Untitled Sermon (128)

Love in the Bible The Meaning of Love in The Bible In the Bible, love is the essence of God’s character and the defining quality of his selfless, life-giving relationship with humanity. The biblical authors display the meaning of love through stories, poetry, and discourse. Hebrew words such as khesed (loyal love) and ahavah (affectionate, caring love) teach us about specific qualities essential to the concept of real love. And Greek terms such as agápe (divine love) and philia (familial love) emphasize the unique ways that God, friends, family, partners, and enemies can love one another. Beyond specific terms, the overarching story of the Bible ultimately describes love as the act of putting others before oneself—serving the interest and well-being of another.

The Love of God According to the Bible The love of God can describe God’s love for humanity or humanity’s love for God. The biblical authors show us how God’s love for humanity is selfless, just, and unbreakable. They also show how God acts in love toward people, and how people respond to God’s love, while inviting readers to love God with everything they’ve got.

Where Does It Talk About Love in the Bible? Everywhere! The whole Bible displays God’s love and demonstrates how humans love (or neglect to love) God and one another. Here are a few examples of the way the Bible talks about love. God instructs the Israelites to treat refugees and immigrants as natives and to love them as they love themselves (Lev. 19:34 Leviticus 19:34 Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ).Jonathan dedicates his loyalty to his friend David “because he loved him as himself” (1 Sam. 18:3 1 Samuel 18:3 Song of Songs 3:2 John 12:42-43 1 Corinthians 13

).Once you learn to look for it, you’ll see that the entire Bible talks about love.

How Love Is Described Biblically The biblical authors use storytelling, poetry, and discourse to describe love. We can relate to the characters and emotions as they learn the meaning of love through the plot of a story (e.g., Luke 15:11-32 Luke 15:11-32 ) or the metaphors used in poetry (e.g., Song of Songs 8:6-7 Song of Songs 8:6-7 Keep Reading ). We can also find direct messages about the self-giving nature of love in discourse texts (letters/epistles) like 1 John 3:16 1 John 3:16 Keep Reading : “We know love by this, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us.”

Characteristics of Love in the Bible In 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 Loading... Keep Reading , Paul describes the nature and activity of real love. He says that even if we do impressive things with great faith, none of it matters if we do not have love. A loving person has learned to be patient, kind, hopeful, and enduring. A loving person turns away from all forms of violence or coercion and refuses to entertain jealous, boastful, arrogant, rude, selfish, or quick-tempered thoughts and behaviors. John says that God is love (1 John 4:16 1 John 4:16 16We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. Keep Reading ). In other words, it is the essence of who God is. So when we learn to love in the way the Bible describes love, we are learning to live according to God’s character.

The Big Idea The Bible ultimately describes love as the act of putting others before oneself—serving the interest and well-being of another.

Symbols of Love in the Bible In the Hebrew Bible, the authors symbolize love through characters in stories, such as the story of Ruth’s faithful relationship to her mother-in-law, Naomi (Ruth 1:14-22 Ruth 1:14-22 Loading... Keep Reading ). In Song of Songs Song of Songs Loading... Keep Reading , the author compares love to a banner (Song of Songs 2:4 Song of Songs 2:4 Loading... Keep Reading ), representing one’s allegiance and loyalty. And when Moses raises the bronze serpent so that the people can live (Num. 21:6-9 Numbers 21:6-9 Loading... Keep Reading ), it is a symbol of God’s healing love. Jesus recalls this symbol when he is teaching about his own love for humanity (John 3:14-16 John 3:14-16 Loading... Keep Reading ). And not only does blood symbolize life and death in the Bible, it also becomes a poignant symbol of love. Losing blood means losing life, and humbly giving one’s life for the well-being of another is the ultimate form of love. We see this most notably in the sacrifice of Jesus. The biblical authors say that Jesus poured out his blood for the good of all humanity (Matt. 26:28 Matthew 26:28 Loading... Keep Reading ; 1 John 1:7 1 John 1:7 Loading... Keep Reading )—the ultimate act of love. The whole Bible tells the story of God’s love for humanity through these and many other symbols.

