hesed and the mission of God

Yesterday evening's Daily Office included:

• Psalm 105.
• Ezekiel 18.1-4, 19-32
• Hebrews 7.18-28
• Luke 10.25-37

This morning, rather than read Luther and Galatians, I re-read Ruth (I'll be preaching the final installment of our Ruth series at Intown).  The layers and craftsmanship in this little book continue to amaze me.  I've been continuing to ponder the characters of Boaz and Mr. So-and-So, continuing to ponder bare duty vs. hesed.  In the midst of this, the last few verses of Ezekiel 18 reached out to me as a particularly powerful expression of YHWH's hesed:

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.

Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit? This statement practically begs the question, how is that possible? and/or, are you serious?  As Paul points out, though, the glory of the new covenant is that this new heart and new spirit are given to us,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

What an incredible thing that YHWH has been on mission, tearing after his creation with a fierce, loyal love since the beginning.  And entrusting his message of reconciliation to these new creatures in Christ?  Speechless.