The loving character of a parent is evident in how they respond to their child in despair. A loving parent sees their child in real pain and moves toward them, seeks them out, and aims to ease their turmoil. Likewise, the love of a God is evident in how he cares for his creation. Would a God that remains distant and indignant be loving? What would we call one that stoops down to mend, heal, and instruct? Thankfully, we serve a God like the latter. It’s a theme that covers the pages of Scripture, but we’ll look at three specific examples of this persistent love.
God Covers Our Shame
Adam and Eve lived in paradise, in harmony with one another, with creation, and with God. We see all three of these realities severed the moment sin was ushered into the world. In this severance, they feel ashamed and hide from God. We all understand this instinct to hide from the consequences and the object of our failures. But this moment in the garden wasn’t merely a failure–it was a rebellion and treason against the King of the world. What should we expect a king to do? “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (Gen. 3:8–9).
The King whose law had just been trespassed walked, and if that wasn’t shocking enough, he spoke with gentleness and compassion. Our sin deserved immediate death, we were unworthy of a second thought, and yet God’s love determined otherwise. In humanity's most vulnerable and shameful moment in history, God not only comes down with compassion, but covers their shame: “and the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). We obviously know that sin was not without its major consequences, but the main thing on display here is God’s loving disposition toward man that ushered in a promise, that sin would not have the last say (see Gen. 3:15).
God’s Dwelling Place Is with Man
Man’s wait for the promise would not be easy. Much tribulation, testing, and faith would be required, and yet God, in his loving disposition, does not leave man on his own. He guides them himself, even providing a temporary place for man to dwell safely with him. In the book of Exodus, after God saved Israel from slavery in Egypt and is leading them to the Promised Land, he goes above and beyond to ensure Israel has no excuse to think God had left or abandoned them. Instead, consistent with his “moving toward” Adam and Eve in the garden, God instructs Israel how to build a temporary meeting place, the Tabernacle.
Once again, we see a God of the universe personal, intentional, and involved with his created world. When Moses was done erecting the intricate structure, Exodus 40:34 reads: “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” The presence of the Lord rushed in. There was no denying–the Lord was with his people.
Ultimately, this is the goal. This was the original design for Eden and a part of the promise to restore what was broken. Revelation 21:3–4 says, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
We do not know and serve a God indignant and “far off” in his high places, but a God whose very intention is to come down and dwell with his people.
God Becomes Man
There finally came a time when the promise given in the garden and the promise long awaited would be fulfilled. John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
God himself relinquished his heavenly throne in humility to physically enact and fulfill the promise of salvation.
Any loving parent wishes they could take the place of their child in turmoil, in sickness, in darkness. In a similar, but much more profound way, God the Father sends the Son to take our place on the cross—to assume our punishment, and extend his grace.
What a comfort we have. What a mercy we have received. What a loving God we serve. To some, this is a condemning reality—those who reject the free gift of salvation. For the humble, it’s mesmerizing. At every turn of the gospel story, God is not one who remains on his throne unaware or thoughtless, but the one who draws near to sinners, pursues their hearts, and accomplishes their salvation.
