The poet Frederick H. Leeman reminds us of the love of God with these beautiful words of encouragement:

The love of God is greater far
than tongue or pen can ever tell;
it goes beyond the highest star,
and reaches to the lowest hell;
the guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
and pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure:
the saints’ and angels’ song!

The love of God is a choosing, and delivering love. “And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt” (Deut. 4:37).

The love of God is selective. “The Lord did not set his love [chashag (khaw-shak’); a to cling, i.e., join (figuratively) to love, delight in) upon you, nor choose [bachar (baw-khar’); properly, to try, i.e. (by implication) select] you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people” (Deut. 7:7).

Scripturally, the love of God is not primarily emotional, or romantic. It is rational, deliberate, and intimate. (see Doctrine of Foreknowledge)

The love of God is an oath keeping love. “But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut. 7:8).

The love of God is inclusive. “And he will love [‘ahab (aw-hab’); to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)] thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee” (Deut. 7:13).

The love of God is exclusive. “Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love [‘ahab (aw-hab’); to have affection for] them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day” (Deut. 10:15).

The love of God is able to turn cursing into blessing. “Nevertheless, the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee” (Deut. 23:5).

The love of God is a teaching love. “Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; everyone shall receive of thy words” (Deut. 33:3).

The love of God is particular and personal. The Psalmist said, “Because he hath set his love [chashaq (khaw-shak’); to cling, to love, to delight in] upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name” (Ps. 91:14).

The love of God extends to the unborn and infants. “And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him” (2 Sam. 12:24).

The elect children of God grow up to love Him. “And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places” (1 Kgs. 3:3).

The love of God delighted in those who are the object of His affection. “Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice” (1 Kings 10:9).

The love of God is a watchful love in social and political matters. “Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them” (2 Chron. 2:11).

The love of God is a promotional love. Solomon was promoted or exalted to be king over Israel. “Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice” (2 Chron. 9:8).

The love of God a particular love. God’s love for Jacob in particular is consistently taught throughout Scripture.

Moses. “And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23).

David. “He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah” (Ps. 47:4).

Malachi. “I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob” (Mal. 1:2).

Paul. “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Rom. 9:13).

The love of God is a comprehensive love. “But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved” (Ps. 78:68).

God “chose David of the tribe of Judah as ruler and king; He chose a place within the limits of Judah, to wit, Mount Zion, or Jerusalem, as the place where His worship was to be celebrated. Thus, the ancient prediction in regard to the supremacy of Judah was accomplished (Gen. 49:8-10)” (Barnes’ Notes).

The love of God is a delivering love. “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love [chashaq (khaw-saw’); to cling, to love, to delight in] to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back” (Isaiah 38:17).

The love of God is a preserving love. “Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore, will I give men for thee, and people for thy life” (Isa. 43:4).

The love of God is a protective love. The love of God for Cyrus moved Him to judge Babylon. “All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans” (Isa. 48:14).

The love of God is expansive. “Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, everyone that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him” (Isa. 56:6-8).

The love of God is rooted in righteousness. “For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them” (Isa. 61:8).

The love of God is a saving love. “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old” (Isa. 63:9).

The love of God is an everlasting love. “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love [‘ahabah (a-hab-aw); affection]: therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jer. 31:3).

“Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine” (Ezek. 16:8).

The love of God is extended to particular nations, such as Israel. “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt” (Hos. 11:1).

“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them” (Hos. 11:4).

The love of God hates sin. “All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated [sane’ (saw-nay’); to hate (personally)] them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love [‘ahabah (a-hab-aw); affection (in a good or a bad sense) ] them no more: all their princes are revolters” (Hos. 9:15).

The love of God is freely given. God is under no compulsion to love anyone or anything. “I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him” (Hos. 14:4).

The love of God is a settled love. “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17).

The love of God refers to His capacity for affection. There are people who do not have the capacity to have affection. “But I know you, that ye have not the love [agape (ag-ah’-pay); affection or benevolence] of God in you” (John 5:42).

There are two distinct words used for love in the Bible. There is the word phileo which means “to have ardent affection and feeling.” It is a type of impulsive love. There is the word agape which means “to have esteem” or “high regard” (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary). The word for erotic love (eros) never appears in the New Testament.