Love

Chesed (חסד): Often translated as "lovingkindness," "mercy," or "steadfast love," denotes covenantal loyalty and unconditional, unearned devotion, especially God's love for the Israel of scripture. It is love in action, “Do justice, Love (Chesed), walk humbly before GOD” (Micah (Mikhah) 6:8, ESV)).NOTE: Though the prophesy of Micah mentions the Judgement/destruction of the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim) of Israel, it focuses primarily on the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Micah, preaches a message of “GOD’S hatred of sin” and the love (Chesed) He has for His people. In chapter 6, GOD puts His people on trial for sin, declares them guilty, and assigns them a punishment of destruction and exile. However, GOD also promises to pardon their sin (7:18-20), using their punishment as a way of purifying them and drawing them “back” to Himself.The TORAH defines love this way: “fear GOD,” walk in all His ways, love Him, and keep His commandments (Deu 10:12-13) and love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18). Our Rabbi Yeshua affirmed this as the greatest commandment and said, all the Law and the prophets hang on them (Mat 22:35-40 ESV).

from the desk of

The Bread of Haste Ministry (BHM)

March 25, 2026

Dear Journey Members,

SHALOM. LOVE

NOTE: Though the prophesy of Micah mentions the Judgement/destruction of the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim) of Israel, it focuses primarily on the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Micah, preaches a message of “GOD’S hatred of sin” and the love (Chesed) He has for His people. In chapter 6, GOD puts His people on trial for sin, declares them guilty, and assigns them a punishment of destruction and exile. However, GOD also promises to pardon their sin (7:18-20), using their punishment as a way of purifying them and drawing them “back” to Himself.

The TORAH defines love this way: “fear GOD,” walk in all His ways, love Him, and keep His commandments (Deu 10:12-13) and love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18). Our Rabbi Yeshua affirmed this as the greatest commandment and said, all the Law and the prophets hang on them (Mat 22:35-40 ESV).

GOD is love; but, what exactly does that mean…does GOD command us to love? If so, what exactly does that look like. Let's explore “LOVE”…together.

COVENANTAL LOVE - IS LOVE IN ACTION:

GOD Commands Love! GOD’S love is covenant faithfulness defined by His commandments, loving Him and people the way “He commands,” not the way we feel, after all GOD commands us…we, don’t command Him. Scripture states, “if you love Me, you will, keep My commandments. Our Rabbi Yeshua promises the Holy Spirit “If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15 ESV).” “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him (John 14:21 ESV).” “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it (2 John 6 ESV).” Notice the emphasis on the word…”IF.”

Because the Holy Scriptures bind love to GOD’S instructions (TORAH), biblical love (GOD’S love) is, covenantal and actionable, measurable by faithfulness/obedience to what GOD has commanded. GOD commands love by His standards…NOT BY OURS! Love for neighbor includes refusing hatred (ALL TYPES) and murder, committing adultery/idolatry and theft, speaking “TRUTH” not lies” and caring for the poor (Lev 19; Exod 20; Deu 15:7-8). Above all, biblical love means abiding in Yeshua’s love by keeping His commandments just as He kept His Father’s (John 15:9-14 ESV), which are tied directly to GOD’S commandment to love (Deu: 6:5; Lev 19:18).

Lip service without obedience is not the love of GOD. Lawlessness dresses itself in love language that erodes the meaning of GOD’S love.

GOD’S definition of love is covenantal-faithfulness: loving GOD and neighbor by keeping His commandments and taught and embodied by Yeshua. The world’s definition centers on feelings or affirmation without a holy standard which scripture warns becomes lawlessness (sin), a path that produces hate, that makes love grow cold and “attempts” to redefine what GOD has commanded. Grace does not replace GOD’S love, shaped by obedience; it empowers it. Real love is loyal, practical and shaped by GOD Himself. Obedience is our expression of true love for GOD. “If you love me…keep my commandments (John 14:15 ESV).”

THE WORLD’S DEFINITION:

By contrast, the world treats love as feelings or open-ended affirmation without a biblical standard, that drift is called lawlessness (sin) and when lawlessness increases, love takes on a “chilling” form (hate). “And because lawlessness (sin) will be increased, the love of many will grow cold (Mat 24:12, ESV).

Culturally, love is reduced to strong feelings, preferences, or blanket affirmation. Scripture calls that kind of standard less love lawlessness sin (1 John 3:4 ESV) and warns that as lawlessness (sin) abounds, love grows cold (Mat 24:12 ESV). Sin, as defined by GOD is the transgression of HIS law (1 John 3:4 KJV), comprising any action, inaction, thought, or attitude that violates GOD’S holy standard (TORAH) His “Commandments”, all of them, and rebels against HIS authority. Sin is an act of rebellion against GOD, disobedience.

When love is separated from GOD’S commandments, we end up with a moving target, love without GOD’S commandments is a moving target, fuzzy and “self-defined,” un- holy and not faithful. Grace is GOD’S love toward us; obedience is our love back to Him and others. Grace is not a free pass to sin!

OUR JOURNEY MESSAGE - LOVE (Chesed (חסד))

We chose “Chesed” as our biblical expression of love for this journey message. It is “love in action.” Grace is GOD’s love toward us; “obedience” is our expression of love back to Him and others.

Excitement, infatuation, lust, these are typical feelings/emotions we experience throughout our lives. These emotions/expressions are on full display at various times in our lives for various reasons/seasons, as it is in most relational experiences, after all…we are visual emotional beings. One can only imagine Adam’s visual response to Mrs. Adam (Eve, or Chavah (KHA-VAH)), when he rose from the deep sleep GOD put him in, in order to create the “love of his life.” The same response I have every morning when I’m blessed to see the beauty that is “my wife” rise from her nighttime hibernation. What’s even more beautiful is that we both pray [separately] and eventually, scurry downstairs to spend quality time together in the presence of ELYON (GOD most high), early, before the business of the day begins. Finally, we end our morning devotional time in prayer before scurrying off on our separate ways. This practice removes all worldly obstacles, allows us to “be still” in order to hear GOD’s voice and receive His anointing, which prepares us for the day’s adventures.

“OBEDIENCE” - How we express our Love for GOD

Passover (Pesach)/Feast of Unleavened Bread. Marks the beginning of GOD’s anointed and appointed Spring holy days (Moedim). We memorialize/observe all of “GOD’S commanded holy days.” We no longer keep the traditional Protestant religious observances. Let’s remember, however, Shabbat (Weekly Sabbath) is the first (Gen 2:1-3), of GOD’S commanded, anointed/appointed times. Passover also represents the “Head of the year” as God commanded it to Israel (mixed multitude). Just before the miraculous Exodus from Egypt, GOD told Moses that the month of the Passover was to be the first month of the new year. So the first day of the first month, the start of the year, is in the Spring according to the Holy Scriptures. “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you (Exod 12:2). More important than that is GOD’S brute force expression of love (Chesed) “love in action,” towards His chosen people Israel (mixed multitude), in His deliverance of them from bondage. The slain Passover lamb was the shadow picture of salvation (Yeshua), redemption, and restoration for the whole house of Israel. This also includes those who are grafted into the natural olive tree as well.

Although GOD commanded no specific format or tradition to observe His appointed times other than the specific instructions He commanded in TORAH (the five books given to Moses), we remember/observe the moedim as HE commanded them.

We “obey” GOD’S instruction to observe Passover (Pesach)/the feast of unleavened bread for seven days, and we adhere to the dietary requirements as well. We follow the example of our Rabbi Yeshua. We pattern our Passover observance after a “modified” version of the Jewish seder (which means order) tradition; however, during the observance, we focus strictly on the work of our Rabbi Yeshua, our Passover Lamb, and the Commandments of GOD, GOD’S ultimate expression of love (Chesed) for us. “For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16 ESV). This verse ends with the promise of everlasting life.

So, please feel free to join us this Passover (Pesach)/Feast of Unleavened Bread as we show GOD how much we love him and are grateful for the Passover Lamb (Yeshua), the ultimate expression of HIS love toward us. Our Rabbi Yeshua asked Peter the apostle 3 times, “Do you love me”…feed my sheep! Our commandment, commission is to show “GOD” how much we love Him, by keeping/obeying HIS commandments, which must include sharing the “truth of the Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD” and not the kingdom/traditions of men. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12).”

Yours in Rabbi Yeshua Messiah

“STUDY ...love!”