‘Chesed’ new! every morning!

John McLaughlan looks at an often-misrepresented word and marvels at the LORD’s view of us, His people

Chesed, a Hebrew word used about 240 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, conveys aspects of the LORD’s nature that we human beings can perhaps grasp more easily than some of his other qualities. 

We can struggle with theological vocabulary like ‘omnipotence’ or ‘omnipresence’ – after all, such words are not used in the Scriptures. These are not the concepts that exercise the minds of ordinary people, busy with the challenges, joys and sorrows of everyday living. In fact, such language can reduce the LORD to a somewhat cold and distant Person.

But in His relationship with His people the LORD’s cheseddraws us close to Him – it uniquely conveys the heart of the LORD towards His people. The LORD’s chesedis not merely some lofty theological concept for clever minds; it reveals how the LORD meets us with His faithfulness in the ordinary stuff of life. 

“…better than life”