WHO ARE WE that God should love us, watch over us, and care for us? The cautionary words of Moses inform and instruct the ancient Israelites, “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deut. 7:10) To the embryonic church of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle John said, “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19), and reminded of Jesus’ words: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (John 15:16)
Both Moses and John declared the love of God for the people that he initiated relationship with, and for whom he set forth boundaries. An anonymous quote says, “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.” The O.T. of the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings were to guide Israel not only into the promised land, but also into abiding there. The N.T. of Jesus Christ, as a spiritual parallel, were and are meant to guide us into a relationship with God that carries on through this life and into heaven. Both peoples were/are brought out of slavery by the same God; the first from literal physical slavery, the second from an even more devastating slavery—the slavery to sin. The Apostle Paul explains, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Rom. 6:16)
We are mindful of the call to obedience. Both peoples were meant to be obedient. The Israelites await that time—though in God’s great love they are being restored to the promised land—when they will become the priests to all nations through their finished faith in Christ and their new-found obedience to him. We Christians fully understand that we are to be slaves to Christ, and to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:11) We are also aware that even though we are intentional about our calling, we cannot do this by the force of our own will. And so we turn constantly to Jesus, for he says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” and that “this is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:5, 8)
Further, we are mindful of the consequences of disobedience. The history of Israel teaches not once, not twice, but three times the consequences of sin for Jacob’s sons and daughters in the examples of diaspora, as they were cast from the Promised Land. The writer of Hebrews forewarned those of the new covenant, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” (Heb. 10:26-27) By the unmerited grace of the Father, found only in Jesus, we do not fear the fires of hell, for we are “confident of this, that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6) We understand is God who first chose us, not we who first chose him. (cf. 1 John 4:19)
Affirmation: “The fear of the Lord is pure. The ordinances of the Lord are sure. They are more precious than gold. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psa. 19:9-14)
Q. How do I describe God’s love?
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