What God Says About Love in the Bible The Bible has a lot to say about love—authors use several terms to describe love, and they refer to it hundreds of times throughout Scripture. Here are a few key quotes to start with. Psalm 118:29 Psalms 118:29 John 3:16-17 John 3:16-17 John 13:34-35 John 13:34-35 Romans 5:7-8 Romans 5:7-8 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 1 Peter 1:22 1 Peter 1:22 1 John 3:16-17 1 John 3:16-17 1 John 4:16 1 John 4:16 A Close Look at the Meaning of God's Love Exploring the Hebrew word khesed

Top Table of Contents

Translating Khesed

Loyal Love

God's Loyal Love

God loves you. In fact, God’s love is so amazing and enduring that there is an entire poem enthusiastically celebrating God’s love in the Bible. You’ll find it in Psalm 118 Psalms 118 Loading... Keep Reading . The poem begins and ends with this line: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1 The Hebrew word translated as “love” in Psalm 118 Psalms 118 Loading... Keep Reading is khesed. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his khesed endures forever. Psalm 118:1 Translating Khesed Let’s take a closer look at the word khesed. You may have seen this word before spelled as “chesed.” The problem with this spelling for English speakers is that we will likely pronounce the “ch” like the beginning of the word “cheese.” But in Hebrew, the sound is in the back of your throat like you are lightly coughing. That is why we spell it as “khesed.” The “kh” is to remind you to do that little back of the throat tickle. There is no good English translation for the word khesed, as we don’t have a word in English that encompasses all of the nuanced meaning of the Hebrew word. Khesed is a type of affection you have for someone, but it’s more than affection. It’s also a loyal commitment to be generous to that person for the long run. Can you think of an English word that captures that meaning? Bible translators have been trying to figure it out for generations. And you can see this by how many different translations have been done for this important Hebrew word. The most famous use of khesed is in Exodus 34:6 Exodus 34:6 Loading... Keep Reading , where God calls himself “compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in khesed and faithfulness.” Take a look at the different translations of khesed in this verse. The Wycliff Bible (late 1300s) translates khesed as “steadfast love.” A modern translation, the ESV, uses this same phrase. The King James Bible (early 1600s) translates khesed as “goodness.” The Geneva Bible, from the same time period, uses this same word. Young’s Literal Translation (1862) translates khesed as “kindness.” The World English Bible (1901) uses two words in their translation, “loving kindness.” The NASB (1960s) translates khesed as “faithfulness.” The NIV (1978) simply translates khesed as “love.” Notice the different choices over generations: steadfast love, goodness, kindness, loving kindness, faithfulness, love. When we come across such a large discrepancy in translations, this tells us that the Hebrew word is unique and can’t quite be captured with any one word. At BibleProject, we use our own translation of khesed, loyal love. Yahweh, Yahweh, a God compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loyal love and faithfulness. Exodus 34:6 Loyal Love Khesed is a kind of love you can depend on. When we long for love, what we are really longing for is khesed. Affection can come and go, and it doesn’t satisfy our innate need to be loved without condition. What we really want is a loyal affection not driven by strict or begrudging obligation but by deep compassion. When we treat someone as a close friend or family member, doing what is necessary to ensure their well-being and the health of the relationship, we can call that an act of khesed. While the action may be an obligation or duty, khesed also refers to the emotional motivation of love that drives overabundant expressions of generosity and care. Khesed assumes a pre-existing relationship and refers to actions that demonstrate loyalty to that relationship—to preserve and protect it and allow it to flourish. Khesed does not refer to any one specific type of action. Rather, khesed describes a posture in the relationship that can be expressed through many different acts. In the Bible, we see humans show khesed to one another. Here are a few key examples. Jacob asks his sons to show khesed by promising to bury him in his homeland, which would require a pilgrimage out of Egypt (Genesis 47:29 Genesis 47:29 Loading... Keep Reading ). Ruth, an immigrant, loses her husband and children but decides to stay committed to her mother-in-law, which is described as an act of khesed (Ruth 1:8 Ruth 1:8 Loading... Keep Reading ; 3:10). God's Loyal Love While we see these acts of khesed throughout the Bible, the one who shows the most khesed is God. The Bible introduces us to a God who has a generous commitment to his human partners. Throughout the story of the Bible, humans continually show how faithless, selfish, and self-sabotaging they are, but the Bible makes clear how enduring God’s khesed is for us. In the story of the Bible, God’s khesed is focused on one family, the family of Abraham. God pours his khesed out on them even when they don’t deserve it. He does this because he wants them to become the type of people who can take God’s khesed to all nations. God shows khesed to Abraham’s family time and again. Jacob is a great example of God’s loyalty to this family. Jacob lies and cheats and steals, yet God upholds his covenant to Jacob. And Jacob recognizes how unworthy he is of that treatment. I am unworthy of all the khesed and of all the faithfulness which you have shown to your servant. Genesis 32:10 The entire nation of Israel consistently rebels against God, despite his continued deliverance and forgiveness. Eventually, they are made to wander in the wilderness as a result of not trusting God, but God, in his khesed, is moved to rescue them. In your khesed you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. Exodus 15:13 Please forgive the guilt of this people in accordance with the greatness of your khesed, just as you also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. Numbers 14:19 Despite their rebellion God forgives them, which is called an act of khesed. Later, the entire nation of Israel rebels against God again, and they are exiled to Babylon. During these dark times, Israel’s prophets look at God’s past acts of khesed as the basis for hope of future khesed and their rescue from exile. Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever. Why do you hide your face And forget our misery and oppression? We are brought down to the dust; Our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up and help us; Rescue us because of your unfailing khesed. Psalm 44:23-26 God continues to show abundant khesed to Israel because through them, he will show his khesed to all the nations. This leads us to Jesus. He came to fulfill God’s relationship with Israel by being the faithful human who lives every day in the security of God’s khesed and succeeds in showing khesed back to God. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s khesed. God’s relentless, loyal love arrives in Jesus, and his affection for us drives him to give us the ultimate act of loyal love in his life, death, and resurrection. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his khesed endures forever. Psalm 118:1

