Through the Hymns: The Love of God

The hymn The Love of God is a timeless masterpiece, rich in theological depth and scriptural truth. Its lyrics beautifully magnify the infinite, incomprehensible love of God, calling us to stand in awe of His attributes and His redeeming grace. This hymn has stood as a beacon for believers, drawing our hearts to worship and marvel at the nature of God’s love. I absolutely love it when we sing it at church and it seems most fitting to share this on Valentine’s Day.

The History of the Love of God

Some hymns are so inspired and profound that they feel like glimpses of eternity, and The Love of God is no exception. Written by Frederick M. Lehman in 1917, this hymn emerged from a moment of deep reflection on the greatness of God’s love. At the time, Lehman, a Nazarene pastor and hymn writer, was working in a packing house in Pasadena, California. He penned the first two stanzas and the chorus during his breaks, pouring his heart into describing the immeasurable love of God.

The hymn’s third stanza, however, carries an extraordinary story. Lehman discovered these lines written on the wall of an insane asylum, left behind by an anonymous inmate who had passed away. these words were later found to originate from an 11th-century Jewish poem called Haddamut, written by Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai. This ancient text, a meditation on the vastness of God’s nature, was adapted and seamlessly woven into the hymn. The hymn’s timeless melody, composed by Claudia L. Mays, completes the piece, making it one of the most beloved hymns in Christian worship.

The Lyrics and Their Scriptural Roots

The opening lines set the stage for a reflection on God’s infinite love:

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.

These words mirror Psalm 103:11:
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.”

This verse captures the height and depth of God’s love – a love that stretches across the heavens and penetrates the deepest recesses of human sin and suffering. It recalls the redemptive truth of Romans 5:8:
“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The refrain builds on this foundation, celebrating God’s enduring love:

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

Ephesians 3:18-19 is echoed here as it describes the vast dimensions of God’s love – its breadth, length, height, and depth – exceeding all understanding.

The Attributes of God in the Hymn

• God’s Immutability
  The hymn reminds us that God’s love is unchanging:

It shall forevermore endure.

This reflects Malachi 3:6:
For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

God’s love remains constant and unshakable, providing a foundation of hope and assurance for His people.

• God’s Infinite Nature
  In the second stanza, we are reminded of the permanence and vastness of God’s love:

When years or time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call.

This imagery recalls Revelation 6:15-16, where even rebellious humanity cannot escape the enduring power of God’s sovereignty. His love transcends earthly kingdoms and time itself, extending eternally to His children.

• God Incomprehensibility
  The hymn’s third stanza is perhaps its most famous:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

These poetic lines reflect the truth Isaiah 55:9:
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God’s love is boundless, beyond human comprehension or expression, a reality echoed in John 21:25:
Now there are also many things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Reflecting on God’s Love

Singing The Love of God invites us to meditate on the greatness of God’s love and respond with adoration. Its lyrics draw us to worship, reminding us of the gospel’s truth: Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection are the ultimate demonstration of God’s love.

As we reflect on this hymn, let us rest in the assurance of Romans 8:38-39:
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The love of God is indeed measureless and strong, a theme we will joyfully sing for all eternity.

Past “Through the Hymns” Posts
Blessed Assurance
Crown Him with Many Crowns
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus