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Volume 1, Part 1
“We’re not under “law” but under “grace.” How often have you heard-or even said that?
But is it a true statement?
If so, that means that God has changed over the years. It means that God revealed Himself to Adam, Eve, David, and Isaiah as being vengeful, angry, and without mercy. I doubt you believe that.
The Bible assures us that God never changes. He cannot change. The theological word for God’s change-less-ness is “immutable.”
So where does this lie against God’s character come from? Perhaps from this verse: “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
At first glance, this verse appears to be a comparison between “law” and “grace and truth.” But actually the comparison is the method of mediation.
God transmitted “the law” through the hand of Moses, but God BECAME grace and truth in Jesus.
Consider this: wasn’t the “law” an act of God’s grace? Without it, how could a sinner approach a holy God?
So we need to ask ourselves, “What does God say about Himself?” To answer that question, we can simply turn to Exodus 34:5-7 which records God’s self revelation to Moses.
Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
The Hebrew of the phrase, “goodness and truth” emet v’hesed will prove to us that the character of God never changes.
PART 2
.Did you know that you speak Hebrew? Every time you say “Amen” you are speaking Hebrew!?
We end our prayers with this precious word as an exclamation point as though we were saying, “It is so!”
We often use the derivatives of this word:
[’Emet], which is translated as truth
[’Emunah], which is translated as faithful and faith
Whichever word is used, it carries the meaning of certainty, solidarity, firmness regardless of circumstance, constant, or consistent. It evokes the picture of the strong arms of a parent holding a helpless infant.
Consider these verses:
- The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7)
- My mercy I will keep for him forever, and My covenant shall stand firm with him. (Psalm 89:28)
Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; (Deuteronomy 9:7)
“Amen” is also used as ‘believe” or “trust” based on the idea of being trustworthy:
- I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13
- And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)
From this we find the next word, “’emunah” which is translated as “faithful” (referring to God) or “faith” (used for man).
- “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)
- He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He. Deuteronomy 32:4)
The third word coming from our root is ’emet which is translated as “truth.”It’s easy to see why truth comes from the same root of being solid, firm and trustworthy. There can be only one truth - the Rock that is Christ Jesus.
- Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; Exodus 18:21
- And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 2 Samuel 7:28
- He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up.Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. Psalm 57:3
The God who appeared to Moses declared that He was “abounding in truth and goodness.” As we have discussed the meaning of the word “truth,” let us turn our attention to the next word, [chesed].. The translation of “goodness” is not the best in my opinion. More chesed is translated as “mercy” or “loving kindness.” In Part 3 we’ll study that wonderful Hebrew word.
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth. Psalm 115:1
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