God is Love
God is Love by Paul George
God is Love
Love defines God's character forever. God revealed himself most of all as one who loves and keeps his covenant of love (Deuteronomy 7:6-13). As the God who keeps His covenant of love, He chose Israel from among the peoples to make them His own, redeemed them, sustained them and patiently sought their hearts and their love. God chose Israel because He loved their forefathers (Deuteronomy 4:37; Romans 1:13). Because He chose them, He set His love upon them, and drew them to Himself with love. He brought Israel out of Egypt and carried them “on eagles' wings” to the place He had prepared for them (Exodus 19:4). He offered to walk among them and make them into a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:5-6; Leviticus 26:11-12). Moreover, when Israel followed God in their own land, He showed them the blessings He had promised, increase in numbers, long life, peace and abundant prosperity. He defended Israel from their enemies, protected them and guarded all that they possessed.
However, Israel declined to be a kingdom of priests. Although God had treated them with great kindness, their fear that God would kill them was so great that they begged God not to speak to them directly, instead asking him to tell Moses what things they should do (Exodus 20:18-20; Deuteronomy 5:4-5, 22-25). It should be noted that, when Israel made this request, God was speaking to them directly and they were not dead. The perception that God desired to kill them was erroneous. Nevertheless, God honored their request and gave Israel the Law, the Tabernacle, the human priesthood and prophets. All of these institutions together were designed to permit any individual Israelite who was not a priest to maintain a relationship with God without ever seeing Him, hearing Him or speaking to Him personally.
The Law, which if any man do these things He shall live, permitted the individual to know God's will in thousands of individual situations. The tabernacle permitted the people to perceive God as walking among them, yet at a safe distance, God did not dwell in every Israelite's tent, but only in the Tabernacle, behind veils, where they would never be required, or even permitted, to look at Him. The priesthood gave Israel representatives who would appear before God in their place and offer on their behalf sacrifices to appease God's anger, greatly reducing the need to speak to Him directly. The institution of the prophets permitted God to speak to the people when necessary without speaking to them directly. In this matter, God gave His people what they asked for, the means to live in covenant with Him, receiving His love without ever speaking with Him directly.
However, throughout God’s covenant with Israel there were Israelites who knew the secret behind the law that God had always desired that each of His people know Him. Perhaps the best example of these Israelites who knew God was David, who is called a man after God's own heart. David was not a priest, yet he often spoke to God directly, as many of the Psalms attest. Moreover, David was not one of the prophets, yet God sometimes spoke to him directly in answer to his prayers. Nevertheless, David loved the Law as the means of knowing both God and how to live. Further, while David never administered a ritual sacrifice, he understood that the sacrifice God truly desired of His people individually was a broken and contrite spirit, a spirit that rejoices to be in His presence. David is only one example of many individuals during this period that also had personal relationships with God.
Although God had promised His protection to Israel, throughout their history there have been times when He removed a portion of His protection and let them do their own thing. The results of doing their own thing resulted judgment by fear, famine, disease, violence, war and exile (Jeremiah 6:16-19). These judgments were not what God intended for Israel; He told them to choose life and the blessings of obedience (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). However, God had spoken blessings on their obedience and curses on their disobedience, and the people had voluntarily taken these blessings and curses upon themselves. Nevertheless, God was patient with Israel, protecting them for the sake of His covenant for some time after they had rejected Him and sending prophets to warn them of the consequences of their way. However, because Israel had the right to choose whom they would serve, after warning them, God withdrew part of His unwanted protection and let them bear judgment. However, God never withdrew all of His protection. He always preserved a remnant who served Him. He never ceased pursuing Israel, seeking to win the heart of His unfaithful people. He always restored Israel after their times of judgment, and always will. God keeps His covenant of love with Israel to this day.
Jesus, who gave himself for us, dying for our sins so that anyone who believes in him may be saved, reveals to us and to the world God’s love (John 3:16-18). God's love is also revealed to us and to the world in the way the natural world which he created provides for human needs in spite of human sins (Matthew 5:44-48). God reveals his love to the world in our love for each other (John 13:34-35; 17:20-23).
Because of His great love for us, God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions. God's love is revealed to us because He gave us His Spirit. God pours out His love in our hearts through His Spirit that lives in us. God's love in our hearts produces peace, joy, hope, confidence in God and freedom from fear. Because of His love, God gives us eternal encouragement and good hope and strengthens us to do every good work. He directs our hearts into His love and perfects His love in us. God's love is also revealed to us in His discipline and correction of us as His children.
New American Standard Bible
Article Source: http://www.articles.narrowisthepath.com
God is Love
Love defines God's character forever. God revealed himself most of all as one who loves and keeps his covenant of love (Deuteronomy 7:6-13). As the God who keeps His covenant of love, He chose Israel from among the peoples to make them His own, redeemed them, sustained them and patiently sought their hearts and their love. God chose Israel because He loved their forefathers (Deuteronomy 4:37; Romans 1:13). Because He chose them, He set His love upon them, and drew them to Himself with love. He brought Israel out of Egypt and carried them “on eagles' wings” to the place He had prepared for them (Exodus 19:4). He offered to walk among them and make them into a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:5-6; Leviticus 26:11-12). Moreover, when Israel followed God in their own land, He showed them the blessings He had promised, increase in numbers, long life, peace and abundant prosperity. He defended Israel from their enemies, protected them and guarded all that they possessed.
However, Israel declined to be a kingdom of priests. Although God had treated them with great kindness, their fear that God would kill them was so great that they begged God not to speak to them directly, instead asking him to tell Moses what things they should do (Exodus 20:18-20; Deuteronomy 5:4-5, 22-25). It should be noted that, when Israel made this request, God was speaking to them directly and they were not dead. The perception that God desired to kill them was erroneous. Nevertheless, God honored their request and gave Israel the Law, the Tabernacle, the human priesthood and prophets. All of these institutions together were designed to permit any individual Israelite who was not a priest to maintain a relationship with God without ever seeing Him, hearing Him or speaking to Him personally.
The Law, which if any man do these things He shall live, permitted the individual to know God's will in thousands of individual situations. The tabernacle permitted the people to perceive God as walking among them, yet at a safe distance, God did not dwell in every Israelite's tent, but only in the Tabernacle, behind veils, where they would never be required, or even permitted, to look at Him. The priesthood gave Israel representatives who would appear before God in their place and offer on their behalf sacrifices to appease God's anger, greatly reducing the need to speak to Him directly. The institution of the prophets permitted God to speak to the people when necessary without speaking to them directly. In this matter, God gave His people what they asked for, the means to live in covenant with Him, receiving His love without ever speaking with Him directly.
However, throughout God’s covenant with Israel there were Israelites who knew the secret behind the law that God had always desired that each of His people know Him. Perhaps the best example of these Israelites who knew God was David, who is called a man after God's own heart. David was not a priest, yet he often spoke to God directly, as many of the Psalms attest. Moreover, David was not one of the prophets, yet God sometimes spoke to him directly in answer to his prayers. Nevertheless, David loved the Law as the means of knowing both God and how to live. Further, while David never administered a ritual sacrifice, he understood that the sacrifice God truly desired of His people individually was a broken and contrite spirit, a spirit that rejoices to be in His presence. David is only one example of many individuals during this period that also had personal relationships with God.
Although God had promised His protection to Israel, throughout their history there have been times when He removed a portion of His protection and let them do their own thing. The results of doing their own thing resulted judgment by fear, famine, disease, violence, war and exile (Jeremiah 6:16-19). These judgments were not what God intended for Israel; He told them to choose life and the blessings of obedience (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). However, God had spoken blessings on their obedience and curses on their disobedience, and the people had voluntarily taken these blessings and curses upon themselves. Nevertheless, God was patient with Israel, protecting them for the sake of His covenant for some time after they had rejected Him and sending prophets to warn them of the consequences of their way. However, because Israel had the right to choose whom they would serve, after warning them, God withdrew part of His unwanted protection and let them bear judgment. However, God never withdrew all of His protection. He always preserved a remnant who served Him. He never ceased pursuing Israel, seeking to win the heart of His unfaithful people. He always restored Israel after their times of judgment, and always will. God keeps His covenant of love with Israel to this day.
Jesus, who gave himself for us, dying for our sins so that anyone who believes in him may be saved, reveals to us and to the world God’s love (John 3:16-18). God's love is also revealed to us and to the world in the way the natural world which he created provides for human needs in spite of human sins (Matthew 5:44-48). God reveals his love to the world in our love for each other (John 13:34-35; 17:20-23).
Because of His great love for us, God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions. God's love is revealed to us because He gave us His Spirit. God pours out His love in our hearts through His Spirit that lives in us. God's love in our hearts produces peace, joy, hope, confidence in God and freedom from fear. Because of His love, God gives us eternal encouragement and good hope and strengthens us to do every good work. He directs our hearts into His love and perfects His love in us. God's love is also revealed to us in His discipline and correction of us as His children.
New American Standard Bible
Article Source: http://www.articles.narrowisthepath.com
posted by John Elley | 9:04 PM
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