What Is True Love According to the Bible? The Apostle Paul describes love in several letters, perhaps most famously in 1 Corinthians. He says even if we do good deeds and have strong spiritual gifts and faith, none of it matters without love. Paul then gives us a practical list to explain what love looks like—what it does and does not do. Love is patient, kind, hopeful, and enduring. Love is not jealous, boastful, arrogant, rude, selfish, or quick-tempered (1 Cor. 13:1-8 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 The Excellence of Love 1If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. Keep Reading ). John, a disciple of Jesus and an apostle, says that God is love (1 John 4:16 1 John 4:16 Loading... Keep Reading ). Love characterizes God’s core essence. We see examples of God’s patient, kind, and enduring love throughout the Scriptures, especially in the story of Jesus’ non-violent responses to Roman oppression and religious coercion. Rather than fighting back with the power of force, he humbly offers his own life to bless and heal all humanity (1 John 3:16 1 John 3:16 Loading... Keep Reading ). Jesus’ selfless and compassionate treatment toward all people (including his enemies) shows us what true love looks like.

What Does Jesus Say About Love? Jesus taught about the nature of true love. And he didn’t just talk about it—he actively loved everyone he met without partiality. Here are a few examples of Jesus’ words about love. Matthew 5:43-45 Matthew 5:43-45 Luke 7:44-47 Luke 7:44-47 Luke 16:13 Luke 16:13 John 3:16 John 3:16 John 13:34-35 John 13:34-35 John 15:12-13 John 15:12-13 Here are a few examples of Jesus’ loving actions. John 13:1-5 John 13:1-5 Mark 10:17-21 Mark 10:17-21 Luke 23:33-34 Luke 23:33-34

Books in the Bible That Talk About Love (also called Song of Solomon) is a collection of Hebrew love poems.The Gospel of John emphasizes love more than the other gospels.John’s letters to the churches also highlight the theme of love, especially 1 John. Because the whole Bible points to God’s ultimate act of love in Jesus, every book of the Bible is, in its own way, about the love of God. But there are specific books of the Bible where the theme of love takes a more central role. Here are a few examples. Deuteronomy mentions love more than any other book of the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible).The books of Psalms and Proverbs include a variety of songs and wise sayings about love.Song of Songs Song of Songs Loading... Keep Reading

