting.  In these stories an individual or group decides to fast in response to a specific situation.

In the Old Testament we see fasting as part of:

  • individual repentance (2Samuel 12:13-23);
  • community repentance (1Samuel 7:3-6);
  • grief and mourning (2Samuel 1:12);
  • calling on God for deliverance (Esther 4:3; Esther 4:15-16); and
  • seeking guidance from God (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

Fasting acquires significance and meaning when practiced by a believing heart in conjunction with humility and repentance before God. Without such a heart, the practice is empty (Isaiah 58:1-9).

Summary

From the Old Testament, only one ritual of fasting was commanded on the Day of Atonement.  It was meant to create a physical reminder of their dependence on God and need for His mercy.

Fasting was also voluntarily practiced by individuals and communities in association with repentance, prayer, mourning and seeking God.  It was sometimes accompanied by other physical symbols like wearing sackcloth and ashes.  It was both a physical expression of humility before God, and a physical reminder of that humility.

But fasting has no power in and of itself.  When unrepentant people fasted before God, God was not pleased with their ritual nor was He obligated to answer them.

Putting this together with Matthew 6:1-18 and Matthew 9:14-17, we learn 2 points about fasting as a religious practice:

  1. If you’re going to practice a religious fast, do it from a genuine faith and a sincere desire to know God.
  2. Don’t use fasting as a test to reject your fellow believers and/or impress other people with your spiritual superiority.

Please listen to the podcast for more detail and explanation.

31 Matthew 6:1-6; 6:16-18 Giving, Praying & Fasting

49 Matthew 9:14-17 Fasting, cloth & wine skins

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Verses that refer to fasting

fasting: Ezr 9:5; Neh 1:4; Neh 9:1; Est 4:3; Psa 35:13; Psa 69:10; Psa 109:24; Isa 58:4; Jer 36:6; Dan 6:18; Dan 9:3; Joe 2:12; Mat 4:2; Mat 6:16; Mat 6:18; Mar 2:18; Luk 2:37; Act 13:2; Act 13:3; Act 14:23.

fasted: Jdg 20:26; 1Sa 7:6; 1Sa 31:13; 2Sa 1:12; 2Sa 12:16; 2Sa 12:21; 2Sa 12:22; 1Ki 21:27; 1Ch 10:12; Ezr 8:23; Isa 58:3; Zec 7:5.

fast: 2Sa 12:23; 1Ki 21:9; 1Ki 21:12; 2Ch 20:3; Ezr 8:21; Est 4:16; Isa 58:3; Isa 58:4; Isa 58:5; Isa 58:6; Jer 14:12; Jer 36:9; Joe 1:14; Joe 2:15; Jon 3:5; Zec 8:19; Mat 6:16; Mat 6:17; Mat 9:14; Mat 9:15; Mar 2:18; Mar 2:19; Mar 2:20; Mar 10:7; Luk 5:33; Luk 5:34; Luk 5:35; Luk 18:12; Act 27:9.

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Further Study

NOTE: Many of these resources assume that some form of fasting is commanded, required and/or recommended.

PreceptsAustin: Fasting

Ligonier: Fasting Resources

What is the connection between prayer and fasting? | GotQuestions.org

Christian fasting – what does the Bible say? | GotQuestions.org

What are the different types of fasting? | GotQuestions.org

How to fast—what does the Bible say? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Jesus fast? | GotQuestions.org

A Hunger for God – Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer Dr John Piper’s entire book (PDF)

Why Do Christians Fast? | Desiring God

Desiring God: Fasting for beginners

What does the Bible say about fasting? | Bible.org

Why God’s People Should Fast 

A Biblical Perspective on Fasting

Fasting That Is Pleasing To The Lord: A NT Theology Of Fasting – Sigurd Grindheim

Did Jesus’ Disciples Fast? — George C. Gianoulis

Fast, Fasting – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

Fast; Fasting – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Fasting – Article by Archibald Alexander

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What is All Saint’s Day?

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What is All Saint's Day? | WednesdayintheWord.com

What is All Saint’s Day? All Saints’ Day is a time to celebrate heroes of the faith from scripture, as well as prominent figures in the early church.

The World and Everything In It podcast answered that question in this segment.

At first it was local, individual celebrations for friends and family members who’d been killed for their faith. Then the church decided to choose one day to celebrate all martyrs. Later, that came to include all saints, not just those who died for their faith, but also ordinary Christians who lived quiet, faithful lives.

