When we think of love in the Bible, we think of many different passages: 1 Corinthians 13, 1John 4, John 3.

Sometimes we find a hidden treasure somewhere in the scriptures that we never expected to find it. God gave us a summary of what love is in one place. Can you think of a place where it talks about Gods love for His people, and their love for Him. A place where it gives the complete order of who loves who first, and what is love?

The place that comes to mind is........... Dueteronomy 7!

Before we go on, we must understand what God means when he says in 1 Corinthians 10:11 that

"Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

If you read the former verses, Paul teaches that God laid it out so perfectly that everything that happened to Israel really happened, but it also happened for an example for us (so that we wouldn't make the same mistakes that they made).

Now that we understand that it is OK to go to the old testament (not to go back to keep the Mosaic Law, but to see pictures of how things are or should be today), go back to Dueteronomy 7.

If you start in verse 6, you will see that Israel was a holy people to the Lord. He chose them to be a special people. He has done the same with a people today. Verse 7 starts the thoughts that we are going to look at on love. It says that

"the Lord did not set HIS LOVE upon you, nor chose you, because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people".

So when you read this, do you come upon the love that a person has for God first, or God's love first? If you turn over to 1 John 4:19 you will see the answer:

"We love him because HE FIRST LOVED US. "

God obviously loved us first, just like he loved the sons of Israel first (before they loved Him).

The next verse continues the thought:

"but because the Lord LOVED you, and because He would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, has the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondsmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt"

So, because the Lord loved them, what did he do? He brought them out of Egypt (with the blood of the Passover lamb). How did the Lord show His love for His people today? He brought them out of bondage to the world (with the blood of my Passover lamb-Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 5:7). God teaches us this in Romans 5:8

"but God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." and John 3:16

"God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son..."

But the beautiful thing is that God didn't stop there. The next verse (9) in Deuteronomy 7 says

"Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that LOVE HIM and Keep His commandments to a thousand generations!!!!!"

God doesn't stop with pouring His love out, he gives us the chance to love Him back! Throughout scripture (and I don't think there are exceptions) the way that man loves God is to keep His commandments. 1 John 5:3 teaches the same thing

"For this is the love of God that WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, and that His commandments are not grievous"

That proves the consistency of God in that He doesn't change!(Mal 3:6), and His desire for His people hasn't changed, although His people have. We don't keep Moses law, we keep the "law of Christ" Gal 6:2 (bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the LAW OF CHRIST).

And then, and only then, after we have done that, is verse 13 of Dueteronomy 7:

"and He will love you, and bless you, multiply you...",

which in the new testament is clearly seen in John 14:21-23 where Jesus teaches that,

"He that has my commands and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him... (23) ..Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him."

The obvious question after reading those two scriptures is "what if I am not loving Him by keeping His commandments? What about is love then?" Read the verses a couple times through, and take them for the conditionality that they are.

Isn't that a beautiful progression:

God loved us first

so He sent His Son

so we are to love Him by keeping His commandments

then He will love us!!!

One thing that really jumped out at me when studying this through was that EVERY time, love is an ACTION!

Check this thought through, here are the verses:

You love God by keeping his commands (which is an action)---1 John 5:3, John 14:21

God loved you by sending His Son (which was an action)----John 3:16,

Jesus love for you was shown by His Sacrifice (which was an action)-----1 John 3:16

Jesus' love for God was shown by keeping His commands and dying (which was an action)-----John 15:10, John 10:17

Your love for your brethren (neighbor) is shown through actions (1 John 5:2, Luke 10:27-37)

Study these things through, see if they are so (be a Berean (Acts17:11)). If so, then make them a part of you, if not, please write and correct me. At one time I understood all these pieces except one, so a true friend came to me and showed me the scripture that I was missing to proclaim the whole council of God on this subject. I am grateful to the Lord for friends who love me.

Brady

( this is not a complete study. To be complete you would have to understand the "fear of the Lord" which is what the previous chapter is about (Dueteronomy 6). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom, love is the bond of perfectness, so obviously fear comes before love, which is why God gave us Deuteronomy 6 before chapter seven. This progression will explain how perfect love casts out fear. This study should also be accompanied by a "how to" Bible study: "How to know and keep the commandments the Lord has for you in this time". We must also know why He delivered us (which is to bring us into His Heavenly Kingdom!). If you would like one of those write me and I will see what I can do. Have a great day, and "keep yourself in the Love of God (Jude 21) (whose responsibility is that?)