Though man’s commitment to keep God’s covenant failed, God’s hesed-agape, His great loving kindness and tender mercy, never failed. It produced Jesus, the Messiah, our LORD and redeemer. Isaiah 54:10 says, “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee” (KJV).

When man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God’s nature of hesed (Hebrew) -agape (Greek) was no longer part of his nature. But God “remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). After the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, when the new covenant was in force, God called men to walk in agape and major in it. It was the key to the Apostle Paul’s ministry and to the ministries of all the writers of the New Testament. It is the very key to knowing God. Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love [hesed-agape], even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love [hesed-agape]” (John 15:10). In verse 5, He said, “Without me [hesed-agape] you can do nothing.”