At first, the church observed All Saints’ Day in the spring around Easter.

Then Christianity spread to northern Europe.

GAUTHIER: And Northern Europe was Celtic. And there was a great Celtic feast. You know, basically about November 1.

That feast was Samhain—the festival that, in part, led to our modern version of Halloween. The church decided to move its celebration of saints to that season. Part of the goal was to give new believers a better holiday to observe instead of the pagan one.

So November 1st became All Saints’ Day. In the 10th century, the church added a vigil the night before. Over the years, that eventually morphed into Halloween.

The excerpt above is from World Reporter Anna Johnansen Brown’s conversation with Stephen Gauthier, a canon theologian for the Anglican Church in North America.

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What does it mean to “fear” God?

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What does it mean to "fear" God? - Bible Study | WednesdayintheWord.com

In biblical terms, the word “fear” does not usually focus on feelings of terror or fright.  “Fear” is a motivating emotion.  We use “fear” to determine what we will do in any given situation.

For example, suppose that public speaking makes you sick to your stomach.  Whenever you are offered speaking opportunities, you refuse without hesitation, because even the thought of standing in front of group makes you nauseous. 

One day when you arrive at work, your boss assigns you to give the keynote speech at the next convention.  It’s a great opportunity plus she’s counting on you. What will you do?

The biblical way of framing that question is: Who do you fear most?  You fear the painful experience of speaking in public.  You fear your boss who has the power to ruin or advance your career.  Which do you fear most?

The thing that you fear most determines your choice.  If you value your career most, then you will speak at the conference.  If you value a low-stress life most, then you will refuse to speak. 

The thing that you fear is the thing that has the most power to influence you for better or worse.  It is the factor that you will pay the most attention to when making your decisions. 

Frequently in Scripture, we are admonished, not to fear other people, but rather to fear God. When deciding how to act, our motivating factor should be His values, precepts and instructions, not what other people may think. For example:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. – Matthew 10:28

Word Study: fear, phobeo

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What is the nature of faith?

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The nature of faith

Some see faith as a settled issue, something we no longer have to think about once we pray the sinners prayer. Others see faith as a journey with trials and troubles along the way. The goal is to grow and persevere. Which approach we take influences how we interpret the Bible. (I take the second approach.)

Approach 1: Faith is settled

The first perspective believes faith is a settled issue.  Under this view, faith is solely determined by whether or when we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior and pray some version of the sinner’s prayer.  Having done that, faith becomes a settled issued. We don’t need to think about it anymore.  Instead, we need to concern ourselves with how we improve as disciples of Christ. 

When we take this perspective to understand a letter like 1Corinthians, we can easily reinforce it.  Paul wrote to believers.  He calls them saints and brothers, and starts the letter with some warm greetings.  He’s not trying to convert them in the letter, so the question of whether they have embraced the gospel has already been settled.

Why did he write the letter from this perspective? These believers struggled with various practical problems. Paul gave them practical advice on how to handle those problems and lead more godly lives. The problems included: divisions in the church; church discipline; the place of sexuality in marriage; eating meat sacrificed to idols; women covering their heads when they pray in public; the Lord’s supper; and spiritual gifts.  Paul addresses all of those topics in this letter. 

From this perspective, not everything in the letter is equally interesting to us today. Some issues resonate with us and some don’t.  We’re probably all interested in the place of sexuality, but most of us have never encountered meat sacrificed to idols. This view leaves us with a letter filled with practical advice, but a large portion of it is not that practical for us, because it doesn’t address the situations we find ourselves in today.

I’d like to suggest a second perspective, which I think is better and is the way I to approach 1Corinthians.

Approach 2: Faith is a journey

From this second perspective, faith is not a one-time event that we can settle and forget. Faith is a radical change of heart that grows to maturity over the course of our lives.   Faith is something that we live out in the middle of whatever practical issues and circumstance we find ourselves in. 

Rather than a one-time event, think of faith as like a baby progressing to adulthood. We start with a meager, basic understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. Then we grow in knowledge and maturity as we face the issues, struggles and problems of daily life.  It is a struggle over a life-long journey.

Life throws me curves.  I am repeatedly confronted with the choice as to whether I will believe the gospel.   When life takes unexpected turns, trials and tragedies, I have to decide how I am going to respond and who or what I am counting on.

I say I believe the gospel, but will I live it out in this situation?  Will I act in a way that is consistent with the faith I claim to have?  Or will I be deceived by the lies of my culture or my own sinful evil heart? 

