Relentless Love

God's Love Declared v1-2a

Illustration: There are many ways people try to show love. You all heard the story about how a few weeks ago Ragan was out of town and I decided I wanted to surprise her with a gift. The only problem was I accidentally got her a gift that was 10 sizes too big.

God is not speaking of love as in, “Hey Israel, I’m the Creator who takes care of all the creatures and I created you.” kind of sense. Instead, He is speaking of His love for them as their God who is covenantally faithful to them. This is a love that belongs to His chosen people only.

Deuteronomy 7:6 NKJV

6 “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

They are His prized possession Exodus 19:4-6

Exodus 19:4–6 NKJV

4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

The phrase, “I have loved you” – a perfect tense in the Hebrew, which means it is something that was settled in the past and it’s effects last till today.

Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV

3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

So the first thing we need to notice about the love of God here today is that the love of God is absolutely unending. Jeremiah 31

God's Love Doubted v2b

C.S. Lewis said, "God's love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him."

What are some things that cause you to doubt God’s love for you?

Israel had been delivered and is now back in Israel just as Jeremiah said. But throughout this book you'll see that even though they're back in Israel they're still upset about being under Persian authority, and yeah they have a temple but it's not as nice as Solomon's temple was, and now there's a plague that's wiping out our crops so God you may say you love us be we're not seeing it!

Life’s difficulties made them question whether or not God is being truthful when He says He loves them.

This is ridiculous to think of here! The Jews would where these little boxes around their necks where they would store Scripture to remind them of the Law and they would repeat the Shema throughout the day which is Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 NKJV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

And these very people who taught themselves daily about how they were to love the God who loves them act as though He doesn't care for them at all!

God's Love Demonstrated v2c-4

Illustration: During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier's fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell's heart was touched and he said, "Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!"

Dr. Arno C. Gaebelein, the gifted Hebrew Christian leader of a generation ago, “I have a serious problem with Malachi 1:3, where God says, ‘Esau I have hated.’ ” Dr. Gaebelein replied, “I have a greater problem with Malachi 1:2, where God says, ‘Jacob, I have loved.’

The question this text should cause us to have isn’t, “Why would God hate Esau? Rather it is why would God ever love Jacob?”

God's Love Historically Displayed

Let's take a look at this. These were twins, both were unworthy of God’s love and yet God showed His love for Jacob by placing His love on Him. Malachi is saying, “You want proof of God’s love? Let’s look at the fact that God loved Jacob at all!”

Deut. 7:6-8 is worth visiting as it lets us know that this favor that they have was not earned by the works of Jacob as it says,

Deuteronomy 7:6–8 NKJV

6 “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

In Genesis 25:22-22 we find that God’s choice of Jacob was revealed before the boy was even born. So Jacob did nothing to earn the love of God.

And this is the same story with you. In Romans 9, Paul takes the story of Jacob and Esau and uses it to prove the point of individual election. God has made an oath, not with our fathers like Deuteronomy says, but with Jesus and it is the promise of our redemption. Turn with me to Ephesians 1:4; 2:4-9.

God’s Love Displayed In Ruins

In 552 BC Edom is destroyed and in 587 BC Israel was destroyed. Both by Babylon. When Cyrus defeated Babylon in 539 BC God set up Cyrus to allow the Jewish exiles to return to Judah and build the temple, this is in Ezra 1. But the land of the Edomites remained in ruins even when they tried to rebuild it.

So, when Israel beholds the destruction beyond it's borders they were to be reminded of God’s faithful love to them.

I believe you and I today may also be able to consider the love of God as we think of Christ who was crucified outside of the city. To go outside the camp was to bear reproach, thus Christ bore reproach when he was crucified outside of the city. Paul tells us in Romans 5:8

Romans 5:8 NKJV

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s Love Displayed in the Future (5)

Though many of the Jews didn’t appreciate God’s love then, in the future God would deal with the nations all over the Earth and He will bring the gentiles to Himself. And we are living testimonies to that today.