psalm 118: hesed. 1st week advent thursday

This psalm, psalm 118, is one of those psalms labelled as the Egyptian Hallel.  Hallel means praise – so these are psalms in praise of God because of the freedom from the bondage of Egypt.  This is an exodus psalm and is sung especially during the Passover.

No wonder this psalm is also used during Easter.  This is sung as a responsorial psalm during the vigil of Easter after the eighth reading, remember.  This is sung just before the solemn intonation of the alleluia.  In a way this psalm is sung during the passover of Jesus, when he passed from this life to the next, when he passed over from death to life, when he passed over from the passion and cross to the resurrection.  This is in a way the psalm of Jesus as he rose from the dead.

What is evoked in this psalm?  What is he praising?

Hesed.  Hesed means loyal love, faithful love, a love that does not give up, a love that perseveres no matter what, a love that does not falter.  This is the experience of Jesus on the Father's love for him.  Seemingly Jesus is abandoned on the cross.  Even the people insulted him saying, let us see if Elijah would indeed come to save him.  One of the criminals nailed with him said the same thing.  Jesus even felt the same way saying why have you abandoned me?  But the resurrection confirmed what Jesus has believed all along, that the Father's hesed, the Father's faithful love will see him through.  Is this also our experience of the Father's love?  In difficulties, can we trust in the father's faithful love?  Can we like the psalmist say,  It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. 

The bottom line is this - the love of the Father is reliable.  This reliability of God's love is the stone on which our strength, our persistence on things, our courage in difficulties and our reliance on God stand – the love of the Father is reliable – hesed.