I have a daily choice about how I will speak, how I will act, what will I value, how will I treat others, how will I respond to the twists and turns of life.  Every day I’m faced with questions over how to live out the faith I claim to have.

From this perspective, Paul wrote to encourage his readers in the midst of the struggle.  He reminded them that they must live out their faith daily. Faith is not a choice they can make and forget.  It is a choice that has implications and produces radical changes. They must persevere and follow faith wherever it takes them.  Will they repent? Will they continue to believe when culture tries to entice them away?  What are they going to set their hope and hearts on?

Paul wrote to a church which, like every church, contains a mixture of genuine believers, seekers and hypocrites. Paul explained the implications of believing the gospel in this each issues he addressed.  He claimed the Corinthians response made it look like they don’t really believe the gospel at all.  Because people who believe the gospel have a different perspective.

For example, the first issue Paul tackles in 1Corinithians is divisions in the church.  Paul’s point is much deeper than “play nice and get along.” He was concerned about what brought them to this place where they were dividing into groups.  The real problem was what they believed to be true that caused them to take sides like that.

His primary goal was not to create a better functioning church.  His primary goal was to encourage his readers to embrace the gospel and all its implications.   His goal was not harmony; he wanted them to be people who care about the truth and follow it.  

Knowing what Paul said is fundamentally true is immensely helpful today.  We can apply that to any situation we find ourselves in even if we never face the kind of divisiveness that the Corinthian church faced.  The underlying issues Paul appeals to are very relevant to us today.

Take the issue of meat sacrificed to idols.  If Paul was just giving a piece of practical advice on how to be a more godly person, then why do I even need to read that section?  It won’t ever apply to me. 

But Paul was concerned about that attitude toward the gospel and truth that the Corinthians displayed in the way they dealt with this issue of meat.  There was a fundamental principle of the gospel at stake in that issue. We can apply those fundamental principles to many different situations today.

Now just to be clear, I am not saying you have to be a perfectionist to be a believer and that the Corinthians were failing to tow the line.  I do not believe the gospel advocates that we must have perfect obedience after coming to faith.  I believe we will continue to sin and life will be a struggle. 

But I also believe that faith matters.  It fundamentally changes us so that we want different things, we value different things, we hope and strive for different things, and the tone and character of our lives changes.  If we never change or never make progress toward change, then it calls into question whether we really believe.

Therefore, when we approach 1Corinithians (or any other New Testament epistle), our goals should be to understand the issue/situation in that culture and church as best we can, then figure out not only what the author said, but why he said it, and finally consider what those “whys” mean for us today.  We will be more successful at some passages than others, but that’s the goal.

More: 01 1Corinthians 1:1-9  Themes and greetings

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What is hesed, God’s lovingkindess?

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What is hesed, God's lovingkindess? - Bible Study | WednesdayintheWord.com

The Hebrew word hesed is an important word in the Old Testament. If you picture hesed as a recipe, it would have three ingredients.  More often than not, it describes God. It is usually translated “lovingkindness.”

All three ingredients are present in every passage, but the flavor depends on how much emphasis is given to each ingredient in the context.  Some passages emphasize the first ingredient, others the second, and others the third. In some passages all three may be balanced or two of the three emphasized. But all 3 ingredients are present each time.

Active love

The first ingredient is active love.  Hesed is the idea of faithful love in action. Because God has hesed, He acts for the good of His people. The Bible often talks of God “doing”, “showing” or “keeping” hesed. To show hesed is to act in a loyal, loving way toward another person. Hesed can be found in human relationships, but is most often used of the compassion God shows His people. Translations which emphasize this active love ingredient translate this word “lovingkindness.”

Steadfast loyalty

The second ingredient is steadfast loyalty or faithfulness.  Hesed is the devoted faithful love promised within a covenant. God has hesed because He can be counted on to be steadfast and faithful in acting for the good of His people.  He will do what He has promised to do. We can count on it.  He is loyal, steadfast and faithful to His covenant with His people. To emphasize this aspect, this word is often translated “steadfast love.”

Mercy

The third ingredient is mercy in the sense of acting in spite of obstacles.  Sometimes the obstacle being overcome is the sin or unworthiness of the other person, but not always. 

