"He First Loved Us" -Divine Love Defined

What does this word "love" mean?  Love has been described as the greatest need humans have.  From the cradle to the grave, people strive after love, thrive in its warmth, even pine away and die for lack of it.  Nonetheless, it is surprisingly  difficult to define.  Of course, people talk a lot about love.  There is an endless  stream of books, songs, and poems about it.  The results do not always clarify the meaning of love. If anything the word is so overused that its true meaning seems ever more elusive.

The Bible, however, teaches with clarity about love. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words note:  "Love can be known only from the actions it prompts."  The Bible record of Jehovah's actions teaches us a great deal about his love-the benevolent affection he has for his creatures.  For example, what could reveal  more about this quality than Jehovah's own supreme act of love described earlier?  In the chapters  to follow, we will see many other examples of Jehovah's love in action.  Additionally, we can gain some insight from the original words for "love" used in the Bible.  In the ancient Greek tongue, there were four words for "love."  Of these, the one used most often in the Christian Greek Scriptures is a-ga'pe. One Bible dictionary calls this "the most powerful word imaginable for love."  Why? 

Next time: "He First Loved Us" -Conclusion of  Divine Love Defined

From the book: Draw Close to Jehovah