- [Tim] If you tried to describe what God is like,
it could be difficult or daunting.
But when the people who wrote the Bible
pondered the mystery of God,
they consistently describe God's character in this way:
compassionate and gracious, slow to anger,
overflowing with loyal love and faithfulness.
We're going to look at the second key word
in this statement, "gracious."
The Hebrew word is "khanun,"
which is related to the Hebrew noun "khen."
This word, "khen," is often translated as "grace" or "favor."
And if you study how this word is used throughout the Bible,
you find a fascinating story.
One meaning of khen is delightful or favorable.
In the Psalms, a skilled poet is said
to have lips of khen, that is,
he can craft beautiful words that bring delight.
Or a dazzling piece of jewelry is an ornament of khen.
It attracts attention and favor.
This is why "khen" is often the word used
to describe a gift given with delight or favor.
In these cases, khen could be translated as grace.
Like in the story of Esther,
who approaches the king of Persia
to ask that she and her people be spared from death.
She calls this a request for khen.
And because the king delights in Esther,
he favors her and grants her wish.
So giving a gift of favor is khen
because it's motivated by delight.
And the most extreme kind of khen is showing favor
to someone who should get what they deserve,
not a generous gift. Like Jacob,
who cheated his brother Esau, ran away,
and then after 20 years wants to come back
and make things right.
So he comes to Esau asking, "May I find khen in your eyes."
Jacob isn't asking for what is fair, but for favor,
and surprisingly, that's what Esau gives him.
He chooses to delight in his brother Jacob
and show him grace that he doesn't deserve.
Now, khen requires a generous spirit,
which people sometimes have, but in the Bible,
the one who shows more khen than anyone else is God.
Like when God rescued the Israelites
out of slavery in Egypt, and they quickly betray him
by giving their allegiance to a golden idol as their god.
But then Moses steps in and asks God
to consider giving a gift that they don't deserve.
And God says yes by showing the ultimate act of khen—
forgiveness and a promise to be with these people.
This character trait of God is so reliable
that over 40 times in the book of Psalms people cry
out for God's khen when they're sick, or in danger,
or when the Israelites are in exile.
And the biblical prophets, like Isaiah,
looked back to God's khen in the past and boldly declared
that God will one day show khen to his people
by delivering them and all creation from death and ruin.
Now, when we turn to the authors of the New Testament,
they describe God's khen with the Greek word "kharis,"
which means "gracious gift."
Like when we're introduced to Jesus in the Gospel of John,
we're told that Jesus is God's glorious kharis become human,
sent into a world of people trapped in darkness and death.
Because, according to the apostle Paul,
we're like the living dead.
God has handed humanity over to the destructive consequences
of our selfish decisions.
But, Paul says, "God is rich in mercy,
and by his kharis, he's rescued us."
He's talking about how Jesus's life, death,
and resurrection are offered to us
as a generous gift of life that is more powerful than death.
And as with any gift, all one has to do is receive it.
So now you can see why the biblical authors talk so much
about this description
of God's character throughout the Bible.
When people are willing to own their failures
and ask God for khen,
he has a consistent and generous response.
God gives the gift of himself, his life and his love.
And this is what it means that God is gracious.