Psalm 103:17-18

[17] But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him, And His justice to the children’s children, [18] To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts, so as do them. (NASB)

[17] But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children [18] of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! (NLT)

[17] But the unfailing love of the Eternal is always and eternal for those who reverently run after Him. He extends his justice on and on to future generations, [18] To those who will keep His bond of love and remember to walk in the guidance of his commands (VOICE)

An ironic phrase isn’t it, especially when we keep it in modern contexts: the love of God stays in the relationship with those that fear him. Let’s break that down.

Love is the Hebrew noun cheched (kheh’-sed). This is one encompassing concept. This word – this kind of love – includes righteousness, glory, mercy, compassion, hope, life, grace, and more. This term is used in the Old Testament in relationship to God’s chosen people. It describes acts of kindness and mercy. This love is a true definition of how God’s is active in our world.

Fear is the Hebrew adjective yare’ (yah-ray). It describes people who show a profound reverence to God. It’s not an emotional response, but one based on obedience and worship. It’s a commitment to live according to God’s commandments. It highlights those followers that are faithful and obedient. It involves a recognition of God’s power and his majesty and live in accordance with His will.

Overall, God’s kindness and mercy remains forever with those who are faithful and obey him. I believe, as I’ve understood it before, the “fear” aspect comes from the ultimate concern that God’s sovereignty could be used against them as much as it was used for them. A healthier understanding of this is what I mentioned earlier. God’s love stays with those who are faithful to him. Think about this: if you cheat on your spouse, would your spouse still treat you the same? Most likely not, the love that was once there has either disappeared or has been severely fractured. Based on the historical context of this psalm, this is what the ancient Israelites believed. God would love them when they remained faithful to them. What they didn’t see that is God would love them in spite of their disobedience. God provided multiple attempts to get them back aligned with them, but it rarely worked. The Israelites continued to do what was right in their own eyes. And, because of that, there were consequences for that. Some sent and orchestrated by God, and some as a fault of their own doing. This isn’t saying that God causes bad things to happen to us. This is stating that each decision we make in life has their positive and negative consequences. Using the example of cheating on your significant other, the likelihood of something happening as a consequence of your cheating is high: the relationship could end, a divorce could occur, your physical items could be destroyed, and more. You wouldn’t blame them for doing that, right? No, because your actions caused that consequence. The same thing here. The ancient Israelites understood God’s covenantal relationship to be that if they didn’t remain faithful to God’s teaching, their life would include consequences of that. It doesn’t come from an evil, angry mindset. It comes from the trust and commitment of a heartfelt, loving relationship.

Righteousness, justice, and salvation is the Hebrew noun tsdaqah (tsed-aw-kaw). It describes both the righteousness of individuals and the justice of God. It’s associated with acts of kindness, charity, and fairness. The best way we can understand this as what Proverbs 21:3 states: “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” It’s more important to God to see you take care of his creation and be compassionate to your fellow humans. It’s more important to God to see you use your resources to help the marginalized instead. It doesn’t discredit our worship practices and prayer life, but God wants us to love has he loved us. This love that he gives to us will last over many generations, and we should work to make this world accessible to our next many generations.

Next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #220