For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 NASB Loved– There’s hardly a more famous verse in the whole Bible than this one (if you’re Christian). And most believers who have given it even a cursory look realize that the…
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8 NASB Love – John’s statement seems pretty clear, right? God is love. We get that. Unless you’re one of those who doesn’t understand the necessity of judgment in the fabric of love, and you conclude that all the…
For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 1 Kings 11:4 NASB Turned – Solomon was an addict. That’s pretty much the only explanation that makes any sense…
“I love You, O Lord, my strength.” Psalm 18:1 (English version) NASB Love – You would never notice in English, but in Hebrew, this certainly appears to be the wrong word. We would expect ‘ahav, used in Deuteronomy 6:5 and throughout the Tanakh in both commands and descriptions. In fact, ‘ahav is used in all…
“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:17-18 ESV…
Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 NASB Love – An overworked word loses its meaning. An overlooked word has no meaning at all. Such is the case with the Greek noun, agape. We may realize that agape is connected to the Hebrew ‘ahav, but did we know this? Love…
See my enemies who are many and with outrageous hatred despise me. Psalm 25:19 Robert Alter translation Despise – Buried in the Hebrew text is a powerful repetition not evident in Alter’s translation (but clear in the ESV). “Hatred” and “despise” are from the same Hebrew root, sane. To hate describes an emotional reaction of…
And He said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 Love – Does this commandment apply to you today? Of course it does! I don’t know anyone in the believing community who would argue that this commandment…
And you shall love YHWH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5 Love – The first action of the Shema is to listen-respond. The second is to love. The second verb (ahav) begins the series of demands. YHWH demands that we love Him. The…
Husbands, love your wives, and do not be embittered against them. Colossians 3:19 Be Embittered – OK, so husbands are supposed to love their wives. We know this is not just “feel good” love. Of course, love between a husband and a wife should feel good, but what Sha’ul has in mind is love that…