Are There Love Stories in the Bible? ). The Bible is a collection of stories that point to God’s ultimate act of love in Jesus. Every biblical narrative can be seen as part of one story that teaches us about God’s love for humanity. However, some story collections are about the human rejection of God’s love. And there are other stories that show people giving their lives and everything they have in order to love God and others well. The biblical authors also capture various kinds of love between friends, relatives, spouses, and even enemies. Here are a few examples of biblical love stories. In the face of fear, Jonathan loves his friend David as he loves himself (1 Sam. 18:1 1 Samuel 18:1 Loading... Keep Reading ).Ruth's love and care for her mother-in-law, Naomi, outweighs that of seven sons (Ruth 4:14-16 Ruth 4:14-16 Loading... Keep Reading ).People turn away from God to love other gods, an action compared to adultery (e.g., Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah, etc.).Wisdom, personified as a woman, pursues people’s hearts and ears. She longs to love those who would listen to her guidance (Prov. 8-9 Proverbs 8-9 Loading... Keep Reading ).Jesus’ love for his followers is compared to a bridegroom’s love for his bride (Eph. 5:25-32 Ephesians 5:25-32 Loading... Keep Reading ; Rev. 19:7-16 Revelation 19:7-16 Loading... Keep Reading

What Does It Mean to Love Your Enemies? Jesus teaches us that the ultimate test of real love is how well we treat others, especially those who harm us or cannot offer anything in return. When Jesus is physically assaulted, he does not return violence. When he is maligned, falsely accused, and mistreated in many ways, he does not respond with the same kinds of attitudes or behaviors. Instead, Jesus teaches people to do good toward all, including their opposers. We are to be generous, forgiving, and compassionate without preference. We see Jesus embody this lifestyle as many harm him, yet he never returns harm in any way. Matthew 5:44 Matthew 5:44 Luke 6:27b-28 Luke 6:27b-28 Luke 6:35 Luke 6:35 This kind of love is essential to God’s nature. And because the New Testament authors describe Jesus as the incarnation of God himself, this divine love is the defining aspect of Jesus’ generous lifestyle.

What Does It Mean to Love Your Neighbor? In the book of Mark, Jesus responds to a question from the scribes about which of God’s commands are the most important of all. He says, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Notice how he fused two commands into one: “There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31 Mark 12:29-31 ) Loving our neighbors is important to God, so much so that he describes loving one’s neighbor as one aspect of loving God himself. The two are different parts of the same love. So what does loving our neighbor look like? In the Bible, love includes positive affection for others, but it also transcends a person’s emotions to include actions—the way a person cares for the well-being of another. Loving one’s neighbor is about actively caring for the neighbor’s health and well-being in the same way we might care for our own lives. And Jesus takes it a step further, inviting his followers to consider the radical way he has been loving and caring for them, and he tells them to do the same for their neighbors (John 13:34 John 13:34 Loading... Keep Reading ). To learn more about what it means to love our neighbors, especially when they happen to be enemies, dive into day 10 of our Youversion reading plan, “A Journey Through Luke & Acts.”

What Does It Mean to Love One Another? Loving one another is about attitude and action. It means listening to each other, remaining patient, and forgiving each others' faults or weaknesses. It’s about working for the health and well-being of the other, generously caring for the person, and learning to see the inherent beauty and good in one another. Love is the distinguishing mark of all of Jesus’ followers, and we are able to love in this radical way because of the self-giving love of Jesus. His love empowers his followers to love each other with the same patience, devotion, and fervency he showed to them. There are many biblical examples of what it means to love one another. Here are a few. John 13:34, 15:12 John 13:34, John 15:12 John 13:35 John 13:35 Romans 12:9-13 Romans 12:9-13 Romans 13:8 Romans 13:8 Galatians 5:13 Galatians 5:13 Ephesians 4:2 Ephesians 4:2 1 Peter 1:22 1 Peter 1:22 1 Peter 4:8 1 Peter 4:8 1 John 3:23 1 John 3:23 1 John 3:11 1 John 3:11 1 John 4:7 1 John 4:7 1 John 4:11-13 1 John 4:11-13 1 Thessalonians 3:12 1 Thessalonians 3:12 1 Thessalonians 4:9 1 Thessalonians 4:9