For example, when doctors travel to an area hit by an epidemic we call that a “mercy mission.”  We don’t mean that these doctors need to forgive the people they are helping.  They are going to help in an area where obstacles must be overcome.  In an act of compassion, they act for the other person’s good, even though the problem is big and costly to tackle. 

This ingredient is often captured by the translating this word “mercy.”

Covenant

I understand hesed to have those three flavors: active love, steadfast love and merciful love.  Usually this word describes God’s steadfast, faithful, merciful compassionate acts of love, especially in fulfillment of His covenant promises, as opposed to a general love for all humanity.

Ralph Davis writes: “hesed is the devoted love promised within a covenant; hesed is love that is willing to commit itself to another by making its promise a matter of solemn record (Ralph Davis, D. Focus on the Bible: 2 Samuel).”

Here are the 14 verses which use hesed and covenent (beriyth) as synyonyms: Dt 7:9; Dt 7:12; 1Sa 20:8; 1Ki 8:23; 2Chr 6:14; Neh 1:5; Neh 9:32; Psa 25:10; Psa 89:28; Psa 106:45; Isa 54:10; Isa 55:3; Dan 9:4.

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hesed

Strong’s number: H2617 from H2626

Hebrew Lexical Dictionary: Strong’s #2617

Part of Speech: noun, masculine

Transliteration: hesed; chesed; heced

Quick Definition: goodness, kindness

NASB Translation: deeds of devotion (2), devotion (1), devout (1), faithfulness (1), favor (2), good (1), kindly (7), kindness (32), kindnesses (1), loveliness (1), lovingkindness (176), lovingkindnesses (7), loyal deeds (1), loyalty (6), mercies (1), merciful (2), mercy (1), righteousness (1), unchanging love (2).

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Old Testament usage

Used 247 times in 241 verses.

Gen 19:19; Gen 20:13; Gen 21:23; Gen 24:12; Gen 24:14; Gen 24:27; Gen 24:49; Gen 32:11; Gen 39:21; Gen 40:14; Gen 47:29; Exo 15:13; Exo 20:6; Exo 34:6; Exo 34:7; Lev 20:17; Num 14:18; Num 14:19; Dt 5:10; Dt 7:9; Dt 7:12; Jos 2:12; Jos 2:14; Jdg 1:24; Jdg 8:35; Rth 1:8; Rth 2:20; Rth 3:10; 1Sa 15:6; 1Sa 20:8; 1Sa 20:14; 1Sa 20:15; 2Sa 2:5; 2Sa 2:6; 2Sa 3:8; 2Sa 7:15; 2Sa 9:1; 2Sa 9:3; 2Sa 9:7; 2Sa 10:2; 2Sa 15:20; 2Sa 16:17; 2Sa 22:51; 1Ki 2:7; 1Ki 3:6; 1Ki 8:23; 1Ki 20:31; 1Ch 16:34; 1Ch 16:41; 1Ch 17:13; 1Ch 19:2; 2Ch 1:8; 2Ch 5:13; 2Ch 6:14; 2Ch 6:42; 2Ch 7:3; 2Ch 7:6; 2Ch 20:21; 2Ch 24:22; 2Ch 32:32; 2Ch 35:26; Ezr 3:11; Ezr 7:28; Ezr 9:9; Neh 1:5; Neh 9:17; Neh 9:32; Neh 13:14; Neh 13:22; Est 2:9; Est 2:17; Job 6:14; Job 10:12; Job 37:13; Psa 5:8; Psa 6:5; Psa 13:6; Psa 17:7; Psa 18:51; Psa 21:8; Psa 23:6; Psa 25:6; Psa 25:7; Psa 25:10; Psa 26:3; Psa 31:8; Psa 31:17; Psa 31:22; Psa 32:10; Psa 33:5; Psa 33:18; Psa 33:22; Psa 36:6; Psa 36:8; Psa 36:11; Psa 40:11; Psa 40:12; Psa 42:9; Psa 44:27; Psa 48:10; Psa 51:3; Psa 52:3; Psa 52:10; Psa 57:4; Psa 57:11; Psa 59:11; Psa 59:17; Psa 59:18; Psa 61:8; Psa 62:13; Psa 63:4; Psa 66:20; Psa 69:14; Psa 69:17; Psa 77:9; Psa 85:8; Psa 85:11; Psa 86:5; Psa 86:13; Psa 86:15; Psa 88:12; Psa 89:2; Psa 89:3; Psa 89:15; Psa 89:25; Psa 89:29; Psa 89:34; Psa 89:50; Psa 90:14; Psa 92:3; Psa 94:18; Psa 98:3; Psa 100:5; Psa 101:1; Psa 103:4; Psa 103:8; Psa 103:11; Psa 103:17; Psa 106:1; Psa 106:7; Psa 106:45; Psa 107:1; Psa 107:8; Psa 107:15; Psa 107:21; Psa 107:31; Psa 107:43; Psa 108:5; Psa 109:12; Psa 109:16; Psa 109:21; Psa 109:26; Psa 115:1; Psa 117:2; Psa 118:1; Psa 118:2; Psa 118:3; Psa 118:4; Psa 118:29; Psa 119:41; Psa 119:64; Psa 119:76; Psa 119:88; Psa 119:124; Psa 119:149; Psa 119:159; Psa 130:7; Psa 136:1; Psa 136:2; Psa 136:3; Psa 136:4; Psa 136:5; Psa 136:6; Psa 136:7; Psa 136:8; Psa 136:9; Psa 136:10; Psa 136:11; Psa 136:12; Psa 136:13; Psa 136:14; Psa 136:15; Psa 136:16; Psa 136:17; Psa 136:18; Psa 136:19; Psa 136:20; Psa 136:21; Psa 136:22; Psa 136:23; Psa 136:24; Psa 136:25; Psa 136:26; Psa 138:2; Psa 138:8; Psa 141:5; Psa 143:8; Psa 143:12; Psa 144:2; Psa 145:8; Psa 147:11; Pro 3:3; Pro 11:17; Pro 14:22; Pro 14:34; Pro 16:6; Pro 19:22; Pro 20:6; Pro 20:28; Pro 21:21; Pro 31:26; Isa 16:5; Isa 40:6; Isa 54:8; Isa 54:10; Isa 55:3; Isa 57:1; Isa 63:7; Jer 2:2; Jer 9:23; Jer 16:5; Jer 31:3; Jer 32:18; Jer 33:11; Lam 3:22; Lam 3:32; Dan 1:9; Dan 9:4; Hos 2:21; Hos 4:1; Hos 6:4; Hos 6:6; Hos 10:12; Hos 12:7; Joe 2:13; Jon 2:9; Jon 4:2; Mic 6:8; Mic 7:18; Mic 7:20; Zec 7:9.

