Divine “secular” Hesed The quest for the virtue of hope and its obtaining do not depend on human desire alone. The pericope reveals a significant agent: the eternal love of God. It is a guarantee for the restoration of Israel. God's everlasting love or divine Hesed is a covenant concept, which is mentioned as "mercy" in verse 3 of the pericope. Sakenfeld highlights three important aspects of chesed: commitment, satisfaction of needs, and freedom. Drawing on his interpretation, we will explore and connect the hesed theme between Old Testament history and the use of the term in Jeremiah 31:1-14. The commitment of HesedGod's love for Israel is eternal as verse 3 says: “With love I have loved you” (v. 3a). This positive statement is “typically formulated after the abandonment crisis.” Nevertheless, Jeremiah affirms that YHWH's love is consistent and continuous. God's love for Israel is reflected in the history of this chosen people. For example, God chose Jacob/Israel and loved his ancestors by delivering them from Egypt (Deut 4:37; Exodus 20:2). The commitment of divine Hesed is often demonstrated by promises as well as by the condition of loyalty to the Lord in the alliance (Exodus 20:5-6; 23:32-33). Hesed's divine commitment to the Davidic lineage (Ps 89; 2 Sam 7) shows God's faithfulness to the house of David and Israel. Forever, nothing could separate God's love for Israel. In fact, verse 9b clearly expresses an intimate relationship between God and Ephraim (Israel) using metaphors of familial love. “I am the father of Israel, Ephraim is my firstborn.” Verse 9b echoes an exodus motif (Exodus 4:22), "concerning one who is especially valued and loved, who receives the special protection, care and gifts of God." God knows what God is... middle of paper... an army of the weak, not an army of the strong. All nations will witness God's “recreation” and “reformation” of Israel (v. 10). The use of unconditional promises in the book of consolation (Jer 30-33) is unusual for the Deuteronomy covenant tradition as a whole. The book of consolation, particularly the pericope, reflects an unconditional covenant of restoration without obligation when comparing YHWH's covenant with Noah (Gen 9:8-17) and Abraham (Gen 15); Meanwhile, the Deuteronomic tradition reflects the conditional covenant at Sinai with the required commandments (Exodus 19:4-6; Lev 26; Deut 28). Israel did not dare to hope because it had lost divine favor and seemed to be “wasting away” in the midst of wickedness and disloyalty. However, the “breaking” of the Sinai covenant in the pericope greatly reveals divine mercy. With divine mercy alone, Israel dares to hope for its restoration.