Loving GodII

What does the Bible say about Loving God?

I was surprised to find out the phrase love the lord thy God doesn’t show up until God gives his covenant with Israel. Not with Adam, Abraham, Isaac , Jacob, Noah.

Where can we find the largest body of testimony from God about loving him? Song of Solomon? Psalms? Which book does God use this phrase “Love the Lord thy God” more than any other?

Between Deuteronomy and Joshua the phrase is used 12 times and 1 time the statement of loving him is used.

When the commandment to love the Lord thy God is used there are terms to help shape and understand what God means. He defines what loving Him means.

You will find things like... all your soul ,all your strength, all your might ,all your heart ,walk in his ways, fear him, hold fast to him, obey his voice, keep his commandments. Which one is the most crititcal part of loving God, what should we emphasies to our kids about loving God. Do any occur more than the others?

roughly as I kept nodding off last night....
all your soul ( 4 times)
all your strength (1 time)
all your might (1 time)
all your heart ( 4 times)
walk in his ways ( 5 times)
fear him (3 times)
hold fast to him (4 times)
cling to him (1 time)
obey his voice (1 time)
keep his commandments (13times)

Every time God commands, to Love the Lord thy God, HE associates keeping his commandments as part of it. Every time. Most often in the same verse but sometimes a few verses away, but as part of the same thought.

Walking in his ways is in second, which i think that can only happen by knowing his commandments, and all your heart shares third place with all your soul. dooh!

Love God, keep his commandments, peanut butter and jelly. Its part and parcel with loving Him. We moderns can go on about our hearts and loving God but God is looking for something a little different from what we are used to.

I still don’t fully get it, but I know its there, I know the problem is my idea of what loving God should look like. We are handicapped because we think we have to understand it first.

Jesus repeats it...If you love me keep my commandments, John the beloved repeats it 4 times in 1st and 2nd John.

Deu 6:1-5 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:


Deu 11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

Deu 11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

Deu 11:22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;

Deu 13:3,4 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him

Deu 19:9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:

Deu 30:6-8 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.

Deu 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. Deu 30:17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
Deu 30:18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Deu 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Jos 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Jos 23:6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
Jos 23:7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
Jos 23:8 But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.
Jos 23:9 For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.
Jos 23:10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
Jos 23:11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.

Deu 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Deu 10:13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

Is this not about Lordship, and obedience to your lord? Is it not all about God, and for his own glory?

The phrase from Jesus about “why do you call me Lord, and do not do the things I say?” comes to mind. Its the good news