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Strong’s H2617: From chacad; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety: rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) Beauty — favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-)kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs H2617: goodness, kindness, faithfulness

Greek Equivalent Words: Strong #: 1342 ‑ δίκαιος;  1343 ‑ δικαιοσύνη;  1391 ‑ δόξα;  1654 ‑ ἐλεημοσύνη;  1655 ‑ ἐλεήμων;  1656 ‑ ἔλεος;  1680 ‑ ἐλπίς;  2222 ‑ ζωή;  3681 ‑ ὄνειδος;  3741 ‑ ὅσιος;  5485 ‑ χάρις.  

PreceptsAustin: hesed/chesed/heced

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Reference Works

48 Matthew 9:9-13 Eating with sinners

30 Matthew 5:43-48 Love your enemies

Word study: mercy, eleeó

Word study: love, agape

39 1Corinthians 13:4-7 Attributes of love

40 1Corinthians 13:1-13 The supremacy of love

09 1John 4:7-19 Perfect Love

07 1John 3:13-24 Love and Hate

03 2Peter 1:5-6 Virtue to godliness

04 2 Peter 1:7-11 Brotherly affection & love

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What do expiation and propitiation mean?

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What do expiation and propitiation mean? - Bible Study Tools | WednesdayintheWord.com

When studying the atonement, you’re likely to run across two technical words: expiation and propitiation. These terms tend to appear in a text without explanation. But since they are not in the Bible and they don’t often come up in daily conversation, it can be difficult to remember what they mean.

Expiation

The prefix ex means “out of” or “from.” Expiation refers to removing or taking something away. Expiation refers to taking away guilt by paying the penalty or offering of an atonement.

Christ’s death on the cross is our expiation. It is the act that pays the penalty for our guilt.

Propitiation

The prefix pro means ”for.” Propitiation concerns the object of expiation: God. Through the process of propitiation, God is appeased and we are restored to His favor. Propitiation results in a change in God‘s stance toward us.

The result of Christ’s death on the cross is our propitiation because Christ’s death causes God to turn His anger away from us.

Scripture uses the same Greek word to refer to both concepts of expiation and propitiation. We have to decipher from the context whether the author means the act that satisfies God’s wrath (expiation) or the result that God’s turns from His wrath (propitiation).

Saved from what?

This concept that we are sinners who will face God’s wrath is often swept under the modern theological rug. By and large, today we’d rather talk about God’s love than His judgment.

Yet, Scripture is clear that Jesus died to save us from the wrath of God. Jesus and the Apostles frequently speak of the coming day of judgment. Here are just a few places:

  • Mat 3:7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
  • Luk 3:7  He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
  • Joh 3:36  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
  • Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
  • Rom 2:5  But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
  • Rom 2:8  but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
  • Rom 3:5  But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
  • Rom 4:15  For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
  • Rom 5:9  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
  • Rom 9:22  What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
  • Rom 13:5  Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
  • Eph 2:3  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
  • Eph 5:6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
  • Col 3:6  On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
  • 1Th 1:10  and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
  • 1Th 5:9  For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Therefore, Christ‘s supreme achievement on the cross is that He placated the wrath of God, which would burn against us were we not covered by the sacrifice of Christ. So if somebody argues against placation or the idea of Christ satisfying the wrath of God, be alert, because the gospel is at stake. This is about the essence of salvation—that as people who are covered by the atonement, we are redeemed from the supreme danger to which any person is exposed. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of a holy God who‘s wrathful. But there is no wrath for those whose sins have been paid. That is what salvation is all about.

The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul.

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What does YAHWEH mean?

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What does YAHWEH mean? | WednesdayintheWord.com

When God reveals Himself to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-21), He identifies Himself as “Yahweh” (or “Jehovah”), which is often translated “I am who I Am.” What does that name mean?

13Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”  14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”  – Exodus 3:13-14

The phrase translated “I am who I am” is hayah asher hayah in Hebrew. It is sometimes abbreviated YHWH. It is the most frequent name for God in the Old Testament, occurring about 6828 times.

The word hayah (Strong’s H1961) is the first person singular of the verb to be. It was used frequently in normal speech: “I am sorry.” “I am worn out.” “I am a sojourner and a foreigner among you.’ “I am the daughter of Bethuel.” (It occurs 3502 in the Old Testament.)

The word asher (Strong’s H834) is the relative pronoun (of every number and gender) “who, which, what or that”. (It occurs 5548 times in the Old Testament.)

When God identifies Himself as I AM WHO I AM, He states He is the only being who is self-existent. You could also translate this phrase “I am He who is.” God’s existence is not dependent or contingent on anything or anyone else. He alone is completely sufficient and self-existent in Himself.

We find a similar title in Revelation 1:8: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’” We human beings exist by the will of God. But God has existence in and of himself. He is the only being without a beginning or end.

Jehovah is another way to translate YHWH. The word ‘Jehovah’ probably never existed in the Hebrew language.

Originally, Hebrew was written only with consonants, leaving readers to supply the vowels. By the time vowels were added to written Hebrew, the Jews no longer spoke the name YHWH out loud out of reverence for God. Instead they substituted the word adonai, meaning ‘lord’ or ‘master’. The word ‘Jehovah’ consists of the consonants YHWH, and the vowels of adonai.

Many English versions of the Bible translate YHWH using ‘LORD’ in capital letters.

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What is the Septuagint?

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What is the Septuagint? | WednesdayintheWord.com

The Septuagint (often abbreviated LXX) is a translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek in the 3rd century BC. The LXX was made for the Jewish community when Greek was the common language of the day, and for many Jews was their primary language.

The Septuagint was the first attempt to reproduce the Hebrew Scriptures in another language. Rather than being a scholarly or academic translation, the LXX was made for the people in the language of their dailiy life.

Tradition claims the translation was made by 70 or 72 scholars (hence the name; from the Latin septuaginta, “70”). Ptolemy II requested that Eleazar, the high priest in Jerusalem, send 72 scholars (6 from each tribe) to Alexandria for the purpose of translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek.

The LXX is the version of usually quoted by the New Testament authors. When early controversies arose between Christians and Jews in the early church and Christians appealed to the LXX, the Jews denied that it agreed with the Hebrew original. The translation was eventually rejected by the Jews, although it was highly valued by them before the coming of Christ.

However, it remained popular among Christians. When the Scriptures were later translated into other languages, they were made most often from the Septuagint, not the original Hebrew. For example, Jerome’s Latin Bible, the Vulgate, was translated from the LXX.

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