More on the Love of God

While I was writing the previous blog post about the love of God, there were a couple of songs that came to mind.  I thought that I would share them with you this week.

The first one is The Love of God written by Frederick M. Lehman.  The final verse of this song was actually an almost thousand year old Jewish hymn that was sung before the reading of the Ten Commandments at Jewish festivals.  When Lehman heard the words of this Jewish hymn quoted, he was moved to adapt it into a hymn.  He sat down on a lemon box and wrote the first two verses and the chorus on a scrap of paper with a pencil stub.

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.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

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.

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

(The information about this hymn came from Hymns – Inspiring Stories about 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen & Ardythe Petersen)

The second song that came to mind while I was dwelling on the love of God was one written by George Amon Webster.  Webster sang and played the piano for the Cathedral Quartet during the 1970's.  His most well-known song is called He Loves Me.  Here are the words and a video where you can watch the Cathedrals sing this song.

Why did He go to Calvary?
Why was His life’s blood shed for me?
Why did He suffer as no man has ever done?
There’s just one reason–I am the one
He loves me, He loves me
Jesus loves me
He loves me, He loves me
Jesus loves me

When I’m sad, He loves me
Even when I’m bad, He loves
When it seems no one cares for me
I talk to Jesus, He loves me