Chesed and Ahab

Our ladies group is doing a Bible study by Mary Kassain, Knowing God by Name, which is a study of 35 of the names of God used in the Old Testament. The study is great. The daily lessons are easy to do, and do not take a lot of time, but are still very "meaty".

One of His names is Rav-Chesed, Abounding in love. I am familiar with the Hebrew word for love, chesed, which speaks of a love that involves loyalty, steadfastness, and covenant commitment. It is the type of love that is unconditional and doesn’t depend on the response or behavior of the receiver, but is rooted in the steadfast character of God.

Another Hebrew word for love is Ahab, which means to desire, to breathe after, to be inclined toward, to delight in, used to describe love between family members and very close friends.

 The Old Testament uses both chesed and ahab for God’s love for us.

Psalm 106:2 uses the word chesed, “Give thanks to the LORD,, for he is good! His faithful love

endures forever." 

Zephaniah 3:27 uses the word ahab, “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save, he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will quiet you by his love, he will exult over you with loud singing.

I especially am enjoying this, that God will quiet me by his intimate, sweet, emotional love, and exult over, greatly rejoice over me, with LOUD singing! 

The first time the word ahab is used is in Genesis 22:2 to Abraham, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love…”  That is the first time the word is used, to describe Abrahams' love for his only son he had waited for and longed for for so long. The same word God uses to describe His love for us. 

I found two interesting uses of the words in David’s life.

In 1 Samuel 18:1, “…the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul,” the word ahab is used, showing the deep friendship they shared.

After David became king, he sent for Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth and told him, “I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake.”

The word translated kindness is chesed. David and Jonathan shared a heart connection described by ahab, but David loved Mephibosheth because of the commitment he had made to Jonathan.

            For several days, I have relished the thought that God loves me, not only with his uniquely unconditional, undying, steadfast, unfailing love; but He also loves me with a sweet, emotional, desiring, delighting love. 

Not only does God love me, but He also